The Inquisitr » domains

glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com is headed to the WIPO

Steven Hodson — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:45:09 +0000

Satire and meme’s are an integral part of the Web. While satire has a long and rich history long before electrons started passing information among the InterTubes meme’s have been a much more recent happening but no the less funny or important. While many of the meme’s we see being spawned almost daily are harmless and give us a good chuckle when we run across them before they run out of steam there are others that take on a ling life of their own.

Of these the satire blog set up by an originally anonymous blogger to take a more than fair shot at Glen Beck has a suddenly become fodder for a case before the domain dispute center at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva.

The domain in question is glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com and since failing to get U.S. courts to take down the site due to their common “moron in a hurry” test Beck has decided that despite his dislike for world organizations this is a matter that can only be settled by the WIPO.

Since this has progressed to this point the previous anonymous blogger has revealed his identity and hired a lawyer to deal with the issue. Now to be fair one has to understand where and why the domain came into place which the now revealed blogger, Isaac Eiland-Hall, explained to Ars Technica

Eiland-Hall had discovered a Fark thread in which commenters picked up on a Gilbert Gottfried routine about Bob Saget raping and murdering a teenaged girl (it’s, er, a bit funnier in context than it sounds [NSFW]). They adapted it for Beck to highlight what they perceived as his habit of forcing people to explain away completely baseless charges—as when Beck interviewed Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) and opened with this gem: "And I have to tell you, I have been nervous about this interview because what I feel like saying is, sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies. And I know you’re not. I’m not accusing you of being an enemy. But that’s the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way."

How better to give Beck a taste of his own medicine than by wondering publicly why he has never addressed the rumor that he raped and murdered a young girl in 1990? No one’s saying that Beck really did it… but if he has nothing to hide, why won’t he deny the tale?

Eiland-Hall’s lawyer, Marc Randazza, is quick to point out when it comes to the WIPO and domain disputes. The process is generally used to prevent cybersquatters from sitting on trademarked names and generally applies only when there is commercial intent and the real possibility of consumer confusion. It is safe to say that Eiland-Hall’s site is neither commercial in any way and neither does it cause any brand confusion with Glen Beck.

Good luck with that Glenn and as Randazza says in his response to the WIPO

"We are not here because the domain name could cause confusion. We do not have a declaration from the president of the international association of imbeciles that his members are blankly staring at the Respondent’s website wondering ‘where did all the race baiting content go?’ We are here because Mr. Beck wants Respondent’s website shut down. He wants it shut down because Respondent’s website makes a poignant and accurate satirical critique of Mr. Beck by parodying Beck’s very rhetorical style."

Guess it sucks when you have your own medicine shoved back in your face eh Beck.

Internet Says Goodbye To .YU Websites

AHN — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:45:51 +0000

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the body that oversees much of how the world wide web interacts, will say goodbye to .yu, the country code for the former nation of Yugoslavia.

ICANN, which oversees the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), put an end to .yu domains in 2006, phasing them into Serbia and Montenegro (.cs) and even further into Serbia (.rs) and Montenegro (.me).

This isn’t the first time real-world politics have impacted the Internet. After the U.S.S.R. fell, the Soviet Union’s home on the web became a set of independent domains (.ru / .by / .ua). In East Timor, independence changed the domain from .tp to .tl.

50 of the oldest domains on the web

Steven Hodson — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 06:22:23 +0000

Ever wondered just how old some of the domain on the web are? No .. well too bad because here’s a list of them for you to peruse in case you happen to be really bored on a Friday night

Rank Create date Domain name
1.    15-Mar-1985 SYMBOLICS.COM
2.    24-Apr-1985 BBN.COM
3.    24-May-1985 THINK.COM
4.    11-Jul-1985 MCC.COM
5.    30-Sep-1985 DEC.COM
6.    07-Nov-1985 NORTHROP.COM
7.    09-Jan-1986 XEROX.COM
8.    17-Jan-1986 SRI.COM
9.    03-Mar-1986 HP.COM
10.   05-Mar-1986   BELLCORE.COM
11.   19-Mar-1986   IBM.COM
12.   19-Mar-1986   SUN.COM
13.   25-Mar-1986   INTEL.COM
14.   25-Mar-1986   TI.COM
15.   25-Apr-1986   ATT.COM
16.   08-May-1986   GMR.COM
17.   08-May-1986   TEK.COM
18.   10-Jul-1986   FMC.COM
19.   10-Jul-1986   UB.COM
20.   05-Aug-1986   BELL-ATL.COM
21.   05-Aug-1986   GE.COM
22.   05-Aug-1986   GREBYN.COM
23.   05-Aug-1986   ISC.COM
24.   05-Aug-1986   NSC.COM
25.   05-Aug-1986   STARGATE.COM
26.   02-Sep-1986   BOEING.COM
27.   18-Sep-1986   ITCORP.COM
28.   29-Sep-1986   SIEMENS.COM
29.   18-Oct-1986   PYRAMID.COM
30.   27-Oct-1986   ALPHACDC.COM
31.   27-Oct-1986   BDM.COM
32.   27-Oct-1986   FLUKE.COM
33.   27-Oct-1986   INMET.COM
34.   27-Oct-1986   KESMAI.COM
35.   27-Oct-1986   MENTOR.COM
36.   27-Oct-1986   NEC.COM
37.   27-Oct-1986   RAY.COM
38.   27-Oct-1986   ROSEMOUNT.COM
39.   27-Oct-1986   VORTEX.COM
40.   05-Nov-1986   ALCOA.COM
41.   05-Nov-1986   GTE.COM
42.   17-Nov-1986   ADOBE.COM
43.   17-Nov-1986   AMD.COM
44.   17-Nov-1986   DAS.COM
45.   17-Nov-1986   DATA-IO.COM
46.   17-Nov-1986   OCTOPUS.COM
47.   17-Nov-1986   PORTAL.COM
48.   17-Nov-1986   TELTONE.COM
49.   11-Dec-1986   3COM.COM
50.   11-Dec-1986   AMDAHL.COM

Of course if you’ve read this far and you’re still bored there is the complete list of 100 of the oldest domains over here. Don’t say I don’t do anything to help alleviate your boredom.

Get Ready for Limitless Domain Names

JR — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:35:46 +0000

The Internet’s regulating organization has just approved a proposal to create an unlimited number of customized top-level domains. That means URLs will no longer be restricted to .com, .net, or .us-style suffixes; instead, anyone can apply to have any letter combination become a reality.

Snagging a new name won’t be a simple procedure, however: ICANN will first require proof of a “business plan and technical capacity,” meaning you have to have thousands of dollars of server and router-type equipment to get through. A thorough review process will then make sure the suffix is not offensive and does not infringe on anyone’s intellectual property. The names are also expected to cost a minimum of $100,000 and as much as half a million, so the rush may not be as widespread as some have feared.

The change will go into effect next year, with registration opening in April and the first new names going live toward the end of the year. Once approved, nearly anything could be possible — .microsoft, .mcdonalds, .tech — you name it.

The ruling comes right as current domain registration is hitting a new landmark. Go Daddy has just reached an Internet growth record, becoming the first registrar with 30 million domain names under its belt.

The registration of RulesOfSaving.com pushed the company over the line today. It’s a milestone in a strong year for domain registrations: Go Daddy alone says it’s now registering, renewing, or transferring about one domain name per second, with a whopping 72 percent predicted increase in sales this year compared to last. The trend, its execs say, represents positive news for the entire web-based business industry.

“These numbers really demonstrate how the Internet is alive and well, even in these rough financial times,” Bob Parsons, Go Daddy CEO and founder, commented.

One can only assume the introduction of custom top-level domains will lead to even more growth in 2009 — even if the added activity is limited to big business.