A job search for writers/editors at AJCjobs.com (the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's job search web site) yielded no jobs, but gave a link to this company saying they were looking for writers of academic papers. On the site an applicant can register. They require a writing sample. On the sample page, I clicked each link under "Useful Files" which included "MLA Style, " "Plagiarism, " "Sample Work 1, " "Sample Work 2, " "APA Style, " and "Harvard Style." The page states that one can "download MLA tutorial and see examples." EVERY SINGLE ONE of these links when I click on them gives the same Not Found error page, a copy of which follows:
The requested URL was not found on this server.
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
In addition, I tried calling the phone number they list on their web site to ask why none of the download links worked, and I got a Fast Busy signal. This was in the evening, around 10 pm my (Eastern) time, or around 7 pm their (Pacific) time. But usually if a business is closed, either there is a recording, or the phone just rings. A fast busy usually means all circuits are busy. But in this case I sort of doubt they were busy at the time I called. Also, in their links at the top of the page, one of them is Contacts, and every time I tried clicking on it, nothing happened. The other top links - Home, Your Benefits, How to Start, Registration, and Sample Work all function. All of these things in combination make me a bit suspicious of this company. I suppose it could be a coincidence, that the links on their site do not work, their phone number gives a fast busy signal, etc. But these things could also be signs of a phony, or at least disreputable, site. Another thing: after completing certain portions of the Registration section, I was directed to pages advertising online universities and such. I had to scroll down to find a "No, Thank You" button to continue with the registration. It reminded me of the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes online entries where I have to keep scrolling down and clicking "No, thanks" to ordering anything in order simply to enter the sweepstakes without buying anything. I realize companies are in business to make a profit and many web sites feature "partner offers." But still... Taken together with the other things I mention, particularly the fact that ALL of the links to download style tutorials and work samples, which are supposed to be there to help the applicant, come up with a Not Found error.
Their directions state that unless you complete a Work Sample, your registration form will not be approved. Then I try to look at their supposed "helpful files" of material to do my work sample, and when I click the links, none of these exists! So even if this company is not a complete fake, it is certainly not very good; its site doesn't provide the support materials it claims to offer, and something is wrong with their phone number, plus all of the advertising, which is not illegal but makes one wonder.
Thanks for reading this, and for investigating this company if you do. I'll look in the future to see if now a search on your site brings this company up or not—before I wrote this report, it did not come up in my search.
Gailcats
Stone Mountain, Georgia
U.S.A.
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