Crovati
Crovati was a website Greg released in May 2012. It was created to be a serious forum where users go to critique YouTubers' videos. It shut down later that year.
Site
Greg launched Crovati.com in May 2012. When Crovati first launched, it had database errors due to the high tragic volumes. (Source)
Text from the "about" page from the Crovati site (Source):
A select few of you may of asked yourselves “What the **** is the point in having a review site for online videos when we can just watch them for free?”… and it’s a very good question! Fortunately there is an awesome answer.
When internet personalities upload videos they are releasing their content to be reviewed by a simple thumbs up, thumbs down rating system, which does not specifically help them when it comes to the specifics of what went wrong, what was right & how they can improve.
Crovati, as you may know, stands for “Critic reviews of videos around the internet” which means the reviews are not just done by random people who typed in a search query, or long-time subscribers, but rather people who enjoy paying attention to the details, and wish to constructively improve upon or help change the artist’s perspective on how video making can be best accomplished through the eyes of a critical mind.
Crovati can also be used as a promotional tool for content creators who are not yet discovered, viewers can submit videos they feel deserve a review, and if it is chosen, it could very well wind up on the Crovati home page! Awesome right?
Regardless, Crovati is not just about reviews, it’s about free tools for your videos, creative commons licensed music, quizzes, rumors/gossip (because let’s face it, that’s just fun) & an awesome, growing community.
Thank you so much for being a part of this site, I truly hope you enjoy your time here!
- Onision
Social Media
To promote the site, Greg created a CrovotiDotCom Facebook, Twitter, and even a Crovati YouTube channel. They were all created within the week of the launch of the Crovati site.
On the Crovati Twitter and Facebook, Greg would post updates about the Crovati site and links to discussion topics and video review topics for various well known YouTubers' videos. Sprinkled in his Crovati statuses and updates would be links to his new videos. On October 6, 2012, Greg posted about being excited about a new website he was working on. He nicknamed it "Onision Forums 2.0". Later that day, the Onision.tv forum launched and there were no longer any social media updates about Crovati.
Greg maintained the Twitter and Facebook page until May 2013. He would post mirrors of posts and tweets from his Onision social media. Greg deleted all posts about Crovati from his Tumblr. (Source)
On Jun 8, 2012, Greg uploaded "CURE FOR EMO" to his Speaks channel. In the video, he announces he will begin to make old Speaks format video again, but on the Crovati channel. He says the Crovati channel will become the new OnisionSpeaks channel. Greg talked about the Crovati site as well. He said although the concept of the site was great, he now needs it to become the Onision forums because "GoDaddy is being a cock". He said onision.net will all be deleted and all users and posts will be gone. He then went to his onision.net contact page "for one of the last times ever" and read a post from a user asking for advice and used the rest of the video to tell them what he thought. ($ource)
On Jun 10, 2012, Greg uploaded his first and last Crovati video, "GROW". Ratings and comments are disabled on the video. In the video he says it will be his first and last serious video on the Crovati channel. He ends the video with a wave turned boob squeeze.
Crovati Times
On August 3, 2012, Greg announced the Crovati Times. He posted a list of plans and instructions about it. (Source) Crovati Times seems to be a user run online newspaper. The first issue launched August 6, 2012. Edition 3 came out later the month on the 24th. One of the headlines was "FORUM MEMBERS SWEARS NICELY". The last issue came out on September 10, 2012. The headline was, "ULTIMATE FACE OFF BETWEEN FORUM PONIES AND CATS". (Source) In one of the issues, Greg was featured in the Member Spotlight and interviewed. (Source)
Demise
By October 2012, Greg was ready to re-launch his Onision forums. He completely stopped posting about Crovati.
From archives and screen shots of the Crovati website, it appears its users strayed away from Greg's original intent of the site. They treated it like the Onision forms, rather than a serious video review and critique site. This may have been the reason why Greg ultimately decided to abruptly stop Crovati and re-launch the OFO.
On Greg's Linked In account, he wrote he was the Administrator of Crovati from May 2012 to March 2013, 11 months. (Source)
Crovati.com became a redirect to onision.com for a while and is now a blank page. It is not known is he still owns the domain.