| The Linkup | |
|---|---|
| |
| TheLinkup.com Main Interface | |
| Developer | Streamload |
| Operating system | Any (Web-based application) |
| Type | Web productivity tools |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | thelinkup.com |
The Linkup (formerly MediaMax), a spin-off from Streamload (now Nirvanix), was a "social network for file sharing" and a service that let users send, receive, and store large amounts of data via the web. [1] It was one of the first Internet based storage services (winning numerous awards) and is now one of the largest failures resulting in user data loss. [2] [3]
On June 15, 2007 a system administrator's script accidentally misidentified and deleted "good data" along with the "dead data" of some 3.5 million former user accounts and files. It took until October 2007 to complete a partial restore of the data (much of it being irretrievably lost). [4]
The Linkup finally experienced a "meltdown" on July 10, 2008 which left about 20,000 paying subscribers without their digital music, video, and photo files from August 8, 2008. [4] In the site's place is a message saying We're sorry, but MediaMax and The Linkup are now closed. with an affiliate link to competitor Box.net.