18/05/2010. Interview with the admin of RogerVille

ROGERVILLE IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED! PLEASE DO NOT INVEST!

Hi everybody! For the first post today I have an interesting and in many ways revealing interview with a man who is arguably one of the most popular figures in the HYIP industry today. Revered by some, let’s just say “a bit less so” by others, but undeniably controversial. Today I’m talking to Roger Miller, admin of the growingly popular short term HYIP RogerVille, and self-confessed admin of a number of other short term programs in the past. And I suspect probably more than Roger himself cares to admit, but never mind, I for one don’t hold it against him.

If you’re a long term HYIP player like I am and are dealing with upwards of a hundred programs per year then chances are you’ve dealt with (and been scammed by!) the same admin a damn sight more than once, with their lies and their schemes and their plots. The difference with Roger however is his refreshing candor as to the true nature of this business and to how things really work. OK, I know that doesn’t make things any easier if you lose a few bucks but the thing is this is one admin who will at least treat you like an adult and tell you before you join the game that the chances of you losing are very real. And let’s face it, I don’t remember so called “good” programs like GeniusFunds or PanaMoney ever mentioning anything about that!

So as we’re all adults here I suggest you enter RogerVille then please do so the same way you enter a bookie’s shop or enter a card game – with your eyes on the prize obviously but also with both eyes open. So act like an adult, be aware of the situation you are putting yourself in by playing, accept your winnings with good grace but if you lose then take the admin’s advice and don’t take it personally, OK?

Speaking of gifted admins I notice that Roger has chosen a nom de plume similar (but not the same) as a certain similarly gifted former Cameroonian footballer and of course the late “king of the road” country singer. Couldn’t have picked a better moniker myself roger! RogerVille offers terms of 144% after 12 days and for more information on RogerVille you can always refer back to my original review published here.

“1. Hi Roger, and welcome back (yet again!) to MNO. For anybody who doesn’t already know you please introduce yourself to the readers and tell us about the project you are currently working on.

Hello Paul. Thanks for the welcome again (LOL) . To those who do not know me, my name is Roger Miller. I am a well experienced administrator in this field and have ran several successful sites in the past although there was one bad apple. USDozen, Investimates, Investomato & Cashift.

2. I suppose we can’t really pass over the fact that you’ve done this before, haven’t you? How many programs would you care to admit to running before RogerVille? What was the best one? Where did the less successful ones go wrong?

As mentioned in the first question, I ran Investimates which lasted for 77 days with a 12×12 (144%) plan (same plan as RogerVille.com) . So far that is the program which is most successful in my portfolio. Investomato on the other hand did not last long due to payment processor problems caused by other members who do not understand how these things work and can’t move on. Everybody knows that was the reason why Investomato had to close early.

3. RogerVille is getting a lot of attention now and has a lot of fans, as do you personally. But what would you like to say to anyone a bit less happy to see you back? What would you like to say to the members that eventually lost money when the other programs inevitably closed?

As always, remember that you are joining a game and you should understand how these programs work. There is a big chance of winning while there is a risk of losing. If members just continue to support the program then definitely it will last a long time. Even if for a fact, that it is publicly announced as a game. Check Investimates, it lasted 77 days even if people knew it was a game. I believe you do not have to lie that you do investments in order to make a successful program. Agree?

4. Getting back to the program itself, tell us in detail about the investment plan you are offering. What are the minimum and maximum figures to spend and what payment processors are you dealing with?

The plan is 144% paid after 12 days. This includes the principal already so that means your profit in reality is just 44% after 12 days. The return is credited to your account only after 12 days from your deposit date. The minimum spend is $5 while the maximum is $1,000 . We have a very low maximum and I intend to keep it this way for a while.

Of course because of my experience with Investomato where some crazy Investimates members who lost (naturally) reported and made stories to the other 3 processors (AP, STP, SP) , I am only using LibertyReserve and PerfectMoney right now. Who said you can’t succeed having these two as the only available options? RogerVille proves them wrong. You know that Paul hehe.

5. In the past you usually had a good selection of payment methods but not so this time. Why not? Has it affected you adversely? Or do people just join anyway because they know you and how you operate?

As explained above, there are people who are not happy that I am back. Let’s admit it, some cannot move on and think they got scammed when in reality they only lost in a game. It does not mean they got scammed. Am I right? I did not make false statements and told publicly that it is a game so certain people made stories up and reported the accounts to 3 payment processors so I only use the 2 now. (LR and PM).

6. What about the security of RogerVille? Are you on a dedicated server? Why have you changed hosting providers this time and how highly do you rate the services of your new provider?

I hosted Cashift with KODDOS and I was happy with their service. I like the protection they offer and never had any problems with it. The script is secured because I do know how to secure my own server too. So far so good. Very satisfied. I just had to try other providers to see which one is best and since I have not heard of anything bad about KODDOS. I hosted with them with this greatly fast server.

7. What script are you using? What are the benefits of that one to both you as an admin and to the users? Why no SSL encryption? With hackers more active (and inventive) than ever shouldn’t that be a priority?

I do not store passwords of members payment processors on our server so there is actually no need for an SSL certificate at the moment because it is secured as it is. With my experience in this industry, I have developed my skills in preventing hackers in entering the system.

8. What have you been doing to promote the program so far? How has the reaction been from investors? Compared to anything else you have done would you say it’s been above, average, or below what you were hoping for?

You know what Paul, I have to be honest. I used the same promotion style I used on my previous site. I know and believe that you do not need to spend a lot of money for advertising everywhere. You just have to choose wisely where to advertise and you know for sure that I find your blog the best place to advertise and get listed. I cannot post on the forum though (MMG).

It is great so far and people know it. Members are redepositing and new members are making spends and know how I operate and therefore they use that to justify their decisions to join and make deposits.

9. What do you think of promoters and monitors that offer ref-back payments? Do you think it makes the problem with Hit-and-Runners worse?

Actually it is very effective in promoting a site. Members like RCBs and you can’t blame them on that. I think I am not being hit and ran with it because members are definitely redepositing.

10. Do you think that by being so candid about the nature of your program(s) that you might be inviting a lot more Hit-and-Runners? Or is that just something that you have to put up with in short term HYIPs anyway and makes no difference?

It is my nature. My name may be a pen name but my personality is the the real deal. What you see in Roger is what you see in me. It is my nature to be fun filled and I like it that way. Upfront and straight answers, that is what I am known for and it should stay that way.

11. I don’t expect any personal info here but do you mind telling us the circumstances in which you ever got involved in the HYIP industry to begin with? What were your first experiences like and how have things changed since you first got involved? What have you learned along the way?

I would like to keep some prior experiences private because I believe that while others will not find the information bad, there are some who will use that against me even if its not supposed to be used that way. So let’s just take it from USDozen. I started with that program as an admin and my own program. I experienced many things in the past which made me better as an admin of a program. I knew how to secure my site and make changes in order to make preventive measures.

12. Were you ever concerned about the legality of what you are doing? And I don’t mean to sound condescending here, because you, me and every single person reading this is also involved in a questionable business to a greater or lesser extent.

I believe I will get in greater trouble if I lie and make fake statements that I invest your money, when I don’t. How will this industry survive if all there is are scammer admins, this industry is more like a gambling industry in reality anyway. So I am not hiding facts that my programs are games. I guess I am just one of the people who provide the games.

13. So we know you’re an admin, but are you still a player? I don’t mean “piggybacking” with members funds, I mean do you ever play the HYIP market with your own money either for fun or seriously hoping to earn a few bucks.

No. I do not invest / deposit any money in other programs. Period. I only trust my own site.

14. Without advertising your competitors, what do you think investors should look for in an online HYIP? What kind of programs do you personally like? I’ve seen a few in my time on the net when I know in under five minutes that it’s going to be huge and who I believe the admin is (though you caught me off guard with Cashift, lol!). So what for you separates the good ones from the blatant scams?

Well. First off, trust your instincts. You are right. Many can feel that a program can be huge and they should support that site. Although it cannot be a hundred percent sure that it will not fail. It will still depend on the attitude and personality of the admin if he has advanced intention to scam. You know me and I play fair so look for admins who knows how to handle a program and make it big too and not just run away with the money. I know this is hard to come by but at least one is right in front of you now.

The bottomline is that there is nothing sure in this industry because it all depends on your support and if the admin wants to play it fairly. With my program, you are guaranteed of the fair game.

15. Getting back to RogerVille, a couple of good new programs have come up with some interesting promotional contests recently that reward regular members as opposed to professional monitors (for creativity for example). What do think of this and do you have anything similar in mind to promote RogerVille?

I believe you are talking about a program that is already gone with the wind with the smell of melted chocolate bars in boiling point temperature LOL. Well, while these contests are effective in making a program more active, I still know that when people who they’re dealing with they don’t need these contests. They know what they’re getting into and they play it fairly too, just like I do.

16. And in relation to that, do you have any other future plans for RogerVille? Any changes or adjustments? Or do you think you have made your case already and have offered investors what you are prepared to?

Well right now, members want me to raise the limit of max deposit higher but I do not want to raise it just yet. I want to keep it at $1,000 level for a longer time. With regards to the contests, maybe, I will have a good idea on what to do with that. But I hope if I launch a contest, members will not think that the program needed the boost. If I ever run a contest, just know that it’s for the fun factor. Alright?

17. As an experienced admin what do you think of the current crisis in the HYIP industry with so many big names collapsing in such quick succession? What do you think is going on, or would you say it’s just it’s just a natural occurrence made worse by bad timing? Have you noticed a major change in investor’s attitudes now?

You are so right. The industry has changed dramatically and it needs a different approach, I think members really should know who they’re dealing with and then base their support level on that fact. If they know that the admin is a great admin then by all means they should support that admin so they can have at least good programs around with lasting success. The investors have transformed, many just hit and run most programs that are new and with stranger admins. That is the current thinking now because they experience a lot of scams so they try to make profit and secure that profit and hit another program. Well if they know who they’re dealing with in the first place they will be able to decide if they can support that program and keep on redepositing.

18. And finally, is there anything else you wish to add? Anything you want to say about RogerVille that you think I haven’t covered? Something you want to tell people that will convince them your program is worth taking a chance on?

Please give RogerVille a look and you will like it. I may not be active on the forums now but please know that I do keep my job at it’s highest possible standard. At least with RogerVille, you know who you’re dealing with and you know what I can do for you. Thanks Paul and I wish everyone a great day!”

Thanks a lot to Roger for taking the time for that and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. You know, it’s not every day you get such a unique and personal insight into the workings of a professional admin so I hope you take something from this.

You know reading this interview has brought back a couple of old memories for me. In my younger days there was this bar in my hometown that me and my friends used to hang out in at the weekends. I was barely 18 at the time. So they had a pool table and we used to play. One night this guy comes in, sits down by the window, and starts watching us. He comes up to me after a while and says “hey kid, you’re ok, wanna play me? No money, just for fun”. So I agree. And I beat him. Then he says “good game, you’re better than I thought. Wanna play again? This time the loser buys the winner a beer.” Of course I agree! (I was only 18 for God’s sake! Lol) And what happens next? He proceeds to soundly, squarely, and fairly beat the pants off me. I mean the guy was a shark! Think (for movie buffs!) of Jackie Gleeson and Paul Newman in The Hustler. I got scammed and I knew it, but what could I do? So I asked the guy what he was drinking and you know what he says? “Nothing! Forget about it. I was just trying to teach you a real lesson. About life. You think you’re smart but there’s always someone smarter that will allow you to think otherwise, and then use that to steal from you. You’re only lucky I didn’t ask you to bet your watch.”

So I went back over to my friends and told them about it. I thought about for a couple of minutes and you know what I did next? I went and bought the guy a beer anyway. Not because he beat me in a pool game but because he was so honest with me. And I can tell you guys it was a lesson well learned! A lesson that has stuck with me all these years later in MNO.

So why am I telling you any of this? Well it’s basically because I respect Roger for the same reasons I respect that man. I don’t know how many of you know this, or even want to know this, but most of you are mixed up in a very dangerous game in the HYIP business here my friends. So when a guy like Roger comes along and tells you straight out that RogerVille is akin to a poker game, then please please please take the man’s advice and behave accordingly. You couldn’t possibly get that info from a better source than the admin himself!

That’s about all for now guys but don’t forget to check back here a little later this evening for more news and updates. See you then!