discuss So what's your calling? And what do domain names have to do with it?

[Rob Monster]

Earlier this month, I gave a TED-style talk at a leadership conference near Philadelphia. The title of my talk was called "Answering the call in a Digital Age". It is a reflection on my own journey from my youth onward. The talk ends with an up to date commentary on life as a tech entrepreneur who has gotten a bit of media attention. The audience for the live talk was predominantly Christian but I think the message has secular relevance:

Long story short, I believe everyone has gifts and talents. At any given time, some people have more financial resources available to them, but everyone has some unique combination of time, talent, treasure and circumstance. Moreover, from time to time, we all have our encounters with providence. Sometimes those are opportunities to move a step closer towards working on the thing that we are uniquely equipped to do.

Curious to know how many folks on NamePros think they might have some kind of calling and if so how domaining fits into that calling, if at all.

 

[Rob Monster]

Yes, but biggie already used my answer. So people quoting you = nonsense.

Such a pity. I feel sad for you especially. I am still getting to know Biggie.

On the positive side, I absolutely see value in exposing truth. That said, we both know that one can take soundbites from anyone in order to manufacture a narrative. Politicians do it all the time.

Good luck finding your calling. I am sure you have one -- one that is actually impactful.

 

[JB Lions]

Such a pity. I feel sad for you especially.

I'm not the one who's lost. I hope one day you'll find your authentic self. Maybe, that's your calling.

 

[Rob Monster]

I'm not the one who's lost. I hope one day you'll find your authentic self. Maybe, that's your calling.

So says the guy known only by his avatar. The irony of your statement could not be thicker. All that said, you know I am a fan of your intellect. If you have constructive feedback I do listen as I am a big fan of listening to my critics. However, the propagation of silly ad hominem and out of context quotations is not just bad journalism, it is weaponized journalism. That is what deserves to be exposed.

 

[JB Lions]

So says the guy known only by his avatar. The irony of your statement could not be thicker. All that said, you know I am a fan of your intellect. If you have constructive feedback I do listen as I am a big fan of listening to my critics. However, the propagation of silly ad hominem and out of context quotations is not just bad journalism, it is weaponized journalism. That is what deserves to be exposed.

Then why don't you, I've suggested that you do. Again, you've never went beyond calling those articles a hit piece. Take them apart piece by piece if they're wrong. You complain you can't comment on their sites. Take them apart on your blog. Take them apart here. Take them apart anywhere on the internet. It's not propaganda if someone points out you did a video with 2 racists, it's video. It's not propaganda that you reposted an anti-Muslim meme, I pointed that out myself in this very forum, I posted it. I asked you about the other thing I read, if it was wrong, you could have posted it, you didn't touch it. You always mention truth but then deny this stuff happened.

 

[Rob Monster]

Then why don't you, I've suggested that you do. Again, you've never went beyond calling those articles a hit piece. Take them apart piece by piece if they're wrong. You complain you can't comment on their sites. Take them apart on your blog. Take them apart here. Take them apart anywhere on the internet. It's not propaganda if someone points out you did a video with 2 racists, it's video. It's not propaganda that you reposted an anti-Muslim meme, I pointed that out myself in this very forum, I posted it. You always mention truth but then deny this stuff happened.

All in due time. The lemons are still ripening. Lemonade time is still coming.

 

[JB Lions]

All in due time. The lemons are still ripening. Lemonade time is still coming.

You should have handled all that when it happened, learned from it, then moved on, close the chapter on it. Just even from a PR/SEO perspective. On your name, 6 of the top 10 results in Google are what I consider negative. If you focused on business, that stuff would probably eventually move down. You keep bringing it back here, talking about it elsewhere, even tho it might not have been your intentions, it won't go away. Focusing on the business/product is the better route.

 

[bmugford]

In the meantime, I do have the unfinished business of dealing with a false characterization on Wikipedia, comprised of narratives concocted by left-leaning media:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Monster

In case you are wondering, I am actually unable to edit the article, and anyone who edits the articles in a way that does not fit the prescribed narrative sees their edits removed.

I am evaluating my options there. For now, I have simply put Wikipedia on notice:

https://twitter.com/robmonster/status/1160620833020293120

Rob, I thought you were a champion on free speech.

Surely Wikipedia enjoys the same free speech rights that websites like Gab have, even when spreading misinformation and conspiracy theory nonsense.

As far as the original question goes, I am not religious. I don't get my sense of morality from a book.
I was born with a brain that can judge what is moral and ethical.

A good rule of thumb to me is try not to do something that hurts humanity in general, or individual people.
Though that is not always possible for any number of reasons.

I will say calling wise, money is well down my list, but it is still a necessary evil in the world.
With money you have a lot more options to pursue your calling, whatever it is.

Brad

 

[Rob Monster]

Rob, I thought you were a champion on free speech.

Surely Wikipedia enjoys the same free speech rights that websites like Gab have, even when spreading misinformation and conspiracy theory nonsense.

As far as the original question goes, I am not religious. I don't get my sense of morality from a book.
I was born with a brain that can judge what is moral and ethical.

A good rule of thumb to me is try not to do something that hurts humanity in general, or individual people.
Though that is not always possible for any number of reasons.

I will say calling wise, money is well down my list, but it is still a necessary evil in the world.
With money you have a lot more options to pursue your calling, whatever it is.

Brad

Thanks Brad.

I agree that financial independence at some level is a decent foundation to build on.

As for Wikipedia, the trouble is that it is not free speech. It is more of a digital sucker punch where approved editors edit, and the public has illusion of editorial oversight when it is as compromised as Snopes.

Anyway, try to stay on topic -- do you seriously not recall ever having a sense of the thing that you were uniquely capable of fulfilling? Is flipping domains it, or is there more to this story?

 

[bmugford]

As for Wikipedia, the trouble is that it is not free speech. It is more of a digital sucker punch where approved editors edit, and the public has illusion of editorial oversight when it is as compromised as Snopes.

For arguments sake, let's say Wikipedia is biased? (Which I don't agree with)

Let me know when websites like Breitbart and InfoWars allow a balanced view. It seems like since in your opinion it is biased, then it is wrong, when in fact if it is biased or not that falls under free speech.

Anyway, try to stay on topic -- do you seriously not recall ever having a sense of the thing that you were uniquely capable of fulfilling? Is flipping domains it, or is there more to this story?

Sure. I would say then my calling is fighting against stuff that actively hurts humanity such as pseudo science, misinformation, racism, scams, and whatever other nonsense is out there.

In general though my calling is just to be a decent human being.

Brad

 

[Rob Monster]

For arguments sake, let's say Wikipedia is biased? (Which I don't agree with)

Let me know when websites like Breitbart and InfoWars allow a balanced view. It seems like since in your opinion it is biased, then it is wrong, when in fact if it is biased or not that falls under free speech.



Sure. I would say then my calling is fighting against stuff that actively hurts humanity such as pseudo science, misinformation, racism, scams, and whatever other nonsense is out there.

In general though my calling is just to be a decent human being.

Brad

Though you might doubt it, I am reasonably self-aware.

If you champion fighting nonsense, it should concern you that a Wikipedia article can be camped on by a broke adversary who individually has nothing to lose, yet can do the proxy bidding of others.

If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.

As for your calling, I think you can do better but regardless appreciate your ongoing work with ICA and general sharing of knowledge and upholding of industry decency. The industry needs ombudsmen!

 

[.X.]

Although Domaining wasn't my actual calling, Musical Instruments, buying and selling land ended up being my calling. Domaining has been a God send for me, It keeps me more grounded in life than anything else can.

I feel my next calling is doing volunteer work, I feel helping the homeless and elderly is where i belong in that capacity, we will see in the next couple of years as i venture into volunteer work.

 

[frank-germany]

Though you might doubt it, I am reasonably self-aware.

If you champion fighting nonsense, it should concern you that a Wikipedia article can be camped on by a broke adversary who individually has nothing to lose, yet can do the proxy bidding of others.

If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.

As for your calling, I think you can do better but regardless appreciate your ongoing work with ICA and general sharing of knowledge and upholding of industry decency. The industry needs ombudsmen!

I prefer to fight nonsense
on topics
where I have some experience

and can taste the
misleading content

 

[frank-germany]

Isnt Godaddy same company to initially support SOPA/PIPPA?

Why should anyone care what they think on any issue, much less, divisive...?

I’d never hold Godaddy; any ethical standard... Good luck to the new CEO

I 'm not forced to read about Godaddy's CEO's
insight about the nature of God's will

and don't see him supporting holocaust deniers
and claiming all kind of sheer nonsense
unrelated to domaining

every time I log into a domainers forum
and I really like that

but I don't like and don't use Godaddy as a registrar
whenever I can avoid it

 

[Michael Ehrhardt]

i do not understand the Headline

 

[Ategy]

Telecommuting was a fine start, but there is vastly more potential being "virtually there" which also means you never have to hop into that Tesla in the first place!

I agree. The biggest issue to date is changing peoples mindset. People have to be prepared to give up space and luxury to make Earth sustainable.

The people of Earth need to live smarter. electric cars are NOT the answer .. mass transit and reduced mileage is. I choose to live in a small condo in a location where I can walk to our staff parking at work (from there there's a shuttle bus). I share my condo with my little dog (SteamieTheHotDog.com) who was given up by another family (please NEVER buy animals for money .. PERIOD .. there are too many unwanted ones who need homes to be actively paying and encouraging breeders to make the problem worse).

We just had an election here in Canada where one party ran on a platform that was against a price on carbon. People who believe a price on carbon won't help curb consumption are a danger to the planet and future generations.

Deliberate ignorance is our biggest enemy .. people choose not to inform themselves on the science and facts because it let's them live with themselves and the fact they are over consuming. The environmental cost of every product should be on display for everything we buy/consume just like ingredients must be shown on boxes/cans of food. There should be labels on cars just like there are on cigarettes. "Joyrides" should be banned from car commercials.

People are concerned about the carbon emissions that are within our control .. but few realise that it's not 1:1 damage .. the damage we are doing now is in turn melting arctic permafrost .. which is turn had been keeping the much nastier stuff frozen in ice and safely out of our atmosphere. So for every part of carbon that gets pumped into the atmosphere today means several parts of significantly more environmentally harmful particles will make their way into the atmosphere as a result of the ice melt from that first particle. Some of these particle are 50x+ more damaging than the original carbon itself.

@Rob Monster .. while what you're doing with hiring people around the world is really cool in helping empower people in the far corners of the world with good jobs, it's the fact Epik is mostly remote that really adds tons of environmental bonus points ... and not only is it more environmentally friendly, but it also saves people commute times and allows them to spend more time with their family, personal projects, or walking their dog(s)!

Exactly. I've been telling people this for many years...the enemy is attempting to distract us to death (both physically and spiritually).

being distracted with nonsense,

Distractions like NamePros? lol

How many people really need to fly to Peru to hike up Machu Picchu just to take the same picture a million other people already took? You know the one:

About 10 years ago I did an amazing road trip with my uncle and grandfather from Vancouver back to Vancouver .. via western Alberta, the Alaska Highway, Whitehorse, then back down western British Columbia. Visually one of the most amazing places on the planet. But along the way, if you stop to visit the Columbia Ice fields, you see how they've marked the retreating ice-line with yearly indicators, and then you feel nothing but guilt realising that the emissions from your trip is ironically contributing to the tragedy.

 

[M M]

For arguments sake, let's say Wikipedia is biased? (Which I don't agree with)
Brad

Imagine you had a medical condition and wanted to know more about it.

Would you prefer content written by doctors on Johns Hopkins website, or something put together by a collection of random anonymous people, many of which have no formal medical education

The problem with wikipedia is that the user-base value the quantity of contributions over the quality of content. This creates a culture where users try to get as many edits as possible, even in subjects they have zero knowledge. Any high quality articles written by experts will erode over time through micro edits.

“77 percent of Wikipedia articles are written by 1 percent of Wikipedia editors”

Sure. I would say then my calling is fighting against stuff that actively hurts humanity such as pseudo science, misinformation, racism, scams, and whatever other nonsense is out there.

Brad

pseudo science - Anyone with a robust education in the sciences will tell you wikipedia is full of nonsense.

misinformation - just look at Russian interference in the 2016 US election. It would be naive to think that governments, corporations or special interest groups are not deeply involved. + add in all the unqualified writers.

racism - editor stats: “The only country not in Europe or North America in the top 10 is India (3%)”. Bias must exist as the liberal art professors often tell us how widespread ’institutional racism’ is.

scams - wikipedia is a hot bed of SEO / marketing scammers trying to improve online visibility or manipulate reputation.

sexism - you missed this one from your list, “Surveys have indicated that between 84% and 91.5% of Wikipedia editors are male”. Why is the platform so hostile to women?


Who does this hurt the most?

People in the developing world may not have access to quality education and will see wikipedia as a reputable source due to its popularity.

Shouldn’t everyone be entitled to contribute?

In the quest for equality many now give equal consideration to statements / opinions without assessing the source. The result is the emergence of the anti vax and flat earth movements.

Our combined knowledge is increasing but people seem to be getting stupider.

 

[Silentptnr]

These discussions are tough because each individual has their own mindset, life experience, and goals. It's natural for some individuals to express their thoughts on philosophical topics. It's also natural for some individuals to call BS. It's all good and all natural. Timing is important.

For the past 30 years, I have achieved success both personally and professionally. I define success as good health, good family, and freedom.

A big contributor to my success is the time I spend each and every day doing one thing. Exercising my brain. Thinking. Planning. I spend hours each day just thinking.

Here's what's funny, I accomplish a lot. More than most. I exude positive energy and it comes from clarity about who I am, where I am headed, and what my strengths are. Knowing my gifts and sharing them with everyone.

When I was inducted in the INC. 500, it was a real accomplishment for me. To be recognized as one of America's 500 fastest growing privately owned companies was an honor for me. I had started my company on a shoestring, and turned it into a national institution. It was a pinnacle for me. But you know what?....It was all the great relationships, all the love I felt for being a kind leader that cared, that made it so special.

Rob is not alone in being a deep thinker. Rob is not alone in his journey for answers.

In my opinion, the answer for each of us, is within each of us. Also, we cannot ignore our human connection. Each and every one of us is connected. When we accept this connection, we have harmony. When we resist this connection, we have conflict.

Lastly, let me say, part of what motivated me is knowing that our time is short. A grain of sand. For a person like me, that loves life, it's sometimes a tough pill to swallow. But, I figure as much as I love this life, I will probably find a way to love my next destination just as much.

Perhaps its my age, but I can take what I need from threads like these and move forward. I make no comment on what anyone else has posted in this thread. I just appreciate the opportunity to share a personal thought with a community that I have come to trust and love.

 

[Mister Funsky]

Distractions like NamePros? lol

Before Rob decided to dive in most of my time here was reading some of the same old stuff often by the same old people...had to do a lot of sifting to find an engaging reason to stay on longer than was needed to achieve whatever my particular goal was for that day.

All this cra cra Christian talk has been beneficial in giving me a lift when moving through daily life. The spiritual posts (videos and thoughts) of those that have seen the light have, from time to time, been at the right time and right place to give my knowledge a boost and enabled me to share more completely with others IRL.

Today, however, my expendable time will be donated to Formula One...the purest form of man/machine competition (until pay per view cyborg fights are available)!

 

[CDM]

Anyway, try to stay on topic --

Much too late for that Rob

But allow me to try to weave the thread together ...

So far discussion has veered from:

> How domains can support one's calling
> Calling out BS where you find it
> Free and censored speech on the internet
> Sustainable living and concerns over the climate

... a curious intersection but no doubt an opportune moment to consider the case of someone who registers the occasional typo domain as a public service in hopes of directing wayward web navigators toward info on a topic they might not otherwise have been informed about, such as with GretaThumberg.com

Bias has also been talked about. Another term for bias is self-deception, which can be characterized, among other ways, as a gross overconfidence in what one knows and believes to be true or is sure of, to the point of conceit, not allowing for the fact that the domain that falls outside of one’s current knowledge and understanding is forever larger than that which is within the known, thereby rendering an end to inquiry, resulting in ignorance, also aptly referred to as ignore-ance.

 

[nivadriver]

JB Lions is a little servant of the lie.

 

[branding]

JB Lions is a little servant of the lie.

Bit harsh statement don't you think?

 

[Rob Monster]

Much too late for that Rob

But allow me to try to weave the thread together ...

So far discussion has veered from:

> How domains can support one's calling
> Calling out BS where you find it
> Free and censored speech on the internet
> Sustainable living and concerns over the climate

... a curious intersection but no doubt an opportune moment to consider the case of someone who registers the occasional typo domain as a public service in hopes of directing wayward web navigators toward info on a topic they might not otherwise have been informed about, such as with GretaThumberg.com

Bias has also been talked about. Another term for bias is self-deception, which can be characterized, among other ways, as a gross overconfidence in what one knows and believes to be true or is sure of, to the point of conceit, not allowing for the fact that the domain that falls outside of one’s current knowledge and understanding is forever larger than that which is within the known, thereby rendering an end to inquiry, resulting in ignorance, also aptly referred to as ignore-ance.

All fair. I feel called to help people to become sovereign:

- To provide for themselves
- To provide for their families
- To be a positive force for their communities
- To ask questions and seek answers
- To believe as they wish about the meaning of life

The founding fathers of the USA would likely have agreed on these points. They are not unreasonable.

Included in the above reference to ask questions and seek answers is the right to change one's mind.

I don't know about you, but I listen to tolerant, compassionate people. The ones that try to force-feed me their world view I ignore.

 

[Silentptnr]

Some people might wonder why I give so many likes. It's because I like sharing.

I view every comment as a tiny window into a person. I try to open it wider, not close it shut.

 

[Rob Monster]

Distractions like NamePros? lol

I think NamePros is an industry treasure, mainly because it connects people. Gab.com connects people too, as does Facebook, and other social media where people choose to share something that others might find valuable. Those who share nonsense will inevitably be tuned out one way or another until they demonstrate their capacity to be good citizens.

Specific to distractions, I am referring to actual nonsense like most television and the various things that people do to pass the time away. If someone likes bridge, crosswords, fantasy sports, golf, and video games, I would say, enjoy that but I think it is a distraction from the thing that maybe advance humanity, especially if those pastimes become a primary metric of success, achievement and self-worth.

For each his own -- our lives have seasons. I have wasted plenty of time along the way,

@Rob Monster .. while what you're doing with hiring people around the world is really cool in helping empower people in the far corners of the world with good jobs, it's the fact Epik is mostly remote that really adds tons of environmental bonus points ... and not only is it more environmentally friendly, but it also saves people commute times and allows them to spend more time with their family, personal projects, or walking their dog(s)!

Telecommuting and remote working are great for reducing environmental load. I agree there. If you like that, I think you will be really impressed by what we have coming with Toki. I look forward to sharing some details very soon. The implications for human productivity and resource efficiency are significant, particularly in emerging markets where the infrastructure challenges are particularly large.

 

[CDM]

All fair. I ....

Not sure entirely but I suspect you mistook the point of my post. On the other hand, forgive me if it came off as somewhat cryptic in nature, but if you notice it was carefully worded so as to omit any reference to "I" or "my", thus there is no one at the center of it all to attack (nor praise), only the information presented.

Fortunately it's too pleasant of a Sunday to want to get entangled in a philosophical forum back and forth. Wishing everyone here will take some time to get out in the beauty of nature or the enjoy the company of loved ones and have a blessed day.