Busy day for the deadpool. Earlier today we had to drag a startup out of there, and now three others are tumbling into it (although one might still be saved in time).
Here’s a quick overview:
– Ziff Davis property and popular game-centric file download service FileFront is closing down on March 30 due to the “current economic conditions” and this after 10 years in operation. Users have only a couple of days left to retrieve their files before the website is indefinitely suspended.
– Cruxy, a nearly 5-year old provider of marketing, monetization and analytics tools for digital creators ranging from film makers to music artists, is calling it quits too. Its founders claim to be ‘exhausted’ and admit that the service just didn’t get enough traction to justify keeping it alive. They’re pulling the plug on April 1.
– If you’re a fan of documentaries, this is bad news for you: Documentary-film.net, an under-the-radar quality video documentary hosting service with a small but loyal fan base, is unable to cough up the necessary money for decent hosting infrastructure. The website has long been among the top results when searching for ‘documentaries’ and ‘documentary’, so I’m convinced someone out there recognizes the value of it. We’re deadpooling it, but it still has a shot.
By the way, the farewell messages from the latter two victims of the recession give you a good insight on what it’s like bootstrapping a labour of love service and then being forced to shut it down, so consider it recommended reading for aspiring entrepreneurs.