Xbiz promoting newsgroup reseller?

[RawAlex]

Well, GG, the truth is in there somewhere. That this guy / company has declined to make their product available for review even for a short period of time tells me that they have something to hide. Honest business people would be up here with usernames, passwords, jump pages, something... so that all doubt could be removed and their product given the once over. Instead, they chose ad copy, avoidance, slippery "2257 exemption" posts, and all sorts of other techniques for avoiding the basic subjects:

- Usenet contains images posted without permission.
- Usenet contains images that could be classed as KP
- Usenet is a cesspool of spam.

and finally:

any attempt to seperate the good (content) from the bad (spam), specifically by allowing shortcut or direct access to only images and / or video content on the newsgroups is a form of publishing, and as such the company is liable under 2257 and contract law for the redistribution of those images.

Pure hosted usenet access would be fine - the filters are their undoing and put them in to never never land. No sane paysite operator would want to get caught trying to explain all these unlicensed images with no 2257 documentation and no way to prove who has them.

Alex

[Wenchy]

I've read through this thread twice now and couldn't resist the urge to comment. IMHO, anyone to answers repeated legitimate questions with regurgitated ad copy and makes so little effort to address any one of the issues presented has something to hide. What's the old saying about "dazzle 'em with bullshit"?

Somehow reading through it all again I was reminded of my last experience with a used-car salesman... ask about the mileage and he tells you about their 90-day warranty.

Admittedly, I know next to nothing about usenet, but Alex makes some valid points about the function of their software, the manipulation of posted pictures, and the 2257 question. As a WM who's been around the biz for many years, I wouldn't touch that with somebody else's 10-foot pole.

Furthermore, I would extend a note of caution to anyone who does use their system... do so at your own peril. Call me paranoid, but it occurs to me that if a 2257 issue were to come up, these people would do everything in their power to pass the torch of responsibility and legal liability to those who posted the pics in the first place, so have all your ducks neatly in their little rows. Not that they would be successful, but the attempt could make things rather uncomfortable for anyone associated with them or their service.

If the thread fizzles, so be it... but I'll be interested to see how it all turns out.