Domain Name Registrants Shine the Light on Cyberbullies

http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2007/07/the-c-word-expo.html

Rick Schwartz posts an excellent piece on his blog.  There is a finite amount of fertile, usable land on this planet and there are a finite number of generic and meaningful domain names in the coveted .com space.  Buy a bunch of high quality land and you're a very smart land developer.  Buy a bunch of the online version and risk some technical purist or Internet policy wonk incorrectly labeling you the familiar and derogatory "Cybersquatter".

Not true of course..  Cybersquatters maliciously target trademarks whereas generic names can be owned by "anyone". Still that doesn't stop the mud from slinging... Rick Schwartz throws it in their face calling those mudslingers Cyberbullies:

Quote: "Maybe they should articulate how they missed the single biggest opportunity in their lifetime, their father's lifetime and their father's before them? How do they answer that? They put on their shoes and THEN they put on their socks and now they want to own the assets we took the RISK to have? NO WAY!" Schwartz said. For those who complain about domain owners who have not yet developed their sites (how this is anyone's business still escapes me)..."

Schwartz explained the winning strategy he employed when he started out;

"I saw a unique opportunity in time that would NEVER pass again. I decided that securing the LAND for the development in the future TRUMPED developing one website. Looking back, that was one hell of a great decision on my part and a HUGE mistake for many of them. Now all they can do is label everyone with GREAT undeveloped domains as “cybersquatters! The truth of the matter is they FAILED MISERABLY and their sour grapes are being exposed!"...

He's right of course... I've said it before: "You can't drive by a vacant piece of land, an unused car in a parking lot, an empty house, vacant office space or unused machinery anywhere in the world that is not OWNED by somebody. That's capitalism.  And next time you bite into your Big Mac you should thank God we have capitalism..  lest you wake up from your dream in North Korea chewing on a raw rutabaga."

Comments

[David Wrixon (aka Rubber Duck)]

When compared with a Big Mac, the Raw Rutabaga sounds quite appealing!

[IPTV]

Then the egomaniac "Cyberbullies" try and turn into domain name "reverse hijackers"....

When they find out the the piece of cyber real estate they wanted to build their "trump casino" on...was purchased and is already has a huge "generic FS casino" already built on it...LOL

Peace,
Dan

[enoss]

I agree completely........other than the fact that I must confess to enjoying a well prepared rutabaga more than a big mac!

***FS*** You are much healthier than I sir ;)

[Moises]

Hello Frank,

I am hearing the same thing from domainers about the business, how (most) corporations "don't get it", about explaining that domainers are not cybersquaters [ok some are :(].

But I "don't get" something:
I came late to the party. and in a short time managed to buy some good (and some junk) domains. We get a LOT of visitors to our names (pardon me by not making the figure public). And we are SMALL (a fly on an elephants behind).

You (not you Frank in the singular but you big domainers in general) must be getting hundreds of million of visitors per month (but who's counting).

Why not take some domains, maybe those that don't convert so well at the moment and forward them to a "domainers letter" or something like that for every body to see. Or to a youtube commercial. I mean who needs the media when domainers have the eyeballs already!.

And after a lot of domains resolve to a public message about domains the media will also pick it, Its an interesting story.

And this is something not all big domainers need to agree about. Even 1 person can pull it of.

Or maybe not and I just don't get it.

Regards and wish you well,

[AhmedF]

"...lest you wake up from your dream in North Korea chewing on a raw rutabaga."

What?! Things aren't absolute. It isn't like the 'absence of capitalism' creates 'vicious dictatorship like North Korea' Not a black/white issue :p

Like I've said before - property is taxed. Prime property is taxed more. It is the government's way of saying "Okay you've got great land, taxes are to make sure you do something with it". The regfee isn't a tax - it is a uniform fee applied across all domains, regardless of 'quality'

All this talk of real estate makes me shudder - once the government connects domains to real estate, 'property' taxes won't be far behind.

***FS*** My NKorea comment is a bit tongue in cheek Ahmed don't read it so hard ;) You're probably right on the tax issue. But we better see some representation for our tax.. Right now registrants pay their renewal fees and get nothing but a kick in the caboose from the registries. That has to change going forward.

[Joe Davison]

I think it might serve the domain industry well if an organization like the ICA were to do a "public awareness" campaign about cybersquatting.

We certainly need to get the message out to people that owning generic domains is NOT cybersquatting.

***FS*** I really do think most people know that in 2007 .. But it's up to every person operating in this industry to spread the word and explain the business to the best of our abilities in order to further the space. I was a co founder of the ICA and one thing I have learned through that process, the most powerful person to spread the word about this industry is 'you', each one of us. Nobody can say something for you. It's more poignant and meaningful when it comes from you.

[Don m]

Must have to do with conversion rates in why he goes for the singular.

Either way he is smart guy and knows something that alot of people don't