back to article Hull Daily Mail exposes depraved local porncoder

The Hull Daily Mail has put itself in the frame for an investigative journalistic award of the highest standing after exposing a local website owner who'd designed "thousands of hardcore pornography websites". Paul's Smith's HU17.net is an innocent enough affair offering info on the picturesque town of Beverley. So well …

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  1. Andrew Taylor 1
    Flame

    Hull Daily Mail

    As an East Yorkshire native who lives in the HDM's catchment area I'm pleased to see that El Reg didn't make the mistake of calling HDM a newspaper, everyone who lives locally know's the HDM's only function is to provide disemination for Blunderside Police and the outer wrapping for fish and chips.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Happy

      As another East Yorkshire native

      I can assure you that this rag is not worthy of wrapping Bob Carver's excellent chips.

    2. Dunstan Vavasour
      Coat

      Chip Paper

      Now, if the HDM were being used for wrapping fish and chips that *would* be news worthy - it hasn't been allowed for a generation.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Ha ha

    The Mail is getting absoloutely slated on their own website....especially as they run ads for escort services and premium rate chat lines....

    People in Galss houses and all that..

    1. Cameron Colley

      No, this is Humberside...

      Glasshouses is in North Yorkshire.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Stop

        Humberside?

        Humberside no longer exists as a county.

        It's East Yorkshire on the north bank of the estuary.

  3. irish donkey
    Thumb Down

    guy earn's a few quid for coding porno sites

    I of course would never look at porn or anything associated with porn.... just like the other 20% of the people on the hinterweb that manage a whole day with out typing ' mature housewives dressed as traffic wardens'

    Of course if they wanted to out somebody they could look at their London namesake that never pays any UK tax on their profits... or their Boss Dirty Desmond!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Headmaster

      Actually

      it's the Express that Desmond owns

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      thanks!!...

      'mature housewives dressed as traffic wardens'

      I've never searched for that before!! Thanks for the tip...

  4. Craig 28

    Oh good grief, again

    I wouldn't really care if the same company designed sites for the playboy channel and mothercare, so long as they're able to keep the two separate. What has this to do with anything?

    On a more common note, how is this different to newsagents selling both "top shelf" magazines and kids comics? In fact the newsagent thing is worse since they're all physically in the same location, whereas the design efforts for web sites don't have any such connection between separate sites they develop. You could go further and consider such publications as the Sport to be pseudo-top shelf stuff.

  5. Jez Caudle
    Thumb Up

    £250 for a design??

    That is cheap. I hope none of my clients see that. They'll want a refund.

    For the £250 he wanted from the escort he could have had 'O' (with CIM) and then 'A' levels. Maybe he should have done some sort of market research and then done some bartering.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Huh

    What is the problem here? Designing legal websites about porn? I know a web designer who has a respectable local business designing websites for local businesses. He also runs another more smutty (but legal) business which he keeps separate.

    I don't see why there is an uproar, he has done nothing wrong. And their investigative journalism was to ask him if he would design a website if they paid him? They asked him to do his job and he agreed? Oh no, better warn the public about this guy, clearly he should not be allowed to use his web design skills to earn a living.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Not only that...

    But he is also using HU17 for the name of his business...clearly in violoation of the Royal Mail's copyright of postcodes!

    How dare he!

  8. Jim Morrow
    Paris Hilton

    nice work if you can get it

    > the question is just what purpose does its exemplary investigative journalism serve?

    that should be fucking obvious. a hack on the local rag was able to spend a couple of days in the office looking at porn *and got paid for it*.

    is the paper hiring? free smut on company time should attract a good pool of applicants.

    paris icon because she's yet to feature on hull's porn sites.

  9. Jason McQueen
    WTF?

    Man Doesnt Break Law Shock!!

    Really, do the the reporters at Hull Daily Mail have nothing better to do?

    The guy makes a legitimate living, pays his taxes (presumably) for doing something legal and they're complaining? Fair enough they're porn sites but he's only designing the website, not filming the content for goodness sake. Even the HDM states that the activites are legal.

    And, as posted on the HDM website, the paper itself has numerous adds for escorts, brothels and more 'spicy' viewing material. All of which could be accesible by anyone willing to pay the 40p or whatever it is to buy a copy of the paper. Even those under 18. Maybe we should compain the the Press Complaints Commission that they're making porn and sex available to minors?

    If I was this guy Id be seriously considering legal action against the paper.

  10. LinkOfHyrule
    FAIL

    Shocked

    Talk about a "hit piece". I am stunned that a newspaper would stoop this low, well maybe not that stunned. Hurry up and die newspapers, seriously, die please.

  11. Graham Marsden
    FAIL

    Wow...

    ... the people of Hull must be feeling *so* happy that they have got a newspaper like this selflessly defending them from perversion!

    (The fact that their Classified Ads section contains ads from Escort Agencies is an irrelevant detail, of course...)

  12. Stephane Mabille
    WTF?

    Classified

    Quite funny coming from a "newspaper"/"website" with a escort section in is classified ads pages (would have passed the link but the link is extremely long, and I don't really want to generate them any traffic)

  13. Marky W
    Alert

    Oooo, what to write for a title. Nope, can't think of a thing.

    Heh, despite promising to remove offensive messages, this early one still remains:

    "Paul knocked up a couple of site for me - some travel sites, tours of Bangkok and the region, that sort of thing.

    Paul Gadd, Not tellin yer "

    Given their floor-scrapingly low tolerance level for 'offensive' surely that would qualify with bells on.

  14. Olafthemighty
    Grenade

    They're slagging El Reg off in the comments!

    "Interesting that a real news media site the register has picked up on the amatuer HDM lol" says one well-informed commentard! Real? News? When?

  15. Prag Fest
    Thumb Up

    Hoorah

    Great reaction on the HDM comments to that sorry mess masquerading as a news article, restores my faith in humanity.

  16. EdwardP
    Flame

    Lawsuits...

    Am I the only one who smells litigation in the air?

  17. Stone Fox
    Stop

    If I were him,

    I'd be looking at my legal options. This is absolutely shocking use of 'journalism'

    And yes, I think i'm going to ring that number and complain. I think we all should.

    1. Mister_C

      not just him...

      HDM mentioned that he'd advised Graham Stuart, the local MP, about his website. Didn't bother to confirm anything with mr MP, just printed his name in the story.

      Result - one MP with the hump.

      Beverley Minster's verger has some out in his favour. wonder how long the HDM's Beverley offspring will continue to host the "Mr Minster" blog...

  18. Steve Evans

    Ooops...

    Stop press : Man legally designs websites for legal businesses.

    What next, the Hull Daily Mail goes after the inland revenue for profiting from the proceeds of non-crime?

    Looks like HU17 has died under the load... Pity the same can't be said for the "newspaper" (word used in it's broadest possible term).

  19. CA
    Stop

    Ban this filth!

    Well, unless we're making money from it.

    The publisher of the Hull Daily Mail is, or certainly was until recently, more than happy to take adverts from Escorts and other forms of "adult entertainment". So I'm guessing they're just trying to protect their revenue by stopping escorts from being able to advertise their services in anything that they don't control and profit from.

  20. Jamie Kitson

    Love It

    This is one of the comments:

    If the mail considers the exposure and inevitable subsequent vilification of this individual coupled with the certainty that he will lose business, and his status he has risen too newsworthy, then why does the mail carry advertisements for massage parlours, escorts, transvestites etc. Surely the Mail are making their money in exactly the same way. It's just shere hypocrisy. Although it is entirely un-related, it reminds me of the current healthy diet nonsense wherein Supermarkets peddle "slightly salted crisps" , so in order to taste them you have to buy some salt. If they were that concerned about the dangers of excessive salt consumption they wouldn't sell salt at all. And whilst we're on the subject of ludicrous anomalies, what is all this rubbish about "You can't buy alchohol unless you look 25" when did the legal alchohol age go up from 18 to 25 I don't remember it. What ever happened to commonsense? I expect people will be trying to convince me that the moon isn't made of green cheese next

    Not sure about the mail's moral stance, on this, it sounds like hypocrisy to me

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    No one should make money from this filth!

    Unless it's us.....

    The Hull Daily Mail's publishing company certainly used to take adverts from escorts and all sorts of other adult services such as swinger's clubs.

    So I guess they're just trying to protect their revenues by stopping escorts spending their advertising budget with anyone but them.

  22. Tom 15

    All he does...

    All he does is sell generic website templates... he didn't actually make any porn sites.

  23. Robert Hill
    Happy

    SHOCK...

    BTW, has anyone noticed that the Hull milkmen are deliverying milk to the same strumpets in question at their OWN HOMES, and then DELIVERING MILK TO SCHOOLS!!!! Even with the very same trucks, and without having returned home, burned their clothes, and showering!

    My god, does no one realise that those strumpets have koodies, germs, ticks, and fleas? Those milkmen might have even seen them IN THEIR ROBES!!!

    And who knows what happens to the vegetables on the truck when Acado deliver groceries to those same strumpets...shudder.

    Please, we need proper investigative journalism to prevent this from becoming something that threatens the very moral fiber of our children...please, hurry...

  24. Anonymous John
    Happy

    "images of women dressed as schoolgirls being spanked".

    That's the next Playmobil reconstruction sorted.

  25. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Go

    Say no more! SAY NO MORE!

    Probably has a swedish wife, too (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

    I will have to inspect these stern schoolgirl correctional facility sites to make up my own mind though.

  26. Smelly Socks
    Megaphone

    Outrage!

    I always knew that he was a prognosticator and a procrastinator! And that he came from a family of THESPIANS!!!1!!1!!!11

    Please excuse me for a few moments while I write a strongly worded letter to the authorities.

    -ss

  27. tom 24
    WTF?

    And the smut sites are offensive because...

    I have to assume there is some non-smut reason for all the outrage. Perhaps the web sites are offensive in some remotely relevant way.... Do they use tables for layout? Do they fail to validate as valid HTML? I just don't get it.

    1. Rattus Rattus

      They're IE6 only...

      Burn him at the stake!

  28. Ben 47
    FAIL

    WTF

    I've just found this on the bottom of another article

    "However, there is nothing to suggest any of the websites are illegal.

    Illegal pornographic websites include those where children are involved."

    I mean just WTF are they on?!

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I see people are complaining.

    I'd be tempted to type a few words to the PCC myself, just so it gives backing to his inevitable lawsuit against them.

  30. Annihilator
    FAIL

    Kiddie fiddling

    Worse still in one of the many articles (3 on the same "story"??) it tries to imply association with kiddie fiddling:

    "However, there is nothing to suggest any of the websites are illegal. Illegal pornographic websites include those where children are involved."

    Registered my complaint. Presumably they only do something about it if Paul does also.

  31. Adam T
    Alert

    "moist schoolgirls" ???

    Thank goodness for him that he doesn't write for el Reg, eh!

    Or, maybe he does? Mr. Smith, are you here?

  32. John Murgatroyd

    I like Mary !

    In the one agency still advertising in the rag.....

    http://classifieds.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/ThisIsClassifieds/www/default.aspx?p28=thisishull&p24=GeneralClassifieds&p25=GeneralClassifieds&p2=&p3=000006&p4=000000&p5=000000&p6=X0100&p7=&p8=thisishull&p14=&p9=03/03/2010&p10=04/03/2010&p13=1&p12=Date&p16=Results&p18=000006&endParam=1

  33. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    When I become king...

    ... The Daily Mail and all subsidiaries will be required to have a large (at least quarter page) box on both front and back pages stating in large red font :

    "The Daily Mail repeatedly published stories in support of Nazi Germany and fascist organisations at home and abroad. It has repeatedly been accused of racism and homophobia as well as prosecuted for libellous falsehoods on numerous occasions.

    This is a free country and you are perfectly entitled to get your news from whatever source you choose, just be aware that by purchasing this you are saying that your preferred choice is to be lied to by bigoted Nazis."

    1. FIGJAM
      Heart

      ...........wait for it.......

      Thank you, Mr Godwin.....

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Headmaster

        no no no

        Godwin's law does not apply here Figjam, as they aren't comparing the Dailt Mail to the Nazis hyperbolically. The Daily Mail really are nazis. They have printed numerous pro-fascist stories over the years including ones in support of the German Nazi party in the run-up to World War 2 and celebrating Oswald Mosely the notorious British fascist.

        Invoking Godwins law in this context would be like invoking it whenever someone says 'I don't vote BNP as they are a bunch of nazis' or 'I dont think you should call your baby Adolph as that was the name of a famous nazi'.Godwin s law does not preclude actually describing real nazis as such.

        1. FIGJAM
          Troll

          ...cue the Godwin's Lawyers?... It's Merely Memetic

          Fair enough.

          From my limited understanding, Godwin's Law was actually:

          "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."

          I made no statement about the veracity of your comment, merely pointing out that the discussion must have passed that magical point at which Nazis were mentioned.

          For the record, I thought it appropriate, but humorous and ironic enough to mention Godwin.

          Just to add my own layer of (albeit inept) irony, of course.

          If there is still an official Nazi Party, and the Mail or their editors are actual members, surely that would lead to some inditement? Possibly prosecution?

          I appreciate Fascism is no joke, but it is present in many forms, on many forums. To the extent it is covered by freedom of expression, this is something we must all endure - but not silently.

          Once more, apologies if I caused offence, it was not meant.

          PS I would LOVE to see newspapers called out on their previous political stances, especially the discredited ones.

      2. Paul 4

        Um...

        Its a statement of fact, so not coverd under Godwins law. The DM are the only mainstream British paper ever to suport a fascist movement.

        1. Andrew Taylor 1
          Grenade

          And in the spirit of the Daily Mail

          the Hull Daily Mail constantly fails to moderate racists comments from any of it's comments section and allows active promotion of the BNP in it's comments sections. It really is an embarrassment.

  34. Matthew Hale

    Apparently...

    .....the greatest shock of all will come where they learn just where the schoolchildren of Hull came from.... The disgusting things their parents did to each other. Some of the even had the lights on and watched the whole thing. Some even ENJOYED this disgusting act. Shocking.

    We should burn them alive, or tar and feather them, or something. Sweet Jesus what is the world coming to. Terrorists running amok, people with penises and vaginas, having sex.... Good Lord save us from these abominations.

  35. Anonymous Coward
    Megaphone

    Don't contact the Press Council

    The Hull Daily Mail clearly states the procedure should you be unhappy with this (or any other) article in their 'newspaper' at http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/presscomplaints.html

    Step 1. Contact the editor

    Step 2. If you are not satisfied with the editor's response, THEN contact the Press Council.

    Following the HDM's procedure unfortunately inconveniences them, but there is a proper way of doing things.

  36. amiable drudge

    no smoke without fire...

    no, i'm with the Dull Daily Wail on this one, the whole website's riddled with smut!

    http://www.hu17.net/dont-pay-just-display-wood-in-your-window/

  37. Jerome 0
    Thumb Up

    At least someone is making sense

    I was particularly impressed by Councillor Kerri Harold, who shunned tradition by responding with some degree of common sense: "I understand he is not doing anything illegal. My personal view is I have no problem with it, but I don't know what residents think because I have not consulted them about this."

    A rare display of decency from a politician - no doubt she will be summarily removed from her position for displaying such an outrageous stance.

  38. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Shape of things to come

    This thing will become ever more main stream and supported by the various moralist authorities, school uniform fantasies are sure to land you in the same catagory as paedophiles within ten years.

    Lets face it having drawings of a drawn character in a school uniform will land you in jail and ruin your life.

    That'll be followed by no small boobs, no short girls, no woman who could be mistaken for an under twenty five years old.

    Just to be safe, if it saves on childs life it's worth it.

    Or so "they" say.

  39. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Hmm legal action...

    ... probably not much he can do. Not defamation, as the 'shocking' part was true...

    IPCC is the way to go.

    Still, whole situation: Hilarity.

  40. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    That's just funny...

    so the guy codes websites. Some of them are porn sites, they probably pay a really good wage for a a website developer.

    But he's got youth sports pics on his personal website. Well, it's not like he into kiddie porn. Is it?

    Paris, cause she can appreciate some good porn ;-)

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Grenade

    Most of us 'ull lot are pretty fed up with this!

    The Hull Daily Mail has Hull pretty tied up when it comes to news. The recent appearance of hyperlocal news sites like HU17.net seems to have worried the hell out of HDM who are not known for playing nicely.

    I guess that new startups like hullfreepress.co.uk (a project attempting to offer a community staffed alternative to the incumbent news provider) are likely to wind 'em up even more. Visit intranet.hullfreepress.co.uk/welcome/ if you want to help out.

  42. R Callan
    Boffin

    Old Yorkshire saying

    From Hull, Hell and Halifax may the good Lord deliver us. Note how Hull precedes Hell.

    I think that the writers for this rag may be a bit wet behind the ears, but then the Hull is strictly speaking a river.

    p.s. How can the East Riding still exist, i.e. be a third of a non-existent county?

    Expat from the West Riding, from the days when Yorkshire (no qualifications) did exist.

  43. Allan George Dyer
    Flame

    I'm Outraged!

    There are 36, that is THIRTY SIX, HTML errors on the front page of HU17.net, who know what horrors there are on the other pages!

    I's all very well for Smith to say, "I'm genuinely trying to do better and go in the right direction.", but he's obviously not even validating his pages!!

    WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE STANDARDS?!!!

  44. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    More interesting why dont the HDM tell us about their deputy editor!

    this happened when he worked in Norwich 2 years ago!

    http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=37423&sectioncode=1

    what exactly did he get up to? bet they dont run that story but will happily smear innocent men!

  45. gollux
    WTF?

    Hey, look!

    Free advertising!

  46. Scott 19
    Coat

    Some Hack

    Got caught at work looking at porn and had to think on his feet and this non-story is the result, should of just said he clicked a link in an e-mail like i do oh wait, secrets out.

  47. neverSteady

    Incredible

    Hey I know they're only trying to sell papers and make a living in the tough new digital world of shared media, but to try and destroy the small guys customer base for something completly legal? Oh if this wasn't moderated I'd be...

    Doesn't matter, they're on the losing side, maybe they can apply for a position at the dear ol' reg?

  48. Displacement Activity
    IT Angle

    He *owns* the domain names??

    He apparently owns the 112 domain names that cover the sites he's worked on recently. Is this normal? Any of you code websites? Do you retain the name, or pass it on to the client? This doesn't give me a warm feeling.

    @JohnMurgatroyd: Mary's gone. Perhaps you can give us another link.

    1. DPWDC

      Yup!

      Many of our clients aren't clued up enough to maintain a domainname, so we do everything for them and change them a monthly fee. Of the ones that DO maintain their own domainname - every 2 bl**dy years we get a phonecall "the websites broken, fix it now or I'll sue!!"... 2 mins later "you didnt pay your domain renewal fee" - "whats that?"

      Quite normal practice. Nothing to get cold over.

  49. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This is just a preview — your post hasn’t been submitted yet.

    I would have thought spanking moist school girls was well inside the thoughtcrime laws? The old bill must be "very busy you know" otherwise they could have an easy win with this; they ought to have a word with our very own S Yorks plod, who managed to find the time to prosecute the twittering "bomb hoaxer". Mind you, there isn't a lot for special branch to do here now there aren't any miners left...

    The HDM still have an escort agency category in their classified section, however, they do seem to have managed to get rid of all the ads - way to go with the html skillz HDM! I know a guy who might be able to help you... I look forward to seeing the slappers of Hull taking the rag to court for breach of contract; or did they get a refund?

  50. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Picking on a competitor?

    It's worth considering the the publishers of the Hull Daily Mail also have a web division, Associated Northcliffe Digital. They are trying to establish community web sites and certainly used to sell custom web sites for local businesses and quite probably still do (I'd be very curious to know if they've ever designed a web site for "that sort" of customer)..

    So basically the journalistic arm of the company has bashed down on a company who's competing for advertising revenue, web site design revenue and local community traffic with the digital arm of the company.

    That's not an abuse of power or a conflict of interests is it?

    It's like watching Murdoch trying to tear down the BBC, just on a local level.

  51. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Cheap shot for Friday.

    Beverley, East Riding.

    East Riding beaver meadow/stream.

    East Riding beaver meadow.

    East meadow, riding beaver.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      quick question

      are there actually any serious web developers out there that havent done work on a porn site?

      (by serious I mean do it as their main job or a good proportion of their job)

      I know I was involved in the design of one about 6 years ago and got paid well for it, they also started selling adult toys of all descriptions.

      I pulled out when they wanted to use video demonstrations of how their toys should be used purely because the resulting video would have breached the existing uk laws and there was no way I was going to knowingly host or work on a site that contained the video.

  52. Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse
    FAIL

    As Demitri Martin would say....

    Lets just have no stone throwing regardless of housing situation.

    Love the 3 pages of escort services offered on the HDM website. Guess they forgot to check on their moral highground status before publishing.

  53. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    morals and the people who don't have any ..

    Curiously enough, I can't register to post on that site. I do wonder as to who the customer base of these services are, possiblly readers of the HDM .. :)

    -------

    SERVICES » Escort Agencies

    CRYSTALS, 24hrs.- 07908 261929/ 07770 852621. www.crystals-escorts.co.uk

    http://classifieds.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/ThisIsClassifieds/www/default.aspx?p28=thisishull&p24=GeneralClassifieds&p25=GeneralClassifieds&p2=&p3=000006&p4=000000&p5=000000&p6=X0100&p7=&p8=thisishull&p14=&p9=04/03/2010&p10=05/03/2010&p13=1&p12=Date&p16=Results&p18=&p27=False&endParam=1

    http://snipurl.com/unei9

  54. Andrew Taylor 1
    Badgers

    They're still at it

    HDM have run another story about Mr Smith today, trying to get an adverse comment from the Virgir (yes this is the correct spelling) of Beverley Minster, without success but HDM are still providing innuendo's linking Mr Smith taking photographs of children playing sports with his work for legitimate and legal porn sites. The editorial team at HDM are really showing themselves to be lowlife slimeballs. Article link here: http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/news/Beverley-Minster-virger-backs-web-publisher/article-1887241-detail/article.html

    Badgers - because El Reg don't have an icon for beavers from which the name of Beverley is derived.

  55. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Register to boycott the Hull Daily Mail

    This message goes out to residents of Hull and environs: pledge to steer clear of the Hull Daily Mail until they print a prominent apology:

    http://pledgebank.com/boycottHDM

    While you're at it, print a fistful of flyers and give 'em out in the pub and at work:

    http://pledgebank.com/boycottHDM/flyers

    Go on. You know you want to.

  56. spezzer
    Megaphone

    fecking jorno's...

    What is it with whiter than white journalism these days? nobody is perfect, and nobody should even try to be. were only boloody human and porn has been around forever and isnt going anywhere. maybe some rival journo should start poking around those idiots at the hull gazette or whatever its called and see if any of thier employees ever looked at porn. jeez get a life!

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