Name of your website?0DayNews
Your name?
Larry Z
Your Location (city, etc)
huntsville, al
What is the purpose of the 0DayNews website?
The primary goal of 0DayNews (ZDN for short) is to educate people through alternative media outlets by providing only the most relevant content. We watch over 40 websites everyday, then harvest only the most important articles and quotes and link to them. We provide a central location on the web that people can turn to and find out what's really going on in the world and how it affects them. More and more people are beginning to realize that the majority of main-stream media is heavily influenced by corporate interests and government and, as such, cannot be counted on for unbiased content. We aim to offer a solution and generate traffic not only for ourselves, but many other bloggers and alternative news outlets as well.
What inspired you to launch ZDN?
A few years back i was heavily involved in investigating what is commonly referred to as "behavioral modification facilities", AKA "wilderness camps", "boot camps", etc. -- places where parents send their kids who may have a drug or alcohol problem, or a discipline problem. I was investigating the incomprehensible abuse taking place regularly at many of these facilities, mostly in the US. One thing led to another and i found myself investigating a host of other interesting subjects, including the events surrounding the attack on Sept. 11th. I felt a strong desire to relay to people what i already knew, and ZDN became the platform to do that.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
My first website of any significance was designed to promote a small business i owned in which i used remotely piloted aircraft to capture low altitude aerial photographs for real estate, construction, etc.. That was in the late 90's.
Why 0DayNews?
You would have to ask that :) Actually the name comes from the "warez" scene which prides itself on "0 day releases" -- software, movies, etc., that is "cracked" and released illegally on the same day that the company which owns it releases it officially. Similarly, ZDN digs up news and publishes it faster than the main stream media, assuming they cover it at all. We're a bit more ethical however... than both, that is.
What makes ZDN different from other websites like it?
We like to think that we deliver only the most relevant pieces. For instance, you won't read about Brittney Spears or other such distractions at ZDN. What you will read about is what is happening in the world today that has a real affect on the average person. You'll learn who is behind the curtain and what their motives really are. ZDN is also a great, one-stop shop for your news fix.
What is your eventual goal?
To educate people and to promote the credibility and exposure of the alternative news outlets. We're not in this for ourselves. I think we are living in perhaps the most interesting and dangerous time in history, but many folks just don't know it. We just want to arm people with the knowledge they need to effect the changes that must be made if we are going to deviate from our current path to destruction.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
Hard to say at this point. We're new and growing, so we'll see what happens. However, it's less about money than it is information.
If you had an unlimited budget, how would that change the course of ZDN?
I'd buy Fox News and fire everyone, then i'd replace the Situation Room with the Zero Day News Room. That goofy round table would have go though.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
I'll let you know if/when the problem arises :)
What unexpected headaches have you had to deal with?
Coming up with a name! At first it was Deepwater, which was taken from a topic which was/is very embarrassing to the US Navy. Finally 0DayNews came up and that's what i went with. I think it has a nice, "underground" flavor and it fits well with our timely releases of content. Besides, i like the sound of "ZDN".
What has been your biggest challenge?
Doing this on a small budget and with limited resources. We're not going to grow as fast as we'd like to and we realize that, but nothing will stop the steady forward progress we're making.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
The visitors! They are the ones that get enthusiastic and tell others about us.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
It really hasn't. I had a good feel for this website based on others that i've run that dealt with similar content, so i pretty much new what i was in for.
How long will you publish ZDN if you don't realize substantial gains in income or popularity?
There's no deadlines really. The goal is to educate people and although we'd rather educate millions, we'll be satisfied with hundreds of hits. I think that once you study the subjects we have, you become motivated more by ethics than paper that is backed by nothing.
What technologies does the 0DayNews website incoporate?
Actually, we try to stay as browser friendly and annoyance free as possible. There are smatterings of JS, an optional cookie or two, some PHP, but most of it is plain html. There are no ads, pop-ups, malware or any other such annoyances. We focus on readability and ease of use.
What is your website address?
0DayNews
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