Weird VST spam + patent requests
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- Posts: 10
- Joined: 11 years ago
Hi HB,
I've had two weird things happen to me lately that (I think) concern HB.
First, I got an email at the address I used to register here (obviously a spam) from (allegedly) Vincent Fedele, the CEO of VST about how he wants to Skype with me to provide me with some free software or something.
Whatever. Spam.
Then I got a DM here at HB that wants me to delete my thread (this: Formula for optimal brew ratio, given TDS/Ex) due to patent reasons, which, oddly enough, also concerns VST products.
Now I got another email from "Vincent Fedele" saying
It's obviously automatically generated (fake headers, formulaic text...), but seriously HB, you need to make your security better or something.
Anyone had any similar thing happen to them?
I've had two weird things happen to me lately that (I think) concern HB.
First, I got an email at the address I used to register here (obviously a spam) from (allegedly) Vincent Fedele, the CEO of VST about how he wants to Skype with me to provide me with some free software or something.
Whatever. Spam.
Then I got a DM here at HB that wants me to delete my thread (this: Formula for optimal brew ratio, given TDS/Ex) due to patent reasons, which, oddly enough, also concerns VST products.
Now I got another email from "Vincent Fedele" saying
I am re-sending this request to contact you directly please, via phone or SKYPE.
It's obviously automatically generated (fake headers, formulaic text...), but seriously HB, you need to make your security better or something.
Anyone had any similar thing happen to them?
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- Posts: 675
- Joined: 16 years ago
It seems more likely to me that those requests are real than spam. What makes you so sure they are spam? Why would a spammer want you to delete a thread about VST stuff?
- another_jim
- Team HB
- Posts: 13854
- Joined: 19 years ago
Vince Fedele has patented some of the algorithms used in VST's ExtractMojo.
Various people on various coffee fora have asked for their contributions to discussions on coffee extraction to be deleted.
And, for some entirely coincidental educational content
Various people on various coffee fora have asked for their contributions to discussions on coffee extraction to be deleted.
And, for some entirely coincidental educational content
Jim Schulman
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- Posts: 1375
- Joined: 11 years ago
I've never had an HB related spam or strange messages that could be tied to this board/forum in any way. Not saying that you weren't targeted, but it sounds like VST might want to contact you for real.
LMWDP #445
- Randy G.
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- Joined: 17 years ago
Coincidental, or making the disappearance of posts and Vince's motivation for contacting members more transparent?another_jim wrote:Vince Fedele has patented some of the algorithms used in VST's ExtractMojo.
Various people on various coffee fora have asked for their contributions to discussions on coffee extraction to be deleted.
And, for some entirely coincidental educational content
EspressoMyEspresso.com - 2000-2023 - a good run, its time is done
- tamarian
- Posts: 501
- Joined: 12 years ago
Patented, or applied for patent? I understand algorithms and formulas cannot be patented, in which case the application will be denied, but during the application process the applicant can claim "patent pending" until the application is rejected.another_jim wrote:Vince Fedele has patented some of the algorithms used in VST's ExtractMojo.
- another_jim
- Team HB
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Not sure of the VST status; but I was under the impression that either algorithms or their computer implementation are patentable. In either case, it is a pretext for the matter under discussion.
Jim Schulman
- tamarian
- Posts: 501
- Joined: 12 years ago
I am not a lawyer, but I think the computer implementation of algorithms is only copyrightable. Meaning I cannot cut and paste their source code (if I had access to it), but can write my own source code to implement the algorithm.
All the items involved are natural occurrences. Some coffee gets dissolved into the water, some water gets absorbed by ground coffee, and the calculations are intuitive, and several people can arrive at the same calculations without looking into each other's calculations, and each can write a program to do those calculations. They just offer a pricey, convenient package to do those things for you, which can be done with some extra work, and a $12 TDS device from SCAA website or elsewhere.
Looking forward to some emails/PM's
All the items involved are natural occurrences. Some coffee gets dissolved into the water, some water gets absorbed by ground coffee, and the calculations are intuitive, and several people can arrive at the same calculations without looking into each other's calculations, and each can write a program to do those calculations. They just offer a pricey, convenient package to do those things for you, which can be done with some extra work, and a $12 TDS device from SCAA website or elsewhere.
Looking forward to some emails/PM's
- Randy G.
- Posts: 5340
- Joined: 17 years ago
If Vincent has something to say about the posts in this forum (or any other forum) let him post them in the respective forum. The backdoor nonsense (and can we safely assume that some sort form of "energetic" statements) which "motivated" folks to remove posts from those threads is pretty cheap, all IMO of course. Has he contacted you in this way, Dan? Are the algorithms in his software so easy to pull out that folks already have them? Just spitballing based on the contents of this thread (which, admittedly are not much to go on), but it does sound cheesy.
EspressoMyEspresso.com - 2000-2023 - a good run, its time is done
- another_jim
- Team HB
- Posts: 13854
- Joined: 19 years ago
If you get a PM or email, it will contain no content, only a request to phone or skype. Vince's requests leave no paper trail; just as discussion of TDS are now leaving no forum trail.
So a lot of this is, in the immortal words of Francis Urquhart,
So a lot of this is, in the immortal words of Francis Urquhart,
You might think that, I couldn't possibly comment.
Jim Schulman