KKK.info, WhiteSupremacy.info on Auction at GoDaddy

[Ategy]

Let me start off by stating that I'm not saying either way whether the following domains should or should not exist .. just stating the news and fact that the following 3 domains are on auction finishing later today at GoDaddy:

KKK.info (Currently 29 bids @ $255)
WhiteSupremacy.info (Currently no bids)
WhitePride.info (Currently no bids)

While these domains might not automatically be associated with hate groups (they *could* be bought by people wanting to shine light and education on the subject), they are expiring auctions and so could technically belong to GoDaddy if the original owner does not renew. I think it might be appropriate that instead of GoDaddy trying to profit and make money on these domains, that they hold them back from auction and hand them over to groups fighting hate crimes and racism.

@Joe Styler & @Paul Nicks (and any other GD employees on NamePros):

Just a suggestion ... a very strong one!


Related discussions:
https://www.namepros.com/threads/blatantly-racist-domains.1020858/
https://www.namepros.com/threads/do-you-support-godaddys-decision-to-cancel-a-domain.1035593/

 

[Paul Nicks]

How very timely. These aren't as cut/dry as "rape..." or "kill..." domains which we immediately took down as soon as we were alerted to them. Being .info names they could easily be used for wikipedia-like resources discussing these movements in a non-partial way. My gut here is to let them be, but will send to legal to make a final determination.

 

[Ategy]

@Paul Nicks .. please realise that the huge difference here is that they are expiring domains .. and therefore owned by GoDaddy if the original owner does not renew.

Why even take the chance it falls into bad hands. Nobody loses if you hold them back.

Most importantly if they do fall into the wrong hands, GoDaddy will be profiting from them.

 

[drakeholm]

the middle one looks like it could be informational or journalistic, not essentially serving the wrong master. Not necessarily using powers for evil.
I can't help but remark on a double standard. Why is white pride offensive and yet black pride praised as diverse?

 

[RegBoss]

If the US government really wanted to fight racism, they could have ICANN freeze all racist domains. Give them to the gov to hold. Stay out of public domain. Then again racists just use social media blogs anyway. Buy all of them and then sell them to some congressman/woman for big bucks. Tell them they are helping to fight racism in America.

 

[Jevsim]

"I can't help but remark on a double standard. Why is white pride offensive and yet black pride praised as diverse?" - 1000% correct!

 

[Internet.Domains]

Let me start off by stating that I'm not saying either way whether the following domains should or should not exist .. just stating the news and fact that the following 3 domains are on auction finishing later today at GoDaddy:

KKK.info (Currently 29 bids @ $255)
WhiteSupremacy.info (Currently no bids)
WhitePride.info (Currently no bids)

While these domains might not automatically be associated with hate groups (they *could* be bought by people wanting to shine light and education on the subject), they are expiring auctions and so could technically belong to GoDaddy if the original owner does not renew. I think it might be appropriate that instead of GoDaddy trying to profit and make money on these domains, that they hold them back from auction and hand them over to groups fighting hate crimes and racism.

@Joe Styler & @Paul Nicks (and any other GD employees on NamePros):

Just a suggestion ... a very strong one!


Related discussions:
https://www.namepros.com/threads/blatantly-racist-domains.1020858/
https://www.namepros.com/threads/do-you-support-godaddys-decision-to-cancel-a-domain.1035593/

If GoDaddy is going to ban/cancel domains in which the "lawyers see fit" they should remain consistent with decisions going forward and address domains such as these. In addition they should ban/cancel the many other hate groups currently inciting violence on GoDaddy domains. The double standard is perceived as political pandering unless a consistent and fair strategy is implemented. There is hate and violence from all different political spectrums and cancelling one violent political group and not another is seen as a sign of support.

There are many who argue the current political climate and work cultures (Google) have become so political that true diversity is unachievable under these conditions, as demonstrated by the infamous Google Manifesto. True diversity, the end of racism and this political pandering is not achieved when one group is cancelled and another with equivalent violence is allowed to continue. Going forward I only hope GoDaddy will remain consistent with it's policy if true diversity is what they truly want to achieve.

 

[Templr]

Why is white pride offensive and yet black pride praised as diverse?

Completely agree, just shows the coals you have to step on.

 

[Emmy101]

These types of domains are too low to deserve any attention from anyone! Maybe few centuries ago but now !!

 

[mr-x]

How very timely. These aren't as cut/dry as "rape..." or "kill..." domains which we immediately took down as soon as we were alerted to them. Being .info names they could easily be used for wikipedia-like resources discussing these movements in a non-partial way. My gut here is to let them be, but will send to legal to make a final determination.

I'm surprised Godaddy is still hosting Churches because of their message on LGTBQ2 and support for the patriarchy.

 

[mr-x]

...

 

[krisvettel1990]

My name starts from K but the bidding amount is quite high for KKK. Info

 

[Ategy]

"I can't help but remark on a double standard. Why is white pride offensive and yet black pride praised as diverse?" - 1000% correct!

Completely agree, just shows the coals you have to step on.

I can't help but remark on a double standard. Why is white pride offensive and yet black pride praised as diverse?

Whoever said "White Pride" was offensive? Not taking the time to understand what someone else says is how race discussions often spiral out of control! Not only did I not say "White Pride" was offensive, I actually wrote that these names "*could* be bought by people wanting to shine light and education on the subject".

Not only that, but the reason I added White Pride is that given the same expiration dates, it was likely originally owned by the same person as KKK.info and WhiteSupremacy.info.

Plus I certainly would have the same concerns with other terms possibly used by other hate groups of other races that promote violence.

 

[Ategy]

UPDATE...

At 12:21pm on Aug 17th (7 minutes after the auction for KKK.info was scheduled to close) I received the following email from Godaddy:

"Thank you for your feedback. These listings have been removed. Please let us know if you have any additional questions."

Unfortunately I was able to confirm either way if indeed they were removed. If anyone else knows either way then please let us all know here.

It also should be noted that I have no more problem with GoDaddy selling these domains, than I do with any of the other countless domains they have. My issue was that they were being blindly auctioned off to the highest bidder irregardless as to who they were. If they brokered them off with some outbound while confirming whoever bought them would not use the domains to promote violence then I actually would be very happy with that.

Being .info names they *could* easily be used for wikipedia-like resources discussing these movements in a non-partial way. My gut here is to let them be, but will send to legal to make a final determination.

As I mentioned above .. my issue is specifically with that *could*. If GoDaddy brokers did some outbound on these domains to any buyers in the world that don't promote hate and/or violence, then I would encourage the sale. But KKK.info and WhiteSupremacy.info *could* also too easily very well be used to indeed promote race based violence .. and obviously GoDaddy's auction platform doesn't not filter out users who could use these domains in such a way, and so as such I don't feel the auction platform is the appropriate venue to sell these kinds of domains.

 

[mr-x]

UPDATE...

At 12:21pm on Aug 17th (7 minutes after the auction for KKK.info was scheduled to close) I received the following email from Godaddy:

"Thank you for your feedback. These listings have been removed. Please let us know if you have any additional questions."
h I don't feel the auction platform is the appropriate venue to sell these kinds of domains.

Thought crimes will not be tolerated. I'm disappointed but not surprised the witch hunt is picking up steam.

 

[mr-x]

Plus I certainly would have the same concerns with other terms possibly used by other hate groups of other races that promote violence.

Please let us know your progress searching for possible thought crimes by Black Lives Matter, Antifa, the Workers Party and Anarchist currently cheering efforts to root out dissidents.

 

[drakeholm]

so supremacy.com is an acceptable name for auction if the "right" kinds if buyer, like the NAACP, wants to buy it. This is too slippery slope for Godaddy to win brownie points for.
Staying neutral for the auction would have been better.
Without an Internet czar to declare which buyers are good and which buyers are evil, Godaddy might want to exit the social justice business.
By this métier so many words and names could be disrespectful to women or putative inappropriate sites for kids.
Fact is. it is the content that shows the true colors. Godaddy might not have jurisdiction over what other servers host.

 

[mr-x]

@Paul Nicks Where does this purge of improper expression / thought end Paul? Will Godaddy be the thought czar for the whole Internet or an enforcer for the regressive left?

 

[EGENIUS1]

OK...

 

[EGENIUS1]

UPDATE...

At 12:21pm on Aug 17th (7 minutes after the auction for KKK.info was scheduled to close) I received the following email from Godaddy:

"Thank you for your feedback. These listings have been removed. Please let us know if you have any additional questions."

Unfortunately I was able to confirm either way if indeed they were removed. If anyone else knows either way then please let us all know here.

It also should be noted that I have no more problem with GoDaddy selling these domains, than I do with any of the other countless domains they have. My issue was that they were being blindly auctioned off to the highest bidder irregardless as to who they were. If they brokered them off with some outbound while confirming whoever bought them would not use the domains to promote violence then I actually would be very happy with that.



As I mentioned above .. my issue is specifically with that *could*. If GoDaddy brokers did some outbound on these domains to any buyers in the world that don't promote hate and/or violence, then I would encourage the sale. But KKK.info and WhiteSupremacy.info *could* also too easily very well be used to indeed promote race based violence .. and obviously GoDaddy's auction platform doesn't not filter out users who could use these domains in such a way, and so as such I don't feel the auction platform is the appropriate venue to sell these kinds of domains.

Don't wory about it, some of us actually understood your nuanced concern the first time...

 

[mr-x]

‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’

 

[mr-x]

CC: @Paul Nicks
Tech firms' fight against hate could haunt them
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/19/tech-firms-fight-hate-backlash-241807

TL;DR
In opposing bills that target online sex trafficking, internet companies have argued that they provide platforms for the free exchange of data and should not be forced into serving as societal gatekeepers.

But at the same time, numerous tech companies have taken on the gatekeeper role with gusto this past week, using their power over the digital world to shut down neo-Nazi internet forums, kick white supremacists off of fund-raising, ride-sharing, lodging and dating websites, and otherwise limit hate groups’ ability to spread their influence online. Those included some of the industry’s biggest players, such as Google and Facebook.

Another witch hunt meets the law of unintended consequences

 

[Ategy]

To which witch hunt do you refer? These names in question belong to GoDaddy .. they didn't take them away from anyone. As owners of the domains they are perfectly entitled to not sell them via their platform.

 

[mr-x]

Just another cog in the wheel doing your part. Good for you.