Hi guys,

Could you advice me regarding .avi files as I am not familiar with it. A reseller today uploaded 2 files with a total of 2.1GB

His domain has yet to propagate, should I have anything to worry about?

Thanks for any advice.

Regards

Avi's are video files ... It could be anything from movies to whatever, they usually contain video and audio.

I would be sure to check and make sure the content is legal, and freely distributable. Chances are likely that it's not.

Thanks elementip, could you advice me how do I go about to confirm what it contains or view it?

Thanks

AVI can be viewed with virtually any media player.

I had a customer upload some AVIs before the domain propagated, used a few hundred gig bandwidth before I spotted it (my fault) and then received a chargeback (credit card was stolen). Japenese pornography.

Thanks MattF... Wow using "window media player" this guy sure knows how to hide it.

Terminated his account

Regards

My fault, didn't heed 2co's red flag warning!

High Risk Order Warning!!

This order failed 1 or more key fraud tests. You should scrutinize this order very closely for possible fraud. It is further recommended that this order not be fulfilled for 24 hours, to ensure that it was reviewed by the 2Checkout.com fraud department.


It sometimes pays to check out new clients when you receive such warning from your cc proccessing.

Regards

You can scan all files that ended up with .avi in /home then ask your clients directly to provide prove on the .avi files in their account whether it is legal and if no prove is provided in a timely matter... your choice... your action... blah blah blah... :D

Just my thoughts ;)

Thanks choon, I did that and found it. Viewed it and it's bad.


Furthermore, I did a check and the card holder belongs to someone in the US and the IP from Singapore... sad to say it from 2co's record. The domain name from Namecheap with no info.

Just too bad.

Regards

It depends on the codec. "AVI" is blanket, is it not?

It's best to be cautious about assuming anything about intent. People do upload home movies for family to download.

This leads to an interesting question. It's easy to encrypt movies, such as to ensure privacy. What is the prevalence of the urge amongst Web hosting service operators to convulsively terminate accounts merely for having huge files, even if within specified limits?

To be perfectly blunt about it, insisting on viewing other people's movies borders on Peeping Tom behavior. What right is there for a Web hosting service operator to view private family movies? It is for exactly this reason that all movies should be encrypted before deposited on a Web hosting service for family access.

That so many people pirate commercial movies is simply irrelevant.
Originally posted by MattF
AVI can be viewed with virtually any media player.

Originally posted by Memetic
What right is there for a Web hosting service operator to view private family movies? It is for exactly this reason that all movies should be encrypted before deposited on a Web hosting service for family access.


A web host has every right. Who owns the servers? They do. Who pays for the bandwidth? They do. Who takes it up the @ss when someone uses a stolen credit card? They do. They must protect their business from fraud (see above) and liability issues - MPAA likes to threaten and sue people.

If you want your privacy protected, then don't upload your private videos to the Internet. If you do, encrypt them. Or burn them to CD and mail then to people who you want to have them.

Why is it that that you expect any privacy when posting anything to the Internet?

As a Host, it's our responsibilities to ensure that the server(s) are well looked after such as security, unscrupulous clients and questionable scripts/files causing problems.

As prospective clients would want a reputable host, likewise Host also wants good clients. Host protect themselves with their TOS and before the client(s) signup they have to abide to it, if they are not comfortable with it then don't signup as it's clearly written in the TOS the rights of clients and the Host.

So to speak, should a Host find any client not favourable, they have every right to deny hosting on their server.

Regards.

Presumably the client is paying for the server fraction and bandwidth/transfer fraction for which he or she has forked over good money.

Expecting privacy on the Internet is much like expecting privacy while in an automobile on the road. Just because one is driving on public roads doesn't mean an automatic agreement to be strip-searched at will.

As you said (and as said in own post), encryption is an excellent idea. It's a pity that email isn't also universally encrypted, to bring it up to about the same effective privacy standards as for postal mail.

The whole idea of posting a video on a rented space on the Internet is much like using the Post Office for mailing a small package; not having to personally arrange for a meeting for *anything* to ever be transferred. One can drop off a video late at night and leave for work, whereupon the video can be picked up when the intended recipient can get to the computer and log onto the Internet.

Originally posted by Jay Suds
A web host has every right. Who owns the servers? They do. Who pays for the bandwidth? They do. Who takes it up the @ss when someone uses a stolen credit card? They do. They must protect their business from fraud (see above) and liability issues - MPAA likes to threaten and sue people.

If you want your privacy protected, then don't upload your private videos to the Internet. If you do, encrypt them. Or burn them to CD and mail then to people who you want to have them.

Why is it that that you expect any privacy when posting anything to the Internet?

'The essence of rational liberty is the ability to control your own business without having some creep violate policies you have set and have the recourse to terminate them immediately.' A slightly different approach to your philosophy.

I think, like a newspaper publisher, printer or carrier, if you run a family G rated biz and somebody brings you hot teens on rocket sleds and you decide not to print, publish or distribute their work, you have that right and if they know that and violate it, you have the right to flip the OFF switch in a heartbeat and like any of these 'publishing' venues, you have the right to examine the material going out your front door, side door or back door.


I think you also have an obligation to allow the offending party a chance to rectify the situation or receive a refund of unused monies paid.

But a Web hosting service operator *isn't* the publisher. His or her services are more akin to those of a printing press for a newspaper, or to a private cable television station that broadcasts under contract, to a limited audience, material created by others.

It's worth examining the important legal differences between a "publisher" and a "common carrier".

The customer relations you mention constitute good business practices.

Originally posted by kckclass
I think, like a newspaper publisher, printer or carrier, if you run a family G rated biz and somebody brings you hot teens on rocket sleds and you decide not to print, publish or distribute their work, you have that right and if they know that and violate it, you have the right to flip the OFF switch in a heartbeat and like any of these 'publishing' venues, you have the right to examine the material going out your front door, side door or back door.

I think you also have an obligation to allow the offending party a chance to rectify the situation or receive a refund of unused monies paid.

Hello Memetic,

From a client's perspective, I agree with you that you are more concern with your privacy of your contents on the server and most Host are very flexible so it's very important to INFORM the Host before you keep any questionable contents that you are unsure of and whether it's allowable and acceptable that may cause your Host to suspend/terminate your account.

As far as being a "Peeping Tom" we don't look at our clients files/mails but usually work on the server mainly to ensure its peak performance and stability. Should we find anything that may cause harm to the server, then we will need to take immediate action to protect it, isolate the problem and in a worst case scenario, suspend/terminate the account if we have prove and evidence of the culprit's actions.

Regards

A reasonable position in the case of obviously unacceptable behavior such as brazenly pirating movies or music, or trying to get away with terrorist material or child pornography (and one really wonders about some of this "hentai" stuff that seems to be floating around).

It's really a pity that a few bad apples and an extremely aggressive MPAA/RIAA make it necessary for a Web hosting service operator to be so paranoid about such things. :(

Will be operating a Web hosting service soon enough, and intend to be very careful to not harsh the mellow, while politely ushering away the juveniles and other immature individuals who care not for what happens to an operator struggling to make a decent living. This means strongly suggesting encryption of family videos and email if privacy is desired, while making it clear up front that illegal material will be removed if found.

Truck on, dude.

Originally posted by cactus
As far as being a "Peeping Tom" we don't look at our clients files/mails but usually work on the server mainly to ensure its peak performance and stability. Should we find anything that may cause harm to the server, then we will need to take immediate action to protect it, isolate the problem and in a worst case scenario, suspend/terminate the account if we have prove and evidence of the culprit's actions.