Digitalfaq.com finds its way here because of an email I got from someone who did not know better but thought Digitalfaq.com was a great resource. The person who emailed me thought I might want to reference digitalfaq.com as an unbiased source. The page on Digitalfaq.com I am referring to claims to be against “affiliate splogs (spam blogs/sites)“. Going further to claim,
“These splogger sites simply list the companies that pay the best commissions, and the top site is always the one with the highest payout.“.
Digtalfaq.com has its own top lists. The idea that a snake oil salesman would warn you against other snake oil salesmen should not surprise anyone. There is no honor among thieves. Just don’t look at who is behind the curtain. It is no surprise, but I see several hosts with an affiliate program. I noticed while clicking on those hosts that I am getting affiliate cookies.
http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/web-hosting/4432-top-hosts-2013-a.html
Once again (because apparently, a few hundred times may still not be enough), I am not against making money or affiliate programs. But I am against what Digitalfaq.com is attempting to do.
I have often been called a hypocrite because I have ads on this site. How does having ads on my site make me the same as someone who gets a payout for hosting commissions? They create false claims about hosts they showcase on their top lists, giving out “awards” or unverified reviews. All for the sake of a payout. Also, the payout for review sites is not always focused on high payments. Some companies like Alreadyhosting.com, hostingsthatsuck.com, and hosting-review.com have ways of profiting off the low. Hostingsthatsuck.com promoted a host that pays out less than $5 per sign-up (zyma.com).
Google is the one picking out the ads for this site, which is not always hosting ads. I don’t endorse the ads on this site (i.e., making false claims about some company being too good to be true). I certainly do not get the payouts that a web hosting sale would make, even if it was $5. Digitalfaq.com is engaging in the hypocrisy that I have often been accused of. On the other hand, I don’t mind anyone being suspicious of me having a personal agenda. I would hope people can come away with some skepticism, take a deeper look, and entertain the idea that maybe the people I cover have their own agenda. If you’re not open to exploring the possibilities of what I am trying to disclose, read no further. Feel free to contact me if I am proven wrong.
I honestly would not have a problem with Digitalfaq.com doing their recommended hosts if they validated their recommendations with facts and disclosed that they make money if you sign up with a host they recommend. Instead, when I first reviewed it, there was no disclaimer; now, there is one at the bottom of their long-winded, data-free sales pitch: “Trust me, just buy from these guys”. I suspect digitalfaq.com has been called out by others who saw “hostname here”/affiliate/(affiliate id) when their browser was redirecting to one of digitalfaq.com’s recommended hosts.
Never mind how much Digitalfaq.com says they have been with Eurovps.com, their domain WHOis information suggests Digitalfaq.com last changed something back on November 14, 2012. Since Digitalfaq.com loves Eurovps.com so much, why do Hostgator.com and other companies get a far bigger banner? A bigger banner means a better chance of the ad being clicked on. From the ads I have been seeing, I suspect they are all affiliate programs.
Over the next few days, I will post a dissection of what Digitalfaq.com is doing, how they are like most hosting review sites, and how they differ.
