53 replies to this topic

[echeng]

Have you seen the underwater photographer ratings on ScubaLinx? Not only are the ratings totally arbitrary, but anecdotal evidence suggests that they use these rating systems (this particular one, and others) as a weapon against people who they don't like, or people who pull advertising from their websites. I am rated a whopping 1.43 out of 10, and they grabbed an entertaining photo of me that they do not have permission to use (which paints me in a negative light).

Ken Knezick and some others are taking action against the parent company, which owns Cyberdiver, ScubaLinx, ScubaPoll, and a total of 45 related domains. All of them are hosted here:

The Planet Internet Services, Inc.
1333 Stemmons Freeway, Suite #110
Dallas, TX 75207
http://www.theplanet.com/
1-800-377-6103

If you have been a target of Cyber Diver and want to do something about it, please contact me, or Ken Knezick.

UPDATE:

Check out http://divepoll.com, which posts news exposing CDNN for their fraudulent actions.

[scorpio_fish]

and they grabbed an entertaining photo of me that they do not have permission to use

Cyberdiver copies and uses whole articles that are copywrited material, let alone many images.

As much as I love the work of Frans Lanting, he is not an underwater photographer.

Just another feature of Cyberliar.

[lidde]

Haha, yeah those guys sucks. I've tried to contact a couple of times regarding not posting how many votes the "rating" is based on. First grade scumbags.

On a positive note Eric, you beat Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch - that's not too shabby!

Good luck!

[echeng]

Jeremy claims that he has better great hammerhead photos than I have. But Cyberdiver knows better!

[echeng]

Well -- at least this forum topic is #3 on Google:
http://www.google.co...rch?q=scubalinx

Also, a link by Bonnie about Cyberdiver copyright infringement:
http://www.underwate...s.com/cdnn.html

[MikeVeitch]

Ha! At least you got rated....i'm not there...Booo! But then again Mustard is not either....

And since when was Mr Waterman a photographer? He's a moving picture guy

[underwatercolours]

Hey, it was an honor just to nominated and I'm quite flattered to be in the ranks with such talented people. None of you have yet earned the title of "World's Worst Underwater Photographer". Good luck trying to get below me on that list. I've shut that guy down more than once in the past for copyright infringements by sending a cease & desist order to his hosting company. So he doesn't like me too much.

If you have been violated by this guy, please do get in touch with Ken, Eric or myself. Especially on copyright infringements that you have documented or that are current.

Bonnie
World's Worst Underwater Photographer

[Craig Ruaux]

Far be it from me to sanction such online shenanigans , but I have to say that this blog entry/commentary about scubalinx has the same morbid appeal as a slow moving train wreck, you just can't look away...

[Kelpfish]

That site is missing a lot of world-class photographers, far better than some posted on that site. Mike, you have my vote. At LEAST A 1.43 like Eric got, but many up there, including Bonnie Pelnar should be in the high 7-8 at the least.

Joe

[james]

You voted! Once I saw that they want my email address - forget it! Maybe I can use a spamgourmet annonymous address to vote or something...

Cheers
James

[underwatercolours]

Thanks Joe, for your generous vote. I'm certainly not in the ranks of many of the names listed there but that list is all out of whack. I think it was posted there as a way to intimidate any photographer that might think about going after this guy for copyright infringement. I know of a lot of people who are afraid to stand up to them/him so they just let him get away with it. I'm glad to see this come to the surface.

I'm a web designer who also loves UW photography. Now that I've said that, I would expect our friend to start a web design poll (currently under construction) so their "quarter million consumers" can put me at the bottom of that list too. I see they have a "coming soon" page for Portal Sites, Forums and Photography Publications so I wonder who will be the next victim.

I've recently discovered that blog too and have sent DMCA requests to Google to get the IP addresses of those who posted there and to have the content removed.

Onward

Bonnie

[Kelpfish]

I voted only mentally. I get enough junk email and don't need any more from someone like that. I have been diving for 28 years and shooting pics since 1984. I've written for virtually every dive magazine in existence, spoken at numerous dive and travel expos, worked as a volunteer photographer for the Boy Scouts, was a key tool provider for the southern California Whale Rescue Unit, and I have seen A LOT of people like that come and go in various functional roles. The Internet only makes it harder to control those with unethical intentions.


Joe

[acroporas]

Yes, it is obvious the ratings are based on nothing. It is interesting that if you are rated a 8 you have a rating of ~8 in all categorys, and then thouse with a rating of 2 have ~2 in all categorys. How does that work?

Now Erics low score in the environmentally friendly category may be reasonable after he admitted poking that poor jelly with a stick.

But he should at least have a 10 in the website category. After all didnt his website (wetpixel) win the best underwater photography website award...

[Kelpfish]

Well said, William!

Joe Diver

[james]

No no no William, you just don't get it. The only website that gets a 10 is Scubalinx. All others get 2's, except maybe Bonnie's or Robert's dentist's website which get a -1

Cheers
James

[echeng]

Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch just wrote me to tell me that I have dropped below him in the ScubaLinx ratings! They must have found this page.

Anyway some more info about CDNN copyright infringement (from Jeremy):

This piece bashing Ritter:

http://www.cdnn.info...al/o050814.html

was written by me and posted in my name on Shark-L but turns up on this website under another name with CDNN claiming copyright too!

The mirror image head of the white shark in BW here

http://www.scuba-for...hark/shark.html

and in colour elsewhere on the website is my image used without my permission. I emailed them twice and told them to remove it but they ignored me.

[underwatercolours]

ScubaLinx has added a Cozumel section and put my clients Aqua Safari and Scuba Club Cozumel at the bottom of the list. Gee, I wonder why! <_< This will no doubt raise a few eyebrows since they're both top notch operations. But he missed a couple of others who he rated very high and their web sites also got very high ratings. Guess he's not paying attention. By the way Scuba Club Cozumel is open now.

Funny how this guy got his "quarter million independent dive consumers" to vote so fast!!

[underwatercolours]

Also the owners of the Cuan Law and Lammer Law have asked me to make it known to the dive community that they are NOT a paying advertiser and DO NOT support the activites of this guy. CDNN also had banners for SUUNTO, who told me that they never paid a penny for advertising. They had no idea that there were ads for their products on these web sites.

[echeng]

FYI, There is a new website collecting information against Cyber Diver News Network and ScubaLinx:

http://divepoll.com/

[John Bantin]

FYI, There is a new website collecting information against Cyber Diver News Network and ScubaLinx:

http://divepoll.com/

There must be some mistake. I'm not listed! Is that because of my reputation for issuing proceedings?