Web dwellers are rallying to the defense of Bianca's Smut Shack after learning that Tandy Corporation has issued a cease-and-desist order against the popular sex-positive site.
"Your attempt to stop Bianca's Smut Shack from using the name they've been using since 1994 is upsetting to me and the rest of the Web community," reads a pre-written message designed to be sent to Tandy at the touch of a button from a page created by Jim Hart, known as Vagabond Jim.
About 350 email messages have been sent since Wednesday from Hart's site. Many users have changed the default message, to one written personally to express a sense of betrayal from a company they have been patronizing from an early age, says Hart. Now the production manager at Electric Minds, Hart moved from Nashville to San Francisco when he was inspired to work on the Web by Bianca's and Links from the Underground. "Bianca's is a place that means the beginning of the Web to many people," says Hart.
Benjamin Black, creator of CypherNet, is publishing another Web page encouraging users to change the names of their sites to include the word "shack" in solidarity. Sluggish Canine Enterprises, for instance, has already been changed to Sluggish Canine Shack.
"Yesterday was a huge day - we just got so many emails from upset people who wondered how they could do this," said an excited Chris Miller, Bianca's co-founder. "You gotta love the Net."
Tandy is refusing to respond to questions, but have issued a press release stressing that they are not seeking any "'fines,' damages, or penalties" from the owners of Bianca's. Inside sources report that Tandy has been surprised by the level of response.
HotWired is the key advertiser for Bianca's Smut Shack, which in turn leases office space from HotWired.
