Ebola domain on sale for $150K: Good business or ghoulish?

[TomTom1]

The Washington Post is calling Jon Schultz a “merchant of disease.” The Las Vegas businessman owns the domain name Ebola.com, and now he’s selling it for $150,000.

Schultz’s company, Blue String Ventures, reportedly purchased the domain name in 2008 for $13,500, and also owns other disease-related domain names such as birdflu.com and H1N1.com. Schultz is quoted as saying the site is getting 5,000 page-views a day and he thinks the price increase is more than fair.

Yahoo Finance editor in chief Aaron Task says, although distasteful, Schultz has the right to sell the domain name. “We live in a capitalistic society, he bought it legally and he’s trying to sell it legally…I don’t see what the outrage is about this.”

Read more http://finance.yahoo.com/news/panic...ng-ebola-domain-name-for--150k-182117698.html

 

[Domainsyrup]

I reg'd EbolaDrug.com

 

[TomTom1]

I have EbolaHistory/dot/com

 

[mad409]

Obama to launch ebola.gov; http://domaingang.com/domain-news/obama-launches-ebola-gov/

 

[NewbieKid]

“merchant of disease.” Pretty strong wording. I wonder if they feel the same regarding Cancer.com/org or similar names?

 

[wot]

I am selling EbolaVirusNews.com & BirdFluNews.com much cheaper.

Mainly because that are not as good. :D

 

[enlytend]

“merchant of disease.” Pretty strong wording. I wonder if they feel the same regarding Cancer.com/org or similar names?

They would if someone was selling the domain. I saw this "story" get posted across several sites the other day (Yahoo was among the last to pick it up) - the takeaway was that the domaining industry as a whole has a really bad public image. Places where there were more techie-types, people were like "whatever - it's legal, it's just a domain." The reaction on other venues was pretty brutal.

Not a surprise, but interesting to see the public reactions spelled out...

 

[S-B]

Obama to launch ebola.gov; http://domaingang.com/domain-news/obama-launches-ebola-gov/

That was a joke. Lol

 

[NewbieKid]

It's a shame.

They would if someone was selling the domain. I saw this "story" get posted across several sites the other day (Yahoo was among the last to pick it up) - the takeaway was that the domaining industry as a whole has a really bad public image. Places where there were more techie-types, people were like "whatever - it's legal, it's just a domain." The reaction on other venues was pretty brutal.

Not a surprise, but interesting to see the public reactions spelled out...

 

[lincolndsp]

while pharma is a trillion - dollar business profitting of the sick people, $150k for nice name like this causes such an outrage.
what?!

 

[garrett200]

I don't see any issue with this at all. Any controversy being created is out of jealousy. He took a risk and bought it for 13k, now due to the Ebola scare it's worth much more. His business risk paid off, there's nothing more to discuss.

 

[NewbieKid]

I don't see any issue with this at all. Any controversy being created is out of jealousy. He took a risk and bought it for 13k, now due to the Ebola scare it's worth much more. His business risk paid off, there's nothing more to discuss.

while pharma is a trillion - dollar business profitting of the sick people, $150k for nice name like this causes such an outrage.
what?!

If a drug company such as Merck creates the antidote those who own it's stock would never be looked down on as “merchant's of disease.”.

 

[Maxwell]

I don't think stuff like this should be frowned upon. I mean the guy made the investment so he now deserves to cash in on it.

Think of it this way,

What if you're not interested in developing it or maintaining a site, what else are you going to do with it? Grace delete?

No, you're going to sell it.

 

[Tia Wood]

This:

"Yahoo Finance editor in chief Aaron Task says, although distasteful, Schultz has the right to sell the domain name. “We live in a capitalistic society, he bought it legally and he’s trying to sell it legally…I don’t see what the outrage is about this.”"