news NBC News Article on Coronavirus Domain Names

[EJS]

NBC News published an article about coronavirus domain names. I was interviewed for the article:

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-n...crative-profiteering-website-domains-n1170411

 

[Furquan]

“There always seem to be people buying domain names related to tragedies,” Silver said. “But in general, you don't really see many of them trade for anything. To me, it's a waste of time and money. And it just seems like there's potential for too much negativity.”


Then the same article read,

Schultz was raked through the coals by the national press in 2014, when he sold Ebola.com. “It wasn’t fun,” Schultz said, to be called the “merchant of disease,” by The Washington Post, or an “opportunistic piece of human garbage,” by Gizmodo, “but we did sell the domain a week later for $200,000.”

 

[Compassion]

Is not the primary foundation of mainstream news predicated on profiting from tragedy?!?

 

[EJS]

“There always seem to be people buying domain names related to tragedies,” Silver said. “But in general, you don't really see many of them trade for anything. To me, it's a waste of time and money. And it just seems like there's potential for too much negativity.”


Then the same article read,

Schultz was raked through the coals by the national press in 2014, when he sold Ebola.com. “It wasn’t fun,” Schultz said, to be called the “merchant of disease,” by The Washington Post, or an “opportunistic piece of human garbage,” by Gizmodo, “but we did sell the domain a week later for $200,000.”

A couple of comments:

As I said, "you don't really see many of them trade for anything," so what I said is accurate. Yes, Ebola.com is one domain name that sold, but in general, not many sell for much. I did an analysis earlier this month using NameBio, and there aren't many sales at all: https://domaininvesting.com/analysis-what-are-illness-outbreak-domain-names-worth/

In the interview, I was primarily referring to new registrations since people have registered tens of thousands of domain names related to the coronavirus. Ebola.com was not a new registration. It had been registered in 1997. Also, I believe that $200,000 figure included stock, so I do not know what the deal ended up being worth assuming the stock was sold when permitted: https://domaininvesting.com/ebola-com-domain-name-sold-200k/

 

[smokethis]

Thanks for sharing