Cashing in on VA Shooting

[Raider]

Unless you are going to offer some resource for victims and their families, these domains are just bad karma.

Agreed

 

[csitenet]

if people cash in by writing books about such events and making profits, domains shouldn't have a problem either imo! although i think its morally wrong, i see it the same as cyber squatting.

There are plenty of domains on 9-11, iraq war, afghan war etc where many more have died. I dont see the reasoning behind highlighting a single recent event just because it happened in america. People cash in on anything these days on the net, even gore videos.

 

[turner67]

to each its own...me persoanlly I won't ever try to spin a quick buck like this, i'm also in no position to put down someone who does...it's all about the dollar.no one in their right mind would buy one and think they can turn a quick buck cause no one want to touch it

if it don't make dollars it don't make sense.

 

[jberryhill]

Excuse me for asking a rude question here.... VA Tech has an endowment of nearly a half billion dollars. For what are they requesting donations?

 

[Fearless]

Excuse me for asking a rude question here.... VA Tech has an endowment of nearly a half billion dollars. For what are they requesting donations?

Probably to cover all the lawsuits soon to come.

 

[Sarcle]

Probably to cover all the lawsuits soon to come.

500 million won't cover it?

 

[Brett Lewis]

Domains that are developed and used in a journalistic or informational manner are not the problem, the problem is when Domainers reg tragic domains after a horrific event such as 911, Columbine or VT, and plaster them all over the internet FOR SALE, asking price: $19 to $500,000, no content, no news, no link to a memorial fund, They put them up on Ebay until Ebay pulls them, and now out of desperation to sell, some are now showing up in the sales threads here on DNF, in which I think DNF is now reviewing there own policy. The ones that are parked earning rev, haven't gotten the news flack yet that they deserve, the practice of parking does divert visitors away from what there looking for, which is NEWS and Information about the current tragedy, just look at this one and you'll see what I mean; http://vtechshooting.com/

and lets not forget our penis enlargements sites:

ChoSeung-HuiCase.com
ChoSeung-HuiDeaths.com
ChoSeung-HuiMurders.com
ChoSeung-HuiRampage.com
ChoSeung-HuiTapes.com
ChoSeung-HuiVideo.com
ChoSeung-HuiVideos.com
Seung-HuiMassacre.com
Seung-HuiMurders.com
Seung-HuiShootings.com

If the Media ever finds this and makes a new story out of it, were going to get SLAUGHTERED in the media!, and its NOT the media's fault, dont blame the messenger! its the tragic domainers bringing us down! I don't see how any of you can compare what these scumbags are doing to that of what News organizations have been doing every day, LONG before Al Gore invented the internet, the comparison isn't there!.

The Media has been all of this lately, look at the nightline clip if you can find it, we domainers were ALL trashed last night! I have a lot of friends that know I'm a domain speculator, it makes me wonder how many saw that nightline segment and what there thinking about me, its not about me, it effects all of us in this industry!.

This is my point exactly.

I am not commenting on someone registering a domain name to use for informational purposes or to use in connection with a charity. As a parent, I cannot imagine how horrible and unimaginable it must be to learn that your child was executed by some lunatic, and then to read that some people are trying to turn a profit by selling domain names that capitalize on the tragedy. The "other people are doing it" excuse is a copout for anyone who does this.

Profitting off of tragic domain names is never right. Laws often grow from a sense of moral outrage. I would not be surprised if the same happened here. In the mean time, the acts of a small minority of domain holders are making pariahs out of the entire community.

 

[Raider]

Excuse me for asking a rude question here.... VA Tech has an endowment of nearly a half billion dollars. For what are they requesting donations?

There are people that naturally want to contribute, what is VT going to say, No contributions, we can take care of our own? I'm also not sure if they can tap into that endowment for the victims families.

if people cash in by writing books about such events and making profits, domains shouldn't have a problem either imo! although i think its morally wrong, i see it the same as cyber squatting.

There are plenty of domains on 9-11, iraq war, afghan war etc where many more have died. I dont see the reasoning behind highlighting a single recent event just because it happened in america. People cash in on anything these days on the net, even gore videos.

If you cant see the difference, nothing we say will make you change your mind.

 

[jberryhill]

I'm also not sure if they can tap into that endowment for the victims families.

I hate to sound dense, but I just don't understand what the money thing here.

It reminds me of the money that was handed out to families of often well-insured financial executives after 9/11. People die every day under all sorts of tragic circumstances. Is there some financial hardship that I'm missing here? Military families get a modest check in exchange for a lost breadwinner.

Now, I'm sure someone is going to make me out to be a callous SOB, but I'm curious about why generally well-to-do families need donations. Yes, I understand that is a generalization that is not true in every circumstance, but generally speaking the average VA Tech parent isn't exactly living in a FEMA trailer in Louisiana.

 

[Raider]

I dont think any of us know what the financial situations are of these Families, many struggle to put there children through college. The killer himself showed how rich he was by selling nickel and dime items on ebay, perhaps to fund his killing spree.

 

[barefoot]

I hate to sound dense, but I just don't understand what the money thing here.

The money might be used to pay off those families who agree not to sue the university. Sounds awful but that's the only thing I can think of, aside from honest benevolence.

 

[Gerry]

I hate to sound dense, but I just don't understand what the money thing here.

It reminds me of the money that was handed out to families of often well-insured financial executives after 9/11. People die every day under all sorts of tragic circumstances. Is there some financial hardship that I'm missing here? Military families get a modest check in exchange for a lost breadwinner.

Now, I'm sure someone is going to make me out to be a callous SOB, but I'm curious about why generally well-to-do families need donations. Yes, I understand that is a generalization that is not true in every circumstance, but generally speaking the average VA Tech parent isn't exactly living in a FEMA trailer in Louisiana.

I think you make some very good points as well as some broad assumptions. But I think it may boil down to people wanting to do something...anything...to feel like they have had a hand in the healing process or just to feel good about giving or feel good about themselves.

Yes, the 9-11 debacle along with the Katrina fiasco is very well documented. I think perhaps one huge difference is too many agencies and too many people had their fingers in the pie with those two examples. Hopefully with one sole or primary designee this won't be the case. But I may be kidding myself.

Perhaps some of the families need it, perhaps not. The alumni association will be involved I am sure. Frankly, I would like to see them tear down Norris Hall and turn that into a nice park or open space memorial.

I am sure VT has a rich endowment. Usually that is what helps attract the brightest talent, the best athletes, the best profs and guests, and the smartest kids.

Its a tragic situation but we can only hope that those in charge do the right thing.

Your comments on the military family did not go un-noticed by me. It is not so much the dead that bothers me (it does) but also the living. When soldiers' families or National Guard families have to receive food stamps and government subsidies to make ends meet while the breadwinner is deployed, something is terribly wrong.

But, we'll leave that for another discussion.

 

[Fearless]

This may sound weird but donations should make their way to the killer's family. They didn't do the killing but they are being treated as if they did. They lost their son and their lives have been turned upside down. They now live in constant fear.

 

[Gerry]

This may sound weird but donations should make their way to the killer's family. They didn't do the killing but they are being treated as if they did. They lost their son and their lives have been turned upside down. They now live in constant fear.

It does not sound weird.

 

[Theo]

As Greg suggested in another thread, the killer's name should not have been released. It already led others to attempt to mimic his rage and devastated the families of the victims along with his own.

 

[Sarcle]

As Greg suggested in another thread, the killer's name should not have been released. It already led others to attempt to mimic his rage and devastated the families of the victims along with his own.

Name is one thing. The videos is another. They are all over the net now. Giving psychos reason to start another massacre.

"This is a message to me. Look he's speaking to me. He's done what he's done and now his voice and message is immortalized. I know what I need to do."

Irresponsible of those news orgs to release those tapes.

 

[jberryhill]

Giving psychos reason to start another massacre.

Psychos do not have or need reasons to do what they do. That's why they are psychos.

Hitler was a psycho. Mein Kampf is in the library.

Seeing this guy's madness up close and personal may cause someone, somewhere, to recognize that sort of madness in someone they know. It might inspire mental health professionals, judges or review boards who see the videos (they watch TV too) to think twice about a comittment decision.

There's a whiff of, "We'd like for our kids not to get VD, but we can't tell them about sex, here." At some point when I'm warning you about VD, I'm going to have to show you what a "chancre on your penis" looks like, so that you'll know it if you see it.

These videos say, to me, "THIS is an insane lunatic mass murderer. If you know someone like this, get the hell away from him. If you are responsible for someone like this, keep an eye on him."

Psychotic behavior is not contagious. I didn't see the scores of young women who shaved their heads after Britney Spears went nuts.

David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam killer, got his directions from a neighbor's German Shepherd. Now, yes, if we banned talking German Shepherds we wouldn't have that problem, but we've got at least two major religions in this country that are based in large part on the writings of people who claim to hear voices in their head. How many people were inspired to kill their own kids by the story of Abraham?

 

[Sarcle]

Psychos do not have or need reasons to do what they do. That's why they are psychos.

Hitler was a psycho. Mein Kampf is in the library.

Seeing this guy's madness up close and personal may cause someone, somewhere, to recognize that sort of madness in someone they know. It might inspire mental health professionals, judges or review boards who see the videos (they watch TV too) to think twice about a comittment decision.

There's a whiff of, "We'd like for our kids not to get VD, but we can't tell them about sex, here." At some point when I'm warning you about VD, I'm going to have to show you what a "chancre on your penis" looks like, so that you'll know it if you see it.

These videos say, to me, "THIS is an insane lunatic mass murderer. If you know someone like this, get the hell away from him. If you are responsible for someone like this, keep an eye on him."

Psychotic behavior is not contagious. I didn't see the scores of young women who shaved their heads after Britney Spears went nuts.

David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam killer, got his directions from a neighbor's German Shepherd. Now, yes, if we banned talking German Shepherds we wouldn't have that problem, but we've got at least two major religions in this country that are based in large part on the writings of people who claim to hear voices in their head. How many people were inspired to kill their own kids by the story of Abraham?

I would tend to agree with psychiatrists; that know psychotic behavior; on this one calling it a "Social Catastrophe"

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/VATech/story?id=3056168&page=1

 

[Gerry]

Psychotic behavior is not contagious. I didn't see the scores of young women who shaved their heads after Britney Spears went nuts.

Thank God...on the shaved head notion.

 

[jberryhill]

I would tend to agree with psychiatrists; that know psychotic behavior; on this one calling it a "Social Catastrophe"

Ahh... news about news. This shooting can keep the talking heads going for months on end. You think ABC is going to put on a talking headshrinker that says it's no big deal?

A recent interview of an official from the Southern Baptist Convention on one of the cable channels was interesting. He was contacted by a network talk show booker who was assembling a panel on the recently deceased Pope. The booker wanted a protestant representative to say that Catholics were unredeemed sinners and the Pope is burning in hell. When the guy from the SBC said, "I wouldn't say a thing like that" the booker lost interest and found some other foaming at the mouth caricature to say the same thing.

I'll admit that I get my information from my wife who has completed her Ph.d. coursework and clinical experience in psychology, but I'll believe her long before I believe some guy on ABC that said what the booker wanted. ABC has a vested interest in peeing on another network, and I can't believe anyone is so naive as not to see that.

Not to fear, though, Newt Gingrich has figured out exactly who is responsible for this tragedy. No surprises here - it's the liberals:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/04/22/newt-gingrich-blames-liberalism-on-va-tech-massacre/

That's why I told my boys, "Pick anything you didn't like already, and blame that." Because that's what everyone does anyway. The sole responsibility for this thing, and for the next one, lies in the psychosis of the individual who did it - not liberals, not conservatives, not the law, not the media, and certainly not domain registrants who I sincerely doubt are going to "cash in" on anything. Back on point, you will always have idiots who sit at their computer, watch news, and register domain names. That most of these things go to the default registrar page means that the only revenue received will be by the registrar, and the only traffic these names would get is from coverage of this non-issue by the shocked and concerned digital media, like the Wired article posted. The suggestion that domain names are anywhere near the "heart of this thing" in the comment above is a clear indication that someone is thinking about domain names too much.

Step away from the keyboard, get some fresh air. It's lovely weather we're having here in the northeast US anyway.