Monday, August 18, 2008

Waiting for Nirvanix

As you know from reading this blog, Nirvanix said that it would try to give Mediamax users access to the files held on its servers if Mediamax agreed to provide access to its front end programme/database.

Mediamax has agreed to do so.

But I have had no response from Nirvanix responding to this offer. Nirvanix said it would not delete the files it is holding. But will it try to reunite them with their owners?

There is much that is still murky about why it may not be possible to simply restart the Mediamax system. There is also the question over whether the accidental deletion of data as the old Streamload set up was being prepared to split into Nirvanix and Mediamax is the root cause of the problems.

I think we will only really be able to proper, documented disclosure by some sort of action against the current owners of Mediamax, which appears to be Windward Ventures. I have already contacted them, but had no response. As creditors, Mediamax users who have time to run on their accounts, have a right to be notified of any bankruptcy hearing if Mediamax is wound up. Nirvanix has promised to inform us if they hear anything.

Quite a few people have emailed to say they would be interested in being part of a legal action. If you are interested and haven't emailed, please do so via my profile. If you wish to take on a coordination role, please let me know.

24 comments:

Unknown said...

This is very unfortunate. Any legal action should be done with care, because I think most people are more interested in their files than the money.

Also, I read the an interview with someone from Winward and he said that TLU script didn't work and no had the money or time to figure out what went wrong. It might be interesting if the released that script to to the public.

Anonymous said...

I agree with jabash.

I don't think a lawsuit against Nirvanix is progress.

Changing the consumer law about file storage is.

I just want my files. TLU/MM are the ones to be held accountable. No matter the links, we signed with them. They went bust, nothing we can do more than what we have done to protect others from them as it is.

However, putting pressure on Nirvanix to make a statement about why they are not replying nor why nothing has moved with information about retrieval of the files would be good. They have done alright by coming clean so far, continuing on would stand in their favor. Even if it is to tell us there's nothing they can do.

Anonymous said...

Iceage, I'm sorry I have to disagree about Nirvanix coming clean.

If they really wanted to come clean they would just get on with it.

Also, we have the old tactic of having a Nirvanix official blog where people aren't allowed to comment, and we all know the reason behind that.

As I have said before, let's not forget all the problems these people have caused.

I was reading some of my old emails to Mediamax customer service the other day and it still makes me really angry.

These people should held accountable, especially Iverson.

The two companies are completely interlinked as we all know, and having been through all we've been through in the last few years if Nirvanix really wanted to come clean they should just tell us the truth and stop the continuous lies.

Dave.
Wordpress.partyoflife

Luzo Orbit said...

Jabash, I didn't suggest legal action against Nirvanix, but a collective letter to Windrush Ventures, who it seems are now legally responsible for winding up Mediamax or otherwise responding to its creditors. If there is a bankruptcy hearing, then it would be good for users to be represented, to at least get some answers, which cannot be evaded in court in the same way as in public statements.

Unknown said...

I think we should start getting organized and try to be constructive, by making it easier for them to get rid of this issue. To start, we should create some sort of registry or list of who we are, both in numbers and content. For example, there might be people who just want their money back and have their files and others who need their files more than anything else.

Frankly I am surprised Nirvanix and Iverson have communicated at all with this website so I still have hope Nirvanix will respond.

Anonymous said...

Wikipedia hasn't forgotten, but it looks like someone's trying to rewrite history...

Anonymous said...

"Focus should be on Nirvanix and their cloud storage platform rather then information that is slanderous and manipulated."

Once again I ask the question, if everything we have written about Nirvanix is "slanderous and manipulated", why haven't they threatened any of us?

Dave
Wordpress.partyoflife.

Unknown said...

Yes, I think a letter to Winward might be a good idea. However, I think we need an organized group to show we represent a large number of users.

Anonymous said...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7575989.stm

Not the same, but.... still following my line of law needs to be changed.

Unknown said...

Is there any further communication with Nirvanix or MM?

Luzo Orbit said...

Jabash - I've contacted Nirvanix repeatedly to ask if they will start up the system now that Mediamax has offered the front-end/database, which Nirvanix claimed was the sticking point, but had no response.

For a while there it did look like they were serious about trying to reunite people with their files. I'll keep trying.

Anonymous said...

This morning I got an email from the Box.net with a promotional offer for all ex Mediamax customers.

This would suggest that Iverson has sold the customer list to the Box.net as one of his assets.

I gave them both barrels in my response, including the threat of legal action for spamming as I did not opt in the get email from the company.

Just something for you to keep an eye out for.

Dave.
Wordpress.partyoflife.

Anonymous said...

Yep, here's the mail. I wonder how much TLU/MM got paid for selling our private details?

Screw spam, I don't believe Box.net are doing that. But they did buy the contact list from MM or was given it. This is more serious.

Anyone with a MM TLU account could have gone to the TLU MM website and been offered a code there. Selling out private data is a piss off again.

Dig out the old TOS from whoever you signed with as see what it says about sharing personal data.

Again, as I mentioned before. The TLU Box.net relationship, only pissed me off. MM making more cash.

I used to work in Business Development, and know how these list are moved around.

Worried. Hope you canceled you credit card, those details sell for more.

A statement from MM TLU and Box.net is need here.

"Hello Former MediaMax (TheLinkUp) User,

My name is Jenna and I'm the Sales Representative for Box.net, an easy to use, online file storage and collaboration service. Are you familiar with us? I am sorry that your former online storage service, MediaMax, has now closed, but wanted to make you aware of an alternative – Box.net. Box.net, offers reliable, secure online storage and much more. Now in business over 3 years, we have nearly 2 million users just like you, and Enterprise clients such as MTV Networks. Our easy to use service has won the CNET Webware 100 Award in 2007 and 2008, as well as the Interactive Media Award in 2008, and I'm excited to introduce it to you!

With Box.net, you can:

• Safely and securely store, share, and access files from anywhere-

• Preview and edit files online using our OpenBox Services,

• Create online word documents using WebDocs-and so much more!

Box.net has a 99.9% network uptime guarantee and backs up all data daily. We use 256-bit Secured Socket Layer (SSL) security and also offer password protection for file sharing. In addition, we offer email and phone support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure that you never have trouble uploading or accessing your files!

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have in helping you access, store and share your files with Box.net. So, please consider giving our service a try. As a special courtesy to former MediaMax customers, click on the link below and enter "box" in the promo code field to get a 25% discount, plus a free 14-day trial, at no cost or commitment to you - simply give us a try and if you're not satisfied, cancel at anytime. For this special offer, please click here:

http://www.box.net/mediamax2

Please let me know if you’d like any assistance in giving our service a try.

Kind regards,

Jenna Pascual
Sales Representative
The Box.net team"

Anonymous said...

Iceage, I work for an online company and I know what we do with data, however we do stick to the rules and have certainly never given out or sold private data.

But, as you say I know what happens to these email list and how they are traded and sold by other companies and affiliate organisations.

This as I suggested, is probably what Iverson has done, selling the list as an asset.

If you have a list with 500,000 email addresses and you send that list an email, if 100,000 of the recipients sign up to your product that makes the list a very valuable asset.

I told the Box.net where to go in no uncertain terms.

I wonder we would stand on the sale of private data?

Dave.
Wordpress.partyoflife.

Anonymous said...

Just taken delivery of my Streaming Media newsletter for today and it has the following article about Nirvanix on it -

http://www.streamingmedia.com/press/view.asp?id=9905

I will obviously be refereing the author to the shabolic nature of Nirvanix once I get home from work.

Dave.
Wordpress.partyoflife/

Anonymous said...

The article has been written by the following PR company by the look of it - http://www.jprcom.com/

Dave.
Wordpress.partyoflife/

Anonymous said...

The ticket system for the Box.net looks very familiar -

I have this in my inbox after I repied to their offer this morning -

Your Ticket has been received and a member of our staff will review it and reply accordingly. Please make sure the Ticket ID remains in the subject at all times. In the meantime, feel free to visit our help page at www.box.net/help

Sincerely,

Box.net

This stinks of Mediamax involvment to me.

I have responded with this -

Er....I didn't submit a ticket I merely responded to your email.

Firstly I want to know how much you purchased my details from Steve Iverson for?

Why are you sending me spam emails?

This all smacks of Mediamax to me, so I suggest you take this hint -

Don't ever use my email address again to send me your offers.

I hope I have made myself clear.

Dave.

Luzo Orbit said...

Regarding box.net, Steve Iversen said they were the highest bidder for advertising on the site. Selling the email list is possibly a breach of terms and conditions though, I imagine. They are posted on this blog - see the links.

Box.net were also trying to poach customers by posting to this blog some time ago and asked me to highlight their discount offer to Mediamax customers, which I did not do because this blog is independent.

Regarding Nirvanix - still nothing heard. No responses from Jonathan Buckley and it looks like he has deleted the skype account we used for communication. I'm trying to get an answer out of Patrick Harr, the CEO, but it is looking like Nirvanix misled us. They said they would try to reunite people with their data if Mediamax gave them access to the front end/database and now that they have that access don't want to know. Perhaps Steve Iversen was right and the database makes no difference because Nirvanix have screwed up the data at their end. Whatever, they are showing themselves to be useless at customer service and handling PR.

Anonymous said...

Regarding the PR Company written press release about Nirvanix that features on the Streaming Media website, I have just sent this to the PR Company -

Dear Judy S,

I hope Nirvanix paid your PR firm well to get the press release on the Streaming Media web site.

You're obviously not aware of the current scandal that has engulfed the company and how they are involved with Steve Iverson and his companies, Streamload, Mediamax and The Link Up.

These companies have lost customers data by the truck load, taken money without supplying a service, and basically lied and cheated their way through the whole thing.

I would suggest you do your home work and have a look at the following links before spewing garbage about what a great company Nirvanix is -

http://nirvanixusers.blogspot.com/

http://partyoflife.wordpress.com/category/nirvanix/

http://nirvanix.nfshost.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvanix

http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/07/21/amazon-s3-systems-failure-downs-web-2-0-sites

http://informednetworker.com/blog/2008/07/11/streamloadmediamaxthe-linkup-closes/

http://www.demo.com/community/?q=node/160512

http://reviews.cnet.com/4531-10921_7-6547072.html

http://www.petitiononline.com/15pop121/petition.html

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6616_102-0.html?forumID=37&threadID=206285&start=60&tag=forum-w;forums06

If you look at the Nirvanix blog, you'll note you can't leave any comments on it, hmmm I wonder why?

Also lets not forget the discussions about impending class action lawsuit's against the company, or did the on just slip past your "excellently" researched press release?

As someone who has a great interest in streaming media, I was almost sick to see the Streaming Media newsletter drop in my inbox with headland about this company on it.

Have a nice day,
Dave.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

The ticket system for the Box.net looks very familiar -


Actually a lot of sites have similar ticket systems, its an automated response generated by an application.

Much in the way lot's of forums look similar.

TLU/MM Box.net breaching privacy is much more important.

Just because the are bankrupt doesn't mean you can't hang the CEO's testicles on a civil suit, or the technical guy in charge of the list.

Box.net also, as Jenna Pascual and Sales should have researched if the list was legal first.

McB said...

For what it's worth.. I did not receive any email from Box.net even though I'm a former TLU/Mediamax customer.

I deleted all my files before TLU closed but I didn't delete my account. Also, I made sure already before the move to TLU that my credit card details were total nonsense not possible to use anymore.

Anonymous said...

It looks like there may still be some hope for getting our files back... if the agreements are really with Nirvanix, Inc. anyway. Has anyone tried logging support requests with Nirvanix directly on the basis that they are just Streamload, Inc. renamed?

Unknown said...

Is there no further movement. Is the only thing we are going to get is more spam from Box.net

Luzo Orbit said...

There is a later post than this one with news, though not progress.