BETWEEN THE LINES/space for readers to post a letter of any tennis subject.
To start of, I will write about the story I have experienced with the Bali Tennis Academy. My Involvement and my ousting. I am sure it will be a interesting read for people who heard about this subject. No facts spared - the full story!
*****
ALLEGATIONS AND EVIDENCE
Friends advised me to let go about the BTA story and go on, but I feel that I have to make a few facts clear to the people who do care or for those who read the BTA story as it is posted on the BTA web site.
I have spent considerable time and some money in helping to build up the Bali Tennis Academy. No question for me today is, that Julio Alcaraz has only asked me to join him and Jordan Sanchez, using my knowledge and contacts to make the Bali Tennis Academy reality, just to be ignored later on, when things got tougher about some irrelevant disagreements regarding the BIWA tournament and last not least the problematic way of how we communicated.
Beginning of 2006 it was clear, that the time for me has come to end my support for the BTA. Julio has never handed me over a copy of the company contract with the Nikko, despite several requests. So I may assume, that I was not mentioned as partner in the company, otherwise he would not have dared what he has tried in February 2006, taking over the web site (balitennis.com), behind my back. He has approached the web host company, which is located here in Bali, and asked that they forward him username and password to administer the site. The web host company denied him his request and contacted me immediately, telling me about Julio's approach. They asked him to contact me, if he wants username and password as the contract was signed by me.
Was he thinking that he owns the web site or correctly said, the domain, after I have agreed to change the administration name from my name to CV Balitennis? Probably. At the time of his request I still believed that I was a partner of the Bali Tennis Academy, so I have agreed to that change (Name of Administration) a few weeks earlier and instructed the web host company to do so formally by sending Julio Alcaraz the documents for hosting, 2005-2006.
What Julio obviously not understood, probably not does until today, is, that it was me who registered the domain, balitennis.com in 2004 (one year before CV Balitennis was registered!), therefore the domain was and still is registered under my name. Hosting a web site is a different story and has nothing to do with who owns the domain. I have paid for the first year hosting and I asked Julio to pay for the second year hosting. He agreed to do so (paying for the hosting period 2005-2006), but unfortunately got the wrong idea and thought that with this payment he would own the web site and domain.
Why he tried to take over the web site in the first place? Well, this was the only part of our cooperation which was still under my control. It was one of my jobs in the partnership to take care about the web site. The other one was Public Relation and Marketing.
Despite the web host company and I pointed out several times, to Julio, that he only paid for hosting and does not own the domain, which means he is not entitled to hold username and password for administration. If I deny him the right. But here comes the funny part. Not saying that Julio is not intelligent, but he could have asked me for username and password any time since balitennis.com was registered. I always forwarded him all details about the site. If he would asked me the day before he approached the web host to arrange for the "hostile take over", I would have given him the details. Because I had simply no idea what he was up to. And here comes Jordan into play. On the same day Julio approached the web host I had an appointment with Jordan to discuss the problematic situation in the BTA. He has agreed to meet me at 12 PM at a Cafe, but surprise - surprise, he did not show up. After waiting for an hour, I tried to call him, but his phone was off. A couple of hours later I found out why. As I arrived at the web host company's office for a meeting to discuss Julio's approach from the previous day, guess who was there, Julio himself. Now the coins began to fall and I understood why Jordan did not show up.
I don't have to say how disappointed I was to find out what is going on and realizing that Jordan and Julio, supposed to be my partners and friends, tried to set me up.
Upset as I was on that day I sent out an e-mail to all tennis players I know here in Bali, telling them what was happening and asking for their loyalty. Not knowing that I asked for too much! Below you will find a copy of the e-mail from February 25, 2006, which I also posted on the web site, balitennis.com It wasn't a smart thing to send this e-mail, but at that time, emotions ran high. And I did not realize, that nobody would care anyway.
Back to the afternoon, of February 25, 2006. Julio was sitting in front of me at the web host office, ignoring my presence, talking for a few minutes more to the Mrs. N. from the web host company, but finally felt uncomfortable and left without saying a word to me. Mrs. N. then confirmed that he was trying again to get username and password for administer the site, also discussed a new web design. But Mrs. N. denied his request again by asking him to contact me. One day later, he started threatening the web host company with his lawyer. After the web host company made it clear to him, again, that the domain belongs to me and therefore he has to contact me if he wants to get username and password. Finally he reported to the Cyber Crime unit at POLDA Denpasar to report the matter.
A few weeks after he reported to the police, Mrs. N. was asked to a hearing at the Cyber Crime unit and a couple of weeks later to another one. In May, I was contacted by the Cyber Crime unit to meet for a hearing. At that first meeting with the Cyber Crime unit, I could forward evidence that the domain, balitennis.com, belongs to me and that the web host company did only right when denying Julio username and password for the domain. I also gave a statement about my side of the story and the way Julio tried to take over the domain despite he simply could have asked me for username and password.
A few weeks later I was asked again to a meeting with the Cyber Crime unit and they proposed to set up a meeting with all parties involved to solve the problem. I agreed, but in the same time made the statement that I do not find it right, that Julio can accuse the web host company and me to have done wrong and then just walk away. Soon it became clear that the subject changed as Julio and his lawyer probably realized that there is nothing to win on the "domain case". Sometimes in August, the meeting with all involved parties happened at the Cyber Crime unit in Denpasar. Jordan and me, Julio and Maya (Julio's partner and holder of CV Balitennis) and the investigating police officers were attending
I was expecting some open communication or discussion, but once again misinterpreted the character of Jordan and Julio. They were obviously not there to talk. Julio has initiated with the cyber crime unit that I should sign a NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC (see below). I thought that they intend to sue me for slander, regarding the e-mail from February 25., not that it was mentioned, but the police gave me a hint. First I was protesting that the domain or web site was not the matter of the meeting anymore. At the same time it became clear to me, that there was a chance for me to end the story right there by signing the Notice to the public and move on. I had the freedom to make changes in the draft Julio has forwarded to the police. Tired and uncomfortable being in the same room with Julio and Jordan, I signed the final draft, not realizing that I actually did not agree in the content of the document. I deeply regret to have made this mistake.
Although my apologize stands for the sentence: "I now realize that I am at fault by writing the e-mail, also posted on the website, and wish to finally close this matter in a peaceful and professional manner."
Close this matter in a peaceful and professional manner - sounds good, right. Only one day later I received an e-mail from the Canggu Club GM, who asked me what this Notice to the public is all about.
Julio hasn't wasted any time and was sending out a copy to the Canggu Club and probably to all people he has on his mailing list to let them know that I have apologized. I could live with this but it also shows that they are guilty as charged with what I said in my e-mail from February 25, otherwise what the hurry to let the people know that I have apologized. To show that they have done nothing wrong? Right.
By the way, Julio and Jordan applied for the position to run the new tennis site at the Canggu Club and I was a competitor with another proposal. The Nikko GM was surely surprised that Julio and Jordan applied for that position while their contract with the Nikko was still running. The BTA contract expires December 2006.
You be the judge after reading all this and see the attached documents!
I was ready to move on, in peace, just to find out last month after trying to enter a BTA/Nikko tennis tournament with my doubles partner, that I was denied to play in any BTA tournaments or BTA managed events. So Julio and Jordan, what was that sentence "& and let there be peace with everyone's mind and heart" , all about???
A rumor is out, that I have stolen "their" web site and was in jail for slandering the Nikko hotel. Any idea who could have said so?
BTA was a lesson for me. I obviously can't expect any support here from folks who know me and know them, which I sadly accept. But shouldn't mean spirited people be called what they are?!
Jimmy Roland
Here below some documents on MS Word or scanned originals, which you can open or download.
Please note that I have the whole story available on request, also copies from all e-mail's between Julio, Jordan and me, the Nikko hotel and the web host. Everything in detail.
e-mail from February 24, 2006
Ipowerweb - account set up for balitennis.com
Application Form for webhosting - balitennis
Notice to the Public
