GHC: Gross & Horrific Chumps

The tagline: Is it coincidence or a bad pun

that it appears over ads for male enhancement drugs on the GHC site?

Dear Gift and Home Channel,
(henceforth to be thought of in my mind as 'Gross & Horrific Chumps")

In 2008 I was speaking at a retail trade show, and met a man who was passionate about a new online 'Resource for Retailers' called the Gift & Home Channel. I threw my backing behind Ray Gaulke's new project and helped him spread the word about it through my blog and speaking engagements beause I believed in it's potential to help the little guys. I did that without compensation. When he asked me to become a guest blogger and Retail Expert for the web site, I did without hesitation. I contributed a blog post every week, and participated in forum discussions on GHC. Without compensation.

When this man told me he wanted to work with me to create video content for GHC, I developed a project, fleshed it out, and pitched it to him. He presented the idea to the board, and they approved my six-video project. Though Ray was removed from the project just before we filmed at the Farm Chicks Show in 2008, replaced by the young assistant to the guy running the show (whom she later married), he remained in the loop on the project. It is only because of him going to bat for me with the head office that I was paid at all. Young assistant renegged on every agreement and promise she made to me and to the people who helped make the filming successful. I had to write a blog post on GHC that included the names & web links for each of the six business women who contributed to the videos for them to receive credit - because GHC refused to include that info in the video border. 'Conflict with ad revenues', you said.

I reviewed two version of the 'newly revamped' GHC web site without compensation, yet never received a thank you or acknowledgment that I had done so. GHC later removed this man's founding presence from all involvement with GHC. Immediately after that, GHC removed the editorial director. Following that, I started to receive cryptic emails from two shady characters about the 'new direction' GHC was taking and how they valued my input so much that they wanted me to help develop another 'off branch' web site. I declined to provide any further expertise, content, or time to GHC at that point. And yet, I still promoted them via my online marketing.

I noticed long ago that the forums have had no activity for over a year, and that no new members were joining. I noticed that blog posts by other members and 'experts' were basically advertisements to hire them for services, or to buy their books;/books on tape/videos/tutorials, etc. I noticed that the profiles and pages on Facebook had incomplete information and no activity.

Now I have noticed the appearance of advertising presented as GHC 'blog posts' by members. That in an of itself is annoying - but to log in and find not one, not two, but DOZENS of duplicate ads for male enhancement drugs is offensive beyond measure. Clearly, GHC is not only not functioning as intended - an online 'Resource for Retailers' - but it is not being monitored by anyone with a brain. Tell me: is it pure coincidence or a perverse sense of humor behind the new GHC tagline ' Helping Retailers Grow' and these sophomoric ads????

I will no longer support or promote GHC, link to it from my business pages & sites, or list it on my resume. I'm keeping the embedded players for the video series I filmed (hosted by another web service, not GHC) because I know it offers helpful information to my readers... but every other bit of promotion for GHC is being removed from my professional resources.

While I am proud of my contributions to the original site and purpose, I do not want to be associated with the disaster that it has become of late. What a sad reflection on those involved at the top level, and a slap in the face to all of us who contributed of our time, energy, experience, and knowledge to help make you what you WERE. You used us, and now you abuse us. Unacceptable.

I have to ask:
Craig Park, Brittany Lund Park, are you even there anymore?
Do you have ANY IDEA what is going on at GHC? Do you CARE?

* A former GHC staffer contacted me and said that it is her belief that this 'company' is no longer in business, nor is anyone administrating the site. Whomever has control now has disabled member passwords - so I can't log in and delete my content How nice that all of us contributors were left to be forever associated with a spam ad site. *