In the field of Internet marketing, autosurfs is a traffic exchange that automatically rotates the advertised website in one's web browser. Therefore, they are able to bring large amounts of traffic to the advertised website. Members get credit for every site they see, which can then be used to advertise the members site by adding it to autosurf rotation. Sites may also be added by external advertisers who pay autosurf carriers.
Video Autosurf
Drafts
Autosurfing is an evolving form of traffic exchange, based on the concept of manual surf traffic exchange. In 2001, Autohits.dk was the first automated traffic exchange to use a PHP script that eliminated the need for viewers to click links or images manually to advance to the next page in rotation. Traffic exchanges are based on a simple concept: traffic exchange members view each site to get credit. The credit is applied for display in rotation. The purpose of autosurf traffic exchange is to increase website traffic.
Traffic exchanges have been around since the internet became mainstream. They were first used in business-to-business applications, with companies exchanging the look of their website pages among employees. Autosurf traffic exchange is created to trade page views automatically without any manual efforts on the surfer. They are advertising outlets that have been around for years and growing. Some members prefer to be advertisers, and they pay credit and/or increase membership, leading to page views, instead of surfing. Most autosurf exchanges are directed to free members, as free member surfing is what drives traffic flow and page views.
Some autosurfers are paid to see pure advertisements (i.e., advertiser websites) for a certain period of time (typically less than 30 seconds). Interested viewers can pause surfing or open any site in a new window, giving themselves more time to peruse the ad. If the viewer is not interested and does nothing, the current timer will be reset and the rotation will advance to the next page in the queue after the specified time period.
Autosurfing allows members to promote websites of their own choice, according to the credit system obtained by surfing. Members get credit with surf rate specified by the owner of the autosurf site. In other words, each page views a member's worth of a particular section or all credits, and each credit site view member fee (eg 2: 1 Surf Ratio means members get 1 view of their site for every 2 pages they see.) Members can promote the website/their own pages as well as affiliate programs. Many autosurf sites offer incentives for members to recruit new members, such as bonuses and the percentage of credits granted each referral. This is because traffic exchanges require new members to constantly replace members lost due to friction. In addition, getting new and unique viewers to join autosurf sites increases the value and performance of the site. The more unique audiences the autosurf site is, the better the exchanges are made.
Because autosurfs are run from websites, online payment processors are used for members to increase and profit them. The most popular forms of electronic currency used are PayPal, Payza, and Bitcoin. StormPay was a very popular payment processor until February 2006 but has now been converted to an auction site.
Maps Autosurf
"Invest" Autosurfs
A large number of autosurfs became investment autosurfs around 2005 and 2006: in order to earn money surfing, members had to pay a fee and then were promised a certain return on their expenses. "Investment" is claimed as membership or increased membership fees and "returns", per-site commissions.
In the case of investment autosurfs, members pay a fee to join and/or increase their account level. This fee can typically vary from a few cents to thousands of dollars, and the minimum and maximum set by the site operator. The program then offers a commission based on the member account level to see the minimum number of sites, for example, for a period of X days, each day that members see the Y site, Z% of the upgrade fee will be credited and can be withdrawn from the site. Products Z% and X are always more than 100% to ensure that members make a profit. Members also have greater incentives to build downlines as further commissions are earned based on the amount of money entered or earned by members.
The concept of investment autosurf is contrary to PayPal's Acceptable Use Policy [1]. Historically, PayPal has blocked most autosurf program accounts after the 12DailyPro incident. However, automated traffic exchanges that do not have investment options or pay members to surf are allowed to continue or continue using PayPal as payment processor.
Controversy
A large number of controversies are concentrated on whether autosurfs are inherently structured as Ponzi schemes. Autosurf only traffic that does not involve monetary transactions can also Ponzis if more credit is obtained than the available page views; older members are promised a number of website hits that can only be met by newer members joining. Because of the precedents set by 12 Daily, there is a strong possibility that most autosurf investments are Ponzi schemes, and thus violate the law and/or deceive their users; whereas paid to surf sites usually have a decent business model in which the advertiser pays the site to be seen but does not earn money in return.
On the other hand, autosurfs that require investment and a promise to pay profit must, in order not to become Ponzi, have other income sources that can generate the high percentage they offer. Therefore, they are often attacked for failing to disclose their source of income or not registering with the appropriate authority as a legitimate investment company. The Ponzi scheme will end when no new investor is found, and that means that the autosurf site has a rather short life span, which exists from one week to several years depending on the popularity and "investment plans" offered.
12DailyPro
12DailyPro, founded by Charis Johnson, was one of the largest autosurfs in 2005. Promising a 12% return every day for 12 days, invested funds go into the millions. In February 2006, autosurfs reached US national news when funds from 12DailyPro members were frozen by the StormPay payment processor.
Rather than focus completely on StormPay, news organizations like ABC4 (Utah) and WTOC (Georgia) investigate the autosurf itself. In a statement issued by the Government of Georgia Consumer Protection Agency entitled "Pyramid Schemes Never Dying, Growing Only", 12DailyPro is carefully scrutinized. The media call to 12DailyPro owner, Charis Johnson, was not answered.
Then in February, 12DailyPro received a stop and stop order by the SEC, which claims that 95% of the program's funds come from new members. On 28 February, the SEC submitted the proposed provisions, approved by lawyers for Charis Johnson, LifeClicks, and 12DailyPro that these parties will surrender all assets and records to the permanent legal recipients. [2]
2006-Present
After the fall of 12DailyPro, many other autosurfs also collapsed; this is widely assumed because they are investing member funds into 12DailyPro, causing a domino effect. Furthermore, autosurf has become less popular and more widely believed to be a Ponzi scheme. However, many are still autosurfs, either refusing to accept that they are Ponzi structured, or consciously using this to gain profit (through attracting new investors to extend the life of the program). Also, some autosurfs start focusing on the advertising side of their business model, by, for example, converting to manual surfing or by paying member bonuses that are not dependent on advertising costs. They have introduced rejection on their site by saying that purchases are solely for advertising, earnings are payouts for viewing ads and that there is no income guarantee. However, rejection does not rule out the law and thus does not legalize a program that is declared cheating.
The money invested in 12DailyPro is currently being held by the court-ordered payee [3].
References
External links
- ABC4 News in Utah Investigative video to 12DailyPro
- Latest news from Thomas F. Lennon, US Appointed Court of Appeal for 12DailyPro
- "Auto Surf": What You Need to Know from the US Securities and Exchange Commission
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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