What's in a name

- Written October 2003 -

Recently I had a friend tell me about a 'redirect' service (free??) called www.freedomain.co.nr.

Then I recalled a conversation from nearly 2 years ago I had with Scott of freewarearena.org, who told me that his site was originally called 'Free Computing' but had to rename it to FreewareArena after someone purchased the domain name 'freecomputing'. I went to www.freecomputing.com the other day and lo and behold it is for sale, it never was actually ever used, it just must have been one of those 'get rich quick' crooks that sees a site become popular and such and figured, "hmm, I could buy that name and make some lazy money*" ( *lazy money is my Dad's term for anything that requires no effort, or worse yet profiting from another's labors).

But it is merely another reflection of the mentality that permeates the Net - $$ first, creativity last (or not at all). The practice of buying a domain name for alterior motives (for profiteering or using name recognition) is termed "cyber squatting". And it is a very sad state of affairs when originality is discarded for $$ and/or 'fame'. IF the perpetrators of such actions were to use their creativities to do something orginal it would be mindboggling to see how the Net could blossom so fully and vivarently.

So when the day comes that someone sees 'Freeware Outpost' as valuable or has name recognition (and that is truly not likely), and they buy the domain name, it would be perfectly legal...Oh I see the very black toothed grin of someone cackling with delight as they buy one doman name after another and all the while they are actually stifling what the potentials of the Net truly are.

Well you say, "save that from happening Lisa, buy the domain name now". To which I retort, "Why??"
To use a similar analogy to this situation, any law enforcement officer can tell you, 'if a crook really wants to rob you they will find a way'.

And besides, I already have 19 alternative names I have ready when/if the no talent weasels come to pilfer.

They can 'take' the name, but they can never duplicate the creativity or heart that conceived this all. I for one have almost a feeling of pity for those who need ideas given to them (actually taken by them) as they are wasting their intellects and creatvities for such sad reasons.

Sincerely,
Lis