Blog Misc -- 2013 May 24 FR

Kiwi6.com, a file host that I have relied upon greatly since March of 2011, today changed their rules about the amount of disc space a free account can use. When I was first checking them out, I searched diligently for any restrictions in that regard and found none. The only limiting factor for me with this site was that they had a maximum file size of 100 MB.

I learned today that since March of 2011 I had uploaded over 81 GB of files there. Their new cap on disc space for free account users is 2 GB. I am unable to upload there again until I have deleted enough files to be below the 2 GB threshold.

File deletion is a tedious, time-consuming process. I spent much of the afternoon and most of the evening working on that, and I have been able to reduce my usage from 81 GB to 32 GB. My right hand and wrist are in a good deal of pain, and I am probably finished with this for tonight. I will work on it more tomorrow.

Kiwi6.com is a good file host from which to download, so I don't want to give up on using them, but I will have to see how much of a problem keeping my "balance" below 2 GB will be.

Filehost/Cyberlocker Re-evaluation

Since the killing of MegaUpload, I have continued to use FileServe.com for some of my file uploads (particularly for No Agenda, since FileServe accepts files up to 150 MB, while others like Kiwi6.com draw the line at 100 MB).

I was told a few days ago via email from a blog user that FileServe was no longer allowing downloads. I tested it -- first by downloading some of my files while logged in, and then by downloading after logging out. Both worked for me, fine.

This evening, however, I read this article at TorrentFreak.com

While the shutdown last week of Megaupload and the arrest of its founder and management team was certainly dramatic, a situation of perhaps even greater gravity is beginning to emerge.

Over the past 48 to 72 hours, the operators of many prominent cyberlocker services have been taking unprecedented actions that can not simply be explained away by mere coincidence. The details in the Megaupload indictment clearly have some players in the file-hosting world spooked.
[....]
Last evening Filesonic, a top 10 player in the file-sharing world with a billion pageviews a month, not only withdrew its affiliate rewards program, but also banned any third parties downloading files. Simply put, users can now only download files from the service that they uploaded themselves.
But according to reports, there’s no guarantee of that. Account owners report that their files are being mass deleted, that’s if their entire account hasn’t been banned already.

Fileserve, another leading player, also ended its affiliate program this weekend. Additionally, this morning TorrentFreak received news that Fileserve has now joined Filesonic in banning all 3rd party downloads.


“I just paid for a premium account and can now only download my own fucking files an unlimited number of times,” said one angry user. “What use is that?”
Other users of Fileserve are experiencing an even further degraded level of service. Reports describe mass deletion of their uploads and the banning of accounts on apparent ‘Terms of Service’ violations.


But the changes at these two services appears to be just the tip of a very big and very complex iceberg. Developments at other file-hosting services are widespread.
As previously reported, Uploaded.to banned all US IP addresses in what appears to be an effort to distance itself from US jurisdiction. Its affiliate program is still listed as operational but the same cannot be said about those run by some of its competitors.

VideoBB and VideoZer have both reportedly closed their rewards program and according to reports have also been mass deleting accounts and huge numbers of files.

Other sites closing their affiliate programs and/or deleting accounts/files include FileJungle, UploadStation and FilePost.


 
Another interesting development involves so-called ‘release blogs’, sites that report on leaked material but either provide links to the material on cyberlockers or allow their users to do the same. The number of overall releases hasn’t changed much but the links currently being posted on some of these sites show less variety and volume than they did this time last week.


Update: Smaller host UploadBox calls it quits. “All files will be deleted on January 30th. Feel free to download the files you store with UploadBox until this date.”
Update2: Another host, x7.to, shuts down.
Update 3: TorrentFreak has seen evidence that on request PayPal is refunding cash paid to Filesonic over the weekend.
Update 4: FileJungle and UploadStation have disabled all 3rd party downloads.
Update 5: 4shared cancels affiilate program.

Please help me test FileServe.com. My ability to download files I have uploaded even when logged out makes me want to hope that what TorrentFreak reported was an initial over-reaction that has since been reversed. But if for the average blog user here their service no longer works, I need to stop wasting time by uploading to them.

Please let me know what your recent experience has been.

Wonder if I fall into the category of "release blogs"?

Thanks.