24 replies to this topic

[xmitman]

Anyone know what happened to Blacklisted 411 Magazine? Their website has been down a few weeks, http://blacklisted411.net .

[Rightcoast]

No, I don't know exactly what happened. Googling blackballed411 should give you an idea of what might have though.

[livinded]

From what I've heard, the staff members had an argument and they have stopped production of the magazine again.

[StankDawg]

They stopped communicating with most of us a year ago or longer. They stopped my subscription 1 year and a half ago and stopped responding to email. They did the same thing a long time ago where they disappeared with everyones money and I am certain that they have done it again.

[P(?)NYB(?)Y]

indeed, I used to have communication with them at least once a month up until the last issue was put out. haven't heard a thing from Zach since.

[kitche]

blacklisted411.net tkaes you to network solutions and says Coming Soon!
This site is under construction.

[Mr. White]

I think it's childish to disband a business over an argument. As far as I'm concerned they stole my subscription money. I got one issue and some kind of a metal credit card thing.

[xmitman]

I heard from someone that their distribution company sold many thousand copies of their magazines to book stores and they were never paid for them. I guess with a $100,000+ loss any small company would go under.

[Rightcoast]

The distributor stole the money. LMFAO.

[Galvatron]

They stopped communicating with most of us a year ago or longer. They stopped my subscription 1 year and a half ago and stopped responding to email. They did the same thing a long time ago where they disappeared with everyones money and I am certain that they have done it again.

so basicly they defraud you out of hard erned $$$ Thats crap. Man I thoght vorizon robbed you blind.

Edited by Galvatron, 30 April 2007 - 03:03 AM.

[ghostshadow]

This is shitty, I wish they would grow up. I really dig the mag, I've been a reader for a few years. I remember when they disappeared last time. Now they are doing it again, it's bullshit. I went to get the newest issue several weeks ago and it wasn't on the shelves. It was a week before.

[ticom]

As a former editor and publisher, I can tell you firsthand that doing a print 'zine professionally is a bitch and the odds are definitely stacked against you. Distributors typically make you wait until 60 days past the subsequent issue to receive your money, and destroy "unsold" issues which you then have to eat the cost of until you can take it off your taxes as a loss. In the meantime, you've got to front large amounts of cash for advertising, printing, mailing, et. al. and then pay your writers and staff. Doing stuff like having your hacker friends come over to stuff envelopes for pizza and beer, as cool as it sounds, doesn't work if you're trying to go pro.

And that's just the beginning of the misery...

[StankDawg]

As a former editor and publisher, I can tell you firsthand that doing a print 'zine professionally is a bitch and the odds are definitely stacked against you. Distributors typically make you wait until 60 days past the subsequent issue to receive your money, and destroy "unsold" issues which you then have to eat the cost of until you can take it off your taxes as a loss. In the meantime, you've got to front large amounts of cash for advertising, printing, mailing, et. al. and then pay your writers and staff. Doing stuff like having your hacker friends come over to stuff envelopes for pizza and beer, as cool as it sounds, doesn't work if you're trying to go pro.

And that's just the beginning of the misery...

I agree that it is a huge workload, and I know firsthand. I also know that distribution is hard and we cannot even do that with our mag. But they DID NOT PAY their writers (their staff writers maybe) like myself and dual and Israel Torres, so take that factor out since it is not fair. Most of their stuff was written by in-house staffers and I don't know what/how they were getting paid other than a cut of the magazine.

Believe me, I supported them and tried to help them succeed but none of those reasons excuse disappearing and not paying people like they promised (http://www.blackballed411.org) or reimbursing their subscriber money. I wish it weren't the case, but it is.

[I-baLL]

They gave out free ads, claimed to be the world's oldest and most distributed hacker magazine in print, claimed to pay writers, and reprinted articles from other sources. That raised red flags in my head. Plus the fact that they came back out of nowhere and didn't offer an explanation of why they dissapeared in the first place. (or, at least, I don't think they offered an explanation.)

[shard66]

'nuff said.

Edited by shard66, 20 September 2007 - 01:04 AM.

[The_STDstroyer]

i really liked blacklisted 411.
i remember the first issue i got i had almost clue at all what anything in it was.
i went to look for it a while back and i couldnt find it at borders.
i thought they just found a better hiding place for it.
seeings as how sometimes i find 2600 in the most bizarre places.
honestly, whos going to look behind better homes and gardens?

[hakrintraining]

i know this hasn't been talked about for awhile but i was wondering if anyone had the last issue that was released from blacklisted that they would like to sell to me. i was going to get it but it wasn't in stores and i couldn't get anything from their site since it didn't exist

[theGoldfinger]

This topic seems to have died out some time ago... My services as "Creative Director" ended in early 2006 and my communications with Zach ended. The site remained up as far as I can remember till Dec.06, after that I was out of the picture till just recently. Did they close their office? Has anyone spoken to Zach or Alex? I'm reading people got stiffed for their subscriptions??
WTF..?

[kitche]

yep we got stiffed and I believe Zach ran with the money that we payed for so yea it was a great mag too

[StankDawg]

Luckily I never ask for money for writing so I didn't get stiffed. They just left me hanging. But it pisses me off for the people who did get stiffed.