Occupy Wall Street, seeking a more formal Web presence for the coterie of protesters who have set up camp in downtown Manhattan, is acquiring the domain name occupywallstreet.net for $8,000, according to parties on both sides of the transaction.
“The unincorporated association known as Occupy Wall Street” will take possession of the domain, said the protester who negotiated the deal, Jake DeGroot, 26 years old. It will become the most official online home of the leaderless movement, which has spread its message through a loosely organized network of websites, Twitter accounts, text-message alerts, email lists, Tumblrs and livestreams.
To some of those occupying Zuccotti Park, the domain purchase is a strategic move.
“We would hesitate to use the term branding, necessarily, because of the corporate connotations to that,” said DeGroot, a theatrical-lighting designer who lives in Queens, “but there are advantages to the identity of the movement. It’s important that we have a full, robust Web presence and strategy.”
Protestors approved the purchase at their general assembly on Tuesday night, though some bristled at the price tag. “Communications,” including computers, WiFi networks and livestreaming equipment, is already the largest line item on Occupy Wall Street’s most recent balance sheet, more costly to the operation than food. The $8,000 purchase of occupywallstreet.net is likely the movement’s single biggest expense to date but still represents less than 2% of what the group had raised as of October 18.
“One of the things hanging over our heads through this negotiation,” DeGroot said, “was what’s to stop the Koch brothers — or News Corp., for that matter — from getting it themselves?”
The domain is being sold by Mark R. Ellis, 53, of Sarasota, Florida, who makes a living buying and selling domain names. He registered occupywallstreet.net on Sept. 23, six days after the occupation of Zuccotti Park, and listed it on at least two domain resale markets for $10,000.
Ellis said he owns “thousands” of domain names, paying about $9 a year for each. Some are famous names like johnnydepp.com, and others are devoted to his beliefs, which include that 9/11 was an inside job.
In a wide-ranging phone interview, Ellis also volunteered alternative scenarios for the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and John Lennon, claimed to have written Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and predicted Israel will attack Iran next year on Purim. “Everyone, as soon as they talk to me, are like, ‘what ship did the aliens give you?’” he said.
Ellis described himself as sympathetic to Occupy Wall Street, calling capitalism “extinction-causing software,” but said he has no plans to join the protests. Regarding the sale of occupywallstreet.net, he said, “It’s not about the money for me.” Asked why he didn’t hand over the domain name for free, Ellis said, “Because I’m a businessman.”
:lol:
Read the rest of the article...http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/11/04/occupy-wall-street-pays-8000-for-a-home-on-the-web/#
Liberals think they are so smart using tweets, social media, and the Internet, but not one genius thought about registering a domain for $9.00.
“The unincorporated association known as Occupy Wall Street” will take possession of the domain, said the protester who negotiated the deal, Jake DeGroot, 26 years old. It will become the most official online home of the leaderless movement, which has spread its message through a loosely organized network of websites, Twitter accounts, text-message alerts, email lists, Tumblrs and livestreams.
To some of those occupying Zuccotti Park, the domain purchase is a strategic move.
“We would hesitate to use the term branding, necessarily, because of the corporate connotations to that,” said DeGroot, a theatrical-lighting designer who lives in Queens, “but there are advantages to the identity of the movement. It’s important that we have a full, robust Web presence and strategy.”
Protestors approved the purchase at their general assembly on Tuesday night, though some bristled at the price tag. “Communications,” including computers, WiFi networks and livestreaming equipment, is already the largest line item on Occupy Wall Street’s most recent balance sheet, more costly to the operation than food. The $8,000 purchase of occupywallstreet.net is likely the movement’s single biggest expense to date but still represents less than 2% of what the group had raised as of October 18.
“One of the things hanging over our heads through this negotiation,” DeGroot said, “was what’s to stop the Koch brothers — or News Corp., for that matter — from getting it themselves?”
The domain is being sold by Mark R. Ellis, 53, of Sarasota, Florida, who makes a living buying and selling domain names. He registered occupywallstreet.net on Sept. 23, six days after the occupation of Zuccotti Park, and listed it on at least two domain resale markets for $10,000.
Ellis said he owns “thousands” of domain names, paying about $9 a year for each. Some are famous names like johnnydepp.com, and others are devoted to his beliefs, which include that 9/11 was an inside job.
In a wide-ranging phone interview, Ellis also volunteered alternative scenarios for the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and John Lennon, claimed to have written Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and predicted Israel will attack Iran next year on Purim. “Everyone, as soon as they talk to me, are like, ‘what ship did the aliens give you?’” he said.
Ellis described himself as sympathetic to Occupy Wall Street, calling capitalism “extinction-causing software,” but said he has no plans to join the protests. Regarding the sale of occupywallstreet.net, he said, “It’s not about the money for me.” Asked why he didn’t hand over the domain name for free, Ellis said, “Because I’m a businessman.”
:lol:
Read the rest of the article...http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/11/04/occupy-wall-street-pays-8000-for-a-home-on-the-web/#
Liberals think they are so smart using tweets, social media, and the Internet, but not one genius thought about registering a domain for $9.00.
