Myspace e-mailed my webhost today..

[Doctor Dre]

50 great business decisions taken ;) fuck the haters

[aico]

HOWEVER... and this is the part you guys are overlooking... this guy implemented the popup not for use on his website, but instead as a scheme to get free advertising on MySpace. That's where he was in the wrong.

You're an idiot... get out of this business soon before it's too late.

[Doctor Dre]

err I wanted to post this in dugmor's thread... my bad

[3M TA3]

That's their problem. Legally you don't have the right to hotlink anything from any server without a written authorization... so he's right... and you are wrong.

He didn't "choose" to allow them to hotlink stuff... his site wasn't one of thoses sites where you can freely hotlink anything...

I like the way you think...

[budz]

wow taken from webgems AUP

We do not monitor, supervise, review, edit and/or otherwise take responsibility for any of clients' actions.

boy is that a load of bs

[Ycaza]

yeah hit us up we will hook it up

[TheSenator]

I have added http://www.webgemshosting.com/ to my blacklist and checked out their IP blocks.

That is why I like being close(literally) to my webhost so that I can take action when action is needed.

[Matt 26z]

Why think of it as a scheme to get free advertising? Why not think of it as a way to re-coup his losses for all the bandwidth that MYSPACE STOLE FROM HIM?

Vigilante justice is a lame argument. Besides, you just can't overlook the fact that the popup was meant specifically for MySpace and not his own site.

He should sue them if he thinks he has a legit bandwidth theft case here, but I don't think he does since no attempt was ever made to block MySpace. It was the opposite. He knowingly allowed the hotlinking to continue, to increase and then slipped in the popup to get free advertising on MySpace.

This guy should be thanking his webhost for pulling the file right away. It saved him from potentially being sued by MySpace. Seriously.

[baddog]

The webhost is Webgemshosting.

who?

that is bullshit

[TheSenator]

I have added http://www.webgemshosting.com/ to my blacklist and checked out their IP blocks.

That is why I like being close(literally) to my webhost so that I can take action when action is needed.

Retracted until further investigation

[sandman!]

Considering what he did, I'm going to disagree with this.

There are MANY companies who provide various types of content for free to go on MySpace profiles, and they simply cannot be allowed to switch that content out with something else for advertising purposes.

If you want to advertise on MySpace, talk to their advertising department.

Just imagine if one of the music video providers started popping ads. Stuff like that just doesn't fly. Put yourself in MySpace's position. Especially with the media taking a closer look at the content of their profiles. They can't have XXX popups on the profiles. This is just common sense.

I'd like to know what planet some of you are living on.

in case no one has told you your a fucking idiot nothing else needs to be said.

[chadglni]

in case no one has told you your a fucking idiot nothing else needs to be said.

[sandman!]

Vigilante justice is a lame argument. Besides, you just can't overlook the fact that the popup was meant specifically for MySpace and not his own site.

He should sue them if he thinks he has a legit bandwidth theft case here, but I don't think he does since no attempt was ever made to block MySpace. It was the opposite. He knowingly allowed the hotlinking to continue, to increase and then slipped in the popup to get free advertising on MySpace.

This guy should be thanking his webhost for pulling the file right away. It saved him from potentially being sued by MySpace. Seriously.

idiot
idiot
idiot
idiot
idiot
idiot
idiot
idiot

[budz]

Vigilante justice is a lame argument. Besides, you just can't overlook the fact that the popup was meant specifically for MySpace and not his own site.

He should sue them if he thinks he has a legit bandwidth theft case here, but I don't think he does since no attempt was ever made to block MySpace. It was the opposite. He knowingly allowed the hotlinking to continue, to increase and then slipped in the popup to get free advertising on MySpace.

This guy should be thanking his webhost for pulling the file right away. It saved him from potentially being sued by MySpace. Seriously.

lol, sue me because THEIR users hotlinked a file that I have the right to control? .. c'mon

if it be a popup or anything else is besides the point. My site, my content, my bandwidth, my say.

:: runs through the forums posting "the nazis are coming the nazis are coming" ::

[sixxxthsense]

wtf i'd sue! SUE WHEN YOU CAN

I hate myspace

[Matt 26z]

in case no one has told you your a fucking idiot nothing else needs to be said.

Oh, that really hurts. Calling me names instead of intelligent discussion attempting to counter my points.

[KrisKross]

This guy should be thanking his webhost for pulling the file right away. It saved him from potentially being sued by MySpace. Seriously.

You really have no clue. Seriously.

[GTS Mark]

I would drop them immediately, they should have at least contacted you first before making changes to your server.

DH

[aico]

Oh, that really hurts. Calling me names instead of intelligent discussion attempting to counter my points.

It's hard to have an intelligent discussion with someone who doesn't have a fucking clue... which is why no one is trying to discuss anything with you...

[Linguist]

Oh, that really hurts. Calling me names instead of intelligent discussion attempting to counter my points.

I think Doctor Dre's reply pretty much sums everything up. There's nothing to discuss really.

Originally Posted by Doctor Dre
That's their problem. Legally you don't have the right to hotlink anything from any server without a written authorization... so he's right... and you are wrong.

He didn't "choose" to allow them to hotlink stuff... his site wasn't one of thoses sites where you can freely hotlink anything...

[whoisnext]

And who is your hosting company? First move from there ASAP but let us know who they are so we better watch them out next time we are looking for a host.

The story is like this


All kinds of Myspace users have hotlinked a certain flash file on my domain.

Well instead of letting them eat the bandwidth up I decided to pop a URL from the swf.

Myspace e-mailed my host and had them remove the file. ( because it had adult stuff in the popup )

I seen my file was changed and replaced it with a popup that didn't have adult images on it.

Myspace e-mailed my host again and now I'm locked out of my flash directory.

and I'm kind of pissed that myspace can control the internet like this...

Shouldnt they only be allowed to control their user base..

Not to mention I'm not at all that pleased with my webhost.. Thinking about cancelling.

am I wrong ? Lol

[Matt 26z]

lol, sue me because THEIR users hotlinked a file that I have the right to control? .. c'mon

if it be a popup or anything else is besides the point. My site, my content, my bandwidth, my say.

You know what, in principal you are 110% correct. If they are going to allow their users to hotlink materials, then they need to accept that shit may happen here and there. That's my own personal feeling, but the business side of me expresses the opinions I've already written.

Admit it... You changed that file for the one and only purpose of targeting ads to MySpace users. You could have used .htaccess, but instead you decided to get a little free advertising on MySpace.

MySpace has recently come under media scrutiny for the content of their profiles not being in the best interest of underage users.... So what do you do? You pop an XXX popup and think that MySpace isn't going to care.

Hello?

[sandman!]

Oh, that really hurts. Calling me names instead of intelligent discussion attempting to counter my points.

not only are you an idiot anyone that does not realize your an idiot is just as dumb as you.

lets try to finnd anyone here that does not thing you an idiot.

will be hard to find idiot!

[chadglni]

not only are you an idiot anyone that does not realize your an idiot is just as dumb as you.

lets try to finnd anyone here that does not thing you an idiot.

will be hard to find idiot!

Stop it!

[aico]

You know what, in principal you are 110% correct. If they are going to allow their users to hotlink materials, then they need to accept that shit may happen here and there. That's my own personal feeling, but the business side of me expresses the opinions I've already written.

Admit it... You changed that file for the one and only purpose of targeting ads to MySpace users. You could have used .htaccess, but instead you decided to get a little free advertising on MySpace.

MySpace has recently come under media scrutiny for the content of their profiles not being in the best interest of underage users.... So what do you do? You pop an XXX popup and think that MySpace isn't going to care.

Hello?

I think you're confusing yourself with someone who knows what they are talking about.

[MontrealPimp]

drama potential ?

[Tempest]

You know what, in principal you are 110% correct. If they are going to allow their users to hotlink materials, then they need to accept that shit may happen here and there. That's my own personal feeling, but the business side of me expresses the opinions I've already written.

Admit it... You changed that file for the one and only purpose of targeting ads to MySpace users. You could have used .htaccess, but instead you decided to get a little free advertising on MySpace.

MySpace has recently come under media scrutiny for the content of their profiles not being in the best interest of underage users.... So what do you do? You pop an XXX popup and think that MySpace isn't going to care.

Hello?

You truly are an idiot. MySpace had no right to go to the guys host. They could easily have blocked that url thru their software.. Instead they pulled some heavy handed tactic. They WAY overstepped their bounds.

[budz]

MySpace has recently come under media scrutiny for the content of their profiles not being in the best interest of underage users.... So what do you do? You pop an XXX popup and think that MySpace isn't going to care.

Hello?

after their(myspaces) first e-mail (stating it was a pop-up of porn to underage kids) .. I changed it to a non adult sites i.e www.freeez.net & http://youre.nu/ and they e-mailed my host and had my .swf removed again.

Admit it... You changed that file for the one and only purpose of targeting ads to MySpace users. You could have used .htaccess, but instead you decided to get a little free advertising on MySpace.

I changed the file because it used up 100gb of my 120gb of hosting and the month has just begun.. I could care less who was seeing it..

[sandman!]

budz if this story is true i will offer you freehosting for this specific domain and never change your content

hit me up if interested no strings attached

[Lord Nelson]

I see what some of you guys are saying, and I actually agree with the basis of your opinions.

If I have a file on MY server for MY website and some MySpace users hotlink it and then I change that file to behave differently for use on MY website, then what happens at MySpace is irrelavent since the file was never meant to be there in the first place.

HOWEVER... and this is the part you guys are overlooking... this guy implemented the popup not for use on his website, but instead as a scheme to get free advertising on MySpace. That's where he was in the wrong.

you are a fuckign idiot. you should log off right now and never go online again.


to the original poster: sue your webhost.

[Matt 26z]

I think Doctor Dre's reply pretty much sums everything up. There's nothing to discuss really.

Doctor Dre's comment about hotlinking being illegal is incorrect, in this particular case anyway.

Hotlinking for commercial gain, yes, a website could certainly have a case. Little Billy hotlinking on his MySpace profile, definitely not illegal.

Webpages are not like PDF files for instance where individual files can be saved/stolen and then presented by the false owner as their own work. When a webpage loads it can consist of the work of multiple people, and be served by the owners themselves. The actual owner of the .HTML file is not claiming ownership of the individual elements that are hotlinked.


I am done with this thread. Smart people who've been around the internet block a few times and are not just all talk know that my points have been correct.

[Libertine]

You know what, in principal you are 110% correct. If they are going to allow their users to hotlink materials, then they need to accept that shit may happen here and there. That's my own personal feeling, but the business side of me expresses the opinions I've already written.

Admit it... You changed that file for the one and only purpose of targeting ads to MySpace users. You could have used .htaccess, but instead you decided to get a little free advertising on MySpace.

MySpace has recently come under media scrutiny for the content of their profiles not being in the best interest of underage users.... So what do you do? You pop an XXX popup and think that MySpace isn't going to care.

Hello?

What he did wasn't the "nice thing" to do. However, since the law does not require you to be nice, and since hotlinkers have no right to the hotlinked content, the host had no business changing his file, and most definitely had no right to prevent him from changing it.

Imagine the following situation:
-You find yourself being hotlinked by a huge site.
-You install hotlink protection. Now, hotlinked images show Goatse.
-The huge site mails your host, your host removes your hotlink protection.
-You install hotlink protection again. Now, hotlinked images say "buy books at mysite.com".
-You host removes your hotlink protection again, and for good measure shuts you out of your account.

If you think the host or the huge site are in the right here, you are out of your mind. And that's pretty much exactly what happened here.

[Sly]

You know what, in principal you are 110% correct. If they are going to allow their users to hotlink materials, then they need to accept that shit may happen here and there. That's my own personal feeling, but the business side of me expresses the opinions I've already written.

Admit it... You changed that file for the one and only purpose of targeting ads to MySpace users. You could have used .htaccess, but instead you decided to get a little free advertising on MySpace.

MySpace has recently come under media scrutiny for the content of their profiles not being in the best interest of underage users.... So what do you do? You pop an XXX popup and think that MySpace isn't going to care.

Hello?

I'm curious...

If a surfer forum was linking to a movie you have on your server and it ran up your BW bill, I'm sure you would take immediate action to block them or "seek revenge". Would you not? So let's assume you put up a ******* video on your server. Its your server, you can put up whatever legal material you want, right? Well, this surfer forum doesn't like ******* near as much as GFY does, so they email your host complaining about your totally legal movie instead of taking action and correcting their wrong doing. Your host, for whatever reason, agrees with the surfer forum and they pull down your legal video without saying boo to you.

How would you respond? The surfer forum has a right to change legal content on YOUR server?

[Libertine]

Doctor Dre's comment about hotlinking being illegal is incorrect, in this particular case anyway.

Hotlinking for commercial gain, yes, a website could certainly have a case. Little Billy hotlinking on his MySpace profile, definitely not illegal.

Webpages are not like PDF files for instance where individual files can be saved/stolen and then presented by the false owner as their own work. When a webpage loads it can consist of the work of multiple people, and be served by the owners themselves. The actual owner of the .HTML file is not claiming ownership of the individual elements that are hotlinked.


I am done with this thread. Smart people who've been around the internet block a few times and are not just all talk know that my points have been correct.

Whether hotlinking is legal or not is actually irrelevant to this case. What matters is that sites hotlinking you have no intrinsic rights to the content of files on your server, your file structure or your file naming. Unless, of course, you entered into an agreement with the hotlinkers. But that isn't the case here.

[Doctor Dre]

wtf i'd sue! SUE WHEN YOU CAN

I hate myspace

Suing implies having a lot of $$$. Especially agaisn't a big corp like myspace... The dude was most likely on a virtual host (if they toutched files on his dedicated that's even more fucked up). I doubt he have the ressources.

[Doctor Dre]

You know what, in principal you are 110% correct. If they are going to allow their users to hotlink materials, then they need to accept that shit may happen here and there. That's my own personal feeling, but the business side of me expresses the opinions I've already written.

Admit it... You changed that file for the one and only purpose of targeting ads to MySpace users. You could have used .htaccess, but instead you decided to get a little free advertising on MySpace.

MySpace has recently come under media scrutiny for the content of their profiles not being in the best interest of underage users.... So what do you do? You pop an XXX popup and think that MySpace isn't going to care.

Hello?

That's their problem... he dosen't have to know about the policies and problem of the website hotlinking him...

He's only cutting his loss, that's it and that's all. It's their problem to regulate users on their network, if they are going to do stupid shit, and they allow it (they could only allow hotlinks from a free image server they would host, and a couple other accepted sites) .

You don't go arround and change people's website because your users can't comply to your rules or are doing something illegal with your network.

I'm part of a team that runs a similar site as myspace btw (and not too small, arround 700 000 page views daily right now). We monitor what our users do... we have a report form and somebody on it all the time. Any picture added to their profiles, is on our server. We do not allow any flash/javascript because of the possible exploits. We also approve the profiles 1 by 1 so there is no spam and we also limit the ammount of messages you send daily... lots of other features to help limiting this kind of action. Normally when something like that happens it don't stay up for more then 1 hour. If they grew too fast, and didn't think about that, it's not the problem of the guy getting hotlinked. He's cutting his losses.

I understand from your posts that you are a big fan of Myspace, and probably a heavy user too... and understand their problem to regulate their users action since you read about it a lot. But it's THEIR problem, not anybody elses.

[budz]

What he did wasn't the "nice thing" to do. However, since the law does not require you to be nice, and since hotlinkers have no right to the hotlinked content, the host had no business changing his file, and most definitely had no right to prevent him from changing it.

Imagine the following situation:
-You find yourself being hotlinked by a huge site.
-You install hotlink protection. Now, hotlinked images show Goatse.
-The huge site mails your host, your host removes your hotlink protection.
-You install hotlink protection again. Now, hotlinked images say "buy books at mysite.com".
-You host removes your hotlink protection again, and for good measure shuts you out of your account.

If you think the host or the huge site are in the right here, you are out of your mind. And that's pretty much exactly what happened here.

omg someone understands

[Libertine]

Suing implies having a lot of $$$. Especially agaisn't a big corp like myspace... The dude was most likely on a virtual host (if they toutched files on his dedicated that's even more fucked up). I doubt he have the ressources.

He should not sue MySpace, but his host. MySpace are allowed to send out all the ridiculous demands they want, but his host is not allowed to harm his business without compelling legal reasons.

[KrisKross]

omg someone understands

Actually everyone except Matt 26z understands.

[budz]

budz if this story is true i will offer you freehosting for this specific domain and never change your content

hit me up if interested no strings attached

Sounds to good to be true? lol

[sandman!]

Sounds to good to be true? lol

not really i want to get a myspace letter or email asking me to change some users files i really want to see them try this bullshit

[Doctor Dre]

He should not sue MySpace, but his host. MySpace are allowed to send out all the ridiculous demands they want, but his host is not allowed to harm his business without compelling legal reasons.

People in this business are getting stiffed thousands of $$$ from others and they don't even sue. Not worth the trouble. Now he'd sue a host for bad business practices ? Unless you're Perfect 10, anybody telling anybody else to sue (especially when that person never sued anybody) shuld shut up.

Don't take that as an insult, it's not. It's just not worth the trouble... Unless you are a big boy, wanna make a statement or your territory.

[Libertine]

People in this business are getting stiffed thousands of $$$ from others and they don't even sue. Not worth the trouble. Now he'd sue a host for bad business practices ? Unless you're Perfect 10, anybody telling anybody else to sue (especially when that person never sued anybody) shuld shut up.

Don't take that as an insult, it's not. It's just not worth the trouble... Unless you are a big boy, wanna make a statement or your territory.

If he has the resources, it could be well worth it. People in this industry could sue far more often than they currently do, but that doesn't mean lawsuits aren't often justified and, indeed, a reasonable step to take. The virtual nature of this business too often causes us to deal with problems in a virtual way.

Of course, creating this thread was probably a bad step if he intends to sue, and if he can't prove damages it may not be worth it either way.

[budz]

not really i want to get a myspace letter or email asking me to change some users files i really want to see them try this bullshit

How do I contact you? If you prefer not to say e-mail me budz.budz ( at ) gmail.com thx

[budz]

If he has the resources, it could be well worth it. People in this industry could sue far more often than they currently do, but that doesn't mean lawsuits aren't often justified and, indeed, a reasonable step to take. The virtual nature of this business too often causes us to deal with problems in a virtual way.

Of course, creating this thread was probably a bad step if he intends to sue, and if he can't prove damages it may not be worth it either way.

I'd never sue anyone unless I really had too...

I just wanted to... , I guess vent.. lol

[sandman!]

How do I contact you? If you prefer not to say e-mail me budz.budz ( at ) gmail.com thx

see sig find icq

LOL

[SmokeyTheBear]

That sucks. I would first sue your host for damaging files.. Then i would sue myspace for both harassment and for damages.

[quantum-x]

I've seen a very popular host DELETE all .htaccess files spread over 20 sites - and then send a courtest email 2 days later when the owner asked them what the fuck was going on.

*grrr

[Matt 26z]

I'm curious...

If a surfer forum was linking to a movie you have on your server and it ran up your BW bill, I'm sure you would take immediate action to block them or "seek revenge". Would you not? So let's assume you put up a ******* video on your server. Its your server, you can put up whatever legal material you want, right? Well, this surfer forum doesn't like ******* near as much as GFY does, so they email your host complaining about your totally legal movie instead of taking action and correcting their wrong doing. Your host, for whatever reason, agrees with the surfer forum and they pull down your legal video without saying boo to you.

How would you respond? The surfer forum has a right to change legal content on YOUR server?

You, I will come back and respond to since you are not name calling and actually want to exchange opinions.

I think we all know that once a webhost has been notified of questionable behavior, the webhost 99% of the time is going to take action. GFY is quick to notify them of content thief's, and it is expected that the site will be removed in short order even though the webhost has nothing to do with the site itself.

In your example above, as you said, there is nothing illegal going on. I would not expect a webhost to remove content in a scenario you have described. I would be VERY upset if they did.

Let me use this example though...

Sly, lets say you run the largest surfer forum in the world (that is supposed to be family friendly) and some of your surfers hotlink a flash video from me to go in their posts. I know the hotlinking is taking place, but I don't implement .htaccess or even contact you to put a stop to what your members are doing. Instead, I modify the file to pop an XXX ad on your family friendly forum.

You, of course being the largest forum in the world, don't want to take on the massive burden of relying on your software (and the extra needed hardware) to filter out all of the people attempting to do stuff like this (nor do you want to become a SPAM hotbed for porn sites), so you nip this in the bud and go to my webhost. Right?

Well there I am, left with a hosting bill because of what your surfers started. In the end, all I had to do was implement .htaccess or contact you instead of letting it blow up into something it shouldn't have after taking justice into my own hands. Right?

[beemk]

i hope you switched hosts, i would not pay the bill and if its auto billed do a chargeback. thats bullshit.