lol, that site is literally the clone of the $300 script as you mentioned. Doesn't look like there are any modifications done to it besides changing the logo. And 12,000 hits a day? There's no way any VC is dumb enough to fund this.
I say it's a publicity stunt... and it worked since you blogged about it =)
Josh
· 3 years ago
AlstraSoft, by the way, makes some terrible scripts (or used to, at least). I bought their template seller script two years ago and then spent months cleaning it up and making it secure. When I emailed them about some of the problems with it, I got the impression that the owners of AlstraSoft aren't programmers themselves, they just contract out to people (probably through an eLance-type site) to make these clone scripts and then sell them.
So, unless that $1.5 million is spent to scrap the software they're using and build something new from scratch... ;)
Joe
· 3 years ago
Good work exposing this "company"
And I agree with the commenter above me about Alstrasoft. I've seen people use their E-friends script and the usability is pretty awful.
Mark Devlin
· 3 years ago
Theres's more to running a business than software development. Perhaps the company behind this would rather spend VC money on site promotion than software development. It could also be reasoned that by using off-the-shelf software will allow them to get to market faster.
Glen Womack
· 3 years ago
I agree with Mark. I think this is a case of 'Dumb' reporting and Grapes are sour Pete.
It is obvious that it takes lots more than just buying off-the-shelf software to make a viable business proposition for a VC or investor. Am sure there are other USPs behind the product than a mere rip-off that it has actually created some amount of buzz and we are discussing it here.
If..Else
· 3 years ago
"Am sure there are other USPs behind the product than a mere rip-off"
Please, feel free to point them out. Personally, I think Pete is right on the dot with this one.
Eric
· 3 years ago
There’s a lot more to running a company than software ya know…
Yes there is but if you are online solution provider then it is kind of important. All I know from raising money in the past is that VC’s may at first come off as naïve until the term sheet comes across the table then all of a sudden they have clarity. Nice work exposing the posers Pete!
Samir
· 3 years ago
I ve been following the indian video space pretty closely.
These meravideo guys probably are right about the 12000 hits because i dont think the website receives 12000 users a day. I checked the alexa and is at the bottom .
The problem with the other video site Apnatube is that its full of softporn from cheap bollywood movies
I get a kick out of someone accusing Mashable of sour grapes. Anyone can buy a $300 script, install it, and get a little temporary traffic out of it. These opportunists aren't out to make a company or a business... they're out to make a quick buck. I doubt an analyst at any VC that has 1.5M is stupid enough to fall for this.
Note that this is completely different from using portions of open-source code and off-the-shelf scripts to get a running start in building a reall app. No one starts from scratch. But that is now what Alstrasoft is. Its a complete solution. Crappy, but complete
Murtaza
· 3 years ago
Thanks Samir for the URL!
Adel
· 3 years ago
Wow.
This CricTube is a another Alstrasoft rip off.. im sure Pete is going to be posting about thier funding soon.
Crictube and meravideo looks almost the same
Pete Cashmore
· 3 years ago
On the issue of social networking being more about building a user base than having technical expertise: that's absolutely right. Look at MySpace.
But these guys have literally taken a script and just changed the logo: it provides no confidence that they'll have the technical expertise to either scale, refine or improve the product as it grows. We all know that ideas don't matter - it's execution that counts. The ability to install a script on a server doesn't prove that this company will be able to perform long term.
Nakul
· 3 years ago
Pete you are right on the money. I did some quick research on all these sites on alexa. These are the #'s
A VC wil NOT give this site any amount of money--unless they are stupid ,have been living under a rock, or think most net users are not savvy.
A VC could take that money and put it into another firm that can create the same "spin" without the out of box dime a dozen software.
Glen Womack
· 3 years ago
Hello Pete........open your eyes.....Its Not a BUYOUT......its a Funding.
What are you freaking out on? The fact that someone got funded and they don't deserve. Apart from being smart enough to get into the market with a readymade software, what other facts do you know about their Business Model? We all would be glad to know that from you.
Have you verfied other business related facts pertaining to this news release that you blogged apart from checking on the software package that was used?
GetReal
· 3 years ago
Check out Creativeloft.com. In fact it has been created on AlstraSoft also....
What I've found out is that ApnaTube has also been created on AlstraSoft (although customized) and these guys have another site www.apnaspace.com which has also been created from another AlstraSoft software.
What reamins to be questioned is not the package or the software behind investments but the rationale. There is definitely something missing in the news in this article that is probably the slip between the lip and the cup.
Too much stuff to do for preparing a new business , a script/software is just a point from so many points to prepare. So Yes, it is too early to make any judgment about something new.
Pete Cashmore
· 3 years ago
Once again, I should point out that Glen and GetReal are the same person, as shown by the IP address.
Raza
· 3 years ago
Good to see Pete getting defensive. What about the questions that have been raised by the same IP guy and others in the blog?
Pessimist
· 3 years ago
There's nothing wrong using third-party software to build a business but most of these scripts are NOT scalable and are very poorly written. They would not survive success just like Friendster failed because it couldn't handle the loads.
chakpak
· 3 years ago
I dont this it is all about technoloy. A 300 USD script for starting up may be good. But I dont understand the business case. With such low internet penetration and bandwidth in india, internet videos dont seem to happen in india
Startups.in/India
· 3 years ago
In general, writing off startups just because they were built upon off the shelf scripts isn't right. As Joe#15 pointed out above, an angel or a VC capable of investing $1.5 mil is not dumb enough not to understand how the $1.5 mil is going to provide them with better returns.
Did any one try contacting MeraVideo's founders to get their perspective?
Now, if someone is simply bamboozling, then that's completely a different story and in no way means that successful startups cannot be built using cookie cutter scripts.
tani
· 3 years ago
it’s a clear example of living in a fools paradise,where in you believe you are the only smartest and well informed human being on earth. No one, in its senses, bet money on these kind of sites and you surely cannot make him believe that money will be generated out of thin air.
Indian market is not yet matured to pay and view/use the contents, though surely desire to get fast buck, the best example is Meravideo.com (and one point is clear in the mind of site visitor is that, if these sites can get away with copy right issues , why can’t an individual get away easily by copying these sites contents)
tani
· 3 years ago
There is one more site check this merovideo.com a nepali community site..
ApnaSpace Desi Network
· 3 years ago
ApnaSpace has not been created using an off-the-shelf script. Our development is down in house and we are not related to any of the other social/video sites mentioned in this post or the comments.
Gaurav
· 3 years ago
i dont understand what is this fuss about meravideo. the design looks absolutely crap. and top of that a script bought for $300.
i came across a new site www.connectfilms.com it looks unique, cool and very clean. it looks indian with international looks. i think this is what v want if v want to showcase of work to the west. www.connectfilms.com integrates hollywood/bollywood videos plus desi videos effortlessly. this site is a good platform to introduce bollywood to the west and vice-versa. check this site guys. i think this site deserves some recognition. it looks like 2 guys based in UK developed this site. there is not much information on them.
Gaurav, Delhi
rags
· 2 years ago
I just checked out aapkavideo.com. It seems pretty good and better at collection and display of desi videos compared to anyone else. Design is more simplisitic than others and misses some standard features like ratings etc, but does any one really care about ratings?
tryme
· 2 years ago
Do you work for aakavideo Rags????Seems like a pretty good commercial you have ......! Heheh
tyreme
· 2 years ago
aapkavideo.com is another modification of same script as meravideo (check that buffering at the left bottom).
Try some other place to disguise the same script under different template.
divyansh sharma
· 2 years ago
i dont for a second believe that meravideo deserves 15 mils, but then again zapak is spending 450 carores in all which is pretty huge, so 15 mils is like......75 carores which is still less than zapak,
anyways i think the right way to go about this is not by simply fighting youtube, but to figure out a concept to make something on top of it, and then make crap loads of money
girishkarnad
· 2 years ago
hi there is one more simmillar site which looks very fast, more colourful and lot of indian cultural videos i liked this site just try this out www.canaravideo.com
Ramesh
· 2 years ago
It seems they are publishing frake press release to get promotion. I found similar script to run youtube clone for $10 at www.vshare.in
CrashX
· 2 years ago
Websites are not Worth by the Script, they are WORTH by the USERs. For the Same Reason, that GOOGLE purchase YouTube, it wasn't that Google couldn't code it, the same thing(OR Even Better System) than YouTube. They Pretty much are Buying the USERS. USERs are what Give any website its Value. ITS NOT, Domain/Scripts/Looks, its all about the Users.!
ApnaSpace Desi Network
· 2 years ago
Yes it is about the users. But it is also about the quality of the program; users won't have flocked to Youtube had it not made video sharing as simple as it did.
Coming back to the point made previous, ApnaSpace is NOT based on phpFox. In fact phpFox is based on a script that provided the basis for the ApnaSpace script. Since then both scripts have headed in very different directions, although you can still see minor legacy similarities.
Our objective to stay unique in our featureset and design. But having unique features on a public website is hard, as we have learnt from all the XHTML/CSS/JavaScript code (and even our text!) that has been copied over and over at numerous so-called social networking websites. That is a reason why major websites are always introducing new features. At ApnaSpace, we try to do the same by keeping a very prolific update schedule, while not alienating users, ala Facebook updates.
In closing, developing around the same concept is perfectly OK, but going as far copying layout process flows is suicuide. That's the reason why none of the carbon-copy YouTube/MySpace clones have seen any success.
Prantosh
· 2 years ago
From all the Indian video websites I been to, layfile.com stood out the most. I believe layfile.com has the largest collection of desi videos from all parts of India. Also layfile loads much faster than other sites.
tobto.org
· 2 years ago
Mo isn't everything. For SEO Freelancer money for Tube like version isn't a way.
Mike
· 2 years ago
Theres's more to running a business than software development. Perhaps the company behind this would rather spend VC money on site promotion than software development. It could also be reasoned that by using off-the-shelf software will allow them to get to market faster. ----------------------- www.datingonliner.com
Ophelia
· 2 years ago
There’s a lot more to running a company than software ya know…
Yes there is but if you are online solution provider then it is kind of important. All I know from raising money in the past is that VC’s may at first come off as naïve until the term sheet comes across the table then all of a sudden they have clarity. Nice work exposing the posers Pete!
Do not trust an Indian (from country India)....Been to Dubai and lots of Indians there are empty cans of braggarts..They say they know too much and pretend that they are but when time calls for knowledge, they got NOTHING....
All Comments
I say it's a publicity stunt... and it worked since you blogged about it =)
So, unless that $1.5 million is spent to scrap the software they're using and build something new from scratch... ;)
And I agree with the commenter above me about Alstrasoft. I've seen people use their E-friends script and the usability is pretty awful.
It is obvious that it takes lots more than just buying off-the-shelf software to make a viable business proposition for a VC or investor. Am sure there are other USPs behind the product than a mere rip-off that it has actually created some amount of buzz and we are discussing it here.
Please, feel free to point them out.
Personally, I think Pete is right on the dot with this one.
Yes there is but if you are online solution provider then it is kind of important. All I know from raising money in the past is that VC’s may at first come off as naïve until the term sheet comes across the table then all of a sudden they have clarity. Nice work exposing the posers Pete!
These meravideo guys probably are right about the 12000 hits because i dont think the website receives 12000 users a day. I checked the alexa and is at the bottom .
The problem with the other video site Apnatube is that its full of softporn from cheap bollywood movies
http://www.webyantra.net/2006/09/07/video-shari...
they have 150 videos or something.
Weird. Cheap publicity stunt.
www.crictube.com - Cricket Clips
www.infeedia.com - Content Aggregator/Filter
Note that this is completely different from using portions of open-source code and off-the-shelf scripts to get a running start in building a reall app. No one starts from scratch. But that is now what Alstrasoft is. Its a complete solution. Crappy, but complete
This CricTube is a another Alstrasoft rip off.. im sure Pete is going to be posting about thier funding soon.
Crictube and meravideo looks almost the same
But these guys have literally taken a script and just changed the logo: it provides no confidence that they'll have the technical expertise to either scale, refine or improve the product as it grows. We all know that ideas don't matter - it's execution that counts. The ability to install a script on a server doesn't prove that this company will be able to perform long term.
Meravideo 502,360
Apnatube 93,800
Infeedia 147,985
Crictube 222,806
Based on the alexa rating, meravideo seems to be the least popular.
Also not sure how valid thier claim of 12000 "hits" is. All they have is around 150 videos and some of them arent even indian
This is just some media stunt
A VC wil NOT give this site any amount of money--unless they are stupid ,have been living under a rock, or think most net users are not savvy.
A VC could take that money and put it into another firm that can create the same "spin" without the out of box dime a dozen software.
What are you freaking out on? The fact that someone got funded and they don't deserve. Apart from being smart enough to get into the market with a readymade software, what other facts do you know about their Business Model? We all would be glad to know that from you.
Have you verfied other business related facts pertaining to this news release that you blogged apart from checking on the software package that was used?
http://www.thecreativeloft.com/movie-house/view...
What I've found out is that ApnaTube has also been created on AlstraSoft (although customized) and these guys have another site www.apnaspace.com which has also been created from another AlstraSoft software.
What reamins to be questioned is not the package or the software behind investments but the rationale. There is definitely something missing in the news in this article that is probably the slip between the lip and the cup.
Too much stuff to do for preparing a new business , a script/software is just a point from so many points to prepare.
So Yes, it is too early to make any judgment about something new.
But I dont understand the business case. With such low internet penetration and bandwidth in india, internet videos dont seem to happen in india
Did any one try contacting MeraVideo's founders to get their perspective?
Now, if someone is simply bamboozling, then that's completely a different story and in no way means that successful startups cannot be built using cookie cutter scripts.
Indian market is not yet matured to pay and view/use the contents, though surely desire to get fast buck, the best example is Meravideo.com (and one point is clear in the mind of site visitor is that, if these sites can get away with copy right issues , why can’t an individual get away easily by copying these sites contents)
u need to check www.connectfilms.com
i came across a new site www.connectfilms.com it looks unique, cool and very clean. it looks indian with international looks. i think this is what v want if v want to showcase of work to the west. www.connectfilms.com integrates hollywood/bollywood videos plus desi videos effortlessly. this site is a good platform to introduce bollywood to the west and vice-versa. check this site guys. i think this site deserves some recognition. it looks like 2 guys based in UK developed this site. there is not much information on them.
Gaurav, Delhi
Try some other place to disguise the same script under different template.
anyways i think the right way to go about this is not by simply fighting youtube, but to figure out a concept to make something on top of it, and then make crap loads of money
www.canaravideo.com
Coming back to the point made previous, ApnaSpace is NOT based on phpFox. In fact phpFox is based on a script that provided the basis for the ApnaSpace script. Since then both scripts have headed in very different directions, although you can still see minor legacy similarities.
Our objective to stay unique in our featureset and design. But having unique features on a public website is hard, as we have learnt from all the XHTML/CSS/JavaScript code (and even our text!) that has been copied over and over at numerous so-called social networking websites. That is a reason why major websites are always introducing new features. At ApnaSpace, we try to do the same by keeping a very prolific update schedule, while not alienating users, ala Facebook updates.
In closing, developing around the same concept is perfectly OK, but going as far copying layout process flows is suicuide. That's the reason why none of the carbon-copy YouTube/MySpace clones have seen any success.
layfile.com stood out the most. I believe layfile.com
has the largest collection of desi videos from all parts of India. Also layfile loads much faster than other sites.
-----------------------
www.datingonliner.com
Yes there is but if you are online solution provider then it is kind of important. All I know from raising money in the past is that VC’s may at first come off as naïve until the term sheet comes across the table then all of a sudden they have clarity. Nice work exposing the posers Pete!
__________________________________
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