Originally posted by GeorgeK
Looks like DomainState's servers are handling the Slashdot effect:

Currently Active Users: 2264

Cheers!

A new record.

Originally posted by The Columbian
are they exposing themselves to TM issues?

I think I'd prefer having to deal with a few TM issues rather than having to explain THIS to the people who will be asking the questions...

Registrant:
This Domain is available at NetworkSolutions.com
13681 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 300
HERNDON, VA 20171
US

Domain Name: GEORGE-BUSH-NEEDS-TO-BE-ASSASINATED.COM

Although, I'd be more worried about getting shot in the face for dick-cheney-belongs-in-jail.com

Originally posted by safesys
if you visit a domain that has been "held" in this way then you get a page telling you the domain can be registered through netsol so that argument doesn't really hold water:
...
They just want to keep the name around them to try and make a sale.

Safesys is correct. You or anyone else can pay for the domain if Netsol has it onhold.
They want to make sure if you do the search at their site you buy the domain from them.

What they are doing is locking in the sale.

An interesting observation, they are not putting any ppc links on the site
other than promoting their own products.
http://www.dellcomputersarecrooks.com/

They do have a link about being a Trademark Free Zone.

TRADEMARK FREE ZONE - Network Solutions has no knowledge of whether any content on this page violates any third party intellectual property rights. Network Solutions will promptly remove any content reasonably objected to by the Owner of a pre-existing trademark. If you have a Trademark issue, please contact trademarkfreezone@networksolutions.com.

The other advantage they receive from doing this - how many people actually
hit that page. If they are monitoring that. ???

OK, forget my post that I was not able to confirm previously-mentioned names.

I did two myself to verify it.

They do NOT show-up immediately (will check later) using desktop WHOIS tools.

However, they immediately become unavailable when checking through another registrar.

They only register the .com.

Moniker shows them unavailable. However, the WHOIS lookup at Moniker shows it not registered, then returns to the page showing it not available.

So, it's in some sort of limbo state.

The two domains I tested:

<explitive>younetworksolutions.com

ourmoderatorwebworkisthegreatest.com

(Referring-to a moderator on another forum, where domain-name drops are verbotten. I figure he can't object to that one! )

Using DailyChanges.com, we can monitor how many names NSI is registering each day using the nameservers:

http://www.dailychanges.com/detail/?...ges=1838&act=n


Yesterday, they were #30 on the list with 1,831 names (must have been a partial day, as that's a pathetically low number):

http://www.dailychanges.com/

Tomorrow's number will be more telling.

NSI is also leaking to the entire world what their conversion ratios are --- we can see plainly (in a few days) how many names get dropped (didn't complete a checkout, and get deleted by NSI), and thus how well they convert searches into sales on their site. Info like that is usually a closely guarded secret.

Something tells me that it is not costing them anything. They are the primary registrar and make money on every registration. They are not tasting the names per se, they are just locking them to force a deal through their company.

Just got off the phone with Network Solutions' head of PR. I've written what she had to say:

http://domainnamewire.com/2008/01/08...-frontrunning/

Originally posted by Stratagenix
Something tells me that it is not costing them anything. They are the primary registrar and make money on every registration. They are not tasting the names per se, they are just locking them to force a deal through their company.

NSI is NOT Verisign.

Originally posted by DomainNameWire
Just got off the phone with Network Solutions' head of PR. I've written what she had to say:

http://domainnamewire.com/2008/01/08/network-solutions-faces-pr-nightmare-over-domain-frontrunning/

Site is inaccessible at the moment...

Originally posted by Drewbert
NSI is NOT Verisign.

Right. They used to be owned by Verisign.

Startagenix, the URL above was incorrect. It's updated.

and they certainly ARE "tasting" the names per se.
No, in the long run, they get refunded after they delete them in 5 days, but they ARE holding them, registered to NSI themselves. PPC or not, it is still "tasting"

But what they are really doing is far mor nefarious than "tasting". Basically, this would seem to run afoul of every basic law of commerce in the world... think about it.

They are not allowing you to come in and do a price check on an item... you ask, you HAVE to buy from THEM.

I smell trouble....

Originally posted by actnow
An interesting observation, they are not putting any ppc links on the site
other than promoting their own products.
http://www.dellcomputersarecrooks.com/

Just because there is no ppc doesn't mean they are free and clear. What if the products they are offering for sale on that domain infringe on trademarks?

Originally posted by GeorgeK
NSI is also leaking to the entire world what their conversion ratios are --- we can see plainly (in a few days) how many names get dropped (didn't complete a checkout, and get deleted by NSI), and thus how well they convert searches into sales on their site. Info like that is usually a closely guarded secret.

shhhhhhhhhhhhhush