Blip.Tv Sucks

Update - They have now removed my ENTIRE account. See below.

It is the opinion of 45n5.com that blip.tv sucks.

45n5.com creates "web reality shows" where I chronicle making money online and building cool stuff online. On Mondays I chronicle building ShowYourAdHere.com, a FREE ad server and much more.

I take my videos and upload them to various video hosting sites via a tool called TubeMogul.com. I am making original content daily and I think as original video producers we are doing these video hosting sites a favor by uploading original content videos to their sites.

Sure I get some benefits of views from the site, but they get the content. These sites would not exist if they didn't have OUR videos.

The only videos I upload contain original content. I only upload one original content video per day. They have no commercials in the pre or post roll. Plus they are all released with a liberal creative commons license, I'm hardly trying to get rich with my videos.

Blip.tv Sucks - They Censored (aka removed) My Latest Video

This Monday I uploaded the showyouradhere.com video and blip.tv removed it because they opine it violated their terms of service:

Content that has as its sole or primary purpose to advertise a particular product or service that, in the sole judgment of Blip.tv, does not otherwise have redeeming value to the community.

Whatever, it's their site, they can do what they want. However when I wrote them back explaining the sole purpose wasn't merely to promote the site but to chronicle the adventures of building the site, interactively, they basically called me a spammer and said tough, emphasis is mine:

Hello Mark,

Our terms of service prohibit content that is primarily promoting commercial services. Is "ShowYourAdHere" essentially commercial? Since YouTube appears to be your primary host linked from 45n5, you seem to be using blip for driving traffic. And your content is reminiscent of the dozens of affiliate link spammers we purge daily, so I'm sure you can appreciate why this combination of factors resulted in the deletion.

Thanks,
Charles

Shownote 1: ShowYourAdHere.com has a commercial element but is also a FREE ad server which improves the lives of bloggers.

Shownote 2: Yet another reason to think or rebranding, so I'm not one of those "affiliate link spammers".

The head scratcher

These aren't some hippie loving "f-the-system and no ads" type of people, oh no. Blip.tv is a VERY commercial service. Visit their home page and the FIRST text you read is:

Got a great show? Get some great ads to run with it, and make some money while you're at it. We split all advertising money 50/50, but in order to get that money you have to turn on ads. Choose between overlays and postrolls and more!

Screengrab:

Finally

It's their site they can do what they want, no big deal, but so can we ;) I won't be uploading any more videos to blip.tv.

I know couple of you use blip.tv as your primary video host and a few of you debating who to choose as your primary video host.

My opinion is blip.tv sucks, I would avoid them. Not only will they delete your videos, they'll be rude about it also.

(funny, the video I recorded for today, which will be up later was about why I don't spam anymore.)

Update - about 2 hours after posting this I get this email:

Your account "45n5" has been removed from blip.tv.

I'm sorry, but we've removed your account from blip.tv because it looked to us like you were posting videos to our service that had as a primary purpose the advertisement of a particular product or service. Blip is a site for original Web shows and our Terms of Service prohibit content that's primarily advertisement.

We're wrong about this sometimes. If you believe that your content truly has value to the blip.tv community (other than in getting them to buy something from you) please reply to this e-mail and tell us why. A real human being will review your e-mail and we'll figure out from there.

Here's the applicable section of our TOS for your reference:
"Our goal is to promote the free-flowing exchange of expression relating to members interests, activities and hobbies while maintaining high standards of respect and decency. In order to attain this goal, and in addition to the other content and/or action restrictions set forth in these Terms of Use and elsewhere on the Blip.tv website, the following content is prohibited on Blip.tv:
* Content that has as its sole or primary purpose to advertise a particular product or service that, in the sole judgment of Blip.tv, does not otherwise have redeeming value to the community.

Thank you,
blip.tv Support

Obviously there is no need to respond as they have already called me an "affiliate link spammer".

They say "Blip is a site for original Web shows". LOL. I make an original web show every day.

Wowzer. Stay away from them like the flu.

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