Anyone heard of this outfit?

[Damon Scott Hynes]

I was using the new Microsoft search engine today, typed in the name of my favorite OCM, Marny Stanier...

And came up with this: http://www.aloofhosting.com/stormeyes/

Now I know that Marny's at loose ends since TWC let her go--but this has an odor to it. First, I don't think she has PhD, second, I can't imagine her pulling up her hubby and his job, not to mention their kids just to move to Wisconsin, LOL...

This company's legal page looks like Faidley's lawyer helped them out--and the rest of the site has the look-and-feel of the raft of fly-by-night storm chase tours we all know and love.

Here's the staff page--anyone heard of these people? Are their ID's being hijacked? http://www.aloofhosting.com/stormeyes/staff.htm

TIA!

 

[Aaron Kennedy]

Gotta love all those fake forecast office web pages. Some people have way too much time on their hands.

Aaron

 

[Robert Dewey]

That is strange... If they were trying to be really legit, I don't understand why they don't get their own domain name - Doesn't cost all that much, and with all of those PhD's around, you would think there would be some money in that effort (at least $9/month, LOL).

 

[Doug Raflik]

And you would think they would get permission to use the pictures they have. One is mine, and I see one of Mike Hollingsheads pics as well as one of my brothers pictures.

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

Looks like I have another ranty email to write to a webmaster...after that storm safari one I wrote last week. I'll see if I feel up to it...

 

[mikegeukes]

I have seen the name of Randy Groom over the years
associated with a weather web site, that always seem
to focus on severe weather in Central Wisconsin, being
centered on the Portage County and Stevens Point WI.

I always got the impression over the years, when I happen
to stumble onto the site, whoever was in charge of the web
site, was making it sound like a real important office,.


Mole

 

[Robert Dewey]

Originally posted by mikegeukes
I have seen the name of Randy Groom over the years
associated with a weather web site, that always seem
to focus on severe weather in Central Wisconsin, being
centered on the Portage County and Stevens Point WI.

I always got the impression over the years, when I happen
to stumble onto the site, whoever was in charge of the web
site, was making it sound like a real important office,.


Mole

Yeah, I have seen that name too... I think he has had many websites such as these. I remember about 7 or 8 years ago, I had a site called Midwest Weather Center, where I did the same thing as Randy is doing (except without all of the PhD's "working" for me, I claimed sole forecast, LOL)... I believe he contacted me a few times, and we exchanged emails. I since ditched the site, since it's no fun when the only person who sees your forecast is you AND your working around a middle school schedule (hey, it was in '97)...

 

[Mike Hardiman]

I know Jack Hales works for the Storm Prediction Center in Norman... and he's listed as a supervisor. :lol:

 

[Shane Adams]

Not only did they snake one of H's pics, they took the ST logo pic. This tells me they're not only theives, but lazier-than-hell theives. You'd think a person would at least rummage through the author's own webpage a while and find their loot. This is exactly why I watermark EVERYTHING I put online.

 

[Robert Dewey]

Originally posted by Shane Adams
Not only did they snake one of H's pics, they took the ST logo pic. This tells me they're not only theives, but lazier-than-hell theives. You'd think a person would at least rummage through the author's own webpage a while and find their loot. This is exactly why I watermark EVERYTHING I put online.

Yeah, I see Mikes "Storm Track Logo" up there, they removed his copyright information... I think he should shoot them and email...

 

[David Draun]

or just shoot them, lol.

 

[Robert Dewey]

Originally posted by David Draun
or just shoot them, lol.

For some reason, I knew someone was going to say that... As I was typing that, I wrote "I think he should shoot them...." Then I paused, and then completed the post, LOL...

 

[Dan Cook]

lol they claim to have a "Storm Viper IV" radar, but it's just a picture of COD's MKX's radar linked to the NWS's site. :lol:

 

[Skip Talbot]

Its probably just some kid messing around don't you think? I remember making websites that were blantly wrong back in the day. In 1996 I posted a picture of a shelf cloud to my website claiming it was funnel, but I was still in middle school at the time (and still under the influence of Twister).

This guy might not even be expecting the public to even notice his webpage. I bet he'd be surprised that a bunch of plains chasers got excited about it. At least he's not trying to get people's money. I didn't see any prices on that site. But he could do without the image stealing.

 

[Andy Wehrle]

WISCWX/NISL

Here are a couple of "kid's"forecasting websites from the upper Midwest. These guys are both around my age (upper teens).

Alex Lamers of Brookfield, WI makes his own forecasts for the entire state of Wisconsin. He modeled his products off those of the SPC/NWS, but with some interesting modifications. For example, he has five severe storm risk levels instead of three. Also issues the "risk watch", a watch box product, but instead of being for tornadoes or severe thunderstorms, is issued when a convective outlook upgrade is possible. For example, if a slight risk is in effect on the SWODY1, but a portion of it may have to be upgraded to moderate risk if some conditions come together, he will issue a "moderate risk watch" for the area of concern.

http://www.wiscwx.com

The products are outdated because it usually only gets updated prior to or during severe weather events.

Greg Manarik of Lake County, Illinois has a similar website called the Northern Illinois Storm Lab, but he seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. The products were last updated during the tornado outbreak of May 10, 2003. However, the site does have some interesting archived write-ups and SPC products pertaining to past severe weather events in the northern Illinois/southern Wisconsin area.

http://www.nrnilstormlab.com