Category: spam

Several years ago, I purchased a domain for our family. Upon doing the prerequisite search, we ultimately settled on a .net name. Not our first choice, but it was what was available.

On 1 January, I got an email from a company called Zip Domains on my admin email address:

Our company specializes in acquiring expired domain names to help individuals and businesses protect their brand online.

The domain name XXXXXX.COM is expired and will become available soon.

We noticed that you own XXXXXX.NET and felt that you may be interested in acquiring the .COM version of your existing domain name.

We can assist in trying to acquire the domain name, as there are likely many interested parties competing for it.

There are no upfront costs, and the fee if we are successful is only $199 USD.

If you are interested, please let us know by January 3 at the latest.

Sorry, but someone tried to sell me the domain earlier in the year for less than that. Think I’m going to pay $199 to some company that spammed me? Fat chance!

At that point, I checked the whois registry and found the domain was about to be removed from DNS, just like they said. I figured, I’ll wait a few days for it to be removed from the whois registry and try to purchase it through 1&1.

On the 9th, I got another email from Zip Domains telling me they had secured the rights to the domain and I could purchase it from them for only $99!

Our company specializes in acquiring expired domain names to help individuals and businesses protect their brand online.

The domain name XXXXXX.COM expired recently and we were able to secure it.

We noticed the you own XXXXXX.COM and felt that you may be interested in acquiring the .COM version of your existing domain name.

It is available for a one-time fee of only $99.00 USD.

To purchase or learn more, please visit http://zipdomains.com/buy.php?domain=xxxxxx.com

While the domain was still showing as being deleted in whois, when I checked the next day, it was available. I went into my domain control panel on 1&1 and ordered the .com domain for $8.99, saving me over 1000% what Zip Domains wanted to charge!

I thank Zip Domains for making me aware of the expired domain. However, there was zero chance I was going to pay above the typical registration cost for a domain, particularly for my family where the value of having “the right” domain is relatively low.

I have to wonder how many people fall for zipdomains “scam,” buying a domain they could have had for the nominal cost if they waited a few days. It’s not clear to me ZipDomains actually does anything to secure a domain name. The domain was either marked as “being deleted” or “not present” in whois when Zip Domains told me they had secured it for my purchase, so I question their legitimacy. (If someone from Zip Domains wants to rebut my statements, leave a comment below)

In short, beware of companies that are trying to scare you into buying a domain from them or send you “renewal” notices in the postal mail–that’s my favorite one.

There’s an article on Techdirt about how a spammer was convicted for violating Virgina’s Anti-Spamming Law. The low-life tried to get the conviction overturned because their anti-spam law is unconstitutional, ostensibly a violation of his first amendment rights.

I’m all for the First Amendment and the right to free speech. It’s an important right too few Americans take advantage of. Spam, although it is something I generally disagree with, is free speech. If you want to post that stuff on your web site or on flyers in public places, be my guest.

However, your right to free speech does not extend to my home or my personal space. You can’t come in my house and say whatever you want. Nor can you do the same thing on anyone else’s private property.

Spam is exactly that. It comes into my “property” (in this case, my email inbox) and infringes upon my ability to effectively use it, thus falling under trespass to chattels laws.

photo credit: wiennat

It looks like I will be going to VON.x in San Jose this year! Well really, I’m just going to be in the Bay Area for work, but I’ll escape down to San Jose for an afternoon. Looking forward to meeting so many of the people I’ve met in the VoIP community over the years!

Meanwhile, this week’s blog fodder includes:

• Are Corporations Perpetuating Phishing Scams? (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Corporations Perpetuating Phishing Scams? (From IGotSpam?!)
• Share Online 3.0 and Social Networking (From The Convergence Zone)
• Gizmo5 Now Available On Windows, Nokia Tablets (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Native Skype On Symbian Finally Coming? (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Join Free Conference Call From Your Computer (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Highrise + Lipp == ??? (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Keep Your Bluetooth Off! (From IGotSpam?!)
• Bluejacking And Your Mobile Phone (From The Gadgets Weblog)

This week I had an excuse for not being in the groove: I got strep throat again. Of course, I am recovering, but it does put a cramp in my flow when the simple act of sleeping is a challenge. However, I did manage to put out some nice posts on phoneboy.com this week, if I do say so myself.

Meanwhile, here’s what got posted elsewhere:

• Use your Windows Mobile Device As A WiFi Access Point (From The Gadgets Weblog)
• SightSpeed’s Top 10 Things To Do With Your New Webcam (From The VoIP Weblog)
• CTIA To US FCC: We’re #1! (From The Mobile Technology Weblog)
• Skype: Multiparty Video: Yes, Voice Interoperability: No (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Wireless Service Indonesia Compared To The U.S. (From The Mobile Technology Weblog)
• Ribbit: What Problem Was This The Solution For? (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Private Phone Shutting Down Service (From The VoIP Weblog)
• 911 Not A Panacea (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Pay Per Use Or Minute Bundles? (From The Mobile Technology Weblog)
• We Want More Porn! (From IGotSpam?)
• Get To A 90% Charge In 5 Minutes! (From The Gadgets Weblog)

I don’t think this song needs any introduction.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/v/QiyTY9kgpiQ[/video]

Via IGotSpam?!

Seems like I’ve spent a lot of time writing blog posts this week. However, most of the posts I wrote this week are actually for this coming week on VoIP Weblog where I take on the year in VoIP over the course of several posts. These posts are more time-consuming to put together than I thought, but it spans several posts. Good for this upcoming week where I don’t expect a lot happening in the world of VoIP.

Here’s this week’s list of posts I made in the blogosphere:

• Space Invaders Alarm Clock (From The Gadgets Weblog)
• Michael Robertson Renaming SIPphone To Gizmo5 (From The VoIP Weblog)
• VON Coalition Europe Takes On EU Telecom Policy (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Spend $10 With Rebtel, Get $30 (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Why VoSKY Won’t Cut It In The Enterprise (From The VoIP Weblog)
• (ISC)2 eSymposium: Your Email Inbox: Gateway To Danger (From I Got Spam?!)
• eComm2008: Emerging Communications Conference (From The VoIP Weblog)
• SightSpeed Compatible With Leadtek IP Cameras (From The VoIP Weblog)
• SightSpeed’s 10 Tips For Video Chat (From The VoIP Weblog)
• STFU: Fly Your School Colors (From The Gadgets Weblog)

Well, so much for this list being shorter. That happens when you see topical gadgets and good cross-promotion opportunities.

Aside from The Mobile Technology Weblog being new to my weekly roundup, there’s also one new blog on the list this week I hadn’t talked about previously: Businesspundit. Creative Weblogging asked me to do a few posts over there over the next several weeks to promote some of the business blogs in CW’s network. I’m not used to writing about business per-se, so it’s going to be a challenge, albeit temporary.

With all my blathering out of the way, here’s this week’s list of posts I made in the blogosphere:

• JetBlue Bringing (Extremely Limited) WiFi To The Skies (From The Mobile Technology Weblog)
• ZINK Digital Camera Printer (From The Gadgets Weblog)
• Jajah Direct Had Nothing To Do With Jangl (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Give The Gift Of Free Calling With MOBIVOX (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Skype Co-Brands VoSKY Exchange For Businesses Worldwide (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Nokia 6708: Not So Great (From The Gadgets Weblog)
• Wireless USB Display Adapter (From The Gadgets Weblog)
• iPod Touch and iPhone Hacked With A SIP Stack (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Skype PRO Now Available in US/Canada (From The VoIP Weblog)
• Abbeynet’s Mozilla VoIP Extension: Open To Anything (From The VoIP Weblog)
• A Wireless Christmas Tree (From The Gadgets Weblog)
• Picasa Web Albums Now iPhone Optimized (From The Mobile Technology Weblog)
• MAXroam On High Streets in UK and Ireland (From The VoIP Weblog)
• SpinVox: Speech To Text For Your Mobile (From The Mobile Technology Weblog)
• Bootstrapping Your Business Is Better (From Businesspundit)
• Legitimate Companies Contributing To The Spam Problem (From I Got Spam?!)
• Space Invaders Door Mat (From The Gadgets Weblog)