interviews My 2023 meeting with Swetha Yenugula

[smartwebby]

Hi Everyone,

I decided to write in detail about my 2023 meeting with Swetha (@DNGear) though its been almost 2 years because of the recent upheaval on X immediately following her DomainNameGear account being banned - probably because of being reported by her haters. No one on earth will be able to convince these haters because their only agenda is to hate on someone who is fair game to them. We see these zombies all the time, ever since social media went mainstream. Their credentials don't mean a thing in the face of disgusting repeated bad behaviour. My article is for those who have a brain and a heart and can connect with another human being like me. I've written to the best of my recollection so I hope there aren't any mistakes.

The date was decided as 7th July 2023 as Swetha (who is located in Hyderabad) said she will be in Bengaluru - she had bought some land and was coming to do some inspection of the ongoing construction. Prior to that we had chatted a bit on X and via WhatsApp and had also had a couple of phone calls. She seemed warm though hesitant on the phone, and since the texting was pretty minimal and 'to the point', I really was looking forward to our meeting. I had told some of my domainer friends on the Clubhouse app - Todd Ryan, Paul Singh, and others that I was meeting her. I also had a list of casual and domaining related questions for her. This was not only to appease my curiosity but because I was constantly asked questions on Clubhouse about her that I obviously had no answer to. I thought I could clear up the air of bullying. Boy was I in for a surprise!

The venue I had chosen was 13th Floor, a restaurant atop Barton Centre on MG Road. The time was fixed as 6:30 pm but she arrived only after 7.30 pm as the traffic was really really bad. I had arrived early and had ordered myself a cocktail - interestingly called Madam Butterfly - and some chicken kabab. Time flew as luckily I had brought along my DSLR to take photos of Bengaluru from high up - it being rooftop restaurant with a great view of Bengaluru.

She finally arrived after sunset and we did some small talk about the traffic and our respective families. She told me her husband's name is Kalyan and she has two kids (11 and 14 at that time). And I told her a bit about my two daughters. My first impression about her was that she was as demure and soft spoken as I had envisioned her to be from her voice. Surprise surprise, as soon as the talk turned to a bit about domaining (I think I told her how happy I was years ago to know DNGear was a woman domainer when she said her name was Swetha - right here on NamePros' chat) and then about the ongoing bullying and Reza and Michael. She suddenly reached out and thrust something into my hand and asked "How don't I exist?" - it turned out to be her ID card. I felt goosebumps on my neck and a lump form in my throat (I felt so ashamed of and for our community) when I looked up at her. Seeing pain in her eyes I was quick to mumble some words of comfort. I think I said about how on clubhouse its only a few people who talk nonsense but most really admire her. I then quickly changed the topic and asked her about how she decided to shore up on XYZ when most people were dropping them or selling them for cheap. She then told me about how she made some quick sales, bought more in auctions and how she caught some domains using some specific services. I remember clearly thinking "There she is!" because when the talk turned to domains her talk was filled with passion which only another domainer can recognize and acknowledge. We continued to talk for at least 30 mins more about domains before she told me her brother was waiting in the car with the driver - I was a little taken aback and asked her why she didnt bring him up with her. After that we argued about the bill (I insisted she was my guest in Bengaluru) and we then proceeded to taking several photos. I am glad I have the habit of finding the best lighting to take the best photo and that she was patient because 1 or 2 photos can be said to be Ai but ones like these? (I have more)

And how about the fact that we took photos in the 13th FLOOR restaurant's entrance and the restaurant next to it called ASEAN? Can Ai imagine and cook up that? My God - I could never have imagined the nightmare that followed on X with me also getting bullied after I posted pictures of our meeting. I can never forget that apart from the other losers, the super rich and respected Mike Mann tried to prove I do not exist - on X and on LinkedIn!!!! Anyone sane would go to the archive.org record of SmartWebby.com and see my name on my contact page (2001 first record). And the BS spewed continues right upto recently with me defending myself and her about not having given an interview or made an appearance at a conference. We have two talks scheduled this year - postponed from last year as I am to blame with my lofty aspiration to have my book out before doing the DNTalk.com video interviews. The book is out and I have also made her 'expert contribution' chapter free today (so people can read Swetha's advice and story in her own words) but I honestly am uncomfortable with this arm twisting and will probably delay her video interview more till this madness is ended. She or anyone else doing well in domaining has nothing to prove to others nor do they owe anyone anything. John Berryhill's recent post is spot on about the vast diverse spectrum of people in domaining. We should all be ashamed on behalf of the community for the sickening behaviour of some towards Swetha and others who have been bullied into silence. Me? I become the bully to bullies. The main perpetrators blocked me in 2023 and were ignored for a bit for sanity's sake but not anymore. Swetha is a genuine person and an amazingly successful hardworking domainer we all have watched grow right here on NamePros and she deserves the respect of the entire industry. If not awards and place at the hightest table give her some d*mn peace without crapping on her. When I went back home that night - she had insisted on going out of her way to drop me to my house almost 10 kms away before heading back to her hotel 20-25 kms in the opposite direction - I was happy to have met her and was once again shocked by how she had thrust her ID into my hand (till today I feel it). How much of the sickening bullying would she have internalized to have thought that out?? And who was I to answer that question on behalf of the community?? This is why I will defend her like my own sister - simply because what happened to her was WRONG!!! As simple as that. That one reason is enough for me to go up against anyone and stand in the gap between right and wrong till the wrong is set right.

PS. I am genuinely happy that so many are speaking up against the attacks and bullying especially Darpan (founder of Atom.com) and once again Michael (founder of NameBio.com) who didn't back down like many do when attacked.

warm regards,

Anita Walker

 

[Bob Hawkes]

when the talk turned to domains her talk was filled with passion which only another domainer can recognize and acknowledge.

Thank you @smartwebby. While no one should have needed to see this proof, it is delightful to have the personal glimpse that you provided. I particularly like the line above.

@karmaco has already posted what I was going to post in this discussion (I added the bold, because I so strongly that we must stop the attack on Swetha. Period. I am pleased that it seems the vast majority of NamePros members have refused to put up with the nonsense theories of Jack Whoever.

No one has been more maligned than Swetha in this industry. No one.

I knew about this but thanks for sharing your perspective and your photos.

It has to stop

Let's be a positive and accepting community. Be the best we all can.

-Bob

 

[Jannes]

She can be real but most of us are asking, blah blah blah

Most of us know about your tendency to grandiose thinking.

 

[DomainNature]

Your question has a jealous, racist and sexist undertone but I will still answer. As far as I know she is from a wealthy family and she made many many sales - almost 700 as per her content in my book. What more does she need to show as proof when NameBio, DAN and Afternic have all confirmed her hundreds of sales?? The more important thing though is why the heck should she explain anything to anyone to get appreciation instead of suspicion from the community? Don't you celebrate others' wins without question? But you won't celebrate others extraordinary wins if they didn't fit your preconceived notions of a successful domainer right? Or is it because she is Indian and indians are poor? We can't afford them big portfolios? You gotta be kidding me. What kind of mentality even brings these questions to your mind? Who is anyone to question her success when they never questioned any of the other men and women in Domaining, who happen to be predominantly from the west?? Did anyone ever ask them where their funds came from?

Note: I would like the moderators to keep this question and answer because this is key to the human behaviour which lead to the mob bullying and witch-hunt of Swetha. Anyone trying to bully or who is bullied in the next 50 or 100 years should have access to such answers because sadly no one is answering the real issue underlying it all: Why was she singled out? What makes humans resort to such utterly disgusting behaviour? From the beginning it has been one crazy speculation after speculation or insensitive question after question which was consumed and supported by hundreds. So like someone said on X, correcting just the perpetrators of the bullying is not enough. Pointing it out and self introspection is required for EVERY person who said anything demeaning!

The answers to the questions above can be found if you start from the fact that every single one of her detractors, men and women, who have doubted an established and respected community member - one who has been active on namepros for 10+ years - has no right to disrespectfully and shockingly question someone's "means" to funding their success or "clothes" or "lack of social appearances"!! Not one. Not you, not me.

The whole of this saga was vindictive and a witch hunt on a person who did absolutely nothing wrong!! Whether anyone wants to admit it or not that is the fact! It was and remains an assault on human dignity and rights. I would not wish what she experienced on you even "when the beast gets out"! It was shameful, humiliating and inhuman how the bullies overran the community and I haven't read even 10% of it. Do you know how many people were disgusted over it? And do you know that most of the sales do not get reported nowadays because of it? It has cost the community to not only lose face but also lose out on immensely valuable sales data. Did any of the other people who made the biggest sales in XYZ even reveal their sales before she once again was targeted? Did you go and ask Nikul, Drew Rosener, Tony, and all the others who revealed their XYZ sales why they didn't reveal the sales till now? Try them! Pretty sure they didn't because of what the twisted community members did to Swetha, who was only trying to share her sales. Why exactly do we share our sales? All of us share it because we want to help each other right? And she was sharing it because of X Y and Z nefarious reasons? Whoever still believes this really needs a reality check!

Sadly people who have the nerve to pile on such insensitive questions even after so many years of proven sales and not an iota of proof of wrongdoing - that they seem to have "rights" to ask - will almost certainly never change. To them I say, remember, Swetha always had the support of the vast majority of the community but they kept quiet because no one wants to enter the pigs pit with illogical hate mongers who are the minority.

If you are someone not yet feeling ashamed of our community go and read about the effects of bullying. People take their own lives over harsh words been spoken to them - often much lesser in volume. Those at the receiving end not only become withdrawn but are affected for the rest of their lives. Do you think one thing anyone can do for her will take back this disaster? I really doubt any of the key perpetrators would sincerely apologize (because of their ideology that what they did is acceptable) , but I hope people who have the capability to speak well among us will put an end to this utter nonsense that till this day is bringing up questions like this. I am pretty sure those who have heartlessly torn her down will continue to celebrate their own "smartness" in making her go quiet for a bit but that is not the end to the story. I promise you. I and many of my friends in domaining will ensure she is respected and the bullies are made to apologize - even if it is pretentious ones. The higher up ones should remember they were celebrated and not torn down when they succeeded before stamping on others different from them. Everyone has to go into the ground in a coffin or as ashes, and if you cant show humility when you are clearly in the wrong, only you will be to blame for the tarnished legacy you leave behind.

You are facing it from your own perspective, jealous, sexist etc, check my replies you will see how I question everything, even COM big sales, why, because I compare them to what I sold or what offers I got. I also know how hard is to live in India, for most of Hindus, I also know what is bullying, have felt it on my own skin.
I had allot of technicians from India, even had females from US and Russia who were teaching their husband to repair smartphones, so I can say that I have huge respect for such strong and smart females, between congrats Swetha for her success.

However if we will stay with the head in the sand and not question everything, then in the end one will be *** from behind, and I not want to be that one, I will expose all the black holes in any industry, even if it affects my own biz! People who don't seek the truth, are a bunch of following sheeple, with big pink glasses from RayBan.

I know the feeling when nobody believes in you, when I try to sell my secret knowledge, which is the reason I got into domaining, this showed to me that most of domainers are superficial and with dead pineal gland, in the end I no longer cared, I will see their faces soon, when I will begin selling my domains like hot dogs, probably Swetha does the same and should not care what we think or write here.

 

[DomainNature]

Most of us know about your tendency to grandiose thinking.

I did not write blah blah blah, so no need to twist my words per your own needs.
I have read in other topics how people ask from where she got the funds for such big portfolio, that is why we come here for the answers and to question, else nobody will come here and end up talking with ChatGPT like in an echo chamber, with themselves.

 

[Jannes]

I did not write blah blah blah, so no need to twist my words per your own needs.
I have read in other topics how people ask from where she got the funds for such big portfolio, that is why we come here for the answers and to question, else nobody will come here and end up talking with ChatGPT like in an echo chamber, with themselves.

Okay then, where do you get the funds to renew your domains?

 

[DomainNature]

Okay then, where do you get the funds to renew your domains?

From savings which I have left, from same source of smartphone repairs, I have sold 4 COM domains, made only about 3K USD which is a small percentage from what I invested, I had offers for secret domains but the interested parties don't understand why I wanted so much for a specific domain, therefore all negotiations ended without any sale, so when someone invests more than 60K USD in domains without big result, it feels heavy, I imagine if it does not work out, all my family member will tell me "you stupid moran you have spend money like in a casino" plus gossip will spread fast about a guy who spent all his money on domains and failed, I think most domainers will understand such feeling, cause they are in similar situation and this is the reason why we begin to question big sales, it is because we don't have them.

 

[Jannes]

the reason why we begin to question big sales, it is because we don't have them.

Very enlightening, thanks. Of course another, possibly more fruitful option would be to question the quality of your domains and/or selling tactics. What are secret domains?

 

[smartwebby]

You are facing it from your own perspective, jealous, sexist etc, check my replies you will see how I question everything, even COM big sales, why, because I compare them to what I sold or what offers I got. I also know how hard is to live in India, for most of Hindus, I also know what is bullying, have felt it on my own skin.
I had allot of technicians from India, even had females from US and Russia who were teaching their husband to repair smartphones, so I can say that I have huge respect for such strong and smart females, between congrats Swetha for her success.

However if we will stay with the head in the sand and not question everything, then in the end one will be *** from behind, and I not want to be that one, I will expose all the black holes in any industry, even if it affects my own biz! People who don't seek the truth, are a bunch of following sheeple, with big pink glasses from RayBan.

I know the feeling when nobody believes in you, when I try to sell my secret knowledge, which is the reason I got into domaining, this showed to me that most of domainers are superficial and with dead pineal gland, in the end I no longer cared, I will see their faces soon, when I will begin selling my domains like hot dogs, probably Swetha does the same and should not care what we think or write here.

Why should I check out your history? No one has time for all this and nor are anonymous people here interesting to me in the least. Your question was loaded, insensitive and disrespectful. First get that. She is not some new domainer who has to prove herself. All pertinent questions that should matter to domainers have been answered many years ago. Rather than learn from her you think it's fair that so many tore her down? And who here has got their head in the sand? if you are a true truth seeker first introspect on how this feels on other people's end before posting insensitive questions and go question the bullies what evidence they have of any allegation. The haters still are finding new reasons and are digging themselves deeper. Why should the community accept any of this behaviour anymore?

 

[johnn]

Why you guys keep digging into someone else business?
This is Namepros.com NOT SwethaInvestigation.com.

McDonald is hiring just in case you are looking for a job.

 

[Paul]

You are facing it from your own perspective, jealous, sexist etc, check my replies you will see how I question everything, even COM big sales, why, because I compare them to what I sold or what offers I got.

There’s a world of difference between healthy skepticism toward sales claims and the sort of bigotry and sexism being thrown around here.

And we will not tolerate it.

 

[DomainNature]

There’s a world of difference between healthy skepticism toward sales claims and the sort of bigotry and sexism being thrown around here.

And we will not tolerate it.

Understood!

 

[Shailendra Mishra]

Nice surprise @smartwebby Anita.
I just logged in after millenniums and found your post.

I read your full post, but there are too many comments to read, so maybe I am repeating what has already said several times:

Do not worry about conspiracy theorists. There exist people who think earth is flat. You think photographs will make them believe? Just dont worry about them.

But it is nice that you shared your experience.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Nice to see this, with 90 points and more than 3000 views currently, the NamePros Community Favorite.
Thank you both!
-Bob

 

[alop]

Nice to see this, with 90 points and more than 3000 views currently, the NamePros Community Favorite.
Thank you both!
-Bob

4k today


What's the next event?

 

[Optinom]

I did not write blah blah blah, so no need to twist my words per your own needs.
I have read in other topics how people ask from where she got the funds for such big portfolio, that is why we come here for the answers and to question, else nobody will come here and end up talking with ChatGPT like in an echo chamber, with themselves.

The problem is many assume that everyone in India is like this. That's why all these questions come up. How can such a person get funds ? How can they sell domains?

The reality is India has over 1 million people who are USD millionaires. So a million people there are much richer than you, and most them don't even do domaining. How hard is for someone in a million to invest some funds into domains ?

 

[URL Stream]

The problem is many assume that everyone in India is like this. That's why all these questions come up. How can such a person get funds ? How can they sell domains?

Show attachment 277528

With all due respect, might you be projecting the very bias you're calling out? That individual could very well be a millionaire!

To see how that kind of bias plays out in the real world, look no further than AI—it often mirrors the worldview it was trained on. Try this prompt: “Research the look of a stereotypical millionaire, then create an image based on your findings.”

Feel free to share your results.

 

[Optinom]

With all due respect, might you be projecting the very bias you're calling out? That individual could very well be a millionaire!

To see how that kind of bias plays out in the real world, look no further than AI—it often mirrors the worldview it was trained on. Try this prompt: “Research the look of a stereotypical millionaire, then create an image based on your findings.”

Feel free to share your results.

The worldview of AI is going to be no different. An average millionaire is visually expected to be perhaps white, male - wearing a suit. The less flashy millionaires are real, big in number but will not be part of these worldviews. Because these less flashy ones, don't differentiate themselves visually.

This is Sridhar Vembu - founder of Zoho. A real billionaire. Try generating an image with AI, that's remotely similar with AI's worldview of "millionaire".