Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 16 of 24

Thread: Milliondollarhomepage - a fraud?

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    730
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Milliondollarhomepage - a fraud?

    Interesting read here (some grammatical errors and such but, well, they are American!) - http://www.webwordofmouth.com/millio...epage_hoax.htm

    If you look at on the contact page for the Milliondollarhomepage.com you will see the U.S. Contact Email and telephone number of an Imal Wagner
    Seems like that page has since changed as those details are no longer there.

    I called Imal Wagner at the number given and spoke with her husband ( she was not home) during the conversation Imal Wagner's husband told me that Alex Tew contacted his wife ( a publicist and promotor) very soon after he launched Milliondollarhomepage.com and hired her at a cost of 7000$ per month to do the promotions for his website http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com. It turns out that it possibly was not webwordofmouth that brought his website to the attention of millions of internet users but good old fashion payed for advertising!
    Neither in the Alex Tew blog http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com/blog.php nor on his milliondollarhomepage.com website does he ever mention that soon after creation of his website that he hired publicist Imal Wagner at a cost of 7000$ a month to get his site maximum exposure ( internet links, radio announcements, tv promotion etc)
    Alex Tew does mention an Imal Wagner in a November post on his blog, so he does have some sort of connection. Could this be true? If so it changes everything. No longer is it an idea he came up with that took off on it's own through word of mouth and made him rich, but something he paid someone to publicise and gain maximum exposure. It's an interesting read and raises the question, if it's all genuine like he claims, why does he need a publicist? Wasn't the idea that it generated its own publicity?

  2. #2
    Theoretical Element Spud1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    North West
    Posts
    7,508
    Thanks
    336
    Thanked
    320 times in 255 posts
    • Spud1's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Aorus Master
      • CPU:
      • 9900k
      • Memory:
      • 16GB GSkill Trident Z
      • Storage:
      • Lots.
      • Graphics card(s):
      • RTX3090
      • PSU:
      • 750w
      • Case:
      • BeQuiet Dark Base Pro rev.2
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • Asus PG35VQ
      • Internet:
      • 910/100mb Fibre
    why on earth does it matter?

    I mean honestly what difference does it make as to how it started, it started, got a boost from some good old fashioned advertising, and is now well known accross the internet. He is not under any obligation to admit that he paid for advertising, how much, who it was - any more than hexus would be, or microsoft, or tesco or your local shop etc...I really don't see what the fuss is about here. Why did he need a publicist? maybe he didnt but it has certainly helped, and well done to him for taking the risk of spending $7k on the off chance of his site becoming a hit. It's also still his idea thats generated the cash for him..

    The ads were worthless from the start, and its a stupid investment for people to make, this changes nothing.
    Last edited by Spud1; 24-11-2005 at 01:43 PM.

  3. #3
    Sublime HEXUS.net
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    The Void.. Floating
    Posts
    11,819
    Thanks
    213
    Thanked
    233 times in 160 posts
    • Stoo's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Mac Pro
      • CPU:
      • 2*Xeon 5450 @ 2.8GHz, 12MB Cache
      • Memory:
      • 32GB 1600MHz FBDIMM
      • Storage:
      • ~ 2.5TB + 4TB external array
      • Graphics card(s):
      • ATI Radeon HD 4870
      • Case:
      • Mac Pro
      • Operating System:
      • OS X 10.7
      • Monitor(s):
      • 24" Samsung 244T Black
      • Internet:
      • Zen Max Pro
    $7000 a month.. and he was an impoverished student.. don't think so somehow..
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

  4. #4
    Theoretical Element Spud1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    North West
    Posts
    7,508
    Thanks
    336
    Thanked
    320 times in 255 posts
    • Spud1's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Aorus Master
      • CPU:
      • 9900k
      • Memory:
      • 16GB GSkill Trident Z
      • Storage:
      • Lots.
      • Graphics card(s):
      • RTX3090
      • PSU:
      • 750w
      • Case:
      • BeQuiet Dark Base Pro rev.2
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • Asus PG35VQ
      • Internet:
      • 910/100mb Fibre
    not as farfetched as you may think.

    Even as a student it is easy to get a bank loan if you have a solid business plan..Which it is entirely possible he did. Or possibly he worked hard over the summer in a job related to his course (therefore making a fair amount of cash). Or it could be savings, money borrowed from friends/parents.

    Hell a friend of mine got a 10k loan for his business idea, and hes only a 20yr old student..

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    730
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Spud1
    why on earth does it matter?

    ...

    this changes nothing.
    Of course it matters, and it changes everything. He was being praised as a 'genius' for coming up with an idea and supposedly getting lucky by said idea spreading like wildfire and making him rich.

    If he was investing thousands of dollars into it then it's hardly the 'rags-to-riches' story it's being touted as.

    $7000 a month.. and he was an impoverished student.. don't think so somehow..
    Student loans, credit cards, parents, etc. There's plenty of ways for an 'impoverished student' to get that sort of money. Look at that kid who became a millionaire from selling micro scooters. He made his money from stealing his dad's credit card!

    He says his brother even bought $400 worth of pixels. That's mighty generous for something that could have fell flat on its arse.

  6. #6
    If your 5555... Swafe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Then I'm...
    Posts
    6,666
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Why does he need a business loan?

    All he needs it a site, with appropriate bandwidth, even a student can afford that
    Quote Originally Posted by Knoxville
    As I find big muff's to be a bit of an aquired taste
    AMD Athlon 4400X2 @ 2.565PenisextentionMhz
    Dual Layer, Gold Plated, LED Power,Dual Golden OMG IT MAKES MY CodPiece BIGGER 1-1-1-1 DDR62.3 @ 1222.3433Mhz
    5 X 400GB Porn Array
    X1800XT Dildo enchanged 3D Version, 512MegaLongJohn
    Oh, did I mention.....I like sheep.....


    WWW.MrsBurley.CO.UK
    now updated

  7. #7
    Civilian Nick F's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    London
    Posts
    4,668
    Thanks
    9
    Thanked
    18 times in 10 posts
    • Nick F's system
      • CPU:
      • 2.4Ghz C2D
      • Memory:
      • 4GB
      • Storage:
      • 320Gb internal / 750Gb external
      • Case:
      • Apple iMac
      • Operating System:
      • Mac OSx
      • Monitor(s):
      • 24inch
      • Internet:
      • 8mb BE connection
    Wow, just goes to show how newspapers will follow anything. I remember seeing a double page spread on this site in the Evening Standard

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    730
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Swafe
    Why does he need a business loan?

    All he needs it a site, with appropriate bandwidth, even a student can afford that
    Erm, because he apparently paid a publicist $7000 a month (which was easily recovered within the first month of the site being up) to get him maximum publicity.

  9. #9
    If your 5555... Swafe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Then I'm...
    Posts
    6,666
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Oh I see, I read it as he made 7k a month

    Worth it tho
    Quote Originally Posted by Knoxville
    As I find big muff's to be a bit of an aquired taste
    AMD Athlon 4400X2 @ 2.565PenisextentionMhz
    Dual Layer, Gold Plated, LED Power,Dual Golden OMG IT MAKES MY CodPiece BIGGER 1-1-1-1 DDR62.3 @ 1222.3433Mhz
    5 X 400GB Porn Array
    X1800XT Dildo enchanged 3D Version, 512MegaLongJohn
    Oh, did I mention.....I like sheep.....


    WWW.MrsBurley.CO.UK
    now updated

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Bournemouth, Dorset
    Posts
    1,631
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked
    2 times in 2 posts
    Doesnt make him a fraud, nor does it mean any illegal practice has gone on.

    Hes providing a service for people and has tried to make sure those people get maximum exposure on the internet, right?

    sorry if iam wrong, thats how i understood it after reading .

  11. #11
    Theoretical Element Spud1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    North West
    Posts
    7,508
    Thanks
    336
    Thanked
    320 times in 255 posts
    • Spud1's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Aorus Master
      • CPU:
      • 9900k
      • Memory:
      • 16GB GSkill Trident Z
      • Storage:
      • Lots.
      • Graphics card(s):
      • RTX3090
      • PSU:
      • 750w
      • Case:
      • BeQuiet Dark Base Pro rev.2
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • Asus PG35VQ
      • Internet:
      • 910/100mb Fibre
    Quote Originally Posted by Oakey
    Of course it matters, and it changes everything. He was being praised as a 'genius' for coming up with an idea and supposedly getting lucky by said idea spreading like wildfire and making him rich.

    If he was investing thousands of dollars into it then it's hardly the 'rags-to-riches' story it's being touted as.
    Maybe so but I think that that is more the fault of the media than him?? Read through his website again, it doesn't mention that he didnt advertise, it doesn't mention that he came to fame via word of mouth etc etc

    The whole rags to riches thing is just how it has been presented by the media, and to be fair, it is still a rags to riches story. The old saying 'you have to spend money to make money' applies here too. He took a chance, invested money he got from somewhere (he's 21 remember, so could have been working for 4 years already..) and happened to get lucky

    What is fraudulent about it? No-one has been mislead by him as far as I can see..

  12. #12
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    730
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Ramedge
    Doesnt make him a fraud, nor does it mean any illegal practice has gone on.

    Hes providing a service for people and has tried to make sure those people get maximum exposure on the internet, right?

    sorry if iam wrong, thats how i understood it after reading .
    I think the point is being missed. This was supposed to be some sort of genius, stroke of luck success story. An idea he came up with, that spread by word of mouth (these forums for example) and caused people to buy advertising on the site. If he did indeed actually hire a publicist to publicise the site and gain exposure then it's not the success story it's supposed to be.

    When this site appeared a lot of people on forums the world over said "doh, why didn't I think of this!?". What those people weren't aware of was that it cost $7000 a month to get the ball rolling. It's less of an impressive 'rags-to-riches' success story and more of an investment gamble.

    The whole rags to riches thing is just how it has been presented by the media, and to be fair, it is still a rags to riches story. The old saying 'you have to spend money to make money' applies here too. He took a chance, invested money he got from somewhere (he's 21 remember, so could have been working for 4 years already..) and happened to get lucky
    Erm, no, it's how he presented it to the media. Do you think the media would have took an interest if he'd said "Hi, I've set up this site and I'm paying a publicist $7000 a month to sell my space"? Of course they wouldn't.
    Last edited by Oakey; 24-11-2005 at 05:32 PM.

  13. #13
    Theoretical Element Spud1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    North West
    Posts
    7,508
    Thanks
    336
    Thanked
    320 times in 255 posts
    • Spud1's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Aorus Master
      • CPU:
      • 9900k
      • Memory:
      • 16GB GSkill Trident Z
      • Storage:
      • Lots.
      • Graphics card(s):
      • RTX3090
      • PSU:
      • 750w
      • Case:
      • BeQuiet Dark Base Pro rev.2
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • Asus PG35VQ
      • Internet:
      • 910/100mb Fibre
    Yes but Oakey he never said any of that, that was all how it was portrayed by the media

    So you can't accuse him of mis-selling, being a fraud etc, if anyone is to blame it is the press and people making assumptions

  14. #14
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    730
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    From his site:

    Basically it appears some people are still not willing to accept that my little idea worked. They think it's some kind of elaborate hoax. Which is completely untrue, and a bit sad really. Firstly, it shows no faith in the power of a unique idea or word-of-mouth, and secondly what would be benefit of a hoax? I hate to say it (well, no, I don't), but I REALLY have sold the EXACT number of pixels that is listed at the top of each page. I've made a lot of money very quickly, and I'm just as amazed as everyone else.

    I absolutely have not filled the homepage with my own pixels or affiliate links. Every pixel is genuine. I am genuine. I'm just a young guy from the UK with an idea that caught people's imagination. Anyone could have done it. Look at my success in a positive way and what you find is a renewed sense that anything is possible. I came up with a simple idea that has worked - my very own 'million dollar idea'
    If his success stems from a $7000 a month publicist, can any of the above be really true? He says himself "power of word of mouth"... and erm.. let's not forget that $7000 a month publicist! Also, "Anyone could have done it"... yeah... anyone with the money to pay for a $7000 a month publicist!

    Also from the site:

    But this is central to the idea: the more pixels I sell, the more media coverage I get, and so the more people look at the site, and the more pixels I sell. It's a true 'snowball' effect
    Once again, fails to mention the $7000 a month publicist that comes into play.
    Last edited by Oakey; 24-11-2005 at 05:47 PM.

  15. #15
    Theoretical Element Spud1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    North West
    Posts
    7,508
    Thanks
    336
    Thanked
    320 times in 255 posts
    • Spud1's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Aorus Master
      • CPU:
      • 9900k
      • Memory:
      • 16GB GSkill Trident Z
      • Storage:
      • Lots.
      • Graphics card(s):
      • RTX3090
      • PSU:
      • 750w
      • Case:
      • BeQuiet Dark Base Pro rev.2
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • Asus PG35VQ
      • Internet:
      • 910/100mb Fibre
    I still don't agree that its misleading/misselling/fraudulent.

    A) It was, at the time, a unique idea
    B) It was helped by word of mouth - at no point does he explicitly state or imply that the only way people know about his site is word of mouth
    C)Anyone COULD have done it - if they really wanted to. Plus again that is a general statement, it could have been done without the 7k too if you got lucky enough. By 'it' he is ( i think) referring to the selling of the pixels, not necessarily the success.
    D) It is a simple idea, it has worked.

  16. #16
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    730
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Spud1
    I still don't agree that its misleading/misselling/fraudulent.
    The hoax article was brought to my attention by someone who had bought pixels there, they do feel misled.

    A) It was, at the time, a unique idea
    Unique in that anyone from an advertising standpoint wouldn't expect it, on its own, to work.

    B) It was helped by word of mouth - at no point does he explicitly state or imply that the only way people know about his site is word of mouth
    He pretty much implies that he's the one that did all the work, that he pestered people by phone, fax and email to advertise, that he informed the press, told his friends, etc, etc

    C)Anyone COULD have done it - if they really wanted to. Plus again that is a general statement, it could have been done without the 7k too if you got lucky enough.
    But that right there is supposed to be the success story. He's supposed to have come up with this idea being a penniless student to be, created this site which then took off and made him rich. That's what is supposedly his success. It's hardly a success story if he was paying $7000 a month to begin with to make it work. Sure, it's a success story as a business venture but it's no different to someone investing in any other business venture which becomes successful.


    D) It is a simple idea, it has worked.
    Of course it will work if you have a $7000 a month publicist promoting it. However, we'll never know if it could have worked on it's own, without the $7k PR agent.
    Last edited by Oakey; 24-11-2005 at 06:38 PM.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. FRAUD? Jammin/Jamin or anyone who knows him
    By gurdas in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 14-03-2005, 03:41 PM
  2. Phishing & Fraud
    By aeonf242 in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 29-01-2005, 11:52 AM
  3. Online fraud - PayPal
    By Allen in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 07-11-2003, 08:45 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •