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Jonathan Volk Ripped My Landing Page

Discussion in 'Affiliate Programs' started by GTAce, Mar 5, 2008.

  1. #1
    I was doing some "market research" tonight for one of the offers that I'm pushing through Azoogle right now and came across a competing site that used my very own, unique images along with exact wording that I wrote myself. The entire landing page has not been ripped, but a handful of images and a couple of paragraphs along with some page structure that only I use, has been ripped.

    I dug a little deeper and found the owner to be no other than Jonathan Volk. Now, there are a handful of affiliates who promote this offer using the exact same strategy and promotion, but everybody is using their own images and their own content, with the exception of Jonathan Volk. He used to promote this offer on a unique landing page of his own, but for one reason or another, it looks like he's switched over to a new one that is 60% his own and 40% mine.

    Normally, this kind of thing wouldn't really bother me. There are two reasons it bothers me so much this time:

    1) This is an offer that I know we both are doing a lot of volume on
    2) This was done by a big name blogger who a lot of people respect and look up to

    I usually wouldn't announce this kind of thing for the world to see, but I thought it was pretty important for you guys to understand that Jonathan Volk is, frankly, doing dishonest work. I had nothing against him up until this point. This isn't me hating Jonathan and going out to ruin his reputation...but, I don't think he should slide by doing this stuff.

    I can't show you our exact landing pages. Our method of promotion is pretty unique, and if I spilled the beans publicly, chaos would ensue. Azoogle, Azoogle's affiliates, and this Azoogle advertiser would probably come after my head...You're just going to have to take my word for it, that I'm not lying. Jonathan knows damn well at this point what he did, so there's no way he can deny it.
     
    GTAce, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  2. aj22

    aj22 Peon

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    #2
    Ouch.

    Kind of disappointed to see that I blog I frequently read and well-established marketer plays dirty like that.
     
    aj22, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  3. forelmashi

    forelmashi Peon

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    #3
    boo hoo :(
     
    forelmashi, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  4. Volknet

    Volknet Peon

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    #4
    GTAce. Man you're right. I am sorry. I was testing different styles and just grabbed your "main" image. I take full responsibility.

    To be honest, me taking your image was dishonest and wrong. I apologize for my actions and it wont happen again.

    It's actually not one of my big volume offers... I'm just getting into the market hence the testing around. The funny part is I had made my own page but for whatever reason decided to try and see if there was some sort of difference. I'm not quite sure even why I did that but I suppose we all make stupid mistakes at one point or another.

    Anyways, thanks for exposing it as it's a lesson learned that I will not soon forget. :)
     
    Volknet, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  5. live-cms_com

    live-cms_com Notable Member

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    #5
    And the paragraphs? ;) Also conversion testing?
     
    live-cms_com, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  6. Volknet

    Volknet Peon

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    #6
    What do you mean? I wrote my own content...
     
    Volknet, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  7. live-cms_com

    live-cms_com Notable Member

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    #7
    "The entire landing page has not been ripped, but a handful of images and a couple of paragraphs along with some page structure that only I use, has been ripped."
     
    live-cms_com, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  8. mofey

    mofey Peon

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    #8
    [​IMG]
     
    mofey, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  9. Zapazon

    Zapazon Peon

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    #9
    LOL - Nice pic!

    I wonder what else has been going on behind the scenes with good ol' johnny boy - eh? Haha jk. Probably a lesson well learned. Having a bad reputation is probably just as close as bad to losing a lot of profit. A lot of eyeballs could see this - and if you ever want to sell a product, you probably won't have support from these people!

    Good thing you apologized though.

    Random quote:

    "It takes a man to take fault, and apologize. It takes an even bigger man to acknowledge that, and forgive" - forgot the name
     
    Zapazon, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  10. GTAce

    GTAce Notable Member

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    #10
    Well done, Jonathan. I can definitely respect how you responded to the situation.

    Apology accepted, you're forgiven, let's just not let it happen again ;)

    I know that you don't have to copy somebody else's work to be successful. You're smarter than that! Just don't get lazy :p
     
    GTAce, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  11. FRYO

    FRYO Well-Known Member

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    #11
    Professional reply, Much respected Jonathan :)
     
    FRYO, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  12. aditya_sfs

    aditya_sfs Peon

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    #12
    Possibility - The landing page designer who designed the stuff for you would have designed it for him too. He must have used the same set of graphics. This happened to me earlier.

    I am not sure, just told a possibility. If he really did, then nothing worse than this. Really stupid.
     
    aditya_sfs, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  13. SCM Media

    SCM Media Banned

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    #13
    why wouldnt you have just pmed him or hit him up on aim instead of making a thread about it calling him out
     
    SCM Media, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  14. GTAce

    GTAce Notable Member

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    #14
    It was intentional, and it was more than images.

    Because I don't think people of his stature deserve to get by with these things without the public knowing

    He messed up, he's got to suffer the consequences. He acknowledged his wrongdoings and he apologized. This is exactly how this should have worked out. Had I just mentioned it to him in passing, do you think he would have taken it as seriously?
     
    GTAce, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  15. browie

    browie Peon

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    #15
    I guess GTAce just thought it was a little much. Yes we all "copy" others ideas on things but sometimes we "copy" a little too much.

    @mofey Why did you post the picture those two were using???? :D

    Oh GTAce, when did you say your next "class" might be?
     
    browie, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  16. SCM Media

    SCM Media Banned

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    #16
    you make it sound like hes a child, im sure he would've taken it seriously...but oh well..its done and over with
     
    SCM Media, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  17. GTAce

    GTAce Notable Member

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    #17
    It'll be a while. A month at the earliest
     
    GTAce, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  18. chibiz5

    chibiz5 Peon

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    #18
    hahahahaha BUSTED dude! lol im referring to that pic! lol
     
    chibiz5, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  19. mofey

    mofey Peon

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    #19
    Shit, now I am gonna get owned by GTAce :D
     
    mofey, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  20. Bm1125

    Bm1125 Member

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    #20
    I think it's really cool that he apologized !
     
    Bm1125, Mar 6, 2008 IP