back to article Titanic mass grave site to be pillaged for NFTs

What does the Titanic have in common with NFTs? Not much. One lives on in the collective psyche as a monument to hubris while the other refuses to just sink already. Still, apropos of nothing except the smell of filthy blockchain-adjacent lucre, RMS Titanic Inc (RMST), which has been collecting artifacts associated with the …

  1. John Riddoch

    "The best way to put 'historical' legacy in the hands of the global public"

    ... and the best way to put as much of the foolish investors' money into their coffers as possible.

    Just when you think NFTs can't get any worse, this comes along.

  2. Johnb89

    No but, they're 'licensed'

    No but they've brought in "a licensed virtual asset manager" so its all legit, see?

    Meanwhile I've yet to receive my Reg commentard Licence, so please could you get on that.

    1. NoneSuch Silver badge
      Pint

      Re: No but, they're 'licensed'

      "No but they've brought in "a licensed virtual asset manager" so its all legit, see?"

      From Guinness University, Dublin no less.

      1. David 132 Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: No but, they're 'licensed'

        Slightly o/t, but years ago I was at the Storehouse brewery/museum in Dublin, learning all about the Guinness brewing process. Fascinating, and there was an extended opportunity afterwards to investigate the product in greater detail. I don’t remember much about it after that, other than a very “tired and emotional” colleague staggering up to me to tell me that the bar had run out of product.

        Yes, Les, that’s why they won’t serve you any more. Run out. Yep.

        1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
          Pint

          Re: No but, they're 'licensed'

          I seem* to recall my father & his building site buddies doing that once (Or at least severely depleting the stock available for Christmas Eve\Day\Boxing Day).

          *I was designated driver to collect him that Christmas Eve & by chance ended up in the same pub later that night to hear the Landlord grumbling loudly about his lost Christmas profits.

  3. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge
    Thumb Down

    the actions of the company show that the world's most famous shipwreck is just there to be milked

    It's also arguably the world's most famous mass grave, which makes this whole thing even more tasteless.

    1. Arthur the cat Silver badge

      It's also arguably the world's most famous mass grave, which makes this whole thing even more tasteless.

      Agreed. It's one thing being an idiot, but a totally different thing being a ghoul.

    2. cornetman Silver badge

      They are grave robbers.

    3. Tom 7

      Not 100% sure but does it count as a grave when the human remains have long since been eaten or dissolved into the sea?

      1. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

        Not 100% sure but does it count as a grave when the human remains have long since been eaten or dissolved into the sea?

        Good question. I'm inclined to say yes because we still refer to plots in churchyards/cemetaries as graves, long after the occupants have been transformed to worm food.

    4. Dabooka

      Totally agree

      The whole thing is abhorrent. I was appalled to see they were given permission to cut into the thing

  4. rjsmall
    Pirate

    Nothing more than grave robbers

    Simply trying to make profit out of misery. Shame we cannot send these people to have a close up look at the wreck without the aid of a submersible.

    1. David 132 Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Nothing more than grave robbers

      You mean, give them a block(of concrete) on a chain(of steel) and drop them over the side?

      1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

        Now that's a blockchain I could get behind.

        1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
          Pirate

          Blockheadchain.

          I'm using the pirate icon as its the closest thing to these "individuals", but the term is far too good for them.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Nothing more than grave robbers

        If only they hired Simon as Captain. We'd see plenty of blockchain action.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Titanic" "NFTs"

    Titanic, NFTs,

    There's two words that I never thought I'd see together in a sentence.

    1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: "Titanic" "NFTs"

      NFT - Non Floating Titanic.

  6. TeeCee Gold badge
    Pirate

    NEW!!11!! Now with BLOCKCHAIN!!!11!!

    "...just to make a few thousand pounds shows a dreadful insensitivity and greed."

    They're probably expecting to make rather more than that. Probably enough for the greed to completely swamp any lingering, pesky feelings of insensitivity.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I believe the saying is

    "I wouldn't touch it with yours"

  8. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Mushroom

    Just when you think they can't get any worse...

    The filthy bastards can't even leave hundreds of innocent victims of tragedy alone.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Just when you think they can't get any worse...

      but that's EXACTLY why they went for this. You win big, particularly if you're No 1 and, well, ANYTHIING goes :(

  9. Neil Barnes Silver badge

    Probably just as well

    That NFTs weren't around in Howard Carter's time...

    1. David 132 Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Probably just as well

      Other than NeFerTiti…

      Still, they did have their share of pyramid schemes.

  10. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

    immutable NFTs

    The NFT itself might not change over time, but the wrapper it is contained within will be compromised over time, due to technological advances.

    When that happens, will there be a market for re-packaging your NFT to the latest security level?

    1. Long John Silver
      Pirate

      Re: immutable NFTs

      Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is anyone can access and copy digital material wrapped within a NFT. If so, titular ownership of the digital material (but not of any physical structure it represents) is of no practical or financial use other than to occupants of the NFT bubble.

      Perhaps parasitical IP lawyers and 'bought' legislators in the USA will seek to protect 'rights' conferred by NFT ownership, and there will be a slew of useless activity in courts. These actions will count within US GDP, so many components of which do not reflect productivity in the 'real' world, but instead portray empty financialisation. There is no rule stating lunacy in the USA must be adopted within the civilised world.

      1. Fred Goldstein

        Re: immutable NFTs

        I doubt even US courts would respect the NFTs, though copyright law itself might impact any original works of art, for instance, made out of ghoulish pictures. Well, Florida courts might, but copyright is a federal matter. So the value of the NFT is indeed local to the NFT true believers; anyone else who makes a copy can do what they wish, subject only to copyright.

        The whole NFT thing reminds me of that Star Registry scam, where you could buy a gift that certified that they had named a star for you, but only on their registry, as the IAU ignored them.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Have they found the iceberg yet? I reckon that has to be worth quite a bit of money especially to people that will spend money on non-fungible tokens.

    1. David 132 Silver badge
      Happy

      For only 2.6ETH I’ll sell you a small, cube-shaped piece of the VERY SAME MATERIAL that sank the Titanic.

      Or if you prefer, a non-fungible electronic record showing that you, and you alone, paid me for that same non-fungible electronic record. Act now! You’d be a fool!

      (Normal sales pitches would append “…to miss out” but I think in this case…)

      1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

        "For only 2.6ETH I’ll sell you a small, cube-shaped piece of the VERY SAME MATERIAL that sank the Titanic."

        You can also claim that it contains some of the ACTUAL water molecules.

    2. Tom 7

      There's a joke about that but some might find it offensive. Snowflakes!

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    inclusive participation in RMST,

    rough masturbating stroke titties? racist manslaughter solidified torture? And wtf did I not ask bing-bottie to come up with more sophisticated acronyms in the first place? Human brain is so inefficient at true creativity!

    1. Rol

      Re: inclusive participation in RMST,

      Risible Miscreant's Sick Thinking

      Revolting and Miserably Shallow Thieves

      1. David 132 Silver badge

        Re: inclusive participation in RMST,

        Really Mercenary Shyster Trolls.

  13. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge
    Facepalm

    Coming soon

    Your very own Auschwitz NFT, complete with certificate

    Is there no low these people wont stoop to?

    1. Scotthva5

      Re: Coming soon

      The race to the bottom in three...two...one

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: Coming soon

        Well, yeah, that's where the "treasure" is. At the bottom.

  14. Zippy´s Sausage Factory
    Joke

    It's called Web3 because 0.03 cents is all NFTs will be worth in a few years' time.

    *ducks*

    1. David 132 Silver badge

      Ah, an optimist.

  15. Dizzy Dwarf

    Unfortunately ...

    ... there will be no shortage of ghouls willing to pay good money for something they won't actually own.

  16. Mitoo Bobsworth

    Sadly, they won't...

    ...but if it were possible, my one wish for these people would be for them to choke on their own shameless avarice.

  17. Fifth Horseman

    Utterly shameless

    These people need to fuck off, and stay fucked off.

    This whole "Web 3" nonsense is turning into a Tijuana donkey show. How bad does it have to get before someone yells 'enough' and hits the big red button?

    1. David 132 Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Utterly shameless

      Well said, although the gold standard for this sentiment has to be GrumpenKraut's timeless comment from a few days ago:

      Re: I do wish systemd would just fuck off.

    2. abend0c4 Silver badge

      Re: Utterly shameless

      I get the impression it might have reached a terminal phase. Until very recently there was what amounted to a caravan of camp followers travelling from tech conference to tech conference (and from one "digital nomad" outpost to another) in the desperate hope someone would bung them a lot of money because they knew the word "blockchain". At least anecdotally that seems to be diminishing - as are the number of conferences as the organisers realise there's little for them to cash in on either.

      I just hope someone manages to monetise its death throes - it would be poetic justice.

  18. Howard Sway Silver badge

    people continue to lose money

    Don't forget that the fools who will buy these things are doing so purely because they think it will enable them to make money. I think I've passed through the phases of amazement at the stupidity of it all, outrage at the cynicism of it, and have finally arrived at simply thinking that they are all going to lose everything and will fully deserve to.

  19. that one in the corner Silver badge

    To take away the unpleasant taste of RMST Inc

    May I recommend the EP "White Star Liner" by Public Service Broadcasting as something that shows a hell of a lot more respect to the passengers, crew and ship.

  20. Christian Berger

    Yeah, but by NFT logic...

    ... I can prove that nobody was harmed when the Titanic sank.

    There are immutable pieces of paper that were distributed thousands of times that claim "TITANIC SIKNING ; NO LIVES LOST"

    https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/titanic-headlines-in-vancouver-got-it-very-wrong-photos_n_4178419

    Then there is this Italian movie, distributed in immutable DVDs to thousands of people, The Legend of the Titanic (1999). This movie claims that nobody died, as the octopus that was responsible for the ice berg being in the way, saved them all.

    It's not like any "Blockchain" is more authoritative than a random newspaper or a movie, except in the eyes of some idiots.

  21. anonanonanonanonanon

    Why do they always use singular "The Blockchain"?

    They mean "A Blockchain", but I suppose that would screw with all the hype.

    1. gotes

      Re: Why do they always use singular "The Blockchain"?

      It's probably hosted in "The Cloud".

  22. Anonymous South African Coward Silver badge

    BOFH and NFT's

    Lest we forget - I agree 100% with Simon on his view regarding NFT's...

    ---> https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/13/bofh_2021_episode_15/

    Enjoy.

    1. Joe W Silver badge

      Re: BOFH and NFT's

      In RPG terms this is a ranged attack (social, touch = ignores armor). I guess I could try a saving throw to avoid being distracted by having to read all of the BOFH archives again.

      Curse you.

  23. Jedit Silver badge
    Stop

    "a dreadful insensitivity and greed"

    Yes, that's NFTs alright. There is nothing new under the sun.

  24. EarthDog

    What's the big deal?

    Grave robbing is a grand old tradition Amongst Americans and Europeans. Ask King Tut

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: What's the big deal?

      Or, for that matter, the ancient Egyptians. There was a reason they made the tombs difficult to find and get into in the first place.

  25. Sceptic Tank Silver badge
    Pirate

    FLoating a Business

    ========== Shiver me timbers! =========>

    How do I know if that BS on display at the Luxor be the real artifact? I mean: anybody could have made those model Titanics, hooks can be found by the truckload at any boatyard, and that ceiling lamp looks like something that was bought from my local Chamberlains Hardware store. These modern day pirates don't even have to set sail on a rickety boat to go and rob someone; the someones comes to them now.

  26. Blackjack Silver badge

    Do you really want to invest in something with the name Titanic on it that's not a museum exhibition or a movie?

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