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Zeropaid.com

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ZeroPaid
Type of site
Technology news, software, forums and download links
Available inEnglish
OwnerJorge A. Gonzalez, Chris Hedgecock
Created byJorge A. Gonzalez, Chris Hedgecock
URLwww.zeropaid.com
RegistrationOptional (to post on forum)
LaunchedMarch 2000[1]
Current statusDefunct[2]

ZeroPaid.com was[2] a website concerning news, computer software, community, and file sharing. It offered news, software reviews, links, and a user forum. Its main news staff consisted of Jared Moya since 2005 and Drew Wilson since 2007.

History

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ZeroPaid launched in by Jorge Gonzalez and Chris Hedgecock.[3] ZeroPaid's early focus was on the peer-to-peer space including file sharing, Napster, Gnutella, Usenet, and BitTorrent.[4]

Early popularity can be attributed to features like the Gnutella "server of the moment", which allowed users to connect to a node of the decentralized network. This feature has since been built into desktop clients.[5]

ZeroPaid gained notoriety in 2000 for its "Wall of Shame"[6] listing of IP addresses of users who allegedly attempted to download child pornography from the Gnutella P2P network.[7] The site continues to be a source of original content and analysis. The website features interviews, including those with WinMXWorld,[8] FilesTube,[9] the Open Rights Group,[10] the Pirate Party of Canada,[11] the Free Software Foundation,[12] Renaud Veeckman,[13] Russell McOrmond[14] and Michael Geist.[15]

ZeroPaid developed into a news and technology website featuring daily news on tech and copyright, a free software catalog, and user forums. The website has been mentioned and its founders quoted in The Economist,[16] E! News,[17][18] USA Today,[19][20][21][22][23] and Wired.[24][25][26]

As of 2018, the website appears defunct.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "About Zeropaid.com"
  2. ^ a b c Wilson, Drew (2019-02-02). "Did Filesharing News Site ZeroPaid Quietly Shut Down in 2018?". Freezenet.ca. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  3. ^ "About Zeropaid.com"
  4. ^ "Zeropaid.com on June 20, 2000". archive.org, June 20, 2000
  5. ^ "arstechnica.com forum".arstechnica.com, July 28, 2000
  6. ^ "ZDNet: Gnutella porn surfers exposed" zdnet.com, May 4, 2000.
  7. ^ "Gnutella's Wall Of Shame" Archived May 7, 2005, at the Wayback Machine. slashdot.com, May 4, 2000.
  8. ^ "WinMXWorld" WinMXWorld Interview, April 24, 2008
  9. ^ "FilesTube" Archived June 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine FilesTube Interview, October 1, 2008
  10. ^ "Open Rights Group" Open Rights Group Interview, January 10, 2009
  11. ^ "The Pirate Party of Canada" Interview with the Pirate Party of Canada, September 10, 2009
  12. ^ "Free Software Foundation" Free Software Foundation interview, July 30, 2010
  13. ^ "Renaud Veeckman" Renaud Veeckman interview, August 28, 2010
  14. ^ "Russell McOrmond" Russell McOrmond interview, August 31, 2010
  15. ^ "Michael Geist" Michael Geist interview, May 21, 2012
  16. ^ "41 more sued over music downloads". The Economist, Dec 13, 2003
  17. ^ "Netizens Cope with Post-Napster Trauma". eonline.com, Jul 27, 2000.
  18. ^ "The Offspring: Pretty Sly for a Web Buy". eonline.com, Sep. 15, 2000.
  19. ^ "File sharing is a hit, despite legal setbacks". usatoday.com, May 13, 2002.
  20. ^ "RIAA goes after the little guys". usatoday.com, June 25, 2003.
  21. ^ "41 more sued over music downloads". usatoday.com, Dec 13, 2003.
  22. ^ "Online trading of TV episodes grows". usatoday.com, May 20, 2004.
  23. ^ "Online pirates use submarine tactics". usatoday.com, June 14, 2004.
  24. ^ "Program Lets P2P Users Roam Free" Archived December 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. wired.com, May 06, 2003.
  25. ^ "Hackers Smack Anti-Piracy Firm Again and Again" Archived January 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. wired.com, Sept 09, 2007.
  26. ^ "Apple TV Fails to Tap the Net's Limitless Library" Archived August 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. wired.com, Oct 17, 2007.
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