A couple of months ago, I performed a Web search with the terms ‘DNSSEC’ and ‘Comcast.net’ — and I do all I can to avoid using Google directly, taking advantage of the many “Google proxy” providers, such as Startpage.com (and Google recently blacklisted Scroogle.org) — I discovered that Comcast is actively beta-testing DNSSEC via DNS servers at ’75.75.75.75′ and ’75.75.76.76′ (which have proven effective so far, with the occasional delay being relatively short and tolerable).

Comcast.net also offers a Web page of DNSSEC FAQs and links to Web sites about DNSSEC. I have been happy with the results so far, and the days of being hijacked by “typosquatting” are, for now, part of my past.

I remain skeptical: I do not trust Comcast and, even if Comcast adopts DNSSEC as a standard, I will not be surprised if, despite my “opt-out” selection, I get hijacked by Comcast’s “DNS helper” service now or in the future.

The Internet, established using open standards and open software, is as safe as a dark alley. I am furious that Adobe (and many entities who know better) is pushing Flash (FLV and SWF) as “Web standards,” despite the fact that Adobe has a perverse definition of “open source” and that Adobe’s technologies and browser plug-ins are closed, proprietary, “binary blobs” that — because users are denied access to the source code — will ALWAYS post a risk.

I was recently given a notebook computer preloaded with OEM Windows 7. I will run 64-bit Debian GNU/Linux on it.

Before the Linux kernel existed, I was a “Mac enthusiast,” although I used Sun’s UNIX via the shell (which I accessed from my Macs).

I personally have relied on Linux (Debian) for almost a decade, although I respect each person’s freedom to use her/his platform of choice.

I have used Barebones’ BBEdit and Adobe’s Photoshop to create Web sites since 1989 (before graphical browsers existed). I was recently given a new MacBook Pro (Core i7) and my main client paid me for a large project in December with a nicely enhanced (RAM and video cards) Mac Pro.

Despite the positive aspects of Mac OS X 10.6.X (which are very noticeable in pure 64-bit mode), I am used to the freedom and control that Linux has given me for over ten years: Although the Mac “just works,” My local Apple dealer knew (and no doubt does not care) that if EFI and Mac OS X caused me problems with running Debian on the Mac Pro, I would choose Debian over Mac OS X. I have not had time to unpack the MacBook Pro, but — if a parallel or dual Mac OS X 10.6/Linux notebook is not feasible — I will choose freedom, although Nvidia (video card drivers) and Adobe (the Flash browser add-on) are major hurdles for optimal hardware performance (Nvidia) and basic Web usability (Adobe) on any computer: I am supportive of, and optimistic about, the ‘Nouveau’ and “Gnash’ open-source projects, but such ambitious endeavors are not for the impatience.

Plus, as others have stated, users of the Internet are at the mercy of greedy “service” provides, who apparently have no concerns that they rely upon us for their profits. Finally, the vital areas of security and privacy are under constant attack — and, to be candid, I am very pessimistic about the future.

Cordially,

David

Go do some charity work.

First off, you are profiting off a business that is profiting off another business. You are really in the same boat if not worse, it’s just a matter of perspective.

Secondly, I can definitely tell you the number of “genuine” domainers is so little you probably don’t know more than the fingers you have on your hands. That’s because most of the bigger portfolio owners have started out with either typos, the adult industry, expired traffic domains, and so on.

I’ll give you an example. Recently a “generic” portfolio owner sold a domain name. Let’s call this domain name Wives.com as an example. He sold for quite a bit it because it made hundreds on domain parking. Unfortunately, Wives.com was a typo of Wife.com. Even though it is a generic when you look at it, the revenue is not coming due to its generic nature. Most big generic owners are blinded by this fact, are quick to point out the typosquatters, yet they have more typos in their portfolios than the typosquatters.

Same goes for expired site traffic. Someone is looking for expired site traffic domains because they think there is a site on them, instead it is parked. Just because a domain is an expired site traffic doesn’t make it any different than a trademarked domain other than the fact that some person decided to file a piece of paper that the government has on record saying “domainxyz is a trademark term”.

Everyone making money in this world is after the All Mighty Quick Buck my friend. Even you are.

The only ones aren’t are the ones that are doing CHARITY FOR FREE. FREE OF CHARGE. The ones doing charity and taking 100k salaries don’t count either.

Let’s not lie to ourselves. Sheesh.

“If you have no critics you’ll likely have no success.” Malcolm X

My personal opinion, which we are all entitled to, is that a typo squatter “acquired” a name by purposely thinking of all the different typos of a business owner’s brand and then clicked a button and registered it. How is that genuine? They know exactly what they are doing, taking advantage of someone’s good name. The dictionary definition of squatter is: a person who settles on land or occupies property without title, right, or payment of rent. Of course corruption is rampant in our society and has been forever. We can do something about it but at least admire the right people, the domainers out there who are doing something with their properties and the companies out there trying to help people out. People that benefit the whole, not just themselves and the All Mighty Quick Buck.

Something in this form exists wherever money is involved.

Typo squatting makes up over 90% of this industry’s revenue in one form or another. If you include companies like BrandProtect it is probably well over 95%. Being in this industry for some time, I just can’t even imagine 5% of the business being genuine.

I think typosquatting is more genuine than most other things in this world. What about lawyers, stock brokers, arbitrage (driving up prices), traders, wars, deaths, terrorist attacks, pharmacies, doctors, the list goes on. It’s corrupt from the start to end. And BrandProtect is probably more of a typo squatter than your regular typo squatter. You’re making money off of some phony “protection” service. Give me a break!

You only exist out here because of the fact that typo squatters are able to typo squat on domain names.

So technically you’re the one profiting from typos too because you’re able to run a business that “protects” these business owners from typo squatters.

This is sadly how the world works.

So however you look at it, everyone in the industry in one way or another is profiting from this either knowingly or not knowingly.

Verizon and Comcast are perfectly allowed to profit from typo’s of trademarks. They are big companies with lots of money and influence, and are therefore trusted to do this kind of thing.”

This goes against all the rules that Wipo has tried hard to set up to protect brand holders!! They shouldn’t be allowed to typo a tm unless it’s their own.
At BrandRecovery.com we see tons of these guys doing this everyday. Running amok and making a mess of business owners and their hard work in the area of brand protection.