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[bamalucky]

FANAFI's blog on this...

http://thefanafiproject.wordpress.com/2008/08/16/mia-maybe-not/

is that the author of your blog comment?

$5 says it is..At least i get top billing on his blogroll 

[jmathree]

FANAFI's blog on this...

http://thefanafiproject.wordpress.com/2008/08/16/mia-maybe-not/

is that the author of your blog comment?

I don't know.  From the tone of his post, it just might be.  I found his post when I googled John Witchel.

[Risk_Reward]

FANAFI's blog on this...

http://thefanafiproject.wordpress.com/2008/08/16/mia-maybe-not/

is that the author of your blog comment?

I don't know.  From the tone of his post, it just might be.  I found his post when I googled John Witchel.

The blog has now been deleted.  What did it say?

[jmathree]

The blog has now been deleted.  What did it say?

Damn.  I thought about quoting it too.

It gave a synopsis of what he'd heard.  Something to the effect that Shira will be returning soon from maternity leave and that JW had left to pursue other personal and professional goals.  (Paraphrased.)  Then it said something about waiting for Prosper's official announcement because his source, a Prosper employee, may not be in the know.

Sorry, that's the best I can recall.


ETA:  Here's the lead-in from http://wordpress.com/tag/john-witchel/

MIA? Maybe not!

Recently, someone, who shall remain nameless, claimed that two people at Prosper.com are MIA… Facts as I’ve heard them- Shira Levine- Maternity Leave, will be back soon in undetermined cap… more →

The FANAFI Project

[Risk_Reward]

... JW had left to pursue other personal and professional goals.  (Paraphrased.)  ...

That's corporate speak for "we canned his ass".

[Tokyo Joe]

FANAFI's blog on this...

http://thefanafiproject.wordpress.com/2008/08/16/mia-maybe-not/

is that the author of your blog comment?

I don't know.  From the tone of his post, it just might be.  I found his post when I googled John Witchel.

The blog has now been deleted.  What did it say?

Good lord, for the luvva Pete, and fer crying out loud on top.

They deleted it about 25 minutes after I submitted a reply...

Here was my reply, posted no more than 40 minutes ago:

(posted as anonymous)

Didn't you guys say you have given up p2p blogging?  I swear, you change your minds so much it is almost pathological.

How in blue blazes would you know why Witchel is gone? Nobody said it was over the smoke bomb prank; you completely misinterpreted that blog post you read.

Giving up p2p was the smartest change you ever made; too bad it only lasted a couple of weeks.

Sheesh.  Ridiculous.

Literally 25 minutes after I submitted this, they yanked the whole blog down.  This is only the twentieth time (at least, and I'm not exaggerating) they've completely reversed direction on themselves... Pathological really is the only word I can think of to describe such a phenomenon...

Could someone please take the internet away from them before they burn themselves?

[ira01]

I submitted a blog comment too, before they took it down, stating that apparently .org was more reliable than their "inside source," at least as to Shira, and that they must have missed the thread here about Super Yenta. 

[112233]

maybe he thinks he can get away with starting a publc blog without us (org) knowing about it. that is plain silliness

[Capital_Finance_Group]

If Witchel is gone what does this change about Prosper?

[112233]

this came from the cache.. sorry if it's so long
http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:ewsEjjhwqnYJ:thefanafiproject.wordpress.com/+thefanafiproject.wordpress.com&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

The FANAFI Project
My Peer Lending Adventure!

Which Witchel? Who Cares!?
August 15, 2008
I have been following the news by one Bamalucky about the supposed arrest of John Witchel of Prosper.com fame. I did my own digging and found that there was a 23 year old John Witchel who is a confirmed former Senior at Stanford that participated in the following incident is indeed the same John we know…

“Student arrested in April smokebomb incident

STANFORD — Stanford police have arrested a student on felony charges stemming from a smokebomb incident that disrupted sorority “rush” week in April, investigators said.

John Brown Witchel, 23, a senior majoring in political science, admitted to making the incendiary devices after police linked him to the crime through credit card receipts, Sgt. Rick Tipton said.

Tipton said the timing components of the devices were of a brand sold only by Radio Shack stores.

“We found that one person using credit cards had bought the clocks,” Tipton said. “He was trying to cover his tracks by going to different stores on different days.”

Tipton said once it was established that the clocks were purchased by Witchel, other receipts showed he also purchased at the Radio Shack stores other items used in the devices, such as batteries, wire and solder.

Witchel surrendered Wednesday, June 5, and was booked into Santa Clara County’s North County Jail in Palo Alto on suspicion of felony arson and possession of a destructive device in and around a college campus. He was released after posting bail.

Tipton said Witchel’s apparent motive was disruption of the sorority event.”

And… CUT! The one thing Bamalucky neglects to mention here is A) he’s served his time for his crime (college hijinx/prank, nobody was hurt, blah, blah, welcome to college anarchism) and B) hasn’t resigned because of the uncovering of this old, old news, but for personal/professional reasons completely unrelated to this old news (have you even asked Prosper about this Bama before posting?). In fact I find it highly likely that Bama is trying to dredge up old news for the argument he and other Prospers.org people are attempting to make… That Prosper.com is just a house of fraudsters and scam-artists. This is completely unfounded and isn’t logical I mean, who the hell would fund such a thing (Pierre Omyidar isn’t that stupid, nor are the VC’s who plugged into it)? So let me ask this, who are we to re-judge those who have served their time for their crime? Do we not let felons out each day in this country after they have gone through the correction process to go out and attempt normal lives? Stop picking a fight with Prosper people! If you are unhappy, shut up and leave already and get on with your lives! Some of us still believe that peer lending can and will work. Why do you choose to defamate character of a free man? Go volunteer or something, geez! Pisses me off to no end when people cry about something they can just go away from. Cut your losses and move on and stop trying to pick fights with people who don’t care about you anymore than I do (see definitions for ‘nano’ or ‘micro’)! At the end of the day, this whole thing is pointless, who cares what he did in the past anymore and wht you had for breakfast this morning? It’s done, move on already! Who’s next, Chris Larsen for some odd petting zoo incident back in the late 70’s? Please stop! It’s not cool to be pissing in other people’s coffee, it tastes bitter enough without your rancid flavoring!

John, if you read this… Good luck with whatever endeavors are before you as the forward path is more important than the path previously traveled! Be in peace.

Bama… Write something newsworthy or just go away, you detestable, heartless creature. How would you like it if people did this to you and smear your name? Leave it alone!

[xraider]

Wow. Speaking of bitter.....  I guess it's a good thing he deleted that.

I respectfully disagree with Jeff's comment that "the forward path is more important than the path previously traveled."  Given Witchel's track record, it appears that the forward path will lead to more unethical business practices!

[bamalucky]

I didn't even see that post.It was deleted from the blog before i read his latest blog entry.

[Tokyo Joe]

I didn't even see that post.It was deleted from the blog before i read his latest blog entry.

They must've changed their minds again there too.

[j9359]

From his LinkedIn profile it sure sounds like he is no longer with Prosper

John Witchel’s Experience

    *
      Chief Technology Officer
      Prosper Marketplace

      (Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Financial Services industry)

      May 2005 — August 2008 (3 years 4 months)

      I co-founded Prosper with my partner, Chris Larsen. I was the lead designer and architect of Prosper.com.

      As CTO, I oversaw all product development and engineering.

      I was also a member of the Board of Directors

[112233]

full disconnect. not even on the board