After looking for another hosting company, I managed to find FatCow.com. Now, this company might look worth the little amount you’ll pay for their hosting, but remember that you get what you pay for, lol.

I think I paid around $60 for a one year lease with Fat Cow. As soon as I logged into the control panel, I noticed why it was so inexpensive – there wasn’t much there. My first issue was with cronjob’s – there simply was none. I went through 3 or 4 agents before I got it resolved with a billing guy (I was trying to cancel my account), who asked me to hold for a few minutes while he went and had it put into my account.

So now I have a half-assed cronjob – It had a combobox with ‘Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly’ in it.. Seriously? I can’t even set up a cronjob to run when I want it to? Are you fucking kidding me here?! Whatever, moving on…

My next issue is with their FTP. I managed to upload a few files a day (if I was lucky) before the FTP just started timing out and wouldn’t connect anymore. So, I went into the control panel, thinking I could use their java based FTP – WRONG! Browse for a file, click upload and get a message “PHP extension can not be uploaded for security reasons” or something along those lines. Awesome, right?! I also can’t upload htaccess, so their java ftp client is useless.

I finally contacted their tech team about the FTP *goes to look for chat log*. Oh, that was the chat I actually X’ed out of due to their tech being a complete idiot, and trying to blame me for the issue. I explained to him, that I have no issues with any of the other FTP accounts I work in (around 8 or 9 other servers), but he still tried to say it was on my end. I eventually got sick of that shit, and just closed the window out of frustration.

I called up their billing department right after that, and had the hosting canceled and refunded (or so I was told), leaving me with a parked domain, that was quickly transferred over to another host. After about a week of waiting for the refund, I opened a chat session with their billing dept. a little bit ago.

info: Thank you for contacting support.

Please be prepared to answer your Security Question when we begin chatting. To enhance our security protocols, we’ll need you to provide the answer to your Security Question at the beginning of our conversation. If you have not yet set your Security Question and Answer, please log into your account now to set it up. Thank you.

Please hold for the next available operator to respond.

info: You are now chatting with ‘Nina Scott’
Nina Scott: Hi Nito. My name is Nina Scott, how are you today?
Nito Belmont: Good. I was wondering when I was going to get the refund for my hosting I canceled last week
Nina Scott: Thank you for the authentication.
Nina Scott: Could you please let me know the username of the account which you have cancelled?
Nito Belmont: The same one I entered for this chat.
Nina Scott: May I place you on hold for 2 to 3 minutes while I review your account?
Nito Belmont: Sure
Nina Scott: Thank you for holding.
Nina Scott: I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you.
Nina Scott: I’m sorry, in order to assist you, I am going to have to ask a member of our team who specializes in this issue to take care of this for you.
Nito Belmont: Ok..
Nina Scott: Could you please hold for 2 to 3 minutes, while I provide you with the link to access the resolution of the issue?
Nito Belmont: Yes
Nina Scott: Thank you for holding.
Nina Scott: I have noticed that we have downgraded your account to Domain Parking account. I have escalated the issue for refund.
Nina Scott: You can expect a response regarding your issue within 24-48 hours. You can view the ticket status and resolution at:
Nina Scott: http://www.fatcow.com/member/sconsole/
Nito Belmont: Now, am I going to expect issues dealing with whoever takes this, due to it being opened on or after my 30 days?
Nito Belmont: Because I canceled the account last week, thinking I wouldn’t have to do anything further.
Nina Scott: No, your account is not yet cancelled. We have downgraded it to Domain Parking account.
Nina Scott: It is a free account.
Nina Scott: We will issue the refund within 24-48 hours.
Nito Belmont: But I canceled the hosting
Nito Belmont: The billing person I spoke to on the phone said I would receive a refund for that
Nina Scott: Yes, hosting plan is canceled and it is downgraded to Domain Parking account.
Nina Scott: Yes, we will issue the refund of your account.
Nito Belmont: Alright
Nina Scott: Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
Nito Belmont: Nope. Have a nice day

So after a week of waiting, and me having to contact their billing department, I should hopefully be getting a refund in the next couple of days. And now, it’s time for the actual review…

This company has semi-decent support, with the occasional assholes who think they know everything and you’re always wrong. You’ll probably end up getting different answers from each staff member you talk to. Example: Two tech’s told me Fat Cow does not support cronjob’s, the billing guy told me they did, and had it added.

Hopefully, if you decide to go with this company, you won’t have the issues I had. I don’t know how this company has managed to be ranked first in a lot of the hosting lists, but that shit needs to be changed. Fat Cow is a decent hosting company, IF you’re running html files or a pre-packaged script you install from their control panel, but that’s about it. I wouldn’t recommend this company to anyone I know after the bullshit I went through.

I think you’re better off using a free hosting provider over these fucking idiots.

[UPDATE: 1PM]

Hello,

Per your request, we have downgraded your account ‘XXX’ to Domain-Parked. This package is for free of cost with no hosting space so that you can manage your domain name. Also, I have refunded the amount of $39.16 to your credit card ending with ‘XXXX’ on July 28, 2009 which was charged towards the hosting. Please allow 7-10 days for this refund to appear on your credit card statement.

If you have any further questions, please update the Support Console.

Sincerely,

(Name Censored)
Billing Specialist

Nito Belmont contacted FatCow
How am I only being refunded $39.16. The original bill was for $62.99. If the domain parking is free that means you’re trying to charge me $23 for the domain name…

Oh yes, fun fucking times… I love when businesses try and rip you off. I’m sure there’ll be more to come, as I try and pull my money from their clammy claws.

Until next time,
Nito

I started working on Midget URL again today, and ended up a few functions I think it needed…

1. Added a search function. This allows anyone who wants to look up what the actual site is for a Midget URL to see all the information we have on it. It includes the real URL, total clicks (an overall count of how many people have clicked that particular link) which can be helpful if you’re trying to keep track of it, the date the link was added to our database, and the description (which is completely optional) that the uploader added.

2. The “Look Up” page, which displays the search query output. I also added WebSnapr’s Thumbnail API, so visitors are able to see the image prior to visiting it.

3. If you’ve been to Midget URL before today, you’ll notice that there is now a “Deletion Password” box in the upload form. This will allow the user adding the link to delete the link at their own discretion. (I’m still working on the actual deletion page)

What do we have planned for the future of Midget URL? More functionality, while still keeping it as simple as possible. Possibly user defined url’s. Maybe even a true masking (No ad’s) service… But for now, we’ll stick to the basics, and keeping it simple and user-friendly.

Until next time,
Nito

Finding an apartment can be a long and tiresome process, and can be even worse if you come across falsified postings like the one I will be reviewing in this post.

My girlfriend and I are looking for a new apartment, and we found an apartment on Craigslist that was at a decent price in the same area as we are now. I sent an email asking for more information (including an address), and as soon as I got a reply, I knew it was a scam. Googling it finds one other post for the same person/website.

This is the email received, both in image and text format.

Email Image

Hi and thank you for your interest,

My inbox was flooded yesterday with inquiries so I’ll do my best to answer some of the questions:

1) Cable, wireless internet, heat, water, and electricity are included in the monthly rental fee.

2) The security deposit amount depends on your credit score.

3) Move-in can begin as early as next month.

4) I haven’t gotten around to taking more pictures yet but I will be taking groups of interested parties for showings later this week.

Due to the overwhelming response I’ve included a preliminary rental application for any interested parties. I only want to converse with people who are serious about actually moving into this property. It should take about 5 mins. So if you are interested in a showing and further information, please fill out the attached application and email it to me so that I can get back to you soon.

I’ve attached the application. Please reply with the application or paste your responses in the reply email.

or copy and paste the answers onto the reply email.

This will be given on a first-come-first-serve basis. I only have 5 more units like this one unfortunately.

Don’t Delay!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Anna Brooks

Alright, so right off the bat it’s either an overly-eager sales person, or a template email. I copy/paste their website into a web browser, and it comes up with an empty server – Now we know for sure it’s a template email.

Empty Server Image

Now inside this email is a .DOC attachment, which at first glance looks like a legitimate rental application, but if you look at the second page “she” says she only accepts applicants who do this free credit check from a website she specifies.

Doc Image

3. CREDIT REPORT:
Like most companies today, we require a recent Credit Score. This is only to do a criminal background check and keep our tenants safe. We will only speak to renters with a credit report from ‘My Rental Credit Score’ because we have seen many fraudulent reports. This is a well known company for and should garner some trust.
You can get the free report here:

http://www.MyRentalCreditScore.com

When you go to the the website in the .doc, it will redirect to another site – gofreecredit.com – with a affiliate ID in the link. If you hadn’t already known this was a scam, this should have tipped you off.

This is a classic affiliate scam that I’ve seen been done for as long as I can remember since affiliate networks have been around. On any affiliate network, there is a clear set of ToS (Terms of Service), which layout how you can and can not post your affiliate links. This is a breach of contract, and as such I have written an email to the affiliate website.

Hello,

I was falsely directed to your site via a rental agreement posted on Craigslist. I assume your ToS states that an affiliate can not falsely send users to their affiliate link.

ID: 11619
SubID: 24544-
Redirect Link: myrentalcreditscore.com
Name Used: Anna Brook

Regards,
Nito

So let’s overview what I’ve gone through in this post.

1. Sent an email for more information and got a reply without information I asked for.
2. Copy/Pasted the repliers website into a web browser, and it was an empty server.
2. The replier asked for you to do a credit score. This is a big flag, since any reputable rental manager would have you come in to do this, and usually charge for it.
3. The Credit Score link given was a forwarding link.

What to do if you receive a scam email like this:

1. If you go to the website given, make sure to get the ID’s. The URI will look something like this:

http://www.gofreecredit.com/tab_picture.php?lte=all&id=11619&subid=24544-

From that URI, you’re going to want to grab the numbers after “tab_picture.php?”. It would be the same for any affiliate site that uses this type of link. Simply grab the info after the question mark, and send the website an email with al the info you can about how you got there, and the ID’s.

2. Blog about it. Blogging is THE most powerful tool any civilian has – period. Blog’s enable a normal person like you or I to become a sort of journalist. Just make sure that your posts are true and stay on topic.

2a. If you don’t have a blog, I have set up an email dedicated to responses and such. I will go through each email thoroughly and gather more information on the subject in order to give my readers more clarification on it. The email: reportit [at] phux.org

Legally, there’s not much you can do aside from emailing the company where the link sent you, unless they fraudulently got money out of you. This is why we try to get the information out, it helps others not fall into this sort of trap.

**TIP: NEVER, and I mean NEVER fill out an application and send it through email. If they won’t take it in person, it’s not real.

Until next time,
Nito

In my previous post, I wrote about how Everest doesn’t include back-end languages in their course of study. I sent them an email last night requesting they remove me from enrollment, and let’s just say they don’t take these things very well..

My emails to Everest Institute:

Hey XXXX,

I was asking, because I don’t want to waste money on a degree that doesn’t involve back-end languages. It seems to me that paying close to $30,000 after interest for a website development degree would include not just front-end garbage you can learn off a website in the course of a week.

Hello XXXX,

You can remove my enrollment. I have provided reasoning below.

A higher education institute is nothing more than a business, and as such should be treated like one. Potential customers (Students), should be addressed accordingly and in a timely manner.

I understand that as a Dean or Professor, they may be busy, but I also know that promptness receives better outcomes than waiting. Which is why I pride myself and my company on being prompt on replies to any and all invoices we may receive, whether they be from potential or long-time customers, and refuse to do business with any company who chooses not to.

I know that looking up information on subject matter in order to solidify a customer would have been in the best interest of your company, and would have been no more than asking the professor if subjects in my query were part of the courses. If this is what I have to look forward to by attending the Everest Institute, I’ll pass.

If there is anything I need to do in order to cancel the enrollment process, please respond via this email with instructions.

I removed the name of the person I contacted, because they didn’t do anything wrong, however, Shirley can kiss my ass on the whole fucking privacy thing, as this next part comes from her in a response email.

I’m sorry you feel as though I was not prompt enough with your response. I forwarded your email onto the appropriate people since as an admissions representative, I do not have the correct answers. I would feel more comfortable having the dean, department chair, or teachers respond to specific questions to ensure it is the correct information. The only information I received from Shirley Nagg was as follows:

Hi XXXX!

It’s not that we don’t want to include them, it’s that they go in and out of style too often to be written into a curriculum that takes time to go through accrediting agencies the way we have to (we can’t “turn on a dime”). When we include the “front-end garbage” it is because it is being used and is stable – i.e. not apt to go out of style. This has come up before, and my usual suggestion is for the student to ask the instructor for help in that area with whatever is currently popular as an add-on to the course.

I’m going to forward this to Aaron Sullivan who is the lead instructor for the “front-end garbage” with the request that he contact you.

At this point….since it was YESTERDAY that you asked, I was waiting on a response from the professor to ensure that I get you the correct information. It seems as though you were not all that serious about attending school anyway- I really don’t think it was the “timeliness” of my emails.

Good luck with “Phux” Development.

Oh yes, this is the person I would want representing my business. Get the fuck outta here. How hard would it have been to send the email simply stating that they don’t offer those languages in the course? I love how she capitalizes “yesterday” as if to be screaming it at me, lol. And the statement “It seems as though you were not all that serious about attending school anyway”, makes me lol hard.

I would LOVE to have my degree in web development, but not some bullshit degree where I learn little to nothing. We pay for college not because we simply want a piece of paper, but because we seek to further our knowledge pool. I need to learn front-end garbage, but not the crap they’re teaching there. No (X)HTML, just traditional? Are you serious… See, I know enough about the front-end crap to know if you don’t know shit about web design, you shouldn’t be learning traditional HTML. That shit will rot your fucking brain.

I guess my biggest thing with Everest now, is that they offer this bullshit degree, where you’re gong to learn “outdated” material (ie HTML, Photoshop CS3), but they say they can’t teach you back-end because the material changes too much. PHP5 was released in fucking 2004.. By my count, that’s 5 years ago. How is it constantly changing? There are NO dramatic changes to a back-end language that keep the same fucking major version number.. My guess, is that they don’t want to take the time to teach it to anyone. Whatever.

Final words.. What else is there to say, honestly.. If you read this, and you still decide to go to any Everest Institute for your degree, you’re a fucking idiot and deserve the shit you’ll have to endure there.

I’m not sure if that “Aaron” guy’s sending me another email, but if they do I’ll be sure to add that to the blog.. Oh the fun times.

Until next time.

-Nito

So as some of you may know, I decided to go back to school to get another degree. So, I look check out what everyone’s offering, and how much classes are, etc. I decide on Everest Institute. Small classes, hands on – great. I originally planned on starting in early May, but was forced to postpone as we had multiple sites that needed to be built. So now it’s July, and classes start next week, but as I’m going through everything, I notice that there’s nothing to do with back-end website development.

Now, I don’t know about the rest of you, but when I think of developing a website, the first thing that pops into my head is “How many SQL tables will it need, and what needs to go in them”. I work in *nix environments, so the whole “does it need to be ASP or PHP compatible” thing doesn’t really cross my mind. Pretty much, I’d be paying to learn a bunch of front-end bullshit that I don’t even do anyways.. Just friggin’ stupendous…

Seriously though.. $30,000 for a fucking degree, and you can’t even bother to teach the students back-end? Do they expect them to simply go get hired to do front-end bullshit? You would be jobless until you had atleast 10 outragiously styled websites under your belt (And not your own personal shit either. You better plan on doing some serious freelance work in just html, css and javascript – Because that’s all you’re going to fucking learn here). You won’t be able to realize that arraying with php is better than filling an html doc with 1,000 lines of code because you need a dozen of the same dividers on a page.

Oh no, you won’t be able to enjoy PHP, SQL or Perl. And why you ask? Who the fuck knows. They only offer two “Programmer” type courses. But I guess, you get what you pay for, eh? $30,000 may sound like a lot to you and I, but when you put it next to say – $100,000, not so big anymore, right? But then again, you learn everything for that $100,000.

I don’t think I’ll be attending this institution for a degree. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll create a sort of degree myself. Maybe name it the ‘I got this piece of paper for free’ degree. E-Book’s don’t cost a penny, and I have thousands on disc. I’ll update via this blog, or maybe just create an entirely new site devoted to free higher education. Come to think of it, guy we sponsor for the newsletter (Brandon) is starting something like that. Maybe I’ll ask him if he wants to partner up on it.. Stay tuned!

I’m supposed to go to Everest to pick up my books this Saturday, not sure if I’ll be there, but I’ll definitely be in there eventually to cancel my enrollment (If they won’t do it over the phone).

Until next time.

-Nito

First off, let me say that I love sandbox games. I love being able to run around without restrictions, and seeing how the developers laid out the scenery. With that said, I also like having tons of missions to keep the game play interesting…

The first thing you notice when you play Prototype, is the scenery. From what I understand, they shot tens of thousands of photographs of NYC in order to create what you see in-game – Kudos on that.

Once you get into game play, there’s a few things that caught my eye/ear while running around…

1. The voices when you consume. I would have thought that consuming a woman would change your voice to a woman’s, oh well (It’s not a big thing, but something that a meticulous gamer would notice).

2. Not being able to glide in armor. Designing it to drop at a faster rate while in armor would have been a better move in my opinion.

Now the story line.. It’s a good pitch, and it’s played out nicely, but it’s way too short. I had a finish time of around 9 hours once I finished the last mission. That’s including the couple of hours I spent just randomly running around killing shit without doing any main missions.

The side missions are fun – if you only do them once a piece, but after that they get redundant. You can only do so much slaughtering, roof jumping and chopper runs..

Now, I understand it’s got a difficulty setting, but come on now. It’s a god damned sandbox game, lol… You’re supposed to be able to enjoy the game after you’ve fuckin’ beaten it. Or at least be FORCED to do side missions while you’re working through the main story.

*sigh* It was still a great game, but not worth the $64 I paid at GameStop for it. Wait for this one to go down in price, or get it off Ebay.

-Nito