I have just got word from our Shanghai based tech team with an update on the Viewbar status. Most of the QA tests are going well with the exception of the ad servers. The team is currently integrating the Viewbar with the ad servers so that the Viewbar will have ads (and revenue) ready to go when it launches (it would not make too much sense to release a Viewbar that was not making any money). So, while the Viewbar is still on track for release this month, making the April 2nd to 16th window is getting more difficult – and, yes, the Shanghai team has been working seven days a week for quite a while now and will continue to do so until the Viewbar is released.

There is some good Viewbar news for most of you. As I mentioned in my last post, we are initially releasing about 50,000 Viewbars to those Members that signed up first. Our current plan is to release another 50,000 Viewbars every day until every pre-launch Member has a Viewbar (which means all Members should have their Viewbar within the first 10 – 11 days). This should alleviate some of the fears Members have expressed that they might have to wait weeks or months for their Viewbar. We recognize that there have been delays on the front end of the release, so we are trying to tighten up the back end of the release as much as possible.

Also, as some Members have correctly pointed out, AGLOCO’s early revenue will not immediately translate into cash distributions to Members. While we do not know how large our initial revenue will be, we do know that AGLOCO has operating costs to pay. It is important to remember that AGLOCO is not a “get rich quick scheme”, and we maintain that the most prudent way to build AGLOCO as a sustainable company is to calibrate Member distributions to company earnings. As such, the cash payouts will not begin until there is a comfortable balance between AGLOCO’s free cash flow and AGLOCO’s expenses. It is important to add that all Members will begin to accumulate hours from when they first start using the Viewbar (and referral hours will also be earned). Those hours will not be wasted. Both overall hours and monthly hours will be used in determining distributions to Members.

I’ll keep you posted as relevant updates continue to come up.

Brian Greenwald
AGLOCO Development Team
http://blog.agloco.com/

UPDATE: The AGLOCO Viewbar, just like Agloco is dead. I would encourage you to uninstall it from your computer as it has no use anymore.

Finally, after the long wait the Viewbar has officially been released to all the Agloco members and you can download it now. I got the e-mail a day ago, and went to get the viewbar immediately. I have run it for a few hours and find that it is not obtrusive in any way to my regular browsing.

The file itself to install the Viewbar is 2.2 MB in the download. May be a little slow right now because EVERYONE is trying to download theirs right now so you may have to check in a few times to get yours. Install takes just a couple minutes from the icon and you are ready to go. Launch the bar and enter your Agloco Username (I used my e-mail addy) and then the viewbar will show up at the bottom of your screen. It can be run with IE, or Firefox.

In the next post I’ll put up the Viewbar FAQs so that you can reference it and get started.

So NOW you can finally start using it and promote Agloco a little more since the Viewbar is finally here!

UPDATE: If you have been looking for the viewbar, don’t bother. Agloco is Dead. I would encourage you just to quit using the toolbar if you do have it. It is not going to do anything for you other than to put adware on your system anyways and you aren’t getting paid for it.

To uninstall the Viewbar in Windows all you need to do is click on your start menu, find it there and click on the “Uninstall” icon and you are all set.

Honestly I don’t know. I check in there every week or so to see if any new information is out, but it seems they have run into a bit of a snag with the ad servers. When will it be done? Who knows.

Apparently John Chow created a video recently using the viewbar and this is what he had to say:

The AGLOCO Viewbar is real and it does exist. I know because I’m using it right now. Akshay Mavani sent me a beta Viewbar to try out and give my impressions.

The Viewbar software is a 1.8 MB download. When installed, it takes up 5 MB of space. The Viewbar is not any bigger than the Windows task bar. The version I am running shows ads by Google and Google is the default search engine. The ads are not targeted at the moment because it hits only one ad server. The rest of the ad servers have not been connected.

You can view his video here

So…it is in testing phase still, but far enough along that it could be tested by one of the more active Agloco backers. Let’s hope it is ready soon.

The Viewbar™ is a small toolbar that rests on the bottom of your screen or browser window while you surf the Internet. The Viewbar™ software is what enables AGLOCO to collect the money you are earning while browsing the Internet.
The Viewbar™ keeps track of your online interests and preferences, and uses that information to deliver the most valuable message to you at the right time. Because privacy is a core principle of AGLOCO, the Viewbar™ communicates with our secure servers in an encrypted fashion to keep your information private.

Some people have asked: “Is the Viewbar™ some kind of ‘spyware’?” The answer is simple: The Viewbar™ is the opposite of spyware. Spyware sneaks onto your computer without your knowledge or permission, it steals your private information, and it’s nearly impossible to remove. Unlike spyware, the Viewbar™ is completely permission based, it keeps your information private, and you can always turn it off with a single click.

The AGLOCO Viewbar™ (currently in limited beta) is shown below:

The Viewbar™ also has many additional features:

* Search (which lets us get you money from search engine companies)
* Contextual ads (which lets us get you money from advertisers)
* Anti-fraud and other software utilities (which lets us get you money from software companies)

Here is a screenshot of what the Viewbar will look like on your desktop:

Here are some frequently asked questions about the Viewbar. It will be updated as new questions get asked and new issues get raised. If you still don’t get the help you need, please email help@agloco.com to reach our customer support.

What is the Viewbar?

The Viewbar is downloadable toolbar software that enables AGLOCO to collect money on your behalf as you actively browse the Internet.

How do I download the Viewbar?

First, sign in to your account. On your account page, there will be a button that says “Download Viewbar”. Click that button and follow the instructions on screen to download the Viewbar (when prompted, click “run” instead of “save”).

I am having a problem installing and using the Viewbar. What do I do?

Here are some common errors:

1. Viewbar is compatible with Windows – Windows 2000, XP and Vista. Mac and Linux versions are not available yet.
2. You should hit “run” instead of “save” during the installation process
3. You may have a firewall block you (With firewalls the Viewbar needs an OK for its viewbar.exe program and its update.exe program – otherwise it will not function).
4. You need to put in your correct Member ID and password (if you can not remember yours, go to the AGLOCO website sign in page and request a new password)
5. No green light in the Viewbar logo
   - Make sure you are connected to the Internet and are actively using a browser (IE or Firefox)
   - Give it 2 minutes to connect to the database.
6. If you have any other problem get a new Viewbar, you can always try restarting the Viewbar. If that still doesn’t work, you can also try reinstalling the software.
   - To restart the Viewbar, right click on the Viewbar icon (a green “o”) in the Windows icon trey on the lower-right hand corner of your screen, and select “quit”. Then, right click again on the Viewbar logo and select “sign in”.
   - To reinstall the Viewbar, first right click on the Viewbar icon (a green “o”) in the Windows icon trey on the lower-right hand corner of your screen, and select “quit”. Next – click on the Windows start button, then navigate through all programs and AGLOCO Viewbar – then select the Viewbar uninstall program. Then, download the Viewbar again by sigining into your AGLOCO account on the website and clicking “download viewbar” on your account page. This will give you a new Viewbar

What is my Member ID?

You can always use the email address you became a Member with to get access to your account or your Viewbar. You can also go to the AGLOCO website sign in page and click on “forgot your info”.

What is my password?

Go the AGLOCO website sign in page and click on lost “forgot your info”.

What are the features of the Viewbar? How does it work?

We’ll address the Viewbar’s features from left-to right:

Options: Right-Clicking on the “AGLOCO” logo on the left-hand side of the Viewbar brings up several options. In addition to access to the AGLOCO website and your Account page,
- Dock: You can choose to dock the Viewbar at the top or the bottom of the screen
- Skin: The Viewbar is currently available in four colors: Blue (default), Green, Red, and Purple
- Language: The Viewbar is currently available in both English and Chinese
- Advanced Options: These include a place to put your proxy settings (if you access the internet through a proxy) and your auto-update settings.

Accrual Indicator: The second letter “o” in the AGLOCO logo tells you whether you are currently accumulating AGLOCO Hours. If it is green, you are. If the indicator is red, you are not currently accumulating hours (most likely because either you are not actively browsing the internet or because you have already reached your monthly maximum).
Ad space: The largest space on the Viewbar is for a text ad. If you see something interesting, click on the ad to check it out! The ad will open a new tab or browser window, so your current browser should not be interrupted.

Search: Conduct your internet searches using the toolbar. We have several search engines available, including Google, Yahoo, or Amazon.
- To select your search engine: Click the logo on the left-hand side of the search field and a drop down menu of all available engines will appear
- To search: Type your query in the search field and either hit “enter” on your keyboard or click the magnifying glass button.

Favorites and Tools: The “gear” button has tools for AGLOCO Members. Currently, the tools are simple, but this section of the Viewbar will be expanded over time.
- Favorites: The Viewbar has all your favorite websites from Internet Explorer and Firefox, as well as a few AGLOCO-selected websites
- Tools: Right now this enables you access to the Windows calculator and Windows calendar. This capability will be expanded with more tools in future Viewbar versions
Minimize: The down arrow on the right side of the Viewbar minimizes the Viewbar software. When minimized, the Viewbar will be off your screen and will not be monitoring your internet surfing. You will not accumulate hours for the time the Viewbar is minimized.
Ads aren’t showing up properly on my Viewbar. What do I do?

Try waiting a few minutes, as we may be conducting routine maintenance on the ad server or experiencing another temporary issue. If that doesn’t work, try restarting the Viewbar. To restart the Viewbar, right click on the Viewbar icon (a green “o”) in the Windows icon trey on the lower-right hand corner of your screen, and select “quit”. Then, right click again on the Viewbar logo and select “sign in”.

How do I log in as another Member from the same computer?

There should be an AGLOCO icon in the icon trey on the lower-right hand corner of your screen (a Green ‘o’ ). Right-click this icon and select “sign out”. Then, right click on the icon again and click “sign-in”. The sign-in screen will pop up and you can sign in as a new Member.

How do I get credit for using the Viewbar?

Simply surf the internet while the Viewbar is visible on the screen. The software calculates the time you spend actively surfing and tallies it. The current maximum is 5 hours/month. You also get credit for your referrals’ surfing.

How do I minimize the Viewbar and get it off my desktop?

Click the down arrow on the right side of the Viewbar. When minimized, the Viewbar will be off your screen and will not be monitoring your internet surfing. You will not accumulate hours for the time the Viewbar is minimized.