[chickpea]

I have already submitted this report to Hotscripts a few weeks back
via their feedback form, but they took no action. I am posting this here in the hope that the report may get somewhere this time.

There is another member on Hotscripts, whose real world identity and activities are well-known to me, but whose details I will not reveal here, who is flagrantly and grossly abusing Hotscripts rules about software ratings.

The member in question:
(i) submits 5-star reviews for his own software
(ii) broadsides competitors with so many bottom-level ratings that they cannot hope ever to recover
(iii) powers up his own software with so many top ratings that he gets showcased

I don't know how Hotscripts protects against ratings and review abuse of this kind (cookies? spotchecks?), but he has clearly worked his way around whatever protection exists. Hotscripts is by no means the only ratings site he has successfully manipulated in this way.

This is not an issue of 1 or 2 "votes for myself" - it is long-term systematic large-scale manipulation.

In addition, although this does not breach Hotscripts own rules, he has issued obscenely worded dramatic threats directly to competitors who seek to prevent or limit his widespread manipulation, both of Hotscripts and other directories, or who seek to interfere with his theft of their code (legal evidence available). Where he has identified people who have stood up against him, he has in fact in the past retaliated with illegal and damaging action.

In brief: this is a dangerous person and the worst of his kind.

This is not just an issue of "hotscripts - please be virtuous". The scale, determination and viciousness of this person's activities threatens the viability of an online community of programmers. We cannot all be good all of the time, and many of us our tempted on occasion. Communities can survive small-scale abuse and occasional deviations, and arguably they even need to tolerate a certain level of misbehaviour. But communities must draw together and drive out the worst offenders if they are to survive.

This message is posted in full knowledge that it may put me in danger.

Community comment is invited from all.

[java]

Hi,

I know what you are talking about. This guy "tools-soft<dot>com"
has simply ripped a bunch of different companies code, inserted
his own name, and is reselling it as his own (and managed to manipulate
his listings to the top). Is this the same guy you are talking about,
or someone else?

He is also polluting the hotscripts database with the *exact same*
stolen software, just under another name as well, "jordan-markets<dot>com".

I'm curious who it is you are talking about. If he has actually
issued threats, there may be something that can be done about
that. Would you mind posting a copy of the letter here (or I think
you can see my e-mail address/profile, if you want to send a copy
there). I'm curious as to whom this idiot is.

Curious what 'illegal actions' he has done -- I can think of a few
(that are accessible to script kiddies), but don't want to list it
here to give anybody else any ideas... (again, if you want to e-mail
that, ok).

As a side note -- yes, there (unfortunately I am finding) are a few
people who simply steal other peoples stuff, slap their name on it,
and resell it. This 'tools-soft' ******* is such a joke, you visit his
website, and he says (a) he was established in 1999, and (b)
"our staff consists of 21 highly qualified engineers"... <lol> Riiight.
Yes, its true you can make up whatever BS you want on the internet.

A liar and a thief.

[Keylar]

I've had a similar experience with a competitor sending me threatening emails and driving down my ratings while pushing their own up. It's bad enough that I am thinking of just removing my listing from this site, since the system is so clearly and easily abused. They keep saying they will improve it, but I see no evidence of that happening. Even if they do, I'm guessing the old ratings will stay in there and I'll never be able to recover to where it used to be.

[Andrew]

The way things are right now, the ratings here are practically worthless.

[Hans Bauer]

Not only the visitors rating is worthless but the hotscripts team seems not to be interested to solve this problem or to give assistance for their members. There is also no timetable for us so that we can decide to remove our scripts or to wait for an updated hotscripts.

The rating for my script was also badly manipulated. The last two weeks i asked several times for help and neither got an answer nor any assistance.

I will wait one more week and then remove my formerly top-rated script from here. The bad boys are going to win...

[warmmelody]

I think Hot Scripts remove the reviews if the advertiser tells that he or she is not his client. The Advertiser uses this as his advantage and removes all the poor comments and he posts excellent reviews using different email ids.
For Example See this link:
http://www.hotscripts.com/listing/ea...ReviewsRatings

All the ratings will be excellent poor ratings will be removed and if you could see the excellent reviews you can find everything looks very similar. This is how the advertiser promotes his site and Hot Scripts are helping them.

Hope Hot Scripts looks into this reviews