It appears that the AMA (ask me anything) request on Reddit to Shmarya Rosenberg, founder of Failed Messiah, was answered. Five questions were submitted:
- Why did you sell your blog?
- Who are the financial backers of the owners calling themselves Diversified Holdings?
- Who are the new editors?
- Do you plan on continuing your reporting and writing on Jewish subjects?
- What did you think of your most frequent commenters?
Replies to those questions were posted by Reddit user ‘ScottinMinnesota,’ and appear to be authentic.
[–]ScottinMinnesota 1 point 23 hours ago*
- Why did I sell my blog you ask? I have said publicly that my blog was not a profitable one and that readers’ donations were not enough to sustain me financially. I also felt that after having run FM for nearly 12 years, it was time to start a new project. The opportunity to sell FM was as they say a no brainer.
- As previously stated publicly I am not at liberty to reveal who the financial backer or backers of DH are. There may be more people behind DH that I don’t know about. Furthermore, I don’t understand why you would be stupid enough to ask questions that were already asked by reporters and not answered. Revealing this information would violate an ironclad agreement that was signed by myself and DH.
- I don’t know who the new editors are nor do I care. I haven’t visited FM since my last post.
- At this time I am taking a break from writing. I have been contacted by several media agencies who would like me to do a column for them but as of right now the answer is no. I’m not ruling it out as a future possibility though.
- My frequent commenters were and are a fiery bunch. Many of them sent in news tips which helped me significantly. I felt I gave them a place to voice their opinions on whatever topic without being ridiculed. 99 percent of them though commented anonymously because they continued to live in the community they so often railed against which to me is spineless. If you disagree with so much in your community then either leave or at least publicly disparage it to try and change it. Change will not happen if everyone is anonymous.
But they’re not. I’ve asked Shmarya Rosenberg if he wrote those comments, and he confirmed that he did not.
The bulk of the page is Shmarya’s detractors (either haredi/Orthodox Jews with an axe to grind, their supporters, or the remnant of Shmarya’s stalkers) impersonating Shmarya and former Failed Messiah commenters. The moderators at Reddit are responsive and will remove impersonator comments upon request.
Chafraud-Depravitch 
Kudos to CD.
Did you get any idea from Shmarya if he would be willing to do an AMA on Reddit or answer questions anywhere else?
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I really just wrote to ask if he replied on Reddit.
Earlier I posted erroneously that it was him. After my belated fact check I s-canned that post and put this one up. I didn’t ask him about his willingness to do an AMA.
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https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154564042895558&id=527220557
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Reading that just makes me sad.
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I would be surprised if Shmarya would cooperate.
He has had ample opportunity to reach out but hasn’t done so.
I suspect that he wants nothing more to do with any of the FM crowd or it would have all been handled and communicated in a totally different way.
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“The bulk of the page is Shmarya’s detractors (either haredi/Orthodox Jews with an axe to grind, their supporters, or the remnant of Shmarya’s stalkers) impersonating Shmarya and former Failed Messiah commenters. ”
I’m shocked! Shocked!
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I read through the reddit post for the first time. I think the ongoing behavior of the Shmarya haters can be summed up in the concept of fear. There are obviously many frummies in the world (the Shmarya haters are but a token few) who are fearful of modern people who are clearing away the barriers blocking their dark caves. It’s time for frummies to leave the darkness and to stand outside upon the warm earth and feel the sunshine.
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Haters? Hawkeye you are such a hypocrite.
And by the way their dancing in your grave, pure and simple.
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Before the huckster has typo induced diaharia.
“Haters? Hawkeye you are such a hypocrite.
And by the way they are dancing on your grave, pure and simple.”
There. Now I won’t ruin you thrice a day enema, and you’ll be nice and clean queen in case Alan Alda finally answers your love letters.
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How am I such a hypocrite? Who is dancing on my grave?
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“the Shmarya haters” while you claim that it’s unfair that anyone who criticizes Chabad is a labeled a hater.
“the ongoing behavior” of frummies isn’t fear. They are dancing on your grave because the final test of of any enterprise is whether it can be substained.
They aren’t afraid of you hawkster.
“They” couldn’t give a rats ass about you.
You have no idea what “they” care about or motivates them.
You simply and completely irrelevant to them.
All you can do is stand with your nose pressed to the window and whine about how long their noses are.
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You don’t get the difference between a hater and a critic. I don’t hate anyone or group; it’s counter productive and unhealthy. So what that FM is gone? Whoopee. The bell has been struck and cannot be unstruck. The message continues onward. Jews and non Jews increasing know what Chabad is and isn’t. I know they aren’t afraid of me. Never said they were. They don’t want or need the bad pr and the legal challenges. Why would the frummies ie probably Chabad followers waste time posting about Shmarya on Reddit if FM and those who oppose Chabad don’t bother it? Most cults eventually die out. If Chabad doesn’t then it will morph into another religion even more distinct from Judaism than it is now. There are good reasons Chabad is joked about as the closest religion to Judaism. None of our little debate here matters. God’s Will will be as He chooses.
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Do you really think ppl know what Chabad is and isn’t? I wish that were true. I just see a new one opening at every highway exit. The rabbis get into their 40s and their even less exposed [to the world] sons are the new rabbi’s, their daughters the new rebbetzins. They attract the same general types of individuals.
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DH, not sure. Most secular Jews I have spoken with that spent time with Chabad now think them weird, strange, cultish, etc. Those Jews who only observe high holiday and other such times speak well or neutral of Chabad since they only see Chabad infrequently. A couple of returnee Jews I know appreciate and speak well of Chabad while now practicing regular Orthodoxy.
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Really, C-D, what is your point in encouraging remarks like calling someone a “queen” and the like?
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The like.
Now I really am a potty mouth!
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“encouraging remarks like calling someone a “queen” and the like?”
Really? I didn’t know I was “encouraging” such a thing.
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I refer you to Elie Weisel: ““We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
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So true. More people should start their own blogs.
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Not more, just better.
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Then do it better. Or find someone who does.
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Lol. So people can shame each other but not C-D. I already have a successful blog and there is another better than this one. Why didn’t you take down the rest of your vague ambiguously poor post? You only took down the one where you were correctly challenged. Or preferably, you can say “nanner nanner nanner”.
Your blog will only be a success in your own mind because you love the look of your own writing and the sound of your own voice. Not that that’s a bad thing. Ban me. I beg of you! You are doing this for your own self aggrandizement. And the power – kinda like a middle aged man that gets on the HOA board because they have no power anywhere else in life.
I’m very glad that you haven’t practiced law in 20 years because you are at least 30 years behind. You did not even get the point of my post. You just got scared and took it down. It didn’t have anything to do with communicating with Shmarya. In fact, it freaked you out so much it was the cause of your communication. But you’re an ultra aren’t you? Kids going to school to haredi schools etc.
Keep up the good work. And keep checking the unique hits. You’ll be able to count them on your fingers and toes.
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“I already have a successful blog and there is another better than this one.”
URLs?
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I’d like that, Wiggles. Back channel me so I make certain who you are. I’ve got clients on there.
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DH, I’m not sure how to do that.
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I like CD’s blog. Keep up the good work.
Wigmore, what don’t you like about this blog and how would you improve it?
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Sorry, I guess you were quoting DH. Hey DH, the questions go to you. Why don’t you like this blog, how improve it, which is your blog?
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I think C-D is a good writer and I’m happy he’s doing this, but for me, it’s boring. It has no spark. He has a family and presumably employment and he doesn’t have the time. Further, for me, I need a quicker sharper experience. I’m not learning anything here. I usually learned from the real FM. And, frankly, I’m not all that interested n C-D’s opinion. It’s not because he’s a novice blogger. I read Shmarya’s earliest posts, but they held my interest.
I don’t have the time to spend here. For me, the real FM could be a hit and run experience during a recess or while on hold. This is tedious for me. Unlike many, the only blog I ever read was the real FM. Having to check a couple of places now, doesn’t’ work for me. Easier to just put germane things on my Newsfeed.
Thank you for asking.
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I have no complaints at all about this blog.
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DH is by far the most annoying commenter I have ever come across on the Internet. He is clearly not a real lawyer, having warned Chafraud to take down a post stating that a comment on Reddit “appears” to be Shmarya. Idiot. He’s going to sue you because it appears to you he wrote something? And what damages could he possibly claim, it’s not like the posts said anything damaging. I have practiced law for 20 years and that is such a stupid claim it is laughable. Chafraud – do us all a favor and ban this annoying fraudulent buffoon.
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DH’s comments were not why I took it down. Shmarya’s confirmation after my belated fact check was why it came down. The post was just wrong and sloppy. With only 9 views (I think two of them were me), it was ripe to be canned. I haven’t practiced law for 20 minutes, but none of that lawsuit talk scared me any. “Appears to be authentic” was probably very safe, even if I was completely wrong. There wasn’t anything in the post that would ‘have my head on the chopping block.’ That was just dramatic nonsense. The Internet is full of corrections and retractions.
What got me was the empty threat to start a blog about me with a bunch of untrue material in it.
Lame. If a former FM fan has the resources to do that, then why not make a blog to fill part of the niche FM left open?
All the same I’m not eager to ban anyone. I think the new owners of FM silenced enough of our voices.
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How precisely are you able to determine who is or is not an attorney?
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It seems like all of FMs former readers are attorneys. Did you guys all go to the same no name school or just met each other through your shared undying love and affection for your messiah Shmarya?
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Yid, are you Chabad? I’m a former FM reader and I’m no lawyer. I have never regarded Shmarya as a holy man or a great spiritual teacher. Shmarya did expose the crimes, immoral behavior, etc of frum and perhaps especially Chabad rabbis. If they were guilty or allegedly might be guilty of child abuse why shouldn’t they be exposed?
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“Chafraud-Depravitch in his recent post about the reddit thread asking Shmarya asking questions: “Hopefully he will participate. Even without all the answers, it would just be nice to see Shmarya online again.”. Confirmation Depravitch and Rosenberg spent Valentines Day together.”
—
Piss off.
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This has become a most interesting site,I have been reading it since the downfall (der untergang) of F.M.& Mr.ChafDep had it imposed upon him simply by signing up to WordPress.(U vil blog or else!) & “he’s run with it” so to speak.!
Please peeps,”let it not be abused”.
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