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[Brandonnn]

It's an internet sensation!

On December 26th, 2006 a person by the name of Brad Burns under the username (ZioSystems) posted what looked like a spam/press release post on this forum. It turns out that Brad Burns was a customer of Host Dime and had decided to post on this forum to advertise his imaginary services.

Please be careful, he is back again under the username ZioBrad and he is using this forum to market his company. Do not believe anything he says, he has scammed several people along with several magazines of which he never paid for advertising.

Right now he is trying to gain your trust by getting involved in the forum. I don't want to see someone else on this forum being scammed. We've been through it already and there is plenty of documentation on the web if you google ziosystems. There is also a 700+ page thread with people and major marketing companies that have been scammed by Brad.

I implore you all to be careful.

If you missed our first encounter with Brad here it is:

ZioSystems 12-26-2006 02:31 PM
Greetings Mighty Surpass

We are the crew of Zio Systems currently working on a giant commercial project in the United States. Would like to wish everyone a happy holidays and say hi to the most wonderful community my friends and family have been using for years. Cheers.

About Us:

General & Background Information

We offer many IT services in Kentucky, Ohio & Arizona in the coming months. All employees with Zio Systems™ are highly trained and unique artistic individuals. We all think with open minds and plan on providing the best quality service possible.

Zio Systems™ was originally founded in the fourth quarter of 2004 under the name of Soul Technologies LLC located in Lexington, Kentucky. It was a small consulting & repair firm that went one on one with customers.

To the date of 2006-2007 Zio Systems™ will expand across the United States, and warehouses will be setup in Phoenix, Arizona. We look forward to having you as our customer, and if you wish to view any portfolios or information on the services we offer feel free to do so by navigating services bar located on the left side of the page. The right side of the page has products we offer, we ship directly from our warehouses. Warehouses are controlled environments, products are handled by caring individuals, and we offer a money back guarantee or replacement on defective items. All opened products will be charged a 15% restocking fee, unless for exchange. Before ordering or calling Zio Systems please make sure to read our privacy policy to see how Zio Systems DOES NOT take advantage of your privacy for profitable cause.

Zio Systems™ honors manufacturer's warranty, but does reserve the right to change this for any products, orders, at any time. This is for your benefit as well as ours.
We build ourselves around our customers, we are the imagination team, for pride not greed. Zio Systems™ provides not only computer hardware but in-home services as well. We provide services for home users as well as business consulting. We bring a positive and imaginative environment to your existing working environment. We strive to provide excellent services at competitive prices.
All of our services can be seen in the services section.

Purchasing Power & Vendor Information

* Zio Systems™ is a direct OEM distributor and has the strongest purchasing power along with our supplier relationships with major manufacturer of INTEL, AMD, Microsoft, nVIDIA, Creative Labs etc..
* All systems are fully configured, tested and pass a 72-hour burn-in control.
* Pre-installation of all latest drivers, software, antivirus, anti-spyware, etc.
* Highly trained and knowledgeable phone technicians, quick response to all computer problems, 100% English.
* Experienced and professional sales representatives
* Excellent customer and technical service.
* Lifetime toll free tech support.
* Over 20-year combined experience in the technology and management field.
* $75.00 Flat Rate Service Fees, with a 14 day warranty.


More Jib Jab and Yippity Yap

* It's true, Zio computers are lightning fast. They contain only name brand manufactured parts, not something that has been sitting around in a warehouse. The parts we use to construct our systems are only from the greatest performing tested manufacturers available. You can read about the manufacturers we use under the Vendor Index, you can also suggest which manufacturers you would like to be available, within the community or from our website. We understand that even though we are a large computer company, that doesn't mean that users shouldn't have a voice or say so in what we sell or offer.

* By golly, if our support department is wretched and horrible we want to know about it, we want to make you happy, to do so we accept every single bit of criticism possible however "you" want to put it. After all the customer is supposed to be in control right? Not us.

* At Zio Systems, the computers are built by the customers, sure we may have pre built systems readily available but if you need a computer designed to your needs please let us do it for you!

* Zio Systems computers being constructed of the great quality materials we use, are hand made.

* This means not only are they extremely fast, but they shred the competition in quality and they last at least three times as long.

* Many name brand manufacturers out there do not specialize in creating systems that are used by professionals, they create PC's that ultimately fail after being used to the extreme.

* Problem is, some companies need to use every bit if their system to save time.

* The proper understanding that extremely fast computers, are not just for gamers, is something we want everyone to understand. It is our mission to supply extremely jaw dropping power and performance not only to gamers, but to professional designers and home users

Our Goals & Projects:

Website Name: Zio Systems , Zio Hosting
Website URL: http://www.ziosys.com/
Joomla! version: 1.0.12 / Virtuemart 1.0.7
Additional Extensions (Components, Modules, Plug ins):IE7 Behavior Plugin , Virtuemart, Various Mambots, Viewing Modules, Gallery 2 Bridge, Vbulletin Bridge.
Custom Development: Images, Functionality, Rework for IE6,IE7 viewing problems, Bridging kayako Support,joomla,vbulletin,gallery2
Site Purpose To effectively communicate professional products and services to customers within the market of Computer Hardware ,Desktops, Notebooks, Hosting Packages. With unmatched support etc.
Three (at least) specific areas of my site that I'd like feedback on (design, code, graphics, etc.): Looking for feedback on viewing and navigational problems, specifically oriented towards Internet Explorer, Opera, and all other non-Firefox/Netscape back end browsers.
The website was designed with Firefox/Open Source in mind, but must be navigational for all users.
Security Goals: To effectively implement SSL(Secure Socket Layer) into the front-end and administrative sections within Joomla, and Virtuemart. To learn about Security for further implementation into future/sister/customer websites.
Additional Comments: Well the website is still in early development stages, we are working on implementing vbulletin, Kayako Help Desk as well as many other things to support our customers. Currently working on the SSL(Secure Socket Layer) to provide security working with the server over the last few days to implement verisign and geossl. Also working on other security functions and privacy information to stay up to par with TrustE certifications and guidelines.

Finally:We will provide community support to anything and everything we can and make Suprass a bunch of money in the process.

Brandon 12-26-2006 07:26 PM
Welcommen!

This almost looks like spam to me. Regardless here is the feedback you requested (plus & minus some):
1)Your hours of operation are too limited especially for a tech company.
2)Your 24/7 Response Phone Number (859-402-0801) goes directly to a Fax Machine.
3) The About page found HERE flushes the legitimacy of the business down the toilet.
4) Your domain name is privately registered... (which btw could turn into a legal burden for you down the road because privately registered domains do not insure your ownership of them).
5) In your return policy, the email that I'm supposed to mail to notify you of my return is obfuscated behind broken code.

6) Your Company is NOT a "Microsoft Certified Partner" as of 12/26/06, per Microsoft's Website and a phone call to Microsoft to Validate a Certified Partner Seal.

7) On your "Contact Us" page, the address given does not exist.

8) Hire a copywriter. As an example please reference the "Reason to Buy."

-rigerous is spelt rigorous
-recieved is spelt received... (remember, i before e except after c).

I'm not saying that I spell correctly all the time, but a website of a business should be professional.

9) Your Business Registered Address with "The Greater Lexington Chapter of Commerce" is not a business address instead it is a Residential Address:
http://www.memberservicecenter.org/i...sting&kn=13222

-When you register with a chamber of commerce usually you register a business address. Not only did you register once but you did several times all with the same address possibly for more exposure but whatever atleast there is no fluctuation in addresses, but still, an apartment complex... get real.


10) Anytime anybody says they have a combined experiece ... it's make sense to do the math:

You state that you have 20 years combined experience on your website.
You list 13 people in your business.
20/13= less than 2 years of experience each ... From the picture of the "CEO," he looks like he could maybe pass for 16, 18 if he was lucky. And furthermore, what would you conisder experience?... browsing the internet... how about actual market involvement? Most likely not.

11) There are no records from the Office of the Secretary of State of Arizona & Kentucky that indicate that your business is registered there.

Conclusion:
So what are we supposed to "get" from this post... that you can make surpass lots of money... really now? I thought your motto was, "Pride before profit" (as stated appropriately on the very top of your site).Obviously that's just something you say because no business is out for pride over profit. It is inherent of all businesses to pursue a profit. Maybe not so much for non-profits (although there are some pretty tricky and interesting loopholes in non-profits). And being that in this post you state that you can make surpass tons of money is just what every other business says when they want your business. How can you back up that statement?

What are you assets now?

-1 Apartment (renting)
-1 Chamber of Commerce Membership
-1 Website on a shared server.
-1 Microsoft Certified Partner Image (no real Microsoft Certification however... just the thought.. oh and the false representation).
-1 Imaginary Facility in Tempe, Arizona… with forklift.

What was your intent of this post?

Well it really wasn't a "hey guy's my name is so and so and I'm really happy to be hosting with surpass and I'd really like to be a part of this community" type of post. Instead it's written more like a press release or a spam email or something that businesses get through the facsimile... oh yeah fax spam. This post is more of a "hey buddy I'm really happy to be a part of this community (not) and I want to add something to it (not), oh yeah here is a complete run down of my business and what we offer, here is all of our experiences... please please please visit our website because what we say about us being so perfect and being better than any company in the market is so true.

So I read your entire post a couple of times then did my research and am providing you the feedback.

Every business is going to write something in order to make themselves look good. I understand this. But if you're going to lie about it, you deserve what's coming to you.


====


EDIT:
I think it's cool and all that your friends and family have been using this service for years. That's besides the point, you are trying to sell us something and you wanted feedback.

Kayla 12-26-2006 07:43 PM
The investigator has spoken. It may seem negative at first :O but bad ideas like private domain registration need to be pointed out. It's good for a personal site I think, but not a business site.

I think the person who posted this (I assume Brad) sounds like a very business minded and successful individual.

FWIW, ZioSys is a unique name.

This is not the kind of post we're used to, I thought it was spam at first myself, until I traced the domain to our data center. Then I read it in a different light.

Brandon 12-26-2006 07:54 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayla (Post 229507)
The investigator has spoken. It may seem negative at first :O but bad ideas like private domain registration need to be pointed out. It's good for a personal site I think, but not a business site.

I think the person who posted this (I assume Brad) sounds like a very business minded and successful individual.

FWIW, ZioSys is a unique name.

This is not the kind of post we're used to, I thought it was spam at first myself, until I traced the domain to our data center. Then I read it in a different light.

AHH... yess the Investigator... Yeah seriously I was giving honest feedback I don't want to instigate any troubles. I am just providing feedback from experience because I did the same thing zio sys did down to the residential address.

My company name back then was "izo exo" and I regret it because it was lame.

Kayla 12-26-2006 08:08 PM
One of my first domains was horrible.. internetsymptom.com or something. How shameful.

Brandon 12-26-2006 08:13 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayla (Post 229514)
One of my first domains was horrible.. internetsymptom.com or something. How shameful.

That could be a good name for some people... it's not that bad... it might go well for akamai:

http://www.akamai.com/html/technolog...ng_akamai.html

^^nifty tools for tracking the internet

Kayla 12-26-2006 08:17 PM
Whoa, North America is using all of the Internets.

EDIT: This is a good way to show Surpass customers just how active web servers are. Hmm.

ZioSystems 12-26-2006 08:20 PM
I don't even want to be part of this forum/community anymore. Peace.

Brandon 12-26-2006 08:22 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayla (Post 229519)
Whoa, North America is using all of the Internets.

EDIT: This is a good way to show Surpass customers just how active web servers are. Hmm.

yes indeed... and when you guys said something about server forecasts, above is exactly what i had in mind. But that would be a huge investment like tons of money. However nice it looks it probably won't be useful to most clients... just really amazing to see what all is going on.

Brandon 12-26-2006 08:40 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZioSystems (Post 229524)
I don't even want to be part of this forum/community anymore. Peace.
As far as I'm concerned you can go F### yourself.

Sometimes the truth is hard. No hard feelings buddy I hope the business works out. You did put alot of work into the website... and it seriously looks like a TON of data input. If you're in the market for feedback in the future don't be surprised when someone picks apart your business... That's really what feedback was meant to be... (what you need to improve on).

Drinks are on me.

ZioSystems 12-26-2006 08:47 PM
I don't even want to be part of this forum/community anymore. Peace. If this is a direct reflection of how your community communicates with other members, I'm beginning to think otherwise about spending thousands on dedicated servers.

You Brandon Sir, are not anywhere close to ethical but are a down right disgrace and complete asshole. You can take your hummer stuck in the snow and shove it up your ass. None the less I have been put down many a times for my age and the countless hours I spend working. Regardless I could care less. Although since you are so interested in my personal information I will share it with you. I'm Brad the 16-18 year old that was sitting at the desk with the fax machine that you called that was forwarded to my 4 story condo with a porsche in the garage that is located in Lexington, Kentucky where my office building is located down the street at #2103 at 1795 Alysheba Way Lexington, KY 40509 the furniture smells good by the way it's brand new. You failed to realize that this website just went live 3 days ago, I did not write half of it.

I have building plans, zoning laws, and countless other papers on my drafting boards, and thousands of green screen images of the computers and laptops that have already been built. I could care less a thing you say, or the fact that half of your bulleted factors leading up to an above all jealous and downright idiotic conclusion, because of the magazines I know you read. Indeed, Mr. I know everything am probably above 30 and somehow think that 8 years in a marketing school means I'm obviously better than anyone. But oh No, I know you better than that.

Heres some magazines you can look for our advertisements in;

- Computer Shopper Magazine
- CRN Magazine
- Linux Journal
- PC World & Mac World
- PC Magazine

Then you can look for some regular banner ads here;

- Shoutwire & Torrentspy
- Isohunt & Torrentbox
- Computer Shopper Leaderboard Website
- GideonTech.com
- HardOCP Networks
- AnandTech.com
- Legion Hardware Review
- Toms Hardware
- OverClockersClub.com
- Firing Squad.com
- phoronix.com
- hardware central.com
- pcmag.com
- Neoseeker.com
- Devhardware.com
- Xbitlabs.com
- Xfire.com / Game Console
- LanWar.com - bbabelanwar.com

If this is the way that I get critiqued, with hostility? I will drive my forklift and my peanut machine into your ass.
So sit down, pull up a chair, and have a face to face meeting with some dignity. Asshole. I don't drink I'm 19.

Brandon 12-26-2006 08:51 PM
I'm 21, I've been put down because of my age several times as well... I don't have a college degree.. No hard feelings man seriously. You are in a forum of similar aged people. I was offering you a pepsi. Similar experiences...

I realize that the website is brand new. You wanted a review I took the time (2 hours) to give you one. God if someone was nice enough to tell me 3 years ago that I wasn't doing something correctly I might have been really stubborn and shouted obscenities too... so I forgive you.

However now I see how valuable feedback is even if it's not what you want to hear.

ZioSystems 12-26-2006 09:00 PM
I like feedback Brandon, just not when someone is chuckling at the end of every statement, I'm in no mental state to even argue. You where correct on many levels and I respect you for that, but what I do not respect you for is the conclusions you drew. I have no time to argue, and in all honesty I didn't even write that post. Regardless I apologize for the post and wish never to be seen nor post any information on ANY subjects at all here again. Good Bye.

Bigjohn 12-26-2006 09:00 PM
Wow, Zio...

I have to say, the skin seems a little thin!

First, you post what seems like ad-spam. Brandon does a tiny bit of research and reports it back, and not at all in a *slamming* way, and you come back screaching? Dude. Relax.

John

DewKnight 12-26-2006 09:05 PM
Definitely wow. When I first saw the post I almost deleted it because I thought it was spam. Learn to take some criticism man

ZioSystems 12-26-2006 09:12 PM
I take criticism extremely well, just not when it's aimed towards someone elses frontal lobe. Please, delete this post, delete the "ziosystems" account.
I will tell all 36 of the people that are standing behind me to never post in this "community" again. Good Bye.

Bigjohn 12-26-2006 09:26 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZioSystems (Post 229543)
I take criticism extremely well, just not when it's aimed towards someone elses frontal lobe. Please, delete this post, delete the "ziosystems" account.
I will tell all 36 of the people that are standing behind me to never post in this "community" again. Good Bye.
"you don't love me, so I'll sit on the corner and eat worms."

If you're trying to prove your maturity, bravo mate.

I'm 43. My 16 yr old son is not allowed to "act" like you are. We welcome you to the community, but please don't use it as an advertising forum. And - if you'll look, just about every site that ever posted has received some commentary - friendly or otherwise. Sorry we did not all bow at your feet when we saw your post, but dude - like I said - this is a community, and in a community some things may be said that you don't want to hear.

Don't go all

Good luck in your ventures. Feel free to post (or not) as you wish. Just don't post ads, or sites, unless you WANT them to be commented on.

ZioSystems 12-26-2006 10:17 PM
I'm not trying to prove anything. If you see me as immature I could care less. Since this post was to clarify a few things in my own brain I had to number the spaces with information inside of them, kind of how you code a program or write a paper, in my brain I like some organization so I can stand back and admire what an asshole I am.

You fail to realize that even you are feeding into something that dosen't directly describe me at all or pertain to you in any way shape form or fashion..

1.|
You wan't me to be honest with you? I don't give a damn about you, or your son, I don't give a shit about your ages, or where you live. I don't give a shit about how you raise your child, I don't care if he's a homosexual, I don't care if he get's hit by a bus, I don't care if he stop a busload of kids from being single handedly molested by priests. I haven't had parents in a really long time, I lived on my own all the way through high school.
Does this mean that I go around ranting and raving my opinions all day? No. I don't give a shit about your family, your wife, your friends, NO ONE. I am Mr.Pronoun. In all logical formality I believe that you cannot place emotional beliefes or a direct relationship to my opinons and their justification on the statements above. In such a short time of being in my presence it would be silly, or down right pointless for you to do so. Therefor, it's simple. Don't do it.

2.|
I do however give a damn when you don't pay me the same respect I payed you. I don't want you to compare me to your son, your turd in the toilet or the food that you burnt because you don't know how to cook. Did the last statement make sense? No. Why? Because I don't know you. How could I possibly understand or make an opinion on someone because of the information and above all AGE. Oh, he's 41 definatley not a good cook, and probably wants to see George Bush run all over everyone and obviously he's brainwashed by the american way. Understand why I'm pissed off now? If your to old, take your nose out of forbes and come to the realization that it was a classic "reality style" example of how your a fucking moron. Even if you don't understand, I don't care.

3.|
I didn't post this information, I was 20 miles away at the time it was posted. I was on my way, I was driving here, I mean is that enough? Nope sorry your 19, time to drop the age-bomb. I'm sorry that the person who was running up my credit card bill on throwing money into servers felt so oblidged to post anything. Which just happeneds to be the female that I'm sleeping with. Obviously though I'm 19 never could understand the way the world works, probably has daddy paying the bills and plays a video game or two in his spare time. Don't you love personal information? I mean damn, go stand in the checkout line or grab a tabloid on the street corner.
IF = staring in dis-beliefe due to such an idiotic statement
GOTO > LINE 2.|
//REALIZE - it was just another example

4.|
I don't expect ANYONE to bow to me, Ever. The only person I care about is me and the people who have open minds that help me fuel my ideas. The ideals of the company that I go to work for everyday which just happens to be the one I started dosen't directly relate to my opinions or is it used as someting you should directly relate your opinions of my personality. Don't you just love the back-asswordness of the way our society is formed. I could give you a speech. Obviously I already have.

It's over, I'm done, if I have to I'll submit a help ticket to the exact same people that I know i'm talking to that are reading this as they are speaking with one of us through support to delete this post, the ZioSystems account name and any information pertaining to your brain cell loss.

Thanks but no thanks. What an introduction, and a customer loss.
Good Bye.
For the record the chamber of commerce in lexington kentucky is a bunch of bullshit, and so is the hour long segment of this shitty forbes video I was recently watching. Good thing I run my own company, I guess this means I get to set examples? haha. That was funny if you get it. Brandon, the

[ceo]

wow, what a jerk!
thanks for the alert, Brandon!

[mr_fern]

amusing read.

[FyreFox]

some people just dont know how to get a real legit job and just are amused and seem to feel some sort of "power" in taking advantage of people and their hard earned money.

Thank You Brandon!

[FredFredrickson]

Ok, so, I read 3/4 of the post and then my eyes started to bleed.

Where does it indicate that he's actually running a scam, and not just a hot-headed business idiot?

[DewKnight]

I think there was a big deal on a few forums about him. Something about not sending some laptops people had ordered. Guy is totally running a scam, and completely lies about everything he ever says. Brandon probably has more info about those laptop things, or I am sure you can just search google for ziosys scam, it probably shows up in there.

[Roxy]

Is it wrong to laugh hysterically at this? No offense to anyone of course. Thanks for the post Brandon! =)

[DewKnight]

I don't know if you ever read the 400 page thread they had on it. The guy's story just kept growing and growing. First he had a Porsche, then he was in witness protection, then I think he was on the first Apollo mission. It;s hard to remember because the claims got bigger and more ridiculous with every post.

[FredFredrickson]

Hahaha, hey you know he might be telling the truth. Did you know I was a founding father? Heck, I signed the declaration of independence! See? Now you realize that some very important people are on the interweb these days.

So uh.. wanna buy a laptop?