Update: See GoodStart. James Currier, founder and CEO of GoodTree, got back to me after really putting it out here.
“The homepage that supports charities”? I received an email from James Currier, founder and CEO of GoodTree.
“I’ve noticed that you have been posting comments about GoodTree in several different places around the Web.
GoodTree is not a scam, it’s real, and it’s being executed in a very earnest way. We haven’t responded to every email because we’re three guys, and we’re trying to catch up with the popularity of the product. http://www.goodtree.com/about/about
If you have questions about the site, please address them to me in the future. You feedback could be helpful in creating a fantastic service. We’re trying to do a good thing here in a sea of cynicism.”
I am hopeful that GoodTree is genuine and successful at providing a compelling service particularly since their service seems to includes humanitarian benefits.
Is it genuine?
After I received an unsolicited “invite email” from someone I do not know, I did some Google and Technorati searches to find out more about GoodTree. I was really hopefully, but my limited research was not reassuring. After searching I posted a couple of comments.
I exchanged emails with Seth Mazow of Non-Governmental Imagination about his open letter to GoodTree to which he had not had a response to.
GoodTree definitely has some serious problems.
Google Mail warns me in red about the email from James:
Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information. Learn more
The first invite I received did not have that message from Google Mail, but the invite emails that I have seen most recently also include a similar message from Google Mail.
But that is not their biggest problem. The problem is definitely in surmounting the “sea of cynicism” that is the reality of the Internet.
I hear James when he says they are a small team, so it is even more important to join the conversation on the web.
Who vouches for GoodTree? Is James and the rest of the team joining the conversation on web? Two weeks later Seth’s letter still appears “open”. Does GoodTree have its own blog?
Second, is the service. Homepage or search? Who has set their home page in their browser? Who can remember how to do it again? Who can remember how to undo it? So, is it mostly a tech savvy audience? Are the results good enough? Why are the “Sponsored By” subtle and found throughout the results list?
GoodTree’s plans look promising, so I will continue to look forward hopefully.
I still haven’t heard a word. To add to your reasons for doubting their legitimacy, they don’t seem to respond to emails, nor do they list an address or telephone number. Seems sketchy to me.
last link is broken (missing http://)Edit by Lloyd: Thanks. Corrected, engtech has my back as usual.
Hey guys, this is Oliver Nicholas, one of the GoodTree developers. I was just Googling my site and wanted to publicly point out that James did indeed respond to Seth’s letter, on Nov. 7th, no less. Just wanted to say a few things.
First, thanks for keeping an open mind and addressing your questions/issues rationally – we’ve seen a fair amount of outright cynicism so it’s a welcome change.
Second, the invite you received was probably sent because someone had your email address in their address book and indicated that it should be sent – so while you did not solicit it and you may not have known the sender, the sender knew you well enough to either enter your address manually or have you in their address book (and leave your entry checked). That’s sort of the essence of an invite system. It’s more or less turned off right now while we figure out a way to make it more friendly, since we’ve gotten enough complaints about it (from people on the receiving end, obviously — it’s actually a highly requested feature by users…go figure).
third, we are sort of a hybrid homepage/search company, and this is something we’re working on figuring out at the moment. The money comes from search, but we’re hoping to build some other compelling features around it. Speaking of which, the widget system for the homepage has undergone a few revisions and is hopefully getting a major update tomorrow, so please do check it out tomorrow evening and gauge our progress for yourself.
regards
-o
I have been using GoodTree for a while now and find that like Google, Yahoo and other search engines it does do it’s required job- it searches. I did look it up on google trying to find some information regarding where the money is sent. Although I did not find much I think that even if there is a slight possibility that by us doing nothing we are giving money to charity then I say go for it. Even if it is all a scam the website still works. I think that if maybe, maybe my money does go to a good cause then I have still done something. Even if you are sceptical use GoodTree. It does the job!
(Then again not many people are going to listen to a 14 year old!!!)
Thank you!
I was using GoodTree regularly in the UK until recently. I found it excellent and had researched as far as I could to check their validity.
I was therefore concerned to see some of the web posts questioning (albiet legitimately) whether it was a scam.
Recent response from GoodTree (GoodTree responds) seem to have allayed some of these fears and by posting this I wanted to try and provide some positve feed back on what they are trying to do.
Hurry up and get the UK Tree running again please.
Hoping that I’m right,
Neil
Hi Neil, thanks for the comment, see the update at the top of the article linking to an update, GoodStart. Since then I learned that one of my bosses Toni Schneider has become involved as an advisor.
I met the GoodTree folks when I applied for a job with them. I didn’t get the position (about which I have no complaint), but I did meet the developers, and can testify first hand that they are a sincere group. They are honestly trying to do what they say they’re trying to do, and seemed to me to genuinely want to succeed while doing something good and escaping the eventual cynicism that comes with the business world. I found these to be noble goals. This week I will be implementing some new search-intensive tasks for my current workplace, and I’m going to request that the CSRs start using GoodTree. Besides, at leastGoodTree hasn’t given anyone’s secrets to the Chinese Communist Party, unlike some other mainstream search engines I could mention.
Now if only they were available as a Firefox add-on.
Cheers
Sean A
Hi all,
I am one of the volunteer moderators on Goodtree. I don’t know if its legit or not. I have always received back replies from them whenever I have issues. I try my best to use their search engine which does a pretty good job as far as sourcing information is concerned and if I can help someone just by doing my research via goodtree, what’s the scam in that??They NEVER asked me for money or anything. I voluntarily try my best to keep the site clean for the sake of their younger and thereofore more impressionable minds.