Author Topic: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects  (Read 385347 times)

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Offline 0xdeadbeef

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #225 on: January 12, 2015, 06:13:53 pm »
Maybe dodgy is the wrong term, it's more of a future candidate for the Darwin Awards:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/omo-one-man-octo-copter-flying-machine
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Offline Howardlong

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #226 on: January 13, 2015, 08:39:18 pm »
Not crowd funded, but this product implements negative time domain techniques.

http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/08/auroratek-tried-to-pitch-us-a-gadget-that-breaks-the-laws-of-physics-at-ces/
 

Offline 0xdeadbeef

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #227 on: January 16, 2015, 11:45:45 am »
Cancer diagnosis at home. It's all there: cryptic description, questionable function, some off-the-shelf model picture for the female team member.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-first-at-home-cancer-diagnostic-test
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Offline rob77

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #228 on: January 16, 2015, 12:03:15 pm »
Cancer diagnosis at home. It's all there: cryptic description, questionable function, some off-the-shelf model picture for the female team member.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-first-at-home-cancer-diagnostic-test

that's not even dodgy... that's a SCAM...  they claim it's more accurate than MRI in diagnosing cancer  :palm:  :bullshit: :bullshit: :bullshit: their device claims to spit out a warning "high risk of cancer", while MRI will show you the tissue with cancer... how the hell could their device be more accurate then ?

btw... where did the doctors go from their team ? i see only engineers and a CEO.... who the hell did the medical R&D ? where are the links to publications ?

fortunately, it looks they will not make it in 6 days and they have fixed funding.
 

Offline 0xdeadbeef

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #229 on: January 16, 2015, 03:46:57 pm »
Well, yeah, we agree that this device will be either completely dysfunctional or have a toy like functionality not even close to the promised features.
It is especially disgusting since it plays with people's fears and could induce tragic consequences for users trusting in the device's verdict.

Trying is the first step towards failure - Homer J. Simpson
 

Offline mux

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #230 on: January 20, 2015, 01:41:57 pm »
This would be illegal in most European countries, it would never get past certification. Don't you yanks have similar laws?

You can't say something diagnoses, treats or improves any medical condition without validated literature to go with it.
 

Offline Derresh

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #231 on: January 23, 2015, 10:19:14 am »
How can ANYONE in his right mind believe this would work... Like we are talking about something that is life and death, Would you honestly trust that to a plastic toy that connects to your smarphone over a trained medical professional with a MRI ? 

I know its the dream to have a auto-doc in your house. but this is a scam, good they did not claim that it will also cure it, might have as well
 

Offline 0xdeadbeef

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #232 on: January 23, 2015, 11:14:17 am »
How can ANYONE in his right mind believe this would work...
People who are ill or fear to be believe in much more stupid stuff. Like MMS or that all diseases are caused by intestinal flukes you can kill with 2kHz 9V signal created with a 555.
Never forget that science and technology is like magic for most people and human stupidity is infinite.
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Offline Jope

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Shitty Kickstarters Subreddit
« Reply #233 on: February 09, 2015, 02:15:46 pm »
There is a whole subreddit dedicated to dodgy kickstarter projects (not restricted to electronics-related ones): shittykickstarters
 

Offline Derresh

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #234 on: February 16, 2015, 11:48:23 am »
Ok... I think i see double

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/charge-your-phone-twice-as-fast-chargetech

http://www.amazon.com/Aukey-Motorola-Batteries-Bluetooth-USB-Powered/dp/B00Q873I3K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424087212&sr=8-1&keywords=aukey+pa-u32

If you scroll down you see the exact same picture just has a silk screen on it

The car charger is the same deal, I even have one of them in my junk heap... Don't recall the brand of the top of my head
« Last Edit: February 16, 2015, 11:51:08 am by Derresh »
 

Offline 0xdeadbeef

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #235 on: March 03, 2015, 11:29:28 am »
Cloak of invisibility is finally there...
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-cloak-of-invisibility
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Offline codeboy2k

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #236 on: March 03, 2015, 11:38:33 am »
 

Offline Towger

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Plugaway: All money spent, another Kickstarter bites the dust...
« Reply #237 on: March 03, 2015, 12:48:22 pm »
Plugaway was an internet connected plug and bulb. The Kickstarter was supposed to be a marketing/customer feedback (fine-tuning) exercise, with a goal of $50,000 AUD and all R&D costs paid for by the project creators.
Yet,  despite raising 3 times the initial goal, the coffers have run dry and the backers who stuck with them given the finger: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/plugaway/plugaway-your-smart-home-on-your-smart-phone/posts/1149647
« Last Edit: March 03, 2015, 12:50:10 pm by Towger »
 

Offline codeboy2k

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #238 on: March 03, 2015, 12:55:08 pm »
Plugaway was an internet connected plug and bulb. The Kickstarter was supposed to be a marketing/customer feedback (fine-tuning) exercise, with a goal of $50,000 AUD and all R&D costs paid for by the project creators.
Yet,  despite raising 3 times the initial goal, the coffers have run dry and the backers who stuck with them given the finger: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/plugaway/plugaway-your-smart-home-on-your-smart-phone/posts/1149647

I didn't back it, but I thought the Plugaway project was a pretty good idea.  I wish it had succeeded.  The funny part is reading the comments.. people don't seem to realize that kickstarter is not a store, it's an investment in an idea that might not work.  Anyone who gives money to any kickstarter campaign should realize it's like the stock market, and could fail at any time, leaving you with nothing.  No one should invest in a kickstarter campaign if they can't afford the risk.
 

Offline PlainName

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #239 on: March 03, 2015, 02:00:04 pm »
Quote
kickstarter is not a store, it's an investment in an idea that might not work

And yet project creators are "responsible for completing the project and fulfilling each reward. Their fundamental obligation to backers is to finish all the work that was promised." Backing a project for a reward that is a tangible item is indeed rather like shopping, with the only real difference being that the product doesn't yet exist (in most cases).

Kickstarter goes on: "If a creator is absolutely unable to complete the project and fulfill rewards, they must make every reasonable effort to find another way of bringing the project to a satisfying conclusion for their backers."

When you buy something from a pukka shop, the deal may still fall through and you won't get what you're promised. The main difference between that and kickstarter is that the deal isn't on until the funding period ends. Between your 'shopping' and the end of funding, enough money may not be raised so nothing happens. In a real shop, you pay and the item is basically already yours regardless of bank loans, other shoppers, etc.

Of course backers are investing. They are investing in the rewards, which have been promised and which should be delivered.
 

Offline Galenbo

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #240 on: March 04, 2015, 07:29:44 pm »
...
I didn't back it, but I thought the Plugaway project was a pretty good idea.  I wish it had succeeded...

I am always amazed about the video quality of the publicity they make. What's the price of their movie?
Must be +30K euro, no? Who's in the professional video editing business?
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Offline eas

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #241 on: March 04, 2015, 09:57:53 pm »
Quote
kickstarter is not a store, it's an investment in an idea that might not work

And yet project creators are "responsible for completing the project and fulfilling each reward. Their fundamental obligation to backers is to finish all the work that was promised." Backing a project for a reward that is a tangible item is indeed rather like shopping, with the only real difference being that the product doesn't yet exist (in most cases).

Kickstarter goes on: "If a creator is absolutely unable to complete the project and fulfill rewards, they must make every reasonable effort to find another way of bringing the project to a satisfying conclusion for their backers."

When you buy something from a pukka shop, the deal may still fall through and you won't get what you're promised. The main difference between that and kickstarter is that the deal isn't on until the funding period ends. Between your 'shopping' and the end of funding, enough money may not be raised so nothing happens. In a real shop, you pay and the item is basically already yours regardless of bank loans, other shoppers, etc.

Of course backers are investing. They are investing in the rewards, which have been promised and which should be delivered.

If Kickstarter is an investment, it isn't a very good one, since a contributor puts the whole of their contribution at risk, and in exchange may, at best, get a discounted price on a product they want and can't otherwise get. I actually think this is a good thing, because if it offered the potential of significant upside, it would promote more degenerate gambling behavior amongst contributors.

The text you've omitted between the two quotes you took from the kickstarter FAQ is:

Quote
Once a creator has done so, they’ve fulfilled their obligation to their backers. At the same time, backers must understand that Kickstarter is not a store. When you back a project, you’re helping to create something new — not ordering something that already exists. There’s a chance something could happen that prevents the creator from being able to finish the project as promised.

Or putting it another way, this may seem like shopping, its not. I'd suggest a better analogy is buying season tickets (or viewing rights) for a sports team - they may win, they may loose.

Quote
Many backers are rallying around their friends' projects. Some are supporting a new effort from someone they've long admired. Some are just inspired by a new idea, while others are motivated to pledge by a project's rewards — a copy of what's being produced, a limited edition, or a custom experience related to the project.

Backing a project is more than just pledging funds to a creator. It's pledging your support to a creative idea that you want to see exist in the world.

Over and over, Kickstarter talks about creativity, creating, creators. Creativity always includes failures along the way. Engineers (and lawyers) put a lot of emphasis on managing risk, but there is also a risk of mediocrity in not taking a big enough risk, and when taking bigger risks, the risk that money will run out before the project is "done."

Kickstarter projects should strive to be realistic in their plans and promises, and finish what they start, but backers should know, that won't always happen, or if it does, it may be late, or fall short of initial promises.
 

Offline PlainName

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #242 on: March 04, 2015, 10:04:58 pm »
Quote
The text you've omitted ...

I didn't think relevant to the point I was making there, and I addressed it anyway earlier (although rereading that now I see it may not be obvious).
 

Offline codeboy2k

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #243 on: March 04, 2015, 11:09:31 pm »
Kickstarter projects should strive to be realistic in their plans and promises, and finish what they start, but backers should know, that won't always happen, or if it does, it may be late, or fall short of initial promises.

This is the key take-away here.  For most kickstarter projects I've seen, the "creators" legitimately want to bring something good into the world, something they want to see happen and they believe in it. What they are selling is that belief, to gain backers and financial support. They don't want to fail, and they do want to deliver on their rewards and products.   I think most projects start with good intentions but fail due to lack of experience and poor estimates of actual time and costs. 
 

Offline FrankBuss

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #244 on: March 06, 2015, 11:26:38 am »


I don't know if it is dodgy, because usually it didn't turn out well when the USA was engaged in a war, as you can see in Vietnam or Iraq (maybe with the positive exception of WW2), but it has already 19 backers, $483.56 of the T$100 goal. I'll support the campaing with the G$10 pledge as soon as I manage to break the Bitcoin encryption: "Inclusion in the ruling class when the New World Order is established in the aftermath of the Battle for Earth"
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Offline bartek

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Re: Plugaway: All money spent, another Kickstarter bites the dust...
« Reply #245 on: March 07, 2015, 09:30:35 am »
Plugaway was an internet connected plug and bulb. The Kickstarter was supposed to be a marketing/customer feedback (fine-tuning) exercise, with a goal of $50,000 AUD and all R&D costs paid for by the project creators.
Yet,  despite raising 3 times the initial goal, the coffers have run dry and the backers who stuck with them given the finger: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/plugaway/plugaway-your-smart-home-on-your-smart-phone/posts/1149647

According to their financials they payed $58K for molding and $25K for office rental, I realise getting plastics right is expensive but this just doesn't seem right. Especially if they put $50K for their minimum goal. Maybe getting it certified was too much of a hassle...


...
I didn't back it, but I thought the Plugaway project was a pretty good idea.  I wish it had succeeded...

I am always amazed about the video quality of the publicity they make. What's the price of their movie?
Must be +30K euro, no? Who's in the professional video editing business?

There are a few studios around the world that specialise in Kickstarter campaigns, for example the studio that did http://kck.st/IfPkIA charges $20K USD plus 5% of the campaign total.

This makes it hard for the little guys who genuinely need to Kickstart their project and don't have a spare $30K USD to spend on marketing!
 

Offline PlainName

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #246 on: March 07, 2015, 10:04:23 am »
Quote
the studio that did http://kck.st/IfPkIA charges $20K USD plus 5%

Gotta say they are worth every penny - despite going there from this thread I absolutely wanted one of those, and even found myself on the store page about to click the PayPal link  :-+
 

Offline FrankBuss

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #247 on: March 07, 2015, 11:08:16 am »
The paper airplane project is very cool, but I guess people would have bought it even with a home video. See for example the video of HackRF (which I backed). No PR bullshit like the shampoo or Mentos Cola in the airplane video, just pure information. It was funded with 750% of the goal. Ok, target audience requirements might be different, but I still think if you have a good product, you don't need to spend tons of money for a video. That's only what the advertisment industry tries to tell you.
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Offline PlainName

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #248 on: March 07, 2015, 11:56:52 am »
The HackRF video is still pretty decent. I think it is, in some ways, much like having an ace programmer design the user interface: some are quite capable of that, but IME the two are separate arts and you might be really good at one yet spectacularly bad at the other. If you just can't create videos then paying someone else to do it, and have it really slick, is worth it.

The issue with stuff like Kickstarter is that you get more than one type of punter. In the case of HackRF I suspect that the video is mere wallpaper: either you know what this is about and you really want one, or it is so meh and your eyes glaze over. It would take quite a lot of persuasion to get you to shift from one position to the other.

OTOH, the paper plane thing needs to catch your inner child in the first few seconds and not let go, otherwise it's just another paper plane and you gave those up two decades ago. The video is entertaining enough that you'll watch it regardless of what it's selling, and by the end its message will have got across to a pretty captive audience who didn't realise at the outset that they wanted the make paper planes still.

Worked on me, anyway :)
 

Offline Galenbo

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Re: List of Dodgy Crowd Source Funded Projects
« Reply #249 on: March 07, 2015, 12:00:12 pm »
If Kickstarter is an investment, it isn't a very good one, since a contributor puts the whole of their contribution at risk, and in exchange may, at best, get a discounted price on a product...

Indeed. People are confused when talking about investing.
They never should have bought an Apple product, but for the same price bought an action, it has the value of a house now.

But whinewhine I want the product now, and share the expierience and be seen and...
Consumerism.
If you try and take a cat apart to see how it works, the first thing you have on your hands is a nonworking cat.
 


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