GoDaddy Registers Dozens of Questionable Virginia Tech Names

[Rockefeller]

Source

After seeing a post on the Second City CEO blog today about some rather graphic domain names being snatched up mere minutes after the Virginia Tech shootings this morning, we ran a few of the more sanguinary titles through a Whois search. GoDaddy came back on most of the results.

So we gave the domain name giant a call to get their take on things. We told Elizabeth Driscoll, GoDaddy's vice president of public relations, that names such as vatechmassacre.com were being registered through her company today. Driscoll said she "was not aware of that." She got off the phone to look into the matter. Thirty minutes later, she called back.

"I found one that has been registered to GoDaddy," she said. It was vatechmassacre.com.

We asked if she'd looked for other names. She said she had not. We presented her with more examples of names registered with GoDaddy today: vatechrampage.com, vtmassacre.com, etc.

Driscoll said it was impossible to stop people from registering tasteless names or predict what they might be used for. "Someone might use it to collect money to help victims," she said. ""It's a fact of life that when a major event happens, whether it's positive or negative, people flock to register domain names....We don't have the ability to monitor every site.".

GoDaddy usually becomes aware of a problem with one of their tens of millions of sites when a complaint is filed through their abuse department, Driscoll said. The company intervenes if it determines that a site is being used for "morally objectionable or illegal purposes."

"We consider each domain name or website on a case by case basis," Driscoll said. "I'm happy that you brought these to our attention."

At Driscolls's request, we e-mailed her the results of our whois search. We'll let you know if we get a response. A sampling of the GoDaddy names registered today that we turned up:

virginiatechshooting.com
virginiatechshooting.net
virginiatechshooting.org
virginiatechshooting.info
virginiatechshooting.us
vatechshooting.com
vatechshooting.net
vatechshooting.org
vatechshooting.info
vatechshooting.us
vatechshooting.biz
vtshooting.com
vtshooting.info
vatechmassacre.com
vatechmassacre.net
vatechmassacre.info
vatechmassacre.biz
vtmassacre.com
vtmassacre.net
vtmassacre.org
vtmassacre.info
virginiatechrampage.com
vatechrampage.com
vtrampage.com
virginiatechmurders.com
virginiatechmurders.net
virginiatechmurders.org
virginiatechmurders.info
virginiatechmurders.us
vatechmurders.com
vtmurders.com
hokieshootings.com
hokiemassacre.com
blacksburgshootings.com

 

[robert]

As I have posted elsewhere it is very sad to see people so desperate to make money they will try and cash in on tragedy.

 

[Duckinla]

I don't see how Godaddy would have the right, let alone the responsibility to limit what names people are allowed to register. I would hope that they would lose their accredidation if they started to censor. So don't blame Godaddy.

 

[Rockefeller]

As I have posted elsewhere it is very sad to see people so desperate to make money they will try and cash in on tragedy.

I don't think they will receive any type in traffic and no one will buy them. Hopefully this deters them in the future.

 

[robert]

Just to clarify - I am refering to those who register the names not the registrars.

 

[VirtualT]

I don't see how Godaddy would have the right, let alone the responsibility to limit what names people are allowed to register.

exactly, don't let your emotions get in the way of common sense

 

[Duckinla]

Glad you posted that blog though. I put up my reply.

 

[RustyK]

It's called HUMANE. Block all these names from entering publics view and you'll atleast help stop another copy cat from doing the same thing. All the best to you.

 

[Rockefeller]

It's these sorts of things that give domainers a bad name.

 

[CashCowDomains]

Yes, I agree.

 

[Duckinla]

It

's called HUMANE. Block all these names from entering publics view and you'll atleast help stop another copy cat from doing the same thing. All the best to you.

And who gets to be the judge of HUMANE? For better or worse, we decide things in this country based on Legal or Illegal. I'm not defending the actions of the registrants but must certainly defend their rights.

 

[AlienGG]

It's impossible to prevent this sort of thing this way. You may cure it and it happens again next time.
The prevention is more of a way more complex process involving education, family, society etc. You can't blame people for regging those names. Not everyone is saint.

 

[Raider]

I think there should be a cooling off period for using domains like these, they get the name they paid for, but after 60 days or something like that.

 

[Duckinla]

I think there should be a cooling off period for using domains like these, they get the name they paid for, but after 60 days or something like that.

C'mon guys (and girl), think this through. The internet is a source of information. You can't put arbitrary restrictions on one source of information that don't apply to others (broadcast news for example). We may all share the same disgust and outrage, but a free society just doesn't work that way. Also, who would be the arbitrator of what is OK and what isn't? The market has to decide. And unfortunatley, the market usually gives a thumbs-up to this kind of exploitative profiteering.

 

[D'same]

I entirely agree that profiting from tragedy is obcene....as I said in an earlier post.... Can domainers be so heartless???

 

[Provider]

but what is the big deal to register the names? Internet is a source of information, and if somebody registered a domain name, it is atsome point it will be developed or dropped. That means that at some point some relevant information about the event will appear online on this domain name. If these people registered domain names for reselling they are not better or worse than us, we are all in this business of reselling domain names. I don't see why we should say anything bad about these people. For me to register VT domain and domain name withthe word Titanic is the same. What is the difference?
Both tragedies, it just happenned that Titanic went down many years ago. On the other hand maybe they registered domains to develop these to remind future generations about the tragedy, maybe they are going to bring good things by using the names.

PS Most of us parking names and just making Internet a junk world. Are you aware that most of the users hate parking and landing pages?

 

[Poker]

C'mon guys (and girl), think this through. The internet is a source of information. You can't put arbitrary restrictions on one source of information that don't apply to others (broadcast news for example). We may all share the same disgust and outrage, but a free society just doesn't work that way. Also, who would be the arbitrator of what is OK and what isn't? The market has to decide. And unfortunatley, the market usually gives a thumbs-up to this kind of exploitative profiteering.

Agree with Duck on this one (i know it's strange for me too Duck!)...I think the best way to vote is with your wallet. If no one visited these sites then they would have no motivation to buy/build them. Granted just your stance alone won't put them out of business, but you can speak out about it and the most influential behavior in any circumstance is to lead by example...history is proof of that.

 

[Tia Wood]

C'mon guys (and girl), think this through. The internet is a source of information. You can't put arbitrary restrictions on one source of information that don't apply to others (broadcast news for example). We may all share the same disgust and outrage, but a free society just doesn't work that way. Also, who would be the arbitrator of what is OK and what isn't? The market has to decide. And unfortunatley, the market usually gives a thumbs-up to this kind of exploitative profiteering.

Yeah! Screw morals! Let's all do whatever-the-heck-we-wanna-do without worrying about what others think. We don't need no stinking consequences. We don't need to take responsibility for ourselves! We should do whatever we feel like it as long as it's okay by us. Although we have this little antenna in our heads called Common Sense. Just chop it off. That'll take care of that little problem. Cause nobody can tell us what's right and wrong. Only what we feel is right and wrong. Which not 100% of everybody can agree on anyways. So let's throw right and wrong out the window! There is no right and wrong!! So let's register a bunch of domains and attempt to profit off someone else's tragedy. There's nothing wrong with that. Heck, I feel great about it! Oh and my friend, Bob. He murdered 15 people the other day. But since no one else can tell him what's right and wrong and since he felt great doing it, then there's nothing wrong with it! Man I feel great! wahooo!



And we wonder why society is so screwed up......

 

[Gerry]

It's these sorts of things that give domainers a bad name.

I have regged 51 "questionable" domain names and redirected each one of them here:

http://www.vt.edu/tragedy/memorial_fund.php

Thanks to member companyone (Dan) for the inspiration.

 

[IDEAS4]

The only ones that benefit in the end are the registrars - they are crying all the way to the bank. They will not restrict registration. First off, it's illegal, secondly they profit - and therein lies the bottom line my friends...the power of money determines "the right thing to do." Sad but true.