Is Helium.com Imploding? Helium.com is being Lashed at with Rash Complaints of Fraud:

Is Helium.com Imploding? Helium.com is being Lashed at with Rash Complaints of Fraud:
By Marc Chamot

Helium.com, "where knowledge rules"

I don’t usually like to get into the habit of writing negative stories about my Internet buddies and friends but this story on Helium.com needs to be told, mainly from my experience angle at Helium.

I had posted 34 stories mainly all of my blog posts that I had also posted on Zimbio. Zimbio of course, is my most FAVORITE site by the way and neaju.com also! I had earned two writing stars in a short time and accumulated $46.50 dollars revenue still owed to me.

Part of the deal at Helium is you must maintain your star ratings to receive the higher payout. If your stars drop within the quarterly period, even before your scheduled payout so does your money.

But unfortunately, my woes at Helium.com were just beginning.

Every thing happened since I got an insulting letter from Aetas Candeo Helium member or staffers in regards to one of my stories.

I didn’t appreciate being treated rudely and this way. I think I had contributed great articles on Helium. I thought that once you earn the stars you were going to keep them and build on them, not having them taken away out of the blue.It’s ironic ever since I got this email from Aetas Candeo a Helium member or staffers:

My stars suddenly dropped to none. It’s also ironic that it is the time for their payouts and that’s where the entire brouhaha about helium is all about.I do not know who this Aetas Candeo really is. All I know he’s a Helium contributor like I was and does have some idiotic, drug hallucinating postings and I hope that he’s no part of Helium.

Because it would greatly damage Helium reputation that a key staff member takes it out on its contributing members by screwing around with their star ratings and money!

I wrote to Helium about these concerns. I did mention the Aetas Candeo version of my story and requested for Helium to reinstate my two stars and give me my money earned before I post there again. Unfortunately I never heard a pip from these folks.

Then I researched a little on the always-faithful Google search and bingo! I discovered other intriguing things that I wasn’t aware about Helium.com.

I found out who the main culprit was that was deleting my Google blog links and Zimbios'.

I had complained to Zimbio in the past that someone was removing my Google post links from my blog and Zimbio’s. Since I stopped posting on Helium.com my traffic into my blog has tripled! When I furthered researched helium, someone posted the agreements on another site that you make when you sign up and post on helium. They own copyrights to all of your postings there and they have the rights to sell your stuff, and as such all of your stories links are diverted to their site if they choose so.

Which also means removing your postings from other Google links on the Net like my blog and Zimbio.

It's been boggling my mind as to who/why some of my Google search links on my key stories on my blog and zimbio’s postings were being removed and the sharp drop of traffic to my blog and possibly even Zimbio’s. That's why they supposedly pay you for stories...

Helium does not give the writer the option to remove or delete their stories either! Helium is definitely not a blogger integration place. It's for casual writers who don't have anywhere else to write...

If you’re a hobbyist writer and don’t care much about copyrights protection on your work, Helium is the place to be. If you’re a blogger like I am it’s definitely not the place to be.

Another complaint site on Helium.com, I posted twice there:
http://heliumsucks.com/board/index.php?topic=2.msg21#msg21

http://heliumsucks.com/

Large amounts of other complaints posted on helium.com here my3cents.com:
http://www.my3cents.com/gSearch.cgi?domains=My3cents.com&q=helium.com&sitesearch=My3cents.com&client=pub-9756519274360254&forid=1&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&safe=active&cof=GALT%3A%2304359B%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23FFFFFF%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BALC%3A04359B%3BLC%3A04359B%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A04359B%3BGIMP%3A04359B%3BLH%3A30%3BLW%3A100%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.my3cents.com%2Fmy3cents%2Fimages%2Flogo.gif%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.my3cents.com%3BLP%3A1%3BFORID%3A11&hl=en

Here are somewhat positive postings about Helium.com
http://christyscoffeebreak.blogspot.com/2007/04/writing-for-heliumcom.html

http://wordsforartormoney.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/hello-world/

This rude/threatening email was sent to me about posting again on Helium from either a Helium user or a paid staff member:

All I know for sure is that my star ratings dropped from two to none within a week and you all can imagine what my response was to this imbecile also. My star ratings dropped after this email was sent to me…It’s a real coincidence also that Helium’s payout is due shortly.
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:30:13 +0000From: usermessages@helium.com Add Mobile Alert To: marc_L_chamot@yahoo.comSubject: Message from Aetas Candeo at Helium.comFrom: Aetas Candeo,I think you meant to say:I admire and respect Oliver Stone very much but what in the heck is he thinking about? Doing a retarded helium writer movie? The most lame, unpopular, imbecile like, dumbest, idiotic and moronic writer we've had for more than five minutes since the last ignorant writer we read.You are incredibly ignorant as to the proceedings of a government. Did you even make it past the 5th grade? I think not. Come back to helium when you've grown a brain.
PRIVACYThe Helium member did not have access to your email address to send this email. When you reply to this member, you are opening up direct communication with the Helium member via your own email addresses. If you want to block this member from sending you more emails, click this link http://www.helium.com/users/edit_account?block_user_id=151502&tab=privacy_settingsIf you do not want to receive any more Helium member emails, click this link http://www.helium.com/users/edit_account?tab=privacy_settingsHelium.comWhere Knowledge Rulesâ„¢ Copyright 2007 Helium, Inc. All rights reserved.300 Brickstone SquareAndover, MA 01810USA

My membership status at Helium:
Hi Marc,
Here's your weekly update on how you're doing in Helium's Write & Rate Reward-athon. The information below is based on information in our database as of 04/01/2008 (m/d/y).
Writing stars: 2 Reward-athon articles written: 31 Rates in the last 90 days: 40 Rating score: 82.15 (for details, see "A look at rating percentages")
Writing stars: 2 Reward-athon articles written: 31 Rates in the last 90 days: 40 Rating score: 82.15 (for details, see "A look at rating percentages")
Estimated Reward-athon bonus: $46.50
Please note that the estimated Reward-athon bonus assumes you maintain your current number of writing stars and that you have three or more rating stars on April 14, 2008. Remember, payout for the Reward-athon does not actually happen until April 15, 2008.
Don't forget to check all the details about Helium's Write & Rate Reward-athon, including the specific Terms of Helium's Write & Rate Reward-athon.

Helium's Reward-athon rewards our best writers for excellent work. As a starred writer, you can earn a bonus payment for every article submitted until April 14. And the rewards increase based on your number of stars. With one writing star, you can earn $1 for every article - with five writing stars you can earn $3 for every article.
Ready, set ... Write now!

How to increase your Reward-athon bonusWhat's your strategy? How do you increase your bonus? Join the discussions and share your Reward-athon stories in the Helium Community.

Member since
07/15/2007
Number of articles
34
Latest article date
03/31/2008
Accepted invitations
0
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