Bloke faces up to 20 years in the clink after gun held to dot-com owner's head in robbery A 26-year-old internet entrepreneur faces up to 20 years behind bars in America, and a potential $250,000 fine, after attempt to steal a really not-very-good domain name. While that may sound excessive, it was how Rossi Lorathio Adams II, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, tried to get hold of the internet address doitforstate.com that …
I've had a polite offer or two on one on my domain names, no idea why really but I guess if I thought it was good then someone else might too.
But FFS threatening someone at gunpoint?
I'd only do that if I wanted your Twitter Handle, that seems reasonable to me.
Back in the late 90's, I had a com/net/org combo named for a local village. I received an offer, and sold the 3 together for a total £10,000 (+ a 33% stake in future profits)
However, their project never happened. They still own the .com but lost the .net and .org when they forgot to renew!
My .com has a .net company in the USA that's run by an elderly Mom and Pop. I have never had an offer on it from them or anyone else for that matter. However they do have a tendency to put the .com suffix when writing their email addresses. It's happened on things as diverse as a seminar on small businesses to their insurance renewal.
A mate at an ex employer had an offer on his .com unsolicited from someone by email. He figured it was a scam and never responded.
I had a similar .com from a long forgotten project ... I didn't know it at the time, but the matching .net was owned by a small family business several states away. When I found out about the .net, I gave them the now unused .com for xmas. That was around 20 years ago. Their family and my family are now really good friends :-)
I've had offers for most of my various addresses, I've turned them all down. My one mistake was when I gave up my personal "Class C" in late 1996 ... Seemed kinda pointless at the time; I had just sold my "portal" to idiots with more money than brains, and decided that I didn't need the address space anymore. Oops.
Yes. The behavior of Nissan USA in that case was execrable. I'd consider it a good reason not to buy Nissan cars, in the unlikely event I would ever be tempted to buy a Nissan car.
(I might be interested in a 280Z if I decide to relocate to 1977 when I retire.)
I've upvoted you Dr. S for the sentiment.
But are you sure 'irony' is the right word given it was a stupid act to gain control of a site showing people doing stupid things.
Syntax may be your thing but it seems using the right word might not be.
I'm ready for the flood of comments telling me what I've written is incorrect.
Actually, you can make an argument for irony in any non-trivial piece of discourse. It's one of the four "master tropes", and in fact any trope can be defined in terms of irony. It's the Peano Arithmetic of language.
Basically, any trope (literally "turn") is a case of some expectation being violated. The expectation may be naive - even so naive that no normal reader or listener would actually hold it. It's just the minimal literal interpretation of the expression.
So for example take the case of metaphor. Expectation: The tenor is what the vehicle literally describes. Violation: Some attributes of the vehicle are being claimed for the tenor, but they are not identical. Or synecdoche, where the expectation is that the expression explicitly describes the entire signified, and the violation is that the audience is meant to understand a related superset.
Irony is the trope of violated expectation, and thus the trope of tropes.
You can also argue that irony is information - per Shannon, the information in a signal is equal to the surprise for the recipient, i.e. the inverse probability of the received message. By this argument, without irony there's no communication, so all communication is ironic.
I doubt that the entire site managed to feature anyone as stupid as its owner.
Agreed. But you're missing the distinction between a monumentally stupid person and an otherwise-normal person doing stupid things in a moment of drunken exuberance. There might be strong competition in the latter category, and a university environment could offer fertile ground.
From the report linked in TFA:
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). ... Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
Just how many forcible attempts at transferring domain names do they have to require "comprehensive solutions to address them"? Why not just prosecute the case on its own merits?
Well, the thing about big universities in the US, particularly public ones, is that they tend to admit a lot of marginal traditional-age students, to fund things like research and scholarships for the students they actually want.
Some of those marginal students shape up and graduate as passable young adults; some remain idiots. But either way they pay.
Not that I've ever had anyone wanting to buy the domain I've held for the better part of 20 years. Sell, yes. Buy, no.
Something I had forgotten! The sheer number of offers to sell me the domain I own (or those I used to be admin/tech contact for in the past).
I guess some people will fall for anything. BTW, can I interest you in a historic bridge? Only one careful owner, maintenance records available, well-trafficked and a unique business opportunity!
"I opted for the privacy protection thing my registrar uses"
That's a free option now for the EU due to GDPR. It's good. Some arse providers however, still try to sell it as "an option" within the EU. Some at some point, when people realise, I think there will be lots of refund requests from certain shitty providers.
I was thinking: were people always this stupid, or are we really - as it sometimes feels - getting slightly dumber with each new generation?
If I were that obsessed with a frickin' domain name - for, what's worse, some purpose as pointless as the defendant's - I would surely have tried for an insanity defence.
@veti.
I think the world population (or a significant part of it) is gradually succumbing to a condition that could be described as Facetweetergrammeosis, it appears to directly attack and erode basic cognitive function, leaving sufferers with low apparent intellect with unwarranted swings of emotion, with a propensity for putting words into the mouths of cat and other fluffy animal photos.
were people always this stupid
Yes. But now we have the unparralleled ability to display our rampant stupidity to a much, much wider audience than before. And since we don't lose 4 out of 10 children before their first birthday (in the Western world anyway), there are a lot more of us to generate Stupidon particles.
Given the builtin traceability of this crime, this should be an honorary Darwin Award, considering his limited opportunity for procreation in jail.
That would depend on the type of cell mate he 'receives' I guess. There may well be many attempts.
(yes, pun intended and yes, I know rape is a nasty thing (trust me I know), but still struggling to find any sympathy here).
criminals are criminals, but a society that condones rape, of women or men, as punishment, is itself morally bankrupt.
Trust me, I do not condone rape. Not under any circumstances.
Have you ever considered that the sort of stuff this miscreant was posting on his site is tantamount to rape in many ways? For some of his victims the damage will be within the same range. I know this both as a person who has been through rape (and the ongoing effects it can have, although through my faith that has somewhat been alleviated and as someone who has spent some time helping people through having nasty stuff posted online.
I can sometimes joke about the nasty things in life. I have empathy for people who have had to endure all sorts of things (orphaned young, lost many friends, terribly failed relationships, raped - and stuff worse even than that which probably won't ever come up here). But because of who I know, who I've cried with and why - nope, I really cannot find any sympathy for this guy. He has not just selfishly contributed a lot to the nasty side of this world, but has tried to make money from other people's mistakes and misfortune.
He wanted to profit from pain. Maybe now he's going to experience more pain than he considered, only directed at him instead of coming from him.
I don't believe in Karma, but this could make a pretty convincing argument.
I do not condone promotion of retribution or revenge as justice
Neither do I, at least not under normal circumstances.
My usual view is for much much much shorter sentences. If incarceration must be used at all then it must solely be to protect the public. Whilst the offender is in prison there must be every effort made to rehabilitate them and even if that fails, they must have a reason to hope and a future of some value.
In NZ our "justice system" (I use the term in its loosest meaning) is supposed to be to protect the public and rehabilitate the offender. Restoration to the offender is optional, but often offender's lawyers won't even ask for it to be made available (even though it is required by law that a judge takes note of any attempts by the offender to arrange/willingness to be a part of 'restorative justice') The lack of programs or other opportunities for people to better themselves, and the sometimes extreme lack of even legally guaranteed rights that our prisons have shows that our governments (both sides) have seriously failed at even pretending to follow the laws on our books regarding offenders. We have the second highest incarceration rate in the "developed world" (also using that term rather loosely in respect to NZ), but I wouldn't be surprised if we had the worst outcomes for offenders post-prison in the entire world.
But.. Some people do a lot of harm and society wants to sweep it under the carpet, give them a payout for their troubles, and let them go free and encourage others to follow suit. This guy won't do a single second of time for his worst offences. Thousands of his victims won't even get the slightest voice in this case, nor will the other offenders (those who uploaded the material) get even the briefest glance from the 'justice system', free to go about their lives as if they were completely innocent of any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, kids all over the world end their lives, or end up in all sorts of hurt few can begin to imagine, because of what people do with the mistakes they've made.
"Have you ever considered that the sort of stuff this miscreant was posting on his site is tantamount to rape in many ways?"No, I have not ever considered that hosting clips of drunk people doing stupid stuff in public is tantamount to rape.
So... A young person, new to alcohol, maybe their first party.. Gets in over their head, gets drunk, gets encouraged to strip off (partially or otherwise) or else do some other stuff that is well beyond what they would consider OK. Some wonderful person films them at what will be the lowest point in their life and makes it publicly available for all to see forever more.
You have never considered what that can do to some people - the shame of the memory coupled with the embarrassment of it being around, being reminded of it often for years to come?
You've never seen someone become a recluse over something like that have you? Afraid to go outdoors because of what others have said or done over such an incident. Never watched a promising life collapse because someone thought it would be fun to remind them of stuff they would never had normally done but for that one time they got drunk?
Rape is not always the worst thing that can happen to a person who survives the event. Sometimes the aftermath (police interviews, court, attempts at counselling, family/friends blaming you, the doubts in other people's minds -eg "he's gay so he must have wanted it, probably led the other guy on", sometimes the judgements others make - eg "You went out with that person/went out dressed like that/are just a worthless fag/did something to deserve it").
I personally don't know which I would rate worse out of the nastier experiences I've had. Some people don't handle being rape victims well at all, others manage to put it past them and get on with life as if it did not happen (perhaps they're the ones who successfully avoid 'counselling'), others survive the event well but the aftermath is bad. Still others have things happen to them that seem relatively minor to the rest of us, but it is enough to destroy them.
I think I'd rate being orphaned about the same as being raped, maybe even worse (as it set me up early for a lot of other issues). The aftermath perhaps worse still. But loosing my fiance at 19 may be the worst overall. That messed me up for years. Other people would think differently, as we each have a different experience.
I guess a long-winded way of saying "your mileage may vary".
FFS. No one was killed and he’s getting 20 yrs. That’s plenty of time, I don’t know where you’re getting the idea he’s getting off lightly. Or that I am sympathetic. Add to it that his is most definitely not a crime needing deterrence to others.
Prison rape jokes are at best in poor taste. Yes, sometimes people say crap jokes, that’s not a crime. But as an expression of desired policy, as you seem to insist on doing, they are reprehensible and contemptible.
FFS. No one was killed and he’s getting 20 yrs. That’s plenty of time, I don’t know where you’re getting the idea he’s getting off lightly. Or that I am sympathetic. Add to it that his is most definitely not a crime needing deterrence to others.
Interesting.. No one died. However, he did send an armed assailant into the victims home, an intruder who was prepared to kill. But hey, the guy was able to successfully fight back after being shot so I guess that makes it OK. He broke into the guys house, physically assaulted him more than once, pointed a gun at the victims head and shouted "I’m going to blow your fucking head off!" but no one died, it's all OK.
The victim may make a full physical recovery, but he may have ongoing issues with his leg for the rest of his life. It's OK though, no one died. The victim may have to give up things he loves because of the injury but hey, he's still alive so it's all good.
The victim may also suffer severe psychological issues for the rest of his life. It's OK though, he'll live. Unless the problems lead to suicide but then hey, Adam's didn't actually kill him so it's not a problem. Adams should get our undying gratitude even!
Victim may have to give up things he loves, maybe even basic stuff like just going to check his mail or sleeping at nights. Every little noise... Do you know what it's like to have had someone break into your house and attack you? I haven't experienced it but I know people who have, and they aren't ever the same. They never feel secure and wake up at the slightest hint of a disturbance around the house. But hey, he wasn't killed so never mind.
Add to it that his is most definitely not a crime needing deterrence to others.
Sending an armed person into someone else's home to take something from them by force is not a crime needing deterrence?
Prison rape jokes are at best in poor taste. Yes, sometimes people say crap jokes, that’s not a crime. But as an expression of desired policy, as you seem to insist on doing, they are reprehensible and contemptible.
I didn't actually make a "prison rape joke". But even if I did, can you please point out where I was "insist'ing on it being "desired policy"?
If I was ever locked up, I'd hope to 'receive' just the right sort of cell mate. And you can bet your bottom dollar there ain't no way it would be rape!
But while you're getting high and mighty, just remember you're the one who thinks home invasions and theft by force shouldn't be a crime.
he's living the American Dream. a not-so-dissimilar personage of morally dubious character made it all the way to the white house, so if i were to take a morality-free, pragmatic view of it, it's a straight up risk/reward calculation as to whether you break the law to get what u want.
this is capitalism in its purest form. that the law says 'no' is socialism at work. doing what its supposed to - enforcing a system for the social good.
The USA has quite a large and complex name space available at multiple levels, There's a Wikpedia article on it. I assume they are used locally. Can't say I've ever come across any myself from this side of the pond though.
Adams set up a company called "State Snaps" while a student of Iowa State University, and built up over a million followers on social media channels – including Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter – by posting short videos of drunk students doing idiotic things, often while semi-naked.
I despise the concept of incarceration for most people (most who wind up inside simply don't deserve it).
Somehow, though, I am struggling to feel any sympathy for this guy.
Not only that... I am struggling to even care that I don't feel sympathy.
We all have our bad moments, especially if we're silly enough to get intoxicated. People who are intoxicated (through whatever cause) can often easily be led into do things they wouldn't normally do. Not too many years ago this is something that could soon be forgotten, but today it lives on and people may want the memory to end but there is nothing they can do. They made a mistake, someone cajoled them into making worse mistakes, and some selfish scum filmed it and made it available for others to share.
Nope. No sympathy. Maybe after the screws release the footage of you crying your first few nights away, which of course can be brought out and shown to anyone any time lest you try to forget about it yourself. Let the footage of your broken arse crying for your own pain (not the pain you caused to your victims) be published far and wide, let you know what it is like. Maybe then I can feel some sympathy.
Or perhaps your cell mate is some guy whose gal got drunk and flashed her boobs, and despite their protests and requests you still made the footage available. Maybe after he's finished I can feel some sympathy.
But don't count on it.
(I'd offer a beer icon, but I somehow doubt you'll see anything approaching that in the near future. So the icon that matches both your type of person, and what I think of myself for not having any sympathy for you)
Why would he bother to change it? Besides, he probably goes by Ro-Lo or some such. No doubt he's attended frat parties and said: "Yo-yo! Ro-Lo in da house!"
Oh since this time it'll be the big house and the domain doitforstatepen.com is available, I'm thinking it's a golden opportunity for him even though the pics of drunken antics will likely be limited.
"it isn't that hard to change your name"
In concept, you are correct. But the devil is in the details. Try it, then report back.
(I legally changed my name from my given name to just "jake" many years ago. It was a pain in the ass, partially because of the singular name, but not entirely because of that. Changing it back to the name my parents gave me several years later was also a pain, even though I knew what to expect having been through it once before.)
Using GoDaddy for anything is criminal as well IMHO.
That said, WTF? That's why we use the privacy facilities, and even that is a double blind because the address we use is a forwarder.
We did that after we started helping UK companies to retain their .eu domains, not because we had to but more as an extra exercise to ensure the petty Brussels bureaucrats who came up with that idea found it a bit more difficult to talk to us - we may have developed a perfectly legal approach, but that doesn't switch off petty..
There are some three million people in Iowa. Most generalizations about them probably won't hold up well under closer inspection.
I mean, some will. "Most Iowans are male or female" is a good one. Heck, even "most Iowans are of European descent" is safe. But I'd be reluctant to rely on "most Iowans are nice".
"The armed robbery went wrong when the domain owner, Ethan Deyo, thought that the gunman, 43-year-old Sherman Hopkins, was going to kill him and fought back."
Yup, sorry but you have to 100% assume that someone pointing a gun at you is not faking either the gun or their intent, and that they have very real intent to harm you, whether or not you comply.
If they weren't going to fire on you, they likely won't fire on you when you try to overwhelm them.
If they were, or they are panicky enough to fire on you anyway, then they could have done that at any time - better to be a time of your choosing.
If you comply, you have no guarantee whatsoever that the madman with a gun talking about domain names in your house is going to do anything other than kill you once he has what he wants - or maybe even before then.
The exception is the police who *SHOULD* know better than to fire on a compliant person, but even that's not necessarily true in the US.
You have to operate on the basis that you're dead anyway / whatever threat they make to your family will be carried out anyway. May as well take them down with you as, as this article says, even with several shots to the chest, the guy still survived long enough to stand trial and go to jail.
It's a textbook case of a tragedy of the commons.
I'm not considered one of the forefathers, but I was working with computers and networking at Berkeley and Stanford before there were two dozen nodes on the research network that became the monstrosity that we now call "The Internet".
I work for a large corporate, who owns dozens of domain names.
However the only one we ever get buy-offers for is a three-letter .com which isn't even in use. We've been offered up to $70k USD for it, from some random chinese 123.com email address.
Curiously they come in waves, with none for six months then three offers in a week. Inexplicable.
jira.domain.com, now offers something.jira.domain.com The Register 
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