How Cybersquatters Make Money from Your Children’s and Your Own Innocent FlubsWritten by Anti Spam League.org
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There are multiple ways in which typosquatters may turn typos into revenue. When surfers mistype popular URLs, squatter companies throw up ads in hidden browser windows, making money off of ads few people see. As a consequence, companies such as AT&T Corp. and The New York Times are paying for ad impressions even though ads are buried. Finally, when visitors try to close their browsers or otherwise leave web site in question, there is one more attempt at monetizing mistake. Another browser window usually pops up, with a different web site’s name. This one contains more advertisements. It’s a never ending story that sure gets on nerves of most of us! The success of companies that practice Cybersquatter points out some serious flaws in Internet's domain name system and in two of web's most prominent revenue models: Affiliate Programs and Advertising Reselling. Advertising resellers such as 24/7 Media Inc., Advertising.com Inc. and iBoost Technology Inc. contract with large advertisers and then automatically feed ads onto thousands of web sites. The automated method of placing ads on sites can make tracking where those ads end up a very difficult task. Needless to say, typosquatters do not think there is anything wrong with using people’s errors to grow traffic. However, it is a whole different story when typosquatting is employed by pornographers to attract children to their websites. Until now, there have been few methods of stopping pornographers and others abusing domain name system from misleading children and adults into accessing sites masquerading as popular legitimate sites. Many adult web sites misrepresent their content or nature of their sites by registering domain names that are intentionally confusing, using page coding designed to mislead search engines, distributing false advertising to promote site traffic, or hijacking visitors of another site. The problem is particularly serious when children are involved. Just as adults do, children get spam and unsolicited instant messages with graphic sexual images, content, or links to pornographic sites. Statistics show that 20% to 30% of traffic to adult sites is comprised of children. Many masquerade as messages from trusted friends or web sites. Children also may be tricked into visiting a pornographic site when they search for age-appropriate words or phrases on a search engine. Even if you find it hard to believe, depending on type of marketing or advertising model used by a particular web site, there may be no incentive to filter children. In fact, targeting children may be an effective way of increasing ad revenue. The name of game is web site traffic where adult sites are concerned. So they cannot rely just on keywords to increase traffic. As part of Amber Alert legislation, typosquatting is now a crime in United States. Porn network czar John Zuccarini was first person charged under new typosquatting law by U.S. Attorney’s office in Southern District of New York and pleaded guilty in 2004. He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Until enactment of Protect Act (most commonly known as ‘Amber Alert’ legislation), stopping typosquatters was a civil matter, or perhaps (under extraordinary circumstances) a consumer fraud matter. The sites Zuccarini has been found to have cybersquatted include those referring to Nicole Kidman, Backstreet Boys, Encarta and others. His manipulation of Aaron Carter's and Britney Spears' names is among his more recent abuses. Courts have already held that there is no legitimate purpose for Zuccarinin registering and using typo-domains other than to trade on popularity of underlying domain names, celebrities and products involved.In summary, cybersquatters and typosquatters are unethical companies and individuals that want to profit from your family’s and your own confusion and spelling mistakes. If you want to help protect your children and others online, drop by www.Anti-Spam-League.org and report those who are engaged in these and other unscrupulous online marketing practices. Become a member for free and sign up to receive our Newsletters with useful and valuable information on how to handle abuses on Internet. Also, look for more articles on related topics on our web site. You will learn how we can really make a difference by working together with consumers and companies to preserve Internet users’ freedom and privacy while promoting loyal advertising and good art on marketing practices.
The purpose of the Anti SPAM League is to help consumers and business owners reduce the amount of SPAM they receive. In addition, our Anti SPAM organization believes that educating site owners in the area of SPAM prevention and ways to successfully and responsibly market their sites, is key in making a difference.
| | Is your domain costing you traffic?Written by Nicholas Dixon
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For almost four years I marketed a free website that was hosted on Geocities. My “domain” spelt out WWW.Geocities.com/Myname which made marketing feel like running with an anchor tied to my legs. I can’t even imagine amount of traffic and credibility that I lost due to that single factor. Does it work? It can and sometimes it won’t. I believe that having a domain with too many words in it can be a turnoff just like having a Geocities site. It seems unprofessional for a company to have a name that contrasts credibility that they are trying to create. Some domain names are like a cargo train several comportments long. Why? Since some search engines do not give any significance to meta keyword tag, some webmasters fill their domain with their keywords. A good domain does not guarantee success as I found out. But a memorable and easy to spell name can be beneficial to both you and your visitors. You can have an easier time reaching them and they will have an easier time finding you with a quick type in of your domain. I think it is best to put your keywords for each page in your file name. That way you, search engines and your viewers all win. Copyright © Nicholas Dixon
Nicholas Dixon is the creator of Jamaica’s first article directory. Free content and information about a cool island town. Visit http://WWW.Oceanroc.com to learn more…
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