How The Madeleine McCann Story Was Hijacked By Web Trolls
FROM the Anorak Forums - by AGW:
One of the most bizarre and troubling aspects of of the Madeleine McCann story has been the way the coverage of the story has itself become the story.
Anorak is not a site which has ever been (or ever will be) dedicated to the alleged crimes of abduction and subsequent claim and counter-claim of deeper, darker deeds involving in turn a resident Englishman in the Portuguese holiday complex where the McCann family had been staying and then the parents and their friends themselves.
Right at the beginning of all this I had predicted it was a complex story which would run and run. I confess to being bemused by the the tale’s longevity. The Madeline McCann story has become Dianaeque in its telling and re-telling, worse it is on a par with the empty and drifting ship the Mary Celeste.
The story of a photogenic, pretty little white girl from a professional and middle-class background was sure to attract attention.
I had always expressed serious doubts about the wisdom of the parents’ determination to avoid clear police advice and follow their own route to infamy…because that it what it has become.
The story divided neatly pro and anti. Not pro and anti the hunt for a little girl or her remains but pro and anti the parents. It has become a love-hate story. Every day in Anorak there are those who praise or condemn, support or vilify.
Professional journalists have watched with increasing bemusement, bordering on horror, at the activities of sites created and devoted exclusively to the Madeleine McCann story. They have risen, flowered and been cut down. The same individuals, only the names have been changed to protect the guilty, have in their turn raged or praised as each site flourished and then fell by the wayside.
The same experts and lost souls appeared again and again, and yet again, during the brief existence of these sites. Sometimes only the keystrokes or style and use of phrases and words revealed their true identity. They took full advantage and became legends in their own lunch-times, master spies, superheroes CyberMan or DigiWoman each using the Internet’s basic anonymity to change gender, location and re-invent themselves as brilliantly clear thinkers, defenders of the faith and public morale and morals or, very sad solicitors posing as desperate housewives.
The 3 Arguidos site is probably the strongest of the allegedly Madeleine McCann dedicated sites. I have no access to it nor seek any since it regularly appears to be an outrageous vipers nest of sad people, many of whom have had brief cyber-existences here. It has attracted an interesting group of supporters and helpers and we should genuinely wish them well. They are the Jerry Springer end of the coverage.
The McCann story can not sustain sites like this and they have to diversify. Recruitment from sites such as ours is one way of doing it.
The Moderators here at Anorak have noted a recent surge of activity as the once-again revamped team at the 3As have become our new friends. Avid letter writers to Anorak and when gently challenged, retreat to vent their spleen within their own site. We had such an incursion yesterday.
We are aware the 3As site has suffered dreadful problems lately and we sympathise but do have our own course to run.
There is always a suspicion, often borne out by later scurrilous attacks, the new best friends have their own agenda. That’s fine we all do…and I do not intend to give the 3As site any further creditability by association with us.
It is worth passing on one of the alleged solicitor types in there tried to publish our editor’s telephone number. Why? It is freely available on this site and he is more than well-equipped to be happily entertained by the odd moronic or dirty phone call.
We remain secure in the knowledge of many things but among them are:
Anorak is the leading site of its genre
It has the most experienced and competent team of Moderators
Its writers are skilled and entertaining
It is growing and constantly evolving which is a healthy thing
It is often not a comfortable place to be but remains vibrant and exciting
Imitation and jealous rages remain the sincerest forms of flattery.
…and the headline to this piece? It is often forgotten that the very next line in that quotation is:
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself”
Posted: 30th, June 2008 | In: Anorak Says, Madeleine McCann Comments (626) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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July 1st, 2008 at 1:49 am
Who is BJR?
I don’t know anything about all this inter-forum MM warfare.
It’s worse than the Dusty Springfield fan club break-up that was all over YouTube.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:45 am
Gandolf
You’re so apocalyptic!
A friend of mine is working as a researcher for an MSP. Ooh, the goings on at the Scottish Parliament - you’d love it - mobs and hyperbole a plenty.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:30 am
532 Maravilha
Yes, their reputation is tarnished but people like them who refuse to admit any
liability will survive and prosper. If they are not charged with Neglect it is Justice
for Madeleine which will not be done, or seen to be done.
Life will go on Maravilha and this case will be a memory after yet more money is
made by the McCanns when their book is Published, everyone is making money out
of that child.
I”ll say goodnight and catch up with you tomorrow no doubt.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:13 am
Whatever happens, solid evidence or not,
there will always be a shadow of doubts and suspicions above the McCanns’ heads.
They will carry this for the rest of their lives.
And they will carry the truth with themselves which could be much and much worse than carrying doubts and suspicions.
Possibly the Portuguese Justice will not judge them.
But people will, in their country and abroad.
And the McCanns know it.
One day this case may be forgotten by the PJ but it will not be forgotten by the UK people.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:13 am
529 Gandolf
How are you , is the leg healed now. I would have thought truth was very hard to come by these days, who wrote that? One of my favourites is “Memory is a glib liar”.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:07 am
527/528
I read that Jane Tanner and O”Brien were in 5B and Oldfield in 5C. The Paynes and Mrs
Webster were on the next floor.
I read the Pennington profile earlier, so it is not recently that she changed her Statement? In fact, if you read her profile you will see she cannot be trusted because
she is just not a credible witness and the PJ would know this.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:55 am
Truth is the plaything of the victors and unknown to the masses.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:55 am
525 Val,
At first, on an interview, Pennington said she was at that creche for children, when the last mother came to pick up her child and she told she had seen a man calling for maddie.
Now it seems that Pennington was in an apartment and heard Kate screaming.
That is what I think it is strange.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:49 am
518 val,
sorry, I don’t understand your question.
By the way,
at first I read that Jane Tanner and O’Brian were the direct neighbours.
Later I read that the Paynes were the ones.
Somewhere I read it was the couple Oldfield.
What is the truth?
__________________________________————-
July 1st, 2008 at 12:45 am
523
Noseycow Says:
July 1st, 2008 at 12:40 am
Chântelaine
The PJ report said the twins were in the room (only rumours though).
But G McC did state on the bbc documentary that they left the twins in the room asleep and tried to discourage people from going in there. Looking back he reflected that he was suprised that they didn’t wake up.
So the question is - where were the twins when Nanny P arrived? and why were they bought back into the apartment? (assuming this witness is telling the truth).
If the twins were elsewhere asleep and maddie had already ‘dissapeared’ no wonder it is not straight forward to charge them with neglect.
all very confusing.
Nite now
be good
****
Extremely confusing…
Good night, Nosey. I’ll be “good” and go to bed straight away now.
Good night to all others too
July 1st, 2008 at 12:43 am
509 Maravilha
I can”t find anything new on Pennington, can you just tell me? I just voted on the
outcome, did you? It seems 22% (highest) have voted that the McCanns will be charged with neglect and concealment of a corpse.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:40 am
Gandolf,
sometimes I have difficulties to read your texts.
Lack of ponctuation(is this a word? ) like . : ? ! , etc
July 1st, 2008 at 12:40 am
Chântelaine
The PJ report said the twins were in the room (only rumours though).
But G McC did state on the bbc documentary that they left the twins in the room asleep and tried to discourage people from going in there. Looking back he reflected that he was suprised that they didn’t wake up.
So the question is - where were the twins when Nanny P arrived? and why were they bought back into the apartment? (assuming this witness is telling the truth).
If the twins were elsewhere asleep and maddie had already ‘dissapeared’ no wonder it is not straight forward to charge them with neglect.
all very confusing.
Nite now
be good
July 1st, 2008 at 12:34 am
Your holiday sounds great
We’re hiting Biaritz (?) in a few weeks should be fun, followed by the Summer Sundae Music festival - camping over the weekend in central Leicester. Was fantastic last year - here’s hoping its as good this year. 
the Mcc’s were back in england before 1998 when they married.
Nanny O was reported in the press as being 20 years old (this was in sept last year).
She is the one who said that she served Maddie high tea and saw the McC’s collect her after this. But she said on the documentary last year that she read to Madeleine around lunchtime and that was the last she saw her.
She interestingly enough states catagorically that K did ideed shout ‘they’ve taken her’ . even though team McC were trying their best at one point to change it to ‘ she’s gone’. So I can’t see that she is connected to them in anyway myself.
anyway am off to bed am shattered
night all
x
July 1st, 2008 at 12:32 am
508 Ferdinand
Thanks, nothing conclusive, who are Rodriguez and Lima? I read Gandolf”s tiny url
and presume these two are the Reporters, no mention of their “source”, as usual.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:30 am
Inever claimed there was conclusive evidence Marv, but many of the lynch mob did and still do, need a hint …..woof! woof!……….woof! woof! my arse.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:25 am
517
Noseycow Says:
July 1st, 2008 at 12:23 am
[...] She says: “There were no children in the room. The twins had been taken out already, I think by one of the McCanns’ friends.” [...]
****
Right.
Where does that leave people being amazed at the [absent] twins not waking up in the turmoil???
July 1st, 2008 at 12:25 am
507 noseycow
It seems mccannfiles has an overspill so if Maravilha is still around I”ll ask her to tell
us what she knows.
I did read the profile on NP and she is certainly not a reliable witness according to
the early statements, I just wonder when she changed her statement. Going back to
NZ, that is where Kate went to work and Gerry was so lovesick he followed her there
and proposed. From there, did they go to Holland, then back to the U.K. ? At the time
of Madeleine”s disappearance, they had lived in Rothley for about 18 months I think,
and before that in Quenborough where Madeleine had attended Nursery. It all depends
on what years they spent in NZ because NP had a part in Shortland Street on NZ TV
probably a child actress.
I”m fine, had a nice break in Jersey……..looking forward to my holiday in New York
and New Jersey in November.!!!!!!!!
July 1st, 2008 at 12:23 am
Nanny Pennington also stated that she went into the apartment while Kate was outside screaming ‘they’ve taken her’ or some such.
And the twins were not there
Talking from her mother’s home in Leatherhead, Surrey, she told the Daily Mail: “I was in the apartment less than five minutes after they found that Madeleine had gone. When we were coming out we saw Kate and she was screaming: ‘They’ve taken her, they’ve taken her!’
edit
She says: “There were no children in the room. The twins had been taken out already, I think by one of the McCanns’ friends.”
www/mccannfiles.com
July 1st, 2008 at 12:22 am
Gandolf,
there was no conclusive evidence.
but very many indications like contradictions in statements, refusing reconstruction of that night, barking dogs but no cadaver.
One day the truth will emerge, I’m sure.
I ask myself how could an accident be so perfectly hidden in very few hours.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:22 am
513
Maravilha Says:
July 1st, 2008 at 12:14 am
Neglect, which resulted in the disappearence of the child.
And this is also a crime.
****
It’s criminal, indeed. And the consequences are serious.
IMO the PJ knows but cannot proof beyond the shadow of a doubt.
There’s blood to be counted for and bodily fluids in a car and 6 corpses in a part-time GP practice to name a few. And I would only be too happy for innocent explanations.
A 3-year-old has been missing for more than a year and nobody [at least not "us"] knows what happened to her
July 1st, 2008 at 12:21 am
Marv you still dont get it do you, your opinion or mine or any one on any of these boards counts for jack shit, if there are no charges get over it life goes on, if there are the circus will continue, that is unless you are happy to see people convicted without solid evidence, count me out on that score.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:14 am
497 Gandolf,
I read the news on RTP.
If it is true, it is bad.
But the parents were at least irresponsible.
Neglect, which resulted in the disappearence of the child.
And this is also a crime.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:12 am
I know I shouldn’t laugh, but the trolls who inhabit 3arses are pissing in their grog over this latest news.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:08 am
504
Châtelaine Says:
June 30th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
…..Not for me, Chenier……
————————————–
Indeed not for you; Anorak is very different to the Troubled Triplets.
Of course, the people ranting about how everyone else is either in the pay of, or actually is a friend or relative of the Tapas 9, seem not to grasp that they themselves are providing ammunition for the Clarries of this world…
July 1st, 2008 at 12:04 am
Nosey, good evening.
What’s interesting is that Charlotte Pennington was believed to be at the evening creche, being alarmed at someone calling “Maddie”, whereas : “Mr Collins states that rather than being in the communal ‘Drop-in creche’, Ms Pennington was actually babysitting in a ‘nearby apartment’ and was brought to the McCanns’ apartment by the sound of Kate McCanns’ screams from the balcony of apartment 5A.”
The same Mr. Collins claims that Tanner and O’Brien were in the apartment next to the McCanns, not the Oldfields.
For what it’s worth, but … doubts again …
July 1st, 2008 at 12:00 am
http://www.mccannfiles.com
June 30th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
505 val Says:
501 Ferdinand
So it was a televised debate that couldn”t reach any firm conclusions……..were the
debaters well known?
It’s a news on the TVI website. tinyurl.com/4ckruv
June 30th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Val
it is mccannfiles.com i think.
You are right that the connection is rumoured to be nz. Nanny P was said to be living there at the same time as the McC’s.
But like I said she would have been a child at the time.
I’m sure that the mccannfiles site will tell you her age and the dates when they were there. probably also has quotes from her interveiw when she describes someone calling ‘maddie’
I’m fine thanks - and you?
June 30th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Now what has happened to all that conclusive evidence, that the Portuguese respected press is now reporting as inconclusive.