I received an email today from a guy named Clint, the author of a blog called CrunchNow.com. Just like many of the emails I tend to get on what seems like an almost daily basis, Clint wrote me asking if I would tell all my readers about his blog.
Now, I’ll give anyone a chance. I typically don’t care if the blog is new, or been online for years. If someone comes to me with an interest of sharing their blog with my readers, I am usually open minded as it gives me something to write about. Everyone knows, that coming up with material can be difficult, so for me, I don’t mind accepting emails like that. However, I ran into a problem with Clint’s blog.
It seems that he is a FeedBurner Fake. What I mean by this is in his email he said to me that he just launched the blog and wanted to try to get some exposure to it. Cool, no problem… however, when I visited his blog it appeared to be quite the opposite. His FeedBurner count was over 12,000. I said to myself, “Well, how could that be?” How could Clint have over 12k FeedBurner subscribers if his blog was new? Something seemed fishy. As it turned out… indeed, something was fishy.
Clint took it upon himself to find another blog that had 12k subscribers and copy the graphic from FeedBurner and proceeded to upload it to his PhotoBucket account. From there Clint modified the HTML code issued from FeedBurner and replaced the code that calls for the graphic issued from FeedBurner with the code that calls for the fake graphic that was uploaded to his PhotoBucket account.
Here are a few screen shots:
This screen shot looks normal, right? The blog is a HOT place, it has over 12k subscribers… this dude’s a big shot right? Wrong!!!! He is a FeedBurner FAKE!!! Check this next screen shot out:
If you right click on the graphic and view the source URL of the graphic, you’ll see that the image pulls from PhotoBucket and NOT FeedBurner.
CrunchNow.com is an absolute fake and Clint feels like people are stupid and that he can trick other bloggers into thinking that his blog is the bomb and it way cool and popular.
So anyways, now you know how to sniff out a FeedBurner Fake at the expensive of Clint from CrunchNow.com.
Anyone else want exposure on my blog, send me an email…. 
I figured that this post will truly weed out the tire kickers and keep my inbox down to a more managable level.
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Date/Time: 6-22-2008 17:46:20 Comment #15870
You got to be joking me… I just responded to Clint’s email to let me know that I wrote the post for him and I get an auto responder with a Bible quote:
This is a auto responder, ill return your email as soon as possible!
–
Thanks Clint
But now faith, hope, and love remain-these three. The greatest of
these is love.1 Corinthians 13:13
Personal blog
http://www.crunchnow.com/
Real class dude…
This page seemed educational:
http://www.bible.com/bibleanswers_result.php?id=250
Date/Time: 6-22-2008 17:53:10 Comment #15871
Hahahaha, what a loser!
Glad you found out this guy was a fake, maybe this will be a lesson to him and hopefully change his mind about the way he handles things.
Although if he is like most people, that won’t happen. Oh well, at least now I know to never check out his blog.
P.S. How many more times you gonna change things on your blog?
Date/Time: 6-22-2008 18:00:09 Comment #15872
I always changes things on my blog.
I use this blog for testing designs, themes, my coding skills, my design skills, etc… what better of a place to do so.
I am sure it aggravates people, but this is how I learn. I have a sandbox blog that I use to develop designs, once those designs are done I sometimes will run them live on this blog for a full test. It’s one thing to have a sandbox blog but its another to take your designs and run them on a PR5 blog with traffic.
There are quite a few elements in this current theme that I wanted to put through testing to see how well it performs under a load of traffic.
My front page for example is totally custom written page.
Date/Time: 6-22-2008 18:02:57 Comment #15874
Ahh yeah I do admit putting that was a mistake check it out now then “Sit Back and Laugh” I still appreciate the review Gary and I’m going to subscribe to your “real feed”
Take care
Clint
Date/Time: 6-22-2008 18:12:23 Comment #15877
You have absolutely no respect for the blogosphere and people in general.
Date/Time: 6-22-2008 18:17:58 Comment #15878
Whatever it takes to make the blog looks exciting
Date/Time: 6-22-2008 18:23:15 Comment #15880
What does that have to do with respect ? You earn respect threw trial and error People have to start somewhere and build on that if they choose to correct the mistakes and move on that sets you apart from the others who repeatably do the same thing.
Remember this “One learn’s the most from their most angry customers”
Date/Time: 6-22-2008 18:34:34 Comment #15881
Faking your RSS numbers has everything to do with respect. It’d be great for you to grow your blog from scratch and allow your readership to grow with you.
Date/Time: 6-22-2008 18:40:01 Comment #15882
Thanks I hope the same for you also!
Date/Time: 6-22-2008 18:51:21 Comment #15883
Hi Clint,
.If you want to put as a joke, I would like to laugh now HA HA HA..
I just surf your blog, and now you have 6 billion reader, wow must be all people of China subscrve your blog now
Hi Gary,
I like your adsense blend with your content,how about review my blog
thanks
lankapo.com
Date/Time: 6-22-2008 19:19:31 Comment #15884
Nice Bust Garry. I agree that it’s disrespectful to fake your RSS numbers. My numbers are anywhere from 35 to 40 but I haven’t really been pushing it. That’s also why I don’t publish the chicklet on my site.
I hope Clint has learnt his lesson from this. If you look at his site now his number of subscribers has exploded.
Date/Time: 6-23-2008 00:51:21 Comment #15897
Ha Ha… I did that that. It said 6 billion. I think he is now making light of it but before hand he was really using that as a tactic.
Date/Time: 6-23-2008 01:20:30 Comment #15905
didnt uberaffiliate do the exact same thing. I remember a big uproar when it was found out he had a fake rss count also.
Date/Time: 6-23-2008 01:24:38 Comment #15906
I have no idea… if you have a moment to Google it, drop me a line back… I’ll try to remember to do that as well.
Date/Time: 6-23-2008 06:59:07 Comment #15914
Hmmmm…..Very sneaky. I know there are some themes that come with a premade feedburner chicklet, and some may forget to take it off. But, if you purposely try to deceive in order to get readers, then…..you are setting yourself up for failure.
I thought about not posting my feed count, until it got to a “respectable” number, but, decided to be honest with myself and my readers and let everyone grow with me and the site.
PS.
I like the changes, especially the front page……I’ll be in touch!
Date/Time: 6-23-2008 16:11:16 Comment #15965
@Joe
a common question is: what is a respectable number for you ?
There is also a way to find out how many feedburner subscriptions a feed has (given the feeds name).
ciao
alexander
Date/Time: 6-23-2008 16:19:31 Comment #15968
Well, I see many say the magic number is 100, but, it didn’t bother me as much so, I just threw mines up with my lil ol numbers
My thing is, I appreciate every reader, and would much prefer to have a low number if it’s quality readers, you know, people that continue to visit. As opposed to people who subscribe but don’t ever come back or even read the feed.
so, my feed number is on display for all to see.
Date/Time: 6-24-2008 13:12:13 Comment #16060
That is what I do man… nice work. you hang your freak flag.
LOL!!!!
Date/Time: 6-24-2008 12:35:01 Comment #16050
And now he’s causing a fuss about trust on the EntreCard forums.
http://entrecard.com/forums/3/9844
What a fool
Oh, and I’d LOVE to be reviewed. Either http://www.jdonuts.com or http://blog.jdonuts.com
My feedburner stats aren’t faked but not listed either. At 70 / 12 they aren’t worth advertising.
Date/Time: 6-24-2008 13:10:40 Comment #16059
Wow that guy is really on a roll at entrecard. Seems he threw the Jesus card again. It’s not sitting very well with the entrecard forum. Thanks for the tip off man, that was fun to read.
I have to say that quite a bit of research and time was invested into calling this guy out in that thread. Wow… and then you found my article. Amazing out things all fall into place on the Internet.
Nice work man.
Date/Time: 2-23-2009 07:50:00 Comment #30839
Hey Gary
Bravo you probably deterred a whole bunch of folks from trying this cheap tactic. I had fun reading the comments. I can’t believe he responded to your post LOL.