Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

You are right, on this page you will find answers of frequently asked questions. If this page doesn't help you, please feel free to write me an e-mail.

1. What is this all about?
2. Do you have an idea, what I could record?
3. You're selling time, are you crazy?
4. Who are you?
5. Why should I buy seconds? I have enough time!
6. What is the difference to the Million Dollar Homepage?
7. How can I put an image on the front page?
8. How can I record or convert audio in MP3-format on my computer?
9. I have found copyrighted material that does not belong to this homepage.
10. I have found obscene, offensive, hatefull, illegal or adult audiofiles, images or links I want to report.

1. What is this all about?

There are two ideas behind this project. My first goal with this site is to create a little time capsule with audio files provided and made by you. My intention is, that these files reflect the life on earth up to now. You are able to upload the audio here and I stream it to the internet, over and over again. Visitors can also listen to the audio files separately by selecting them from the audio list. They even can get to your homepage by clicking on the image on the front page and the link you provided. The second goal for this site is to make one million dollar by selling one million seconds of space for audio material to you, each second for one dollar. As a by-product, I would be the first millionaire in my family. Well, it would be also o.k. to just have some extra bucks...

For every 100 seconds you buy, you will qualify for uploading an image with the same amount of pixels which will be displayed on the front page. When another user clicks on the uploaded image, the link you submitted will be called. So you can upload audio, upload an image and link back to your hompepage. Probably a lot of the traffic my site gets because of that crazy idea will be forwarded to your website. This site will be online for at least five years. You pay once and you can be heard, seen and are linked for a long time. Confused? This calculator will help you.

There are two other things left, I didn't mention yet. If the project finishes, I would like to conserve the audio files and images somehow. The internet is a good way, but I would like to have some backup. So I will eventually put all audio files on a DVD and use the uploaded images as the cover. Thus every human can buy a copy and have this time capsule at home. Another idea is to stream the audio file or parts of it to the universe. I still do not know how to do this and I will definitely need some help. But this way not only humans can have a copy in their shelves, also aliens could listen and save a backup.

2. Do you have an idea what I could record?

My intention is, that the audio files reflect the life on earth up to now. You can for example record current feelings, your own lyrics, advertisements, your own music, independent journalism, wishes, stories, jokes, imitations, historical records, results of sportevents, interviews, sounds of nature, ordinary noises, greetings, ideas, annotations, anecdotes and so forth in any language you want. You could also use effects to change your voice. It's up to your imagination.

Please keep in mind, that no offensive, hatefull, illegal and obscene audio files are allowed and that you need the legal authority to put them on my homepage and to get them published by me.

3. You're selling time, are you crazy?

Well, I'm not sure... I must admit, it's a crazy idea, but maybe crazy enough to work. I'm not even sure about the results, how many people will participate and what contents the audio files will have. I'm sure it will be a very special kind of art having this audio patchwork from all over the world.

But I'm very excited and looking forward. I'm a happy man, love to tell stories and like to laugh a lot. I think, this project will even make me laugh a little bit louder...

4. Who are you?

My name is Jens Bierkandt and I graduated three years ago. I'm 33 years old and living in Braunschweig, Germany. I'm working for a company and having found my last inquiry for a salary increase decliend, I thought making $1m this way should be ok...

I also like to listen to music and I love to make music. I played in a couple of bands as a keyboarder and in my last project I sang in an a capella band. That was really fun!

5. Why should I buy seconds? I have enough time!

This site will potentially attract a lot of people. Everyone on earth with an internet connection can turn on my "internet radio" and listen to your audio file. You could also advertise your company and publish your phone number. Maybe your talent or company will be discovered.

If you also qualified for uploading an image (when you bought more then 100 seconds), people will see it on the front page of The Million Seconds Homepage. By clicking on it, they are directed to the link you provided. This might significantly increase traffic to your homepage.

This project will stay alive at least five years from the beginning, so you only have to pay once and you can be heard, seen and linked for a long time.

6. What is the difference to the Million Dollar Homepage?

The Million Dollar Homepage has been around since August 2005. The goal was to sell pixels, $1 per pixel, and users would get linked on the front page of this project. Alex Tew, the initiator, sold all pixels until January 2006. What a deal! He earned $1m within six month. I think, he really deserves it for coming up with this great idea.

But selling pixels is out. There are almost 1.000 copycat sites, but this idea only works once. Alex was the first one to sell pixels and I'm the first one to sell seconds.

My idea is to sell seconds and stream them like an internet radio to the internet. That's the difference. People who qualify for uploading an image can also do so and have them linked to their homepage, but this is not my primary focus. Maybe my idea is kind of a derivate. I have been definitively inspired by Alex.

The Million Dollar Homepage states "own a piece of internet history". Well, I think the whole project of Alex Tew is not that interesting in five years anymore. Looking at one million pixels from 2005 might be boring. But listening to one million seconds from five years ago or older could be pretty exciting. Memories, feelings, long forgotten voices, bands/peoples doing now big business and so on. I think you get the point...

7. How can I put an image on the front page?

For every 100 seconds you buy, you qualify for uploading an image with 100 pixels with the size of 10x10 pixels. If you buy less than 100 pixels, you are not able to upload an image and be linked from the front page. If you buy, for example, 420 seconds, your image can contain 400 pixels. Keep in mind, that every side must be a multiple of 10, so 20x20 pixels would be fine.

If you payed for less than 100 seconds, your audio file will of course still be in the live stream and can be downloaded seperately from the page with all audio files. On this page will also be a link to the homepage you entered when uploading the audio file.

If you want to display your image on the front page but do not have any or enough audio material, please consider donating some seconds to your friends. I'm sure a lot of people would love to add something to this project. But you are also free to lapse your seconds and just upload the image.

8. How can I record or convert audio in MP3-format on my computer?

You will at least need a soundcard. If you want to record voice, you also need a microphone.

If you don't have a recording software, I recommend Audacity, witch is free software and can be used on Windows, Linux and Mac computers. With this programm you are able to record, edit and convert your audiofiles. To export your recordings as MP3 files, you will need the free lame encoder. You can find installation instructions for lame on the Audacity FAQ Page. After installing lame, you can choose from the menu "Export as mp3" and your audio recordings will be saved.

9. I have found copyrighted material that does not belong to this homepage.

I am taking this very serious. If you found some audio material or images, that are copyrighted and you are pretty sure it does not belong to the person who uploaded these files, please write immediately an e-mail to abuse@millionsecondshomepage.com. I will remove this material immediately from my homepage.

10. I have found obscene, offensive, hatefull, illegal or adult audiofiles, images or links I want to report.

I am also taking this very serious. I'm trying to filter these files, but since I speak only three languages and people can upload in any language, I'm not able to find every violation. If you find material like this on my homepgae, please write immediately an e-mail to abuse@millionsecondshomepage.com. I will remove this material immediately from my homepage.