Adam, I hope you recover from this - for the sake of your family. But you need to stop this "shill"-ing.
Even if someone accepts that F.S. asking for his money back is the reason for your current predicament, what constraints caused you to "build" these incomplete sites?? You built those sites LONG BEFORE F.S. asked for his money back - so what was the reason for the shoddy work?
I sent this to Adam via PM as a pastebin link a few days back - I have not edited even a single word:
===================
@WebInvestments,
@Adam Dicker
Disclaimer: Please check my previous posts in this thread - I was only mildly interested in this thread. However, as I started reading all posts (see point 8 below), I am starting to think that either both of you are the same person, or one is acting on behalf of the other.
I know
@equity78 posted saying your IP addresses are different, but considering the fact that Netherlands based proxies are not difficult to obtain, is it alright if either of you clarify some points?
1. A part of reputation management is to create multiple accounts at relevant forums so that one can defend oneself from attacks.
2. Adam, your company's name is WebCorp. You seem to like NetXXX and WebXXX names. "WebInvestments" seem to be up your alley.
3.
@WebInvestments, you seem to be very knowledgeable about domaining in general. Reason: Please see the following posts made by you:
Well in the start most newbie domainers invest heavily without learning and observing things about domain investing. The result is that most of the time they end up buying crappy domains.
You can come up with a reasonable size of domain portfolio because only you can tell how many domains you can have, you can sell, you can renew.
The cost of running this business (when it comes to renewing hundreds of domains) is not what most domainers are happy with, lol. But I am sure if you are good with sales, you won't mind re-investing couple of hundred bucks.
By reading this thread many fellow domaines would now agree that it all depends on different factors. Like:
1. How one is taking domaining; either part time, full time, seasonal, or as a hobby.
2. Is s/he a motivated seller or more like an investor.
3. What monthly sales volume s/he achieves.
4. How much $$$ s/he earns on a monthly basis.
5. Whether there's a pan to invest further or to sell existing inventory first without buying new ones.
6. And so on...
Then again, the size of domain portfolio has more to do with what you plan on doing in the field of domaining. If you have significant capital, you can invest in buying lots of quality domains (focus on the word "quality" here), but if you want to start small (which is highly recommended if you are new to this game), then it would be O.K to buy 10-20 good domains and sell them first, and then rinse and repeat.
In the end, what matters is how much $ales you make and how much quality your domains offer to their respective market (demand wise).
Hope it helps.
4.
@WebInvestments, you were the first one to launch a full-frontal attack on Shane, soon after he made his post. Exhibit:
Not sure what's the point here of mentioning this "story". Not even a single reliable source was mentioned to break facts.
Like:
- who's the "anonymous source" of this article?
- is he/she reliable enough to be trusted?
- on what facts/complains/rippoff proof or whatever did the blogger has picked such a ridiculous title and sort of insulted a senior domainer?
Although I do agree with one part in the post, that Adam normally over promise but fail to deliver the same. But he is still respectable to many and he continues to deliver valuable information to many new comers in the industry whenever he has time.
Shane, nice to see that it's your blog, but starting a blog with a post full of conspiracy and with no facts provided! You could've done better than that amigo.
Just my thoughts.
Exactly, using the word criminal was not necessary at all, and it also it shows a disrespectful attitude towards a senior most domainer who holds several domaining awards and known for his helping nature.
I'm not defending Adam either and I would love to hear what Adam has to say about it. If only Shane was responsible enough in confirming the news first from both parties (or to include any reliable sources in his post) and then publishing his blog post.
5.
@WebInvestments, you have an impeccable command over English language, in spite of your IP being from Netherlands/Dutch.
(Netherlanders, just making a point here guys, don't take it seriously
)
6.
@WebInvestments After posting in this thread, you went over and posted in other threads also. Exhibit below:
Yeah, I second that. Don't have any experience in website flipping so far, but I plan to develop at least one geo domain every month and flip it for profit. I am aiming (and confident) to sell each site I develop for a minimum of $1-2k (depending on the geo domain, niche and SEO rankings).
Of course, it requires time, hard work, and a little upfront cash investment. For one of my site I have setup this month, I was able to get it ready for less than $100 (paid for content). For its design, I have used a free WordPress theme.
Also, there's a low quality geo domain that I own and I plan to launch it as a single-page website (showcase type site) without much content on it. I will be testing how a single page site with a geo domain would perform and whether it will be of any interest for potential buyers. So practically the site will require no investment other than my domain cost. For SEO marketing, I can take care of that.
Other than website flipping, I think developing web properties for in-house is also a workable option if one has funds and time to manage things. But I know many domainers wouldn't consider going to this route as it require constant management and $$$.
Just my two cents (sorry for the huge off-topic discussion above, got excited about this it, lol)
Now, what is interesting is, if we ignore the "I don't have any experience" and all such parts, the business model
posted seems to be one which Adam likes a lot - using geodomains and building sites!
7.
@WebInvestments seems to have prescience about what Adam is going to post or think!
Exhibit:
Although I do agree with one part in the post, that Adam normally over promise but fail to deliver the same.
There are parts that are true and parts that are simply untrue.
They seem to think alike, too. Exhibit:
There is definitely another side to this story.
Still, there're two sides of every picture, and my friend, we haven't seen the other one yet.
8. AFTER Adam admitted to being partially wrong,
@WebInvestments still keeps posting that Shane is doing
this for publicity, and that the whole post is false. Remember, this is after Adam himself posting that
some parts of the post are true. And after
@WebInvestments himself posted that he agrees with part of the post.
This act reminds me of a SEO blog post about how to increase link popularity (site popularity that is) I read
somewhere a couple of years ago. Basically it's about creating a controversial blog post about
a famous celebrity (of the industry), and yes, the idea was to make it a fake/false one. And once the post
hits the scene, a lot of discussion was expected to be started, resulting in increased site popularity
(for the guy who wrote the controversial post).
Keep in mind,
@WebInvestments is very intelligent as evidenced by his previous posts. But this is not
something such a person would post.
By the way, this is what made me notice this whole thing. I just glanced at the above post from
@WebInvestments a few days back. But something about that made me uncomfortable. The post, taken by itself, meant lesser reasoning abilities on the part of the poster. However, from his other posts, it is clear he is a very intelligent man. The above post just did not make sense. Unless he was deliberately trying to divert from the real issue.
9. Posts #5036293, 5036365, 5037689 and many other posts from
@WebInvestments are reputation management ABC
- attacking the attacker, and bringing in multiple points to consider so that people of average intelligence will get confused.
Exhibits:
It's nothing what someone would call "Information". But yes, it does has a feeling of you creating a "hype" to promote your blog and attract readership.
Just saying as none of the allegations were proved there.
You still don't get it my friend? His gain is traffic from this forum, to his blog. Remember "site popularity".
PS: Would appreciate if you PM me any further questions regarding this (SEO), so that you, I and others can keep the thread on topic.
Thanks,
Shane need some serious professional help (and I say that with respect) as his attitude problem is increasing everyday.
You can judge this from his comments here, short and less than 10 words with no value or information at all.
He doesn't bother himself to even reply in details for the topic he actually started.
It seems like he enjoys giving people a topic to argue about, and stay center of attention.
(There are many more such posts, I have included only three)
10.
@WebInvestments seems to post almost what Adam would have posted.
For victims, I am still waiting to see few with solid case that is.
11.
@WebInvestments seems to know what Adam is going to do:
Mostly because Adam is a professional businessman and has no time for gossiping around in a thread that has nothing factual, so far.
I believe he is fully aware of the situation (here) and is preparing for something to shut the craps out of those who have flamed this fire without any fuel.
What if Adam has already started to resolve things on his own while we continue arguing and guessing things here?
I see it is already happening and Adam has started to pay his dues.
12. The following post made by
@WebInvestments is exactly how a person who overpromises and walks on the thin edge of the legal boundary (being careful not to tip over to the illegal side) would think about his customers.
(There is even a tinge of contempt for the "greedy and lazy" folks)
[...] I bet the buyers were
also a bit greedy and uneducated about what they should do before they hire/join anyone's
service/company. Ever heard of 'everything that glitters is not gold'.
[...]
use your mind, research skills and internet people. Penalty of greed and laziness should be there for such.lol.
13.
@WebInvestments seems to write about a situation which he knows firsthand. Notice the post quoted below.
Especially the part where he says, "not all, many", which implies accurate knowledge of the situation.
And I bet many victims (not all, many) aren't sharing their complete agreement about the services they were promised.
14.
@WebInvestments seems to know the exact arrangement which Adam had with his managers. Wow!!
Managers were like business partners initially and income was based on profit sharing, not fixed salary. But later on, it changed.
Oh by the way, anyone who posted about or taunted Adam's kids or family - shame on you. If you have a problem with him, take it up with him. Not with his kids. Or his family.
=======END OF PASTE=========
It was an unlisted paste, which meant any view counter increment was from Adam.
Namepros showed Adam moved to "Conversations" (last activity). Immediately afterwards, the view counter incremented.
Which meant he read it.
WebInvestments stopped posting the next day. Instead, a new account appeared. "WPM" - Web Portfolio Management.
The next day, Adam sent a PM saying he will read it, and then within 2 minutes, he replied, saying he has read it and that he is not WebInvestments.
Here was my reply:
=======START OF PM=====
1. You read my pastebin yesterday. Pastebin shows the number of views, you see.
2. If it was wrong, you would have replied immediately. You did not.
3. You said "I will check it now" and sent the next message within two minutes. It is not possible to read that long message within 2 minutes.
4. Today, WebInvestments stopped posting. Instead, a new account appeared: WPM. "Web Portfolio Management". "Web xxx" again? Seriously??
Anyway, thanks for the PM. Now I am 100% sure. Yesterday I was only 90% sure because I considered the possibility of you
going to bed or being distracted before you could reply.
======END OF PM===========
I just don't want to post private conversations here as far as possible, but any moderator/admin can easily verify this - feel free to check my Inbox.
Ladies and gentlemen, I rest my case.