Putfile
Putfile is a popular free file-hosting website started in January 2005, providing services similar to YouTube and Google Video. It is notable for both its size and controversey over blocking service to Singapore because of the country's death penalty policy. The site states it is owned by Putfile Ltd. The whois information for the company's site (the link is given in the "External links" section at the end of this article) states that it was registered through NAMESDIRECT.COM, INC., by Roffe Swayne in Godalming, Surrey, GB. [2]
Uploading
Putfile accepts .wmv, .mov, .avi, .mpg, .asf, .asx, .mp4, and .3g2 movies, .wav, .mp3, .mid, .midi audio clips, .swf Macromedia Flash, and .jpeg, .gif, and .png images.
There is a 2 MB image size limit and a 25 MB video, audio, and Flash size limit.
Recently, there was a change, allowing members to upload video, audio, and Flash up to 25 MB large. A new ratings system was also implemented. Media can be rated on a scale from 1 (worst) to 5 (best). Statistics are kept on the number of views a file has and its average rating. The site provides links to the highest rated and most viewed media.
Registration is free. As of December 2005, text ads are being sold on Putfile.[3]
Viewing Media
Photos
Photos can be uploaded and linked to like many competing image-hosting services.
Video, Flash, and Audio
Uploaded video, flash, and audio files are available at the URL http://media.putfile.com/title where title is the media's title. Videos, audio, and flash are embedded into the page using Windows Media Player. Direct linking to the embedded files is a violation of the Terms of Service and doing so can result in the offending user being banned from putfile. Attempting to right click on the page will result in a pop-up dialog box reminding the user of this. Putfile does not allow users to download Putfile movies; they can only be watched on the site itself. Attempting to right click on the page will result in a pop-up dialog box reminding the user of this. Putfile has guidelines which prohibit the uploading of pornographic or offensive material. Anything that does get through the system may be reported for a Terms of Service violation by individual members. However, inappropriate material is known to occasionally escape even this secondary measure.
Termination of service to Singapore
On 2 December 2005, putfile.com terminated its services to proxies originating from Singapore in response to the hanging of convicted Vietnamese Australian drug courier, Van Tuong Nguyen, [1] with the following explanation:
- Putfile Says Goodbye To Singapore
- At dawn on December 2nd 2005, Singapore hanged a citizen of Australia, despite a plea for clemency from the United Nations. Whilst Putfile is not a human rights campaigning organization, we believe that if a country must have the death penalty, there is no need for it be barbaric. It is enough of a punishment, and a deterrent, to take someone's life in a painless manner, without having to be barbaric about it. Putfile prefers to not continue to provide our free uploading service to a country that executes prisoners by hanging, a method of execution which can take up to six minutes to painfully execute the victim.
- For this reason, we are at this time terminating all service to users from Singapore. We shall be happy to restore service following any positive move from the government of Singapore towards abolition of hanging as an execution method.
- Goodbye Singapore,
- Putfile.[2]
Access to its subsidiary sites, PutCode and PutPhoto have not been affected. However on May 1st 2006, Singaporean users can now access Putfile.
See also
References
- ^ "You're banned, Singapore!". Today (Singapore newspaper). 14 December, 2005.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) URL accessed on 14 February 2006. - ^ The goodbye message is located at [1], though it is only visible to Singaporean proxies, and otherwise redirects to the site's homepage.