I wish I knew this board before I signed up with XXXXXhost

Because of the recent comments, similar to the one above, made by customers of certain hosts, I've decided to start a new web host directory - this one will specifically highlight the "bad hosts". More information can be found at http://www.forsurfers.net/hoststoavoid.htm This directory will be unlike others.

Please take the time to read the information presented there. I will need all the help I can get on this one.

Also, please post your comments here.

Kinda like

****edcompany.com

and luckedcompany.com

?




very good idea :)

yeah, i just got fed up with people saying "How's xxxx host?" (replace xxxx host with any hosting company you think is bad)

i'll start you off
one starts with T and ends with acid


yep ! its Tacccccccccccid Host

You better watch out. A directory is not like a forum. You can be held responsible for anything you list and sued.

Originally posted by JeremyL
You better watch out. A directory is not like a forum. You can be held responsible for anything you list and sued.

actually this directory would be more towards the forum end......i don't understand how i could be sued?

You could be sued for making unsubstatiated claims about a companies working practices. Especially if your going to warning people away from the larger hosts. They will protect their brand.

Originally posted by akashd


actually this directory would be more towards the forum end......i don't understand how i could be sued?

See with a forum, the forum owner has no say over what people post there, and it's purpose in not specifically to say bad things about a host. Now you are proposing a site that is specifically all about saying negative things about whatever hosts you want or deem to be bad. Even with a forum in that type of site, a lawyer could say that you are encouraging the misinformation on his client and try to hold you responsible.

And if you publish normal web pages talking about how they are bad, then you are 100% responsible. JMHO

You are welcome to try, but like it was said above. The first time one of the big boys with big pockets doesn't like what they see on your site, they will have you shut down quick. Especially if your pockets don't also run deep. Then you could say to yourself, well Ill only do the guys who don't have the deep pockets but that would make the site biased and defeat the purpose.

I don't know if you read the webpage or not, but I think there may be a misunderstanding.....

the website will contain ratings and reviews from other people. I just publish their comments and ratings, much like HostSearch and other Directories/Forums do. The website will highlight the "bad" hosts.

My goal is for my "Bad" list to consist of 0 hosts. I'm hoping that the hosts that appear in the "bad" list will reform their business practices and get a higher rating.

I understand that some hosts won't like what they read on the website, but they will have to live with the fact that all of it will be the truth.

Originally posted by akashd

I understand that some hosts won't like what they read on the website, but they will have to live with the fact that all of it will be the truth.

I think that's where your problem will be. While a large percentage of the posts may well exactly that, you're sure to attract a few people who are just going out of their way to discredit a host. For example, customer-X gets canned for loading his account full of warez and spams a few hundred thousand people offering photoshop for free.

He gets canned, and feel offended that hosting illegal software, and peppering people's inboxes with junk has been considered bad by the host. In a fit of pique he shows up at your site and proceeds to wail about how 'unfair' their old host was for (insert silly arguement here) and how no-one should use them.

Now host in question gets a few e-mails about this guys posting on the site, and takes a look. Instead of seeing as open discussion regarding hosting in general, he sees a witchhunter site. The technicalities of differing from an open forum are probably going to be lost behind the red haze that decends in from of his eyes.

By the time you get a pointed e-mail sent to you, I'm pretty sure their lawyers will be close to posting their own, slightly more scary response.

I would imagine this is a part of the reason hostabuse doesn't list bad clients, and the reason no-one has done it before.

Greg Moore

You can't be sued for just posting "other" peoples opinions about companies. And those people posting opinions can't be sued because they are simply telling the truth about what happened to them. Two things come to mind, freedom of speech and slander. If you tell the truth you aren't slandering a company. If you give your opinion, that falls under your freedom of speech. No lawsuit would hold any merit.

Basically, he'll have the same problem we have here. Only we have almost 4,000 detectives working for us :D

Originally posted by markblair
You can't be sued for just posting "other" peoples opinions about companies.

Yes you can. Both AOL and Yahoo have faced this problem in the past. You have a responsibility for all the content you publish, whether that is from a paid source in the form of writers, or if its free in the form of forums.

Just saying you didnt write it, isnt a defence in a court of law.

Originally posted by markblair
You can't be sued for just posting "other" peoples opinions about companies. And those people posting opinions can't be sued because they are simply telling the truth about what happened to them. Two things come to mind, freedom of speech and slander. If you tell the truth you aren't slandering a company. If you give your opinion, that falls under your freedom of speech. No lawsuit would hold any merit.

That brings up a really good point...the reviews will be the opinion of the users themselves, and as long as I'm hosted in the US, i still have all my 1st ammendment rights. I remember a case like this in the papers a while back...

I just have to make sure that any stories that are posted "outside" the forum area are the truth and have proof. If everything is either the truth or my opinion, the worst thing that a company can do is threaten me with legal mumbo jumbo...

Thanks for your support markblair...

I am not a legal minded person at all ( no understanding of the laws) but I would think if you opened a message board with threads for each hosting co. you wanted to expose or investigate with the hosting co. name as the tread name you would be alright.

Originally posted by akashd


That brings up a really good point...the reviews will be the opinion of the users themselves, and as long as I'm hosted in the US, i still have all my 1st ammendment rights. I remember a case like this in the papers a while back...

LOL good luck mate I think you should take our advise, but whatever........

Originally posted by JamesCross


Yes you can. Both AOL and Yahoo have faced this problem in the past. You have a responsibility for all the content you publish, whether that is from a paid source in the form of writers, or if its free in the form of forums.

Just saying you didnt write it, isnt a defence in a court of law.


Sure, you must be liable for what is on your site but remember what I said, if it is the truth, they can't do anything about it legally. They can ask you to remove the information but if you do your homework and verify the information is legit, then all they can do is complain that you put it there. Go to some of the following sites and tell me if they are illegally reporting information:

www.webassured.com
www.validsites.com
www.fightback.com

I have probably 20 of these types of sites bookmarked if you want them all. Each of these sites do exactly what akashd is looking to do. Yet they are all up right now. I personally complained about a web hosting company on webassured.com. My complaint was sent directly to the company. They didn't do nothing to get it removed. Why? Because what I told webassured was the truth. Several other companies have asked their info to be removed only to be pretty much laughed at. I've researched this and know what I'm talking about.

BTW, the web hosting company I complained about is now out of business. I wasn't the only one that had problems with them.

Thought this may explain this MUCH better.