Rumors behind DOMAINfestitus.
So I decided to go to the doctor today after reading Dr. Ron Jackson’s coverage of the mysterious DOMAINfestitus. I haven’t had flu-like symptoms; just a cold that has gotten progressively worse over the week. My doctor gave me a Z-pack to hopefully wipe it out.
But what exactly happened at the conference last week? I’ve heard a number of rumors. I should stress that these are completely unsubstantiated and weak at best.
– Howard Neu was seen pouring a bottle of liquid marked with skull & crossbones into the fog machine*
– Sedo-branded bottled water at the show was imported from Tijuana
– CSI: Las Vegas was running a scientific test for an upcoming episode where party-goers fall ill thanks to a poisoned fog machine
– Purrell is in talks with DOMAINfest organizers about sponsoring next year’s conference
– That 100-person “pass-the-drink” game probably wasn’t a good idea after all
– The illness was passed through the body paint on the models
– Only those people who visited CADNA’s hospitality suite fell sick
– Anti-new gTLD contingent wanted everyone to be sick before this week’s Dot-NXT conference
How y’all feel better soon.
*In all seriousness, it was great to see Howard and Barbara at the show
Gnanes says
Fog machine was the real culprit?
Andrew Allemann says
@ Gnanes – nobody really knows. My doctor thought it was an interesting theory.
DomainAnimal.com says
thought the title said DOMAIN Festivus. seriously though hope everyone gets well
Acro says
Get well, Andrew – we know it was Hank Alvarez who did it!
Howard says
Some folks could be seriously ill (Barbara for example) so leave the so-called humor to DomainGang, because your attempts really suck.
Andrew Allemann says
@ Howard – I hope that’s not the case and send my best to Barbara.
page howe says
Some folks could be seriously ill (Barbara for example) so leave the so-called humor to DomainGang, because your attempts really suck..howard neu
i was gong to write the same thing.
im not sick and i have quite a but of empathy for those who are, in fact if i can help anyone with any domain related issues,drop catching , auction bidding or portfolio issues feel free to email me – no fee,for free.
page howe
Andrew Allemann says
Humor can be a great tool to deal with short term setbacks, as this was for me when I came up with the list at the doctor’s office. Yet when something is longer term or more serious I can understand that others don’t find it tasteful. I sincerely hope everyone who is sick gets well soon.
Still Chillin' After All These Domains says
You’d think ACRO would have learned some tact by now after becoming enemies of almost all domainers for almost ten years with his insults.
Magdalena Jedrzejewska says
Seems like people dindt like your post, plus many others who didnt wrote but equally thought so.
Besides, bottled water in tijuana is safe to drink, get some facts first.
Andrew Allemann says
@ Magdalena – I’m rarely able to please everyone.
Diana Jackson says
It is frustrating to go to your doctor with the fact that you could have Pontiac Fever, and they not interested enough to do any testing. So far only a doctor from a foreign county did and it was positive for legionellosis. My doctor was not in so I saw a colleague, she told me not to take the antibiotics unless I got worse. I thinks sometimes they think were all hypochondriacs. (and what a far fetched story I had.) But by time I got home she had done some research and told me to start the antibiotics pronto. Good thing this was not the bad Legionnaires Fever or we would have several domainers hospitalized with pneumonia.
I am sure that everyone who is sick does not have Pontiac Fever, it is the flu and cold season. But let me also tell you that is not common for 60 or 70 people to be at a function and all be extremely ill in 24 – 48 hrs. By the way we were the first party of the year at the Mansion, meaning that fog machine sat their in that tent for at least a month with ample opportunity to grow lots of bacteria. My only wish would be that they
be made aware of the fact that this equipment
was more than likely mishandled.
Andrew Allemann says
@ Diana –
Hope you’re feeling better.
It’s common for doctors to not want to prescribe antibiotics. My doctor tells me not to bother him until I’ve been sick for a week. But after reading Ron’s articles I decided to do it earlier. He said that was the right thing to do given the circumstances.
I’m curious if it was the fog machine, and ice machine, etc. It could have even been something at the hotel. I suppose I could do a multi-prong survey that would narrow it down, but it would require both people who got sick and people who didn’t.
Diana Jackson says
It would be great if you had access to all
the girls at the party. Since they never were at the hotel if they were ill you would have your answer. Or someones wife who did not attend the meetings only the party. Or how about the hotel staff?
I doubt it came from the hotel
because it was too cold for the air conditioning to be on.
It would be nice if we had proof positive, but we don’t so we must look at the facts and point at the most likely source. A huge crowd, damp air where droplets of water
can carry the bacteria. The time frame where
people started getting ill.
Thank goodness I am much better today, I don’t think I was as sick as others, but that
was a bad bad bug.
Andrew Allemann says
Diana – also could have been the ice at the party? Did you have any drinks with ice in them?
Sounds like the department of health there will try to figure it out. In the mean time, get some more rest.
Ronald says
I highly doubt the Mansion has anything to do with the illness. I personally know half a dozen or so people who are sick but didn’t attend the Mansion party.
Andrew Allemann says
@ Ronald – good chance. And I know plenty of people who were at the Mansion — hanging with me most of the time — who aren’t sick.
I’ll be curious to see if the hotel where people stayed had anything to do with it.
It could have also been one of the lunches served, etc. I think the survey the L.A. health dept sent out wasn’t detailed enough to really pin this down. But we’ll see…I’m by no means an expert.
Andrew Allemann says
@ Howard – I assume Barbara is doing much better now given your TV appearance.