Unfortunately, due to a company called streamline.net, certain files on FreewareBB will be unavailable for a short time. These files were hosted on a seperate server on our sister domain, freewarebb.co.uk, using an account from this company which aparently offered unlimited bandwidth and unlimited disk space.

However, recently we noticed issues regarding this host and the inability to download files from them and after contacting them they claimed it was because we didn't have an index page on the server. Huh?! OK, let's try that one again ... contacting them again I explained we merely used the account to host files and although we do HAVE an index page it wasn't as important to us as the downloads themselves.

So, never mind the fact their server was no longer "serving" our files, the next reply we get is this ...



Now I don't know about you, but there are 2 words here that offend me immediately, one of which is "file sharing" and the other is "abuse".

I would not consider hosting files and linking to them from ONE website file sharing, but instead file hosting and as for "abusing" their system well, they will have to explain that one themselves. However, they will no doubt use this and the fact we're probably driving a whole load of traffic their way which is the reality of the issue if we're honest as most "unlimited" host's don't take well to having more than 1mb of bandwidth used each month. In hindsight, it was very naive of us to use a host such as this in the first place.

However, we are currently formulating a plan with the fantastic host of FreewareBB, Michael from MDD Hosting and will hopefully soon have a solution to knock the socks off future downloads hosting by us. It's called a Content Delivery Network and means the file's we host will be located at various locations across the world and as such you would be downloading them from your closest point resulting in much faster downloads!.

For the moment, please bear with us while we work our way through the files on the site and change their download location to the new location once it is set up, and if you do run across a file which is still pointing to the old download location feel free to reply here and we'll have it changed asap!.

Regards
Marko

streamlinenet, streamline, ukhost, webhost streamline, streamlinenet review

Isn't this just a joke, seriously, 2 bit host with a 2 bit attitude!

Most 'unlimited' host's aren't worth dealing with marko, but I guess that's obvious now mate - sorry you're having this hassle, you really don't deserve it, I'm sure you'll be sorted in no time though
Best Wishes

Thanks for the support guys, it's appreciated as the days become longer, the fight becomes harder and the bills get bigger!

Sorry to hear this Marko.....sounds as though you have engineered a terrific and much better alternative though, maybe a blessing in disguise.

cheers....JIM

Thanks Jim, and yes this will increase download speeds for those files we host ourselves 100%. It will only apply specifically to those files we host, but at last count this is nearly 1000 downloads on our own server and we do this when we can't physically link to the authors own download for some reason or when the author ask's if we can host it but this is definately the future of hosting and maybe at some point in the future we can even consider migrating the entire site across to this method which would provide blazing speeds throughout the entire site!.
Cheers
Marko

I'm not sure if anyone noticed the fact that they are obviously full of SH!--yaughT. In one response they're assuming this and that indirectly about "file sharing" and complain about abuse and in another they concede that they aren't there to host a web site but, need an index page.

I was unaware that you could have a web site without an index page and you are to have an index page but, you did not according to them. You aren't allowed to have an index page because they don't allow you to host a site. Even a single web page is a "WEB SITE." Confused yet?

When the inquisition gets this tangled you know it is going to be nothing more than a monumental waste of time and energy.

I'm thinking that they're resource limited and trying to look for a backdoor out without making it look as though they are limited resources to counter scaring off new clientel. It could also be their way of trying to drum up some high end business via a dedicated commercial account of which they will force you into acting like other idiot freeware boards that throw bandwidth based monthly fees at users. These companies are run by idiots that couldn't flank a monkey on the evolutionary scale if the chimp was sleeping.

CNet -- Downloads.com, SourceForge, and numerous other facilities provide naggless download services rendering the obsolete and idiotic pay to download free stuff vendors useless -- like I am sure they are in real life after they clock out.

I would just start looking for some free hosting services from the Linux community and many Linux Groups are still not terroristic, mundane, used up garbage. As long as you're willing to support some download links to some free Linux software you're family to them as that is all that they require. Check out Linux.org for any possible leads to such a hosting service as many prioritize freeware vendor support boards and groups like this one as top. You guys are worth something to the community quite to the contrary of some.

All the garbage rambling is in reference to the fact that I can't stand the anti-Microsoft jargon that you hear from some of the Linux groups. I know some of them are making money at Linux and Linux based application systems and don't, not for a single minute, believe otherwise. It is a simple case that some programmers just suck and are jealous of any competition and merely use M$ as their scape goat because they're trying to cash in on the fact that we might get jealous of Bill Gates cause he's a Billionaire. I plan on being one myself (a billionaire) -- free is good but, it still costs money. You just have to watch out for predators.

"What are we doing tonight Brain" Pinky
"The same thing we do every night at six o'clock p.m. Pinky -- try to take over the world!" The Brain
"Snarf" Pinky

Oh yeah!

Thanks Raven

I'm still seeing downloads from freewarebb.co.uk no problem marko, have they done a uturn?

I don't think they have done a uturn, but I know it's been awful quite from them since we replied - one would assume that if you're in breach of their terms they would suspend your account although for me their quote that we're not allowed to "file share" requires clarification as we're not actually "file sharing" but instead "file hosting". There are no illegal files hosted on their server, and they probably now know this which is why they have decided to keep quite, we only deal in freeware.

Irrespective of what they decide to do, I don't think marko is prepared to give them a second chance as he rarely suffers fools gladly, as far as I'm aware he's still trying to arrange a solid solution with the current host of freewarebb to have these files hosted on a CDN (Content Delivery Network) which I personally have already tried myself and can assure everyone this is definately the way forward for the site as the downloads we host are probably faster than I've seen on any other site!

I'm sure marko will chip in at some point a little later once he has more news

Any further forward with this issue Marko?

Sorry, meant to update this a few days ago!, Yes, we've got a CDN established now and you may have already noticed we've started updating those downloads which we host - although you won't actually be able to tell by physically looking at the download if we host it or not, you will definately notice the download itself as it will come flying down to you!. At some point in the future, I would like to think it possible to host many more downloads on our own servers to give our users the fantastic speeds of the CDN although cost's for this technology can be extremely high and we're just not in a position to accomodate useage on a grand scale

You never know though, watch this space as anything can, and usually does happen, but for now I hope everyone enjoy's our downloads hosted on the CDN!.

As for streamlinenet, they still haven't responded to me and I'm not expecting them to either, chances are they have already seen this thread and know the damage they have already caused, as far as I'm concerned they can shove their 2bit hosting as far as they can get it!.
Cheers
Marko

Now this is funny ... had a note from Streamlinenet nearly A MONTH after I initially reported problems with the hosting telling me I CAN'T cancel my contract

To recap, THEY told me I was in breach of my contract because I was "file sharing" and "abusing" their systems, which I was obviously not, and because they have chosen not to act on my alleged "file sharing" or "abusing" I can only assume they now believe no breach took place which brings us back to my initial problem of not receiving a service from them which they have never actually addresses therefore due to THEIR BREACH in contract by not providing me with the service I was/am paying for I am entitled to end my contract which I did shortly after reporting the issue, my my, talk about amateurs!

Amateurs, dillbrains, morons, galahs, drongos, boofheads, imbeciles, cretins...the adjectives abound!!!

Needless to say Marko, you are much better off without these xxxxxxx (use any of the above).

WOW! This has got to be a record or something surely! Some EIGHT MONTHS after this problem, streamline.net are now back looking for money from us because they have been hosting us all this time apparently!!!. What's even funnier is they have raised a new ticket on 10th Jan 2010 telling me our content has been "archived" because "During a recent file system audit it has been discovered that your domain is in breach of our terms of service."

This is still to do with the fact that I was hosting downloads on their servers rather than web pages. Remember their quote that we "abused" their system?!.

God help us if we were actually hosting FreewareBB with them, they would no doubt tell us that we were generating too much traffic from the web pages.

Needless to say, streamline.net will not be receiving any form of payment from us and in fact they have ignored my requests to have my details removed from their systems thus comitting a breach under the Data Protection Act in the UK, although this probably amounts to nothing anyway as most laws in the UK are tailored to suit the corporate bodies and not individuals like myself, but I'll take great pleasure in doing what streamline.net did to me for many months, ignore them

I worked for a company that closed 5 years ago, and when it closed the account was closed, no problems. Imagine my surprise when last week, streamline all of a sudden has started sending me e-mails along the line of:
We tried to rebill one of the extra features on your hosting account, however there is a slight problem. Your credit card was not authorised for payment.

The kicker is that I can still log into the account even though the domain name has been bought by someone else and being used elsewhere. So far I have had 4 e-mails from them trying to bill me web hosting, extra features, and so on...........

After that company closed I was still running other sites on streamline, but only began transferring them across to other host, last year as they had started to overbill me, bill me for features I hadn't requested or used, and so on, its a familiar story to the streamline customer, when I cancelled one of the accounts, they even had the cheek to then charge me for Matrix Stats, so the other sites I've been sneaking them away bit by bit, then I'll cancel my card by getting the bank to issue me with a new card as I dont believe streamline will honour my request to cancel (as shown by the fact they still have an active account on a company that has been closed for 5 years).

This company needs investigated, doing a google search and they've been at this dodgy practice for over 6 years, I mean wtf?!? how are they getting away with it?

The same way hundreds of other companies get away with acting like morans, because it's usually too much hassle to bring them to justice through the legal system, but I prefer letting everyone else know about the situation and thus can avoid the problems we've encountered, when enough people read threads like this one they will make up their own minds on the company in question and whether or not they want to take the chance on hosting their domains with them or not, chances are I'd run a mile if I read this, and I've seen plenty of other articles and threads across the net of a similar nature so it's not just us who think they are answerable!.