Spiritual Connections

[Kru]

vBadvanced is running at www.spiritual-connections.com , now. :)

[DarknessDivine]

Wow, love the colors and the header, looks like you put a lot of hard work into this cmps!! Almost hippyish...;) I like it... :D

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[KW802]

Looks nice but I've got to ask about the template..... I thought that that particular design was a one-off custom job for a different site?

[mismatch]

www.aliensoup.com originally I believe - the template is excellent hope you are related or they gave you permission, such a distinctive style, colours and top quality graphics - I'd be peed if I were them and no perms were given.

if you are one and the same then top job, one of the best I've seen and I've looked at hundreds now

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[KW802]

www.aliensoup.com originally I believe - the template is excellent hope you are related or they gave you permission, such a distinctive style, colours and top quality graphics - I'd be peed if I were them and no perms were given.

if you are one and the same then top job, one of the best I've seen and I've looked at hundreds now
Yep. I didn't name the other site in order to give the original poster the benefit of the doubt. When I was looking around at getting some work done I actually ended up talking (well, emailing) with the design team who did the work on Alien Soup and so I was quite surprised to see that template being used some place else.

Heck, if you look at the source for www.spiritual-connections.com it's still hard-coded for references to various Alien Soup elements.

But I'm still giving the original poster a little benefit of doubt because there is just no way somebody would blatantly rip-off another site to that degree and then have the gall to put their own copyright notice on it! :eek:

[mismatch]

apologies - fair point, shouldn't have named them but also gave benefit of the doubt as I doubt anyone would be fool enough to post their link here after ripping someone's great work off



if you are one and the same then top job, one of the best I've seen and I've looked at hundreds now

and I meant it - after finding the original I was depressed for days, some people are just too darn good :)

[DarknessDivine]

Man oh man, I wish he'd come back and at least explain this...if he did "steal" the skin I hope he knows what he just unleashed upon himself by posting the link to his board here... :eek: I don't think there is a single person here who would put up with that....
But I'm gonna go with hope and think maybe he's friends with the creator of the other site or whatever and they shared it with him..? :rolleyes:

[apokalupsis]

Looks like a "hacked" or "copied" skin IMO. There's an extra table in this skin that is not in the original, in a place that no skinner would put it. It misaligns the main content area. It's a table that IMO, would most likely be created through improper 'copying', and not from skinning or installing an actual skin.

[Kru]

Owners of AlienSoup is already informed by me. I will post their response here in this thread, soon. I didn't rip of it. I never would post my link here if I made something illegal.

[Kru]

Looks like a "hacked" or "copied" skin IMO. There's an extra table in this skin that is not in the original, in a place that no skinner would put it. It misaligns the main content area. It's a table that IMO, would most likely be created through improper 'copying', and not from skinning or installing an actual skin.

Well, that happened after I installed vBadvanced. I can fix it easy if I changed the background colour of this table but it is dark grey and looks a little bit weird in the index page. So I keep it until I find a better way to solve it.

AlienSoup are informed about this thread and will post here soon because it doesn't looks like that anybody of you would believe me if I say that everything is ok.

[DarknessDivine]

AlienSoup are informed about this thread and will post here soonThat's fine..we just wanted to make sure that it wasn't ripped..Trust me it would not be the first time someone ripped a skin and then posted the link to it in a forum review area..lol..either way hope I hope it works out.;)

[apokalupsis]

Ripping is becoming more easy and seen much more these days. I apologize if we were wrong in being skeptical...but it did appear to be somewhat "funky". ;) Regardless, it's a nice site. And if you need help fixin' that table, and we can confirm it's ok for you to use that skin, we'll be more than happy to help you fix that table issue. ;)

[DarknessDivine]

Regardless, it's a nice site. And if you need help fixin' that table, and we can confirm it's ok for you to use that skin, we'll be more than happy to help you fix that table issue.
So true...we just need proof is all...;)

[Kru]

Well as I said I informed AlienSoup about this thread and send a request to post here about it. I was told that they will do it.

You can believe me that I wouldn't discuss with you about it if it wouldn't be important for me to sort out this matter.

[KW802]

Well, at the very least Kru is holding true to his word and brought it out in the open with the Alien Soup team to get their response.....

http://forums.aliensoup.com/showthread.php?t=13020

Kru: Out of couriousity, what site did you purchase the template from?

[DarknessDivine]

Kru: Out of couriousity, what site did you purchase the template from?
Yeah, let us know the url...someone might possibly be able to tell rather the site is known for ripping skins..I know there are a few that have in the past and then sold the skins..

[Brian]

Just so you know, if you used PayPal to purchase that style then you can report the company and most likely get your money back. :)

[Kru]

Just so you know, if you used PayPal to purchase that style then you can report the company and most likely get your money back. :)

That is what I will do. I have all emails about this transaction. The company called themselve Dream-Design. The webpage adresse was http://www.dream-design.tk but it isn't any longer available. They had around 12 templates and a lot of vBulletin hacks.

[apokalupsis]

I'd notifiy PayPal if I were you. You can get your money back (or should be able to).

The site's source code shows that the page is a frame for http://wmclan.fragism.com/dream (which doesn't work now).

http://wmclan.fragism.com/ isn't pulling up anything either. But it appears to be from a gaming clan (see the fragism.com) which means they are most likely kids.

It would appear, that this site shut it's doors (for now). What it looks like, is that they may have created a site and merely use different directories to pull the their "copmany site" code to the FREE domains they had registered. .tk (http://www.dot.tk/) are free domains.

My guess is, they just came up w/ different business names, got the free domains. Created new directories w/ the same fraud site code, and sourced the code from that directory to the registered free domain. It is easy to shutdown that way, and they probably thought they were making it difficult to trace that way.

A WHOIS search shows the domain to be registered and owned, by dot.tk, the site mentioned above. Because these guys chose a FREE domain, it isnt't actually owned by them. So there is no trace that way.

[KW802]

FYI for those interested: http://forums.aliensoup.com/showthread.php?p=134036#post134036

Looks like Kru is doing his best to fix the situation. :cool:

[mholtum]

Ok, this is obviously a problem (or could be for the purchaser) what can one do to protect themselves from this happening to them?

[DarknessDivine]

Make sure that you purchase from reputable well known design sites..That would be my suggestion..

[Brian]

Um... Just changing the pictures and such isn't doing much to rectify the situation. It's still a rip, the graphics behind those pictures are still copyright Aliensoup, and it's still illegal.

[KW802]

Um... Just changing the pictures and such isn't doing much to rectify the situation. It's still a rip, the graphics behind those pictures are still copyright Aliensoup, and it's still illegal.
HHmm... I interpreted that last post of his on Alien Soup to mean that he's also working on changing the underlying template as well. Considering the amount of flak he's been catching I'm sure he realizes that he needs to do the right thing.

[mholtum]

Doing the right thing would be not using ANY of the code, images, templates, etc. from the theme..

[Kru]

Jason, the owner and admin of AlienSoup got all the paypal email transaction in this matter from me, now.

Besides of that I already sent paypal an email and informed them about this issue but no response yet.

I am working together with Jason to find the person who sold the template and together we will start legal steps.

He is familiar with my current changes of my homepage and I have permisson to keep it in this way. Anyway I will make some more changes in the next days.

I will post any news that I am getting in this matter directly here at the forum.

Besides of that I made my first module today: http://www.vbadvanced.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10525#post10525

Have fun. ;)

[apokalupsis]

Hey Kru, I really like your new style. IMO, it's much more appealing that the AlienSoup one. ;)

[DarknessDivine]

Hey Kru, thought I'd let you know paypal can take up to 30 days to give you any info in the matter. And if the people gave fake info you still might not get your money back unless maybe you paid with a credit card through paypal...Just had this problem myself (different product of course) about 2 motnhs ago..Luckily I paid w/credit card so the credit card gave me full credit. All I got from paypal was "Sorry we were unable to make contact with the other party"

[Kru]

Mmh I still didn't get any email from paypal concernign to this issue yet. I paid with my Visa Card. Hope they can follow the trace. It was bought by me at the beginning of June.

[DarknessDivine]

.Luckily I paid w/credit card so the credit card gave me full credit
Do you have online shopping insurance? Some credit cards automatically give this..After you hear from paypal I'd then also contact your CC company...It should get taken care of either way....

[Kru]

Will talk with my bank tomorrow. Thank you very much or all your help that you are giving me here.

[Kru]

I just want to inform you that every problems are sorted out and that www.spiritual-connections.com is official licensed by AlienSoup.com, now.

[DarknessDivine]

Hey when I go to your site it doesn't show..only tries to get me to download something??

[KW802]

Hey when I go to your site it doesn't show..only tries to get me to download something??
It's trying to get you download an ActiveX control for speech output. I've got XP SP2 on my box.... after a minute or two the page appeared with the warning about the control being blocked.

[DarknessDivine]

I am running XP also...but feel uneasy when visiting a site that requests I download something before I can view it?? >>>;)

[KW802]

I am running XP also...but feel uneasy when visiting a site that requests I download something before I can view it?? >>>;)
That's why I mentioned XP SP2.... I was still able to view the page without ever getting prompted to download anything. ;)

[mholtum]

It's trying to get you download an ActiveX control for speech output. I've got XP SP2 on my box.... after a minute or two the page appeared with the warning about the control being blocked.
Yup me too.

[Kru]

Yes, it is trying to install a microsoft speech feature. The mostly people have this on their computer after they installed microsoft office (if you installed the microsoft agents like the wizzard).

Normally any pop up blocker should stop this install window, too but if you still have this problem and won't install the speech feature then you can go directly to the forum here: www.spiritual-connections.com/forums

[DarknessDivine]

Kru I just visited your forums and they look great! I'm glad you got all that mess worked out...I hate it when bad things like that happen to ppl...Did you guys ever catch those ppl???

[Kru]

No, no chance. Paypal told me that they can't investigate more as 30 days. I lost 80 Dollars. :(

Anyway I am happy, too that I could sort out this matter. :)

[KW802]

No, no chance. Paypal told me that they can't investigate more as 30 days. I lost 80 Dollars. :(

Anyway I am happy, too that I could sort out this matter. :)

Did you try your credit card provider? Or was the PayPal transaction a direct bank transfer? If it was on your credit card you may still have some recourse.

[Kru]

credit card and I contacted my bank but things are going slowly there.

[DarknessDivine]

yeah it can take some time..took me like 60 days o get my $400.00 back when it happened to me at eBay..no help from them or paypal either..credit card did the refund.

[Kru]

So I will be patient and wait and hope that I will have luck with it.