I'm Afraid Of Americans

What has the tragic massacre at Virgina Tech High School in the USA this week to do with a blog about domains and the Internet?

Normally, nothing. But as with any big news event these days, within minutes of it happening, hundreds of domain names containing the keywords connected to the story are registered by people hoping to somehow cash in on the event.

The news doesn't always have to be quite so gruesome though - even good news stories will send domainers into a feeding frenzy.

Fact is that like it or not, people are hungry for more news and information and often go to the net to find it.

It seems also, that in doing so, they really do type in search phrases as domain names into their browsers - and of course, where there's a visitor and a click, there's also a dollar or two to be made, potentially.

Is it a bad thing that there's been a feeding frenzy on this story?

Afterall, the newspapers and the global news channels are already first in line to make their buck on the story aren't they?

I've seen it mentioned in some places, that the domainers who have registered names like virginiatechshooting.com, vatechshooting.com, vatechmassacre.com should be prepared to donate the names to charitable causes connected with the victims, just to prove that they weren't simply cashing in on the tragedy.

Well, personally, I wouldn't register a name in these circumstances, but if the argument that the names should be donated to charity is correct, then all of the news networks should do the same wit hthe money they make off the story.

The problem with that of course, is that the reporters on the ground won't want to do that will they? Afterall, they get paid for reporting the news, no matter how grim it is.

The Internet is now a major news force. Reporting is instant and anyone can be first with a story.

In my opinion, a domain name is the Internet's version of a unique headline - and the press have whole departments just to come up with great, unique headlines.

Am I in favour of registering these sick names? No I am not.

I am however, in favour of a free Internet and I think it's down to individual conscience whether somebody should register a name on such a theme or not. Personally, I think it's distateful and insensitive at best and disgusting at worst and I think it gives all domainers a bad name when a few rotten apples do this kind of thing.

But is it any different to all of the "pope" names that were registered when John Paul died? Not really, it's just that emotions are running high at the moment. Quite rightly too, as this really was a tragic event that should never have happened.

Just don't blame the domainers, that's all.

On a side note, in the UK, we don't have the right to bear arms, as do many American states. We do still have plenty of gun crime though.

It was interesting for me to learn today therefore, that in Switzerland, military aged males are legally required to own a gun! Imagine that. It's compulsory to own a gun. I can imagine that going down a treat in the UK inner cities.

Not only that, but incidences of gun crime are virtually non existant there by comparison to places like the USA and the UK (where we have "no" guns).

Makes you think doesn't it?