The selfproclaimed "largest peer-to-peer forum online", Zeropaid.com, has been revealed as involved in possible fraudulent traffic statistics in an attempt to sell advertisement on false presumptions to gullible companies.
The website Zeropaid.com, operated by DRM developers and merchants Chris Hedgecock and Jorge Antonio Gonzalez for owners in the DRM buisness, has been under much scrutiny since users noticed what seemed unlikely official traffic statistics half a year ago paired with what seems a contradiction in management buisness relations to the websites declared purpose, to be a portal for filesharers.
Zeropaid.com CEO Chris Hedgecock claims a daily 40.000 users visiting Zeropaid.com at his personal buisness site http://www.chrishedgecock.com/resume.html. That equals roughly 1700 users per hour. The websites forum software however reveals the current numbers of visitors to be roughly 10-40 at any given time of day. Long time users agree that is the norm.
Since Zeropaid was first questioned about their impressive 170.000 userbase by the general filesharing community half a year ago, their usernumbers have alledgedly grown another 11.000 members, resulting in a total of 181,347 users per 25th of january, 2004. Zeropaid.com reports their users to have posted 179,316 posts in their four years of existence. While these numbers in themselves hardly seem proportionate, they certainly seem unlikely for a proclaimed 40.000 daily visitors.
Suspicious filesharers have noticed that an extremely large group of Zeropaid.com's users have no posts, adding to speculations on their actual existence.
In comparison, the fairly new but groundbreaking p2p forum community, [SPAM], reports a 40918 registered members and a total of 132816 posts per 25th of January, 2004.
A quick calculation reveals that while [SPAM] has 1/4th of the usernumbers reported by Zeropaid.com, they have 3/4ths the number of posts. And [SPAM] has only existed for just over half a year compared to Zeropaid.com's 4 years.
Theres definately something rotten going on, and its not in the state of Denmark!
By IQ214, 25/01/04.
This is Zeropaid
Members: 181,348, Threads: 14,708, Posts: 179,316
http://zeropaid.com/bbs
6 months ago, I reported that they have bullshitted their numbers. Back then they had about 170,000 members. Today, they have just 11,000 members more.
Notice the number of POSTS: ZP has 179,316 posts.
Okay, that looks nice but then here is the catch. Zeropaid has been around for 4 long years.
ES5 has been around for under one year, (9 months) and we have the following stats:
ES5 FORUM STATS:
Our members have made a total of 132816 posts
We have 40918 registered members
ES5 has 3/4 of the amount of posts as ZP and only 1/4 the amount of users. ES5 has only been around for 1/4 of the time ZP has been around. Seems ZP is really full of shit!
Now, I also want you to take a look at this: http://www.chrishedgecock.com/resume.html
Chris claims over 40,000 visitors to ZP daily. hmm...is that a lie if you know it!
40,000 people in 24 hours is about 1,700 users an hour. Now remember, the average person who comes to ES5 shows up for about 20-30 minutes to read the threads.
How come when I go to ZP, I see the stats as:
Currently Active Users: 42 (16 members and 26 guests)
So this is just some extra bullshit that proves how full of shit ZP really is.
I totally agree with you that many people have the following types of accounts:
1) Accounts opened only to read the forum, but not participate in active discussions. We are a closed forum so this makes sense. Remember, not everybody is a forum participant, and since ES5 is considered a "hi tech" p2p proggy, many people only come to read the forum software updates.
2) Accounts opened which were simply never used.
3) Accounts opened for a small point of time, but the user either moved on and/or is not interested. Thats fair and I wont deny it. Could be journalists, reporters, or people who just want to see where the action is. An example would be the Kazaa Lite freaks who showed up 4 months ago over the update code. Other examples would include spammers.
In either case above, we dont claim to have 180,000 users. Every forum has "dead" accounts, or accounts that are not in use. That is standard for any large forum.
ZP will say that people come to visit the "news", but in reality, those who come to visit the news would appear in GUESTS at http://zeropaid.com/bbs
I just dont understand how the hell they can claim 1,700 users an hour (especially when the average user is on for 15-30 minutes) cause it would show in their stats.
Remember, forums represent 2 major things:
1) Dedicated users who are part of the p2p community.
2) Trends, Suggestions, Ideas, Feedback, Daily News etc., of the P2P Community.
ZP claims they have the largest online p2p community. They do this to say that they represent both the "dedicated user database" and "all the new trends and user opinion".
Fact is, ZP edits, deletes, bans, etc., users and fakes their user accounts. Hey, even Filehoover was banned from ZP because they called him a spammer! LOL
That is why ZP has the "Birthday accounts" which in other words is to represent a large number of people from all walks and ages of life. They have those accounts so they can convince advertisers and their DRM clients that they represent all p2pr's from everywhere.
I mean seriously, what P2P'r includes their job, place of residence, hobbies, etc., makes an email verification for the account, yet never makes any post?
Read this interview with Chris Hedgecock of ZP.
http://www.avnonline.com/issues/2003...0403_003.shtml
Christopher Hedgecock, executive vice president of EmpireDRM (www.empiredrm.com), recommended Webmasters visit sites like ZeroPaid.com and subscribe to newsletters like DRMDaily (www.drmdaily.com) to familiarize themselves with the concepts behind P2P networks and their popularity, and then begin transforming their content into material that will promote their businesses and make them money even if it's stolen and traded on the big commercial networks. By flooding P2P networks with DRM-protected content that forces out the illegal "free" stuff, Webmasters can head off file swappers at the pass, creating a sort of "pay-to-peer" network,
Is this the type of P2P'r that you can trust? I mean ZP owners make it very clear what they think about P2P'rs and even invite our enemies to come and learn the p2pr's habits.
(Btw, notice that Christopher Levy is advertising his SWAPBUCKS - pay p2pr's to "swap files" for the drm industry using popups on this website http://www.avnonline.com/
Also, notice that Christopher Levy has http://christopherlevy.com and that Chris Headcock is using http://chrishedgecock.com/resume for his resume. What a coincendence!
Its more than obvious that ZP is used for 3 major reasons:
1) Bias user opinion on the latest p2p trends. Articles and/or threads that are considered anti DRM are NOT ALLOWED ON ZP. I dare anybody to go to ZP and open a thread on DRM. The thread will be closed and your ZP account deleted. ZP hates ES5 cause we give everything away for free and are anti DRM. ZP requires that p2p networks pay them to advertise or else they try and ruin them with bullshit articles.
2) Collect user demographical stats, IP addresses, and other p2p stats so that they can build DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT tools to block P2P. In the article, notice how Chris Hedgecock refers to P2Pr's and says CONTENT OWNERS NO LONGER HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ONLINE PIRACY! The owners of ZP consider P2Pr's to be pirates!
3) Install spyware cookies on your computer for the purpose of monitoring your web browsing activity and reporting this information to 3rd party companies. ZP will tell you that the spyware cookie doesnt contain your IP address, but then thats all bullshit. When you browse the web with a spyware cookie from ZP, your IP address is known to the spyware cookie company who is monitoring your web browsing activity. I mean the only way you can monitor web browsing activity is by the IP address.
Fact is, ZP continues "business as usual" by collecting any/all data they can on p2pr's online activity.
So the truth has been spoken. Of course, whenever these articles are posted on zeropaid they are deleted immediately to cover up the truth. I hope this forum is open to the truth.
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(I would not be suprised if he also has shares in the RIAA)
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