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Manila Bulletin features Domain Squatter

I don’t regularly read the newspapers (print) but once in a while, I’d skim through some copies in the hopes of getting some scoop. Who would imagine I’d stumble upon yet another editorial lapse with Manila Bulletin.

If you have a copy of the June 16, 2007 (Monday) edition of Manila Bulletin, go over the Technews section on page D5. At the top right corner of the page, you will see a website feature for Parents Preview (www.parentspreview.com). What actually got my attention was the uncanny familiarity of the website screen shot. It does look like a domain parking landing page. Being in the domains and web hosting business for years, I can spot these type of sites from a mile away.



The entire page is covered with sponsored links!

The MB reviewed the site and actually thought it was a real website for Parenting. These landing pages are used by domain squatters to make money off of people who mistype URLs or get traffic from spam comments. Some Domain Registars also show this page right after a legit domain has expired. Yes, there is money to be made from domaineering domaining.

If you check the WHOIS of the domain, it is owned by Texas International Property Associates (TIPA) and is hosted by Hitfarm.com which provides custom designed landing pages with relevant, sponsored links intelligently placed by their industry leading Proprietary Keyword System. Likewise, a quick search for the name of the company of Google will show results about a recent law suit and another feature article about domain squatting.

I couldn’t find a copy of the article on the web version but I can only imagine how many readers were led into that site. Well, that’s more money for TIPA I guess.

The average web surfer might be fooled by these landing pages but a columnist for a major print publication? Where are the Tech Editors?

P.S.
It is possible, as commenter vance pointed out, the feature writer was reviewing the correct website but wrote the wrong domain in his/her article. It’s supposed to be parentpreviews.com and not parentspreview.com, thus the layout artist/designer got the screen shot of the wrong website. Well, that’s basically a real-world proof that domaining really works.

P.S.
ajay of MB left a comment that it’s most likely a typo error and added that the tech editor wasn’t around when this issue was published. The culprit of this bo-bo is most likely the layout artist who took the screenshot. Yes, everybody makes typo mistakes, we’re only in fact humans. Blogs like this one, make tons of typhos too (oops another typo there)! Btw, this entry wasn’t done to incite rebellion or anything. :D

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

52 Responses

  1. Avatar for A big SE enters the domaineering business A big SE enters the domaineering business says:

    Now that G**gle has recently rolled out ads*nse for domains it appears that it has both recognized domaineering as a legitimate Internet marketing business and that that some companies find parked domains an effective way to carry their advertising to users. This more or less ends the discussion about domaineers being scammers or cybersquatters. In a seemingly 180 degree turn aboutface, G**gle has now become a domain parking service provider, giving it’s stamp of approval to domain monetization. Was this done because it got tired of parking companies nibbling away at it’s lunch? Being a business, presumably it was done with the profit motive in mind.

  2. Avatar for Domaineering Riches Domaineering Riches says:

    Domaineering is domain advertising…domaining is domain speculating. Domineering is “Madison Avenue”, while domaining is Wall Street.

  3. Avatar for Domain Parking Domain Parking says:

    Domaineering is the Internet marketing practice of monetizing Internet domains by using them as an advertising venue. Learn about making money online in domaining at the http://www.Domain–Parking.com website today.

  4. Avatar for Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed says:

    Some say that parked domains are “unused” and that is an fair statement for some but not all. The generic domains utilized in professional domaineering however are clearly being “used”…for conveying information, ( which is what all advertising basically is and what the Internet intrinsically does ), and as valuable potential earning assets, they are being used to the fullest extent their owners are aware of and are able to do. There may be disagreements that there may be better uses, however, that can be said about almost any asset…from real estate to money…and not just about domains.

  5. Avatar for Domaineering Housewife Domaineering Housewife says:

    Domaineering is the business of acquiring and monetizing Internet domain names for their use primarily as an advertising medium rather than as intellectual property investments for resale as in domaining. In essence, the domain names function as virtual Internet billboards with generic domain names being highly valued for their revenue generating potential derived from attracting Internet traffic hits. As with traditional advertising, domaineering is part art and part science. Often to be the most effective as advertising tools, the domain names and their corresponding landing pages must be engineered or optimized to produce maximum revenue which may require considerable skill and good knowledge of search engine optimization ( SEO ) practices, marketing psychology and an understanding of the target market audience. Domaineering generally utilizes a firm offering domain parking services to provide the sponsored “feed” of a word or phrase searched for. Occasionally content is added to develop a functional mini-website. Domaineers and some of those who advertise online using keywords believe domaineering provides a useful, legal and legitimate Internet marketing service while opponents of domaineering decry the practice as increasing the ubiquitous commercialization of the world wide web. Domaineering is practiced by both large companies who may have registered hundreds or even thousands of domains to individual entrepreneurial minded domaineers who may only own one or a few.

  6. Avatar for Epitome Epitome says:

    would you know kung sino ang nagsulat ng article? di ba si Ajay din yun? kakahiya naman sila… X:l

  7. Avatar for Epitome Epitome says:

    Abe…did you read the content of this bo-bo article? I’m looking at the snapshot. Is it just my eyes or what? Reading on the visible texts, it says…”Have you or your children ever watched a movie or DVD only to be surprised by the amount of language, violence, or sex it contained? If so, you’ll understanding of why you need to visit Parent Previews (http://www.par-…” huh, “you’ll understanding”? I think, palusot na lang yun sinabi ni Ajay na wala ang editor para masisi yun layout artist. Sangkatutak na blunder yan Technews ng Manila Bulletin. I think the section degrades the integrity of the paper.

  8. Avatar for Gene Gene says:

    mukhang domain squatter page nga yan..

  9. Avatar for The Domaineer The Domaineer says:

    Done right, one can make a decent money from domaineering. If you want to know more, go to http://www.domaineering.biz to learn about this new type of Internet advertising and domain monetization. Forget the speculation of domaining and move on to domaineering.

  10. Avatar for Domaineering adman Domaineering adman says:

    That’s correct. Domaineering or engineering ( i.e., designing, a domain for use in internet marketing is a far cry from the viewing of domains as virtual internet real estate for speculation that traditional domaining involves. Successful domaineering takes a good understanding search engine optimization ( SEO ) techniques. It’s a niche area of web marketing that’s not well understood although gaining in prominence. True domaineers do not like to be called domainers because domaineers are marketing professionals not domain speculators.

  11. Avatar for Domaineer Domaineer says:

    There’s “domaining” and then there’s “domaineering”. They are not the same. Domaineering is a form of legal and legitimate internet marketing used by business or others to advertise under a certain domain name that is generally optimized or targeted to a specific business or other interest. This is not as easy as it appears and may involve a considerable amount of creativity and market research to be profitable. Domaineers are primarily interested in selling online advertising space under their domains and not the domains themselves as found typically more often in domaining with it’s domain auctions. Domaineering evolved from a relatively new online marketing industry called domain parking or domain monetization. It should also not be confused with the cybersquatting of domain names which generally does not intend or perform any advertising functions. Please see http://www.domaineering.org for more information on domaineering.

  12. Avatar for Eugene Eugene says:

    I’m a victim of the inept layout artist of the Bulletin too. See http://vaes9.codedgraphic.com/posts/wikipilipinas_not_a_pedia Essentially, the artist got the URL wrong again.

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