The Final Word on Zango and Revver
Asi Behar from Revver has responded:
Revver is, and always has been, an open syndication network. Our platform - whether it be the API, widgets, RSS feeds, or direct embeds - was designed to offer creators and sharers of content a way to fully white label and monetize their video experience - a service offered to each and every Revver member.
In this respect, Zango is no different from any other sharer/syndicator on our network: they’re using our API, which every Revver user has full access to, to pull and share content. They earn the 20% syndication fee just as any other Revver user would for sharing and driving traffic to Revver content, and must agree to our terms of service in order to do so. As a result, they are helping creators earn money by exposing their content to their audience.
The openness of our network is both a philosophical and technical feature of our network. We’ve resisted numerous partners that insisted on partitioning off content; we feel strongly that the future of media, especially on the internet, lies in its ability to be freely shared and distributed and we’d really like to see this ideal succeed.
Despite our stance, however, we do recognize that some creators may not want their content distributed by Zango, so we’ll contact them to help remedy the situation. If you or any Revver member requests, we will contact Zango on your behalf and request they stop using your content on their site. Revver members can contact us via our contact form to request assistance.
We’d like to see an internet where content is allowed to roam freely while still earning money for our creators and sharers - so to that end we’ll be re-evaluating Zango’s use of the Revver API. I’ll keep you posted with any news on the matter.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance,
Asi Behar
VP, Software Engineering - Revver
asi {@} revver_com
As has Steve Stratz, Zango’s Director of Public Relations - albeit privately.
Bottom line: Zango is willing and able to remove videos from their index, and they’re not breaking any rules by using Revver’s API. They’re no more hijacking videos than you would be by embedding them in your own site, but that was never my issue with Zango forcing users to download software before they could view my content. Steve from Zango contends that their software is… not crapware. Whatever.
Revver is not doing their publishers any favor by continuing business with Zango, in my humble opinion (as a user, as a publisher, as someone who deals with people who have installed Zango’s software). Moreover, the “Zango” checkmark needs to be more readily accessible through Revver’s control panel.
Again, I do not challenge the video embedding or Revver affiliate model at its core - I do, however, challenge the need for Zango to force users to install software that is COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY VIEW THE VIDEO I PRODUCED.
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14 Comments
The Chris Pirillo Show
August 27th, 2007
at 7:05am
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drew olanoff
August 27th, 2007
at 3:31pm
thanks for lookin’ out chris!
loldrew. - Drew Olanoff’s blog about life, the internet, and life on the internet.
August 27th, 2007
at 9:40pm
[...] http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/27/the-final-word-on-zango-and-revver/ [...]
Georg von Hippel's column | Scientific Blogging
August 28th, 2007
at 3:11am
Eyes Turn Skyward For Lunar Eclipse Early Tuesday Morning New Dixon High School Wows Students and Staff Singapore scientists trick cancer cells into self-destructing Thin Client Computing AdvancesThe Final Word on Zango and RevverTOKYO:Japanese PM appoints new Cabinet SpaceDev Wet Chemistry Devices Begin Their Journey to Mars Best eclipse in years on its way Agencies try to help flash flood victims News Agency
Geek News Central Podcast Tech and Science Show
August 28th, 2007
at 10:28am
Listener Links Hebrew iPhone Hack leeslegacy.com/movies UK Wifi Case 1 UK Wifi Case 2 UK Wifi Case 3 Hocus Pocus Latest Tech Podcast Round Table Show Notes: Dead Internet? Twitter SearchZango HijackAmazing ISS Picture 26 Buzz Monitoring Tools New Yahoo Mail TorrentSpy Blocks USA Users $100.00 Bill Technology Have a Laptop Can Steal Car iPhone Hack for a New Car AllOfMP3 Coming Back Online
UncleJohn
August 28th, 2007
at 10:50am
Way to go Chris, dont forget to jump them about automaticly adding videos to zango then requesting you to ask to have them removed instead of having that as the default and having to ask to have them added.
They sure looove to do things backwards.
MissM
August 31st, 2007
at 5:16am
Chris,
Sunbelt Software just blogged about zango and videos. I was sure you’d be interested.
http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/there-goes-zango-again-advertising-on.html
The more noise that is made, the better, imo.
coComment -
August 31st, 2007
at 12:19pm
view blog[IMG]
Affiliate Marketing Blog by Shawn Collins
September 3rd, 2007
at 2:28pm
If Revver doesn’t address this issue, or allow me to opt-out of being embedded specifically by Zango, I’ll simply close and delete my Revver account and videos - and encourage others to do the same.”Chris heard from Asi Behar, VP, Software Engineering at Revver soon after his post: Revver is, and always has been, an open syndication network. Our platform - whether it be the API, widgets, RSS feeds, or direct embeds - was designed to offer creators and sharers of content a
Shawn Collins - MySpace Blog
September 3rd, 2007
at 3:41pm
“If Revver doesn’t address this issue, or allow me to opt-out of being embedded specifically by Zango, I’ll simply close and delete my Revver account and videos - and encourage others to do the same.”Chris heard from Asi Behar, VP, Software Engineering at Revver soon after his post: Revver is, and always has been, an open syndication network. Our platform - whether it be the API, widgets, RSS feeds, or direct embeds - was designed to offer creators and sharers of content a
Zango Sucks | Zango Sucks
September 6th, 2007
at 3:15am
Update September 7th: It looks like Revver and Zango are in bed together, and it is this unholy matrimony which has led to people being duped into installing Zango malware. More details on Mr. Pirillo’s site.Here is a further post with Revver’s replyand a bit more information on Zango’s involvement. Share This
Georg von Hippel
November 8th, 2007
at 4:40am
I did not post the entry labelled “Georg von Hippel’s column” above. Please remove it.
SkyFuser
May 23rd, 2008
at 1:28pm
Zango is a known adware company. Mehhhh… I think Wikipedia said something about them getting sued but they managed to pay them off for a few millions dollars. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?! A known adware company that’s known for silent installs and hijacking your Internet Explorer is being forgiven because of money!!!
More information at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/30/zango_files_appeal_against_kaspersky/
They viewed the video you produced? Well, I don’t get what’s so bad about it. Did you not want them to see?
SkyFuser
May 23rd, 2008
at 1:29pm
I know this is a useless please remove it later, but how do we know if the comment was added successfully for moderation? Nothing shows up after I hit PUBLISH :\