One more example of the .com truism.
From Florida this weekend comes another example of why you should never, ever, ever* use anything but .com for an important web site, such as your main business web site.
A Florida High School, Pace High School, operates the web site PaceHighSchool.net. But someone else owns PaceHighSchool.com, and it is splattered with hard core porn. So when junior logs on to check out the school’s football schedule, he might see something that’s exciting to him but distressing to his parents.
*Now, notice I didn’t say never, ever, ever, ever use anything but a .com. There’s a very limited circumstance in which a non .com makes sense, and that’s with country code domains. But that’s still iffy. When companies get big, they end up deciding the .com is necessary. Another caveat is that if you want to use a .org or something else, that’s fine as long as you also own the .com.
Ramiro Canales says
Totally agree.
owen frager says
The other thing I wonder on some of these extensions that haven’t taken off (.travel, .me, .mobi etc) will the registries pull the plug at some point when there aren’t enough accounts to be profitable? After all the cash in on the landrush then t’s just a pain in the ass as less and less get renewed when people discover they are holding a con job.
john says
It’s a shame but I wonder if the school can get the .com website be shut down to it’s content?.
Also, why did the school not get the .edu version of it’s name?.
Andrew Allemann says
@ John – .edu is only for higher eduction. But that wouldn’t help…we see a lot of .com versions of .edu domains. I’m not sure of all of the circumstances, but it’s possible the school could win a UDRP.
Patrick McDermott says
Andrew,
Isn’t it possible all this publicity (notoriety) the porn website is receiving will land the owners in hot water…if not prison?
Remember John Zuccarini?
In 2003, the “Truth in Domain Names Act” was passed in response to the notorious typosquatter, John Zuccarini.
Zuccarini would register thousands of typos of famous people, places and popular children’s websites, etc and redirect visitors to porn sites.
I think it was the redirection from the children’s sites that really brought his downfall.
He spent time in Federal Prison after first fleeing from the US.
The “Truth in Domain Names Act of 2003”
was created:
“To prevent the use of a misleading domain name with the intent to deceive a person into viewing obscenity on the Internet.”
“`Sec. 2252B. False or misleading domain names on the Internet
`(a) Whoever knowingly uses a misleading domain name with the intent to deceive a person into viewing obscenity on the Internet shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both.
`(b) Whoever knowingly uses a misleading domain name with the intent to deceive a minor into viewing material that is harmful to minors on the Internet shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 4 years, or both.”
Reference:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.800:
I think the “Truth in Domain Names Act of 2003” was folded into or replaced by the
“Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act”.
Since the subject here is a high school,PaceHighSchool.com, you can bet lots of minors are “viewing obscenity”.
Jay says
If it were a college maybe acceptable but knowing that the majority of a high schools students are under 18 I think this is a low class move by the domain owner.
M. Menius says
This is a terrible problem. People going to the site are obviously looking for school related information.
This should be criminal in that the owner of the .com site is intentionally presenting unsuitable material that will be viewed by young kids (elementary and middle school) as well as high school students.
I disagree with Andrew on the must be a .com only sentiment. That’s circa 2002 mentality, 🙂
Andrew Allemann says
@ M. Menius – circa 2002 if you don’t mind the .com of your domain having porn on it 🙂
Paul says
Moin Moin (as we say in Hamburg/Germany)
why dont they register PaceHighSchool.us?
Ahoi!
SL says
Anyone notice that the real site has PPC ads? Nothing wrong with it I guess, just seems odd that a high school would have Adsense-type advertising on its site.
Andrew Allemann says
“Anyone notice that the real site has PPC ads”
I don’t see them.
Marg says
I think SL has visited PaceHighSchool.org which looks like a Trafficz park page. Sounds like someone else registered the dot org. Motto here is for any institution to register the .com, .net and .org (maybe throw in the .info and .us for good measure. The whole set of TLDs would only cost about $50 a year.
DN Tech says
That is a sick, low-life act from the .com domain owner. I’d rather flip burgers than have to resort to that level to make a few quick bucks.
Josh P says
DT’s Domain History tool reveals the registrant of PaceHighSchool.com to be:
ANdersen, Bjorn Endre ceo@smsbiller.com
Klaus hansens vei 25 b
bergen, N/A 5053
Norway
12345678 Fax —
The earliest contact on SMSBiller.com’s is:
MEDIA, CROX contact@domainnamesystems.com
1811 Englewood Road
Suite 230
Englewood, FL 34223
US
1.9414731779
And DomainNameSystems.com (which appears to be a hastily thrown-together Tucows reseller):
JESKE, GORD admin@jsoft-software.com
1811 ENGLEWOOD RD
SUITE 230
ENGLEWOOD, FL 34223
US
941 473 1779
JSoft-Software.com just points back to DomainNameSystems.com.
My guess is that Mr. Andersen from Norway is the real culprit here, though he likely has some reseller or business affiliation with Mr. Gord from Florida.
Whip out those spam guns, folks 🙂
Stephen Douglas says
sleaze bag.
Chef Patrick says
Has ownership changed? I notice it now goes to GO.com instead of porn.