VIP going GREAT!!!

[artygal]

Ok I read all the negative comments about the problems with vip acceleration, then thought $5 is worth the risk. Worst case I donate to bit comet who have saved me mega$$$$$ on music, film, etc etc.

Well it took 18hrs to sort itself but now its up and running downloading at x3 normal rate.

If it only works for this one down load it will have been worth it.

I struggle with a max speed of 3.6mb so any help is welcome!

Thanks guys, not enough people say it so here it is again....

THANKS GUYS, GREAT JOB, KEEP AT IT.

Artygal from the UK

[The UnUsual Suspect]

Thank you for sharing. There are many repeat users, but most don't come here to share a good experience, so thank you very much for helping to balance the feedback.

Please keep us updated on your success with it in the future.

[artygal]

Hi Guys, Artygal again.

Just bought $20 VIP.

Normal download speed here maxed out at 35kb/sec!!! I kid you not.

WITH VIP enabled (took 18hrs again) 134kb/sec

NUFF SAID!

I know others don't rate it but for me it works. i just moved here, snail mail is almost as fast as downloading, I'm in a village in county Durham UK working in the dark ages of technology......they still use pigeons here.

[Budakgame]

hahaha..ur pigeons might have an ipod one day if u still keep using VIP..i've just bought the 10GB plan just now..may i know how long does it take for it to like be functioning??THanx! :)

[pristine2]

I wonder how happy the original poster is now.

The reality is that VIP acceleration works, only rarely and only marginally, for a tiny minority of people.

For virtually everyone, it is entirely without function. When it does work, which is rare, it won't enhance the download speed beyond the maximum transfer speed of your internet connection. Also, you will consume the bandwidth allocation you bought whether or not you successfully download anything at an accelerated speed. In other words, if you attempt 10 downloads, and one is actually accelerated (a generous assessment), your purchased "bandwidth" total will deplete at the same rate as if all 10 had been accelerated. That's because the button installed to return the bandwidth deducted for failed VIP downloads does not work.

In truth, zero progress has been made toward improving VIP acceleration since it caught my attention about 18 months ago.

Unethical as it is to market and sell something proven not to work -- or apologise for the practice -- remember that Bitcomet is free. Consider the $5 you wasted on VIP acceleration a shareware tax. You can get a refund easily enough, but most people won't bother.

Still, asserting that there is ANY value whatsoever to VIP acceleration is dishonest. The few who claim to have any results aren't credible. Nor is it fair for the board volunteers --- much as we appreciate their efforts -- to complain when people are upset to discover they have flushed their money down the toilet. You know the truth and it is your obligation to speak it. Too often, our esteemed moderators have posted that "it works for some people". "Some people" win the lottery. For the overwhelming majority, VIP is useless, and the only honest course of action --- no matter how much you appreciate Bitcomet - is to acknowledge this.

[kluelos]

VIP acceleration is what it is. Many people, apparently including you, jump into it without understanding it, and with unrealistic (not to say impossible) expectations of it. Of course it cannot exceed the maximum speed of your internet connection, and if you ever thought it could, you didn't begin to understand it.

Some people do win the lottery. VIP acceleration does work sometimes, though too seldom. Those who don't have absurd notions about it can see what it could be -- a truly anonymous P2P service, that transfers files at download -- as opposed to bittorrent -- speeds. It benefits those with slower connections, by putting them on an equal footing with the fastest connections. It's a new service, a new idea, in development that's being funded by the developers. It will happen if, when and as. This has never been presented as anything but a trial and a beta, with people warned that they should consider any purchase as a contribution to its development.

This has been explained and covered enough times now that those who are still complaining have only themselves to blame, especially if they can't even be bothered to request a refund.

[pristine2]

"his has never been presented as anything but a trial and a beta, with people warned that they should consider any purchase as a contribution to its development.

That's entirely untrue, as a read of the marketing page for VIP will make quite clear:

http://vip.bitcomet.com/

While the word "beta" appears near the logo, nowhere is it said that VIP is any sort of "trial", that purchasing the product is a donation, or that in the overwhelming majority of circumstances (if not ALL circumstances), the software simply does not work. There are in fact no disclaimers of any kind, and it is only when users realise that the software is dysfunctional that they find this forum and learn the realities.

As it stands, Bitcomet continues to solicit money for services it cannot provide. That's wrong and your attempts to rationalise it fail. Should the marketing materials be re-worded in the way you claim they are now, I'd have no problem with it.

Moreover, if the current situation had transpired for a few weeks or months, that too would be acceptable. But there have been no visible changes or improvements to VIP acceleration for at least a year, so it is also reasonable to doubt that the software is being developed at all, or that the "donations" are in any way funding that development. "Beta" means the software is at least partially functional and is under development. I challenge you to show that either is true.

For the record: other than your testimony and that of the original poster in this thread -- who claims to have been satisfied after waiting 18 hours before achieving a download speed of 100+kps, which is more than likely to happen occasionally on even the most lethargic DSL connection -- there's NO evidence at all that VIP acceleration works for ANYONE, and plenty of evidence to the contrary.

I've tested it with various connections and under a variety of conditions, and observed 100% failure. Everyone posting to this forum basically confirms that observation. How much longer are you going to contend that VIP works at all? Can you provide any substantiation?

Edited August 13, 2012 by pristine2 (see edit history)

[kluelos]

I have had it work for me a couple of times, before I got my current connection. I was impressed with it when it did work. That was, however, seldom. Now, I have a very fast connection and wouldn't expect it to help me.

As for substantiation, I don't owe you any. I don't have to show you anything, or prove anything to you. I don't know where you get the notion that you're entitled to demand anything of any of us, One last time now: we are not BitComet. We are volunteers donating our time for the benefit of others. We do not answer to you. We don't even answer to BitComet.

If you aren't happy with the situation you can get your money back. Period. That is all you have any right to ask. Given that the "donations" have been trivial, that most people who got the service at all were given it -- a reward for long-time users which I can't help noticing you are not -- and a lot of requests that it be made available to others who wanted to try it but didn't have the longevity to get the free offer.

Whoever asks for a refund, gets it. That leaves a pretty trivial amount of money in the kitty to support ongoing development -- ALSO a volunteer effort, really not even getting beer money. Where do you get off, criticizing that effort or those people? What have YOU done to assist in any of this, to help either the community or the forum? What have you done besides just b**** and demand? Where do you come by this bloated sense of sheer entitlement? Who made YOU the netcop, to tell us what to do or what deadlines of yours they have to meet?

Go jump, not to put too fine a point on it, in a lake.

[pristine2]

"As for substantiation, I don't owe you any. I don't have to show you anything, or prove anything to you."

Actually, that *would have* been true, had you not been, for more than a year actively perpetuated the entirely false notion that this software actually functions. The point is that you've done this from a position of authority, not whether or not you've been paid.

You've chosen to post under the title of "BitComet Tech Support," remember? With that accrues at least a measure of responsibility to provide information.

You write: "VIP acceleration is what it is. Many people, apparently including you, jump into it without understanding it, and with unrealistic (not to say impossible) expectations of it."

Those expectations obviously do not exceed the marketing literature on the VIP bitcomet page that you not only refuse to repudiate, but also defend,

"I have had it work for me a couple of times, before I got my current connection."

Then why not simply post a sticky explaining precisely the conditions under which it might work, and underscore to everyone that it will be "seldom"?

All of us takes accountability for what we say. Given your influence on this board, all that is expected of you is to do the right thing. Under the circumstances, that means explicitly and unequivocally steering all users, new or old, away from VIP until there is some verifiable functionality to the software.

There isn't any functionality. VIP does not work. As far as I can tell, that means never, for anyone at any time. Marketing it, even as "beta", is simply dishonest. That would be true whether the cost if five US cents or $5.

Incidentally, after I purchased VIP and had my first dialogue on this board some months ago, I tested the VIP under these conditions:

* From Hong Kong, using a legacy 128kkps DSL connection.

* From Hong Kong, using dial-up service with a 56k modem

* From Hong Kong, using wireless with nominal 5mbps service.

* From Paris, using a crowded cable service with nominal 6mbps service.

* From Paris, using the T3 service astride my company's servers.

While I tried a variety of files with a variety of available sources, in all cases I tried to download the same Linux file from my home computer, for which there is a single seed and peer.

In each instance, VIP functionality was absolutely zero.

I suppose it is possible that you actually saw it work "a couple of times", but given your unwillingness to provide details, and your defensiveness when challenged, it's pretty clear how much that anecdotal assertion is worth.

[kluelos]

You still think you have a right somehow to ask anything of me or any other volunteer? You don't.

You don't have the right to judge me or anyone else.

You haven't contributed a thing yourself, pristine. In fact, you're just a whiner. You didn't even volunteer to help test, you've only complained and complained. You haven't even bothered to read the forum, where the things you complain are missing, are plainly spelled out.

You're quite a bit over the boundary of permissible manners here, pristine. You've all but called me a liar, which is ample grounds for booting you off the forum.

If you've got something reasonable to say, you'd best say it, because you are very close to getting yourself banned. We don't need or want your attitude, your incredible sense of entitlement, your arrogance or your bad manners.

I'm a pretty tolerant guy, but you're over the line, and I'll kick your a** out in a heartbeat.

[The UnUsual Suspect]

in all cases I tried to download the same Linux file from my home computer, for which there is a single seed and peer.

This sounds like the problem. VIP works by offering more upload to multiple peers to get them to offer more download, which is then sent to you. If you were trying to use bittorrent for a direct transfer from one computer to another with no other peers, then it's not going to be able to help. If you had a large swarm and your connection upload speed was poor, then vip would be ideal, however as all the forum staff have stated, it seems to have problems for many users.

Also, this forum is a community support forum, it's staffed by bitcomet users. Some of the English speaking members of development are active when necessary, but for the most part they leave us to help members and sort out which bug reports are verified and need their attention, but we have nothing at all to do with what is posted on other bitcomet websites, so if you have a problem with one of those websites, speak to it's administrator. Here in the forum we warn users not to buy it if they are expecting a stable product, and there is nothing else we can do. If someone purchases vip not knowing it may have problems, they can easily get a refund, so no harm done, and as you can see we are getting a little tired of replying to public "rants" from demanding members, many of whom come here and ask about it, are warned it's not a stable release and they buy it anyway, then instead of simply getting a refund, they come here to complain. If your new Toyota car doesn't run properly, do you do b!tch about it at a toyota owners club? no, you go to the manufacturer. We are here to help (polite) members with problems, as long as they post a minimal amount of information about their system and their problem we are always willing to help.

[pristine2]

I noted the control file because my testing could not have been valid without it. In all cases I used a variety of high volume shares as well, though of course not the same one each time.

"If someone purchases vip not knowing it may have problems, they can easily get a refund, so no harm done, and as you can see we are getting a little tired of replying to public "rants" from demanding members, many of whom come here and ask about it, are warned it's not a stable release and they buy it anyway, then instead of simply getting a refund, they come here to complain."

I really do get this. If you look back a few months, you'll see I've pointed all this out myself to other posters, encouraging them not to be hostile, and reminding them that Bit Comet is absolutely free.

What changed my approach (although I have never been hostile) was the elapse of several months' time, during which nothing changed in the functionality of the software, but the sales and marketing of it continued apace. "Unstable" is not the same as "useless", and selling a useless service raises serious ethical concerns generally, not only for the shareware, p2p and open source communities.

In the absence of any real information about VIP, the only correct stance that can ethically be relayed to users by ANYONE is this:

"VIP Acceleration does not work. Do not purchase VIP acceleration."

That should take care of anyone ranting about getting ripped off. And if you are sure BitComet is issuing no-hassle refunds, it is fine to say so.

But disgruntled users will continue to arrive here looking for answers for as long as Bitcomet continues to sell a service that does not function. The fact that BitComet is offering refunds mitigates, but does not excuse, the fact that it is now knowingly selling a service it cannot provide. That's not the same as soliciting donations.

Your colleague attracted my attention because, while acknowledging that the paid service was unreliable, he continued to post ambiguously about whether it works at all -- which it clearly does not -- kindling unwarranted expectations. He also continued to insist that there's no problem with selling the service, despite the utter lack of functionality or development. He also defended the marketing lit as if it makes the lack of functionality clear, which it does not.

There's nothing in the least "entitled" or unfair in challenging that approach -- unless of course I am wrong in my assessment that VIP acceleration is entirely non-functional (almost certainly in ALL circumstances), and that development has been abandoned though marketing has not. If so, that should be pretty easy to clear up.

Instead, his only reply has been a personal attack and a threat to purge my voice from the forum. That alone speaks volumes.

Edited August 16, 2012 by pristine2 (see edit history)

[The UnUsual Suspect]

Kluelos donates a lot of time to help people here, and we should all be grateful for his generous service.

As for vip, I don't think there has been any new attempts to market it in many months, and when it first was introduced I used is successfully many times and it worked great. When it first went public we offered all members a free trial which was a huge mistake and we had far more users then the system could support. I do know that there have been many repeat subscribers, and I don't know why it works for them and not others. We've submitted our findings to development and for now all we can do is let them resolve it when they are able, just keep in mind that these people all have their day jobs too, developing freeware has to be done when time allows.

[kluelos]

Pristine2, having failed to learn that he has no right to judge us, insult us or tell us what to do, has indeed been banned. His failure to understand that his boorish manners won't be tolerated, have earned him this.

The message that began this thread was a report of success using VIP acceleration, the very think he denied as ever happening. Reasonable complaints are one thing, but these were far from that. Any other forum would have kicked him several messages ago.

[cassie]

*topic closed*