Acro.net – Technology Rants & Raves by Acroplex®

A recent incident that quietly unfolded on the popular domain forum, DNForum.com involved the following protagonists:

• A seller eager to let go of a premium domain for a low price
• A buyer #1 who recognizes good deals
• A buyer #2 who silently bought the domain

I cannot reveal all the names, but the buyer #1 is me. The seller listed a premium, aged dot com for sale at a surprisingly low price. For a pre-2000 domain, it was a non-brainer.

Following the seller’s instructions, I posted ‘Sold’ in the thread and waited for a private message instructing about payment.

The next day I received a message from the seller, that he had sold the domain to a buyer who messaged him privately before I did. He also mentioned the name of the buyer.

I’m very particular about the rules of the game and I don’t break them. Since I was the first one to post ‘Sold’ as instructed, I had full intention to publicly denounce the seller’s lack of following his own rules.

However, I decided to contact the new owner first. He responded that the domain was indeed in his possession, as he had paid for it already.

What came next was clearly a surprise for me.

The buyer told me that if I wanted the domain for the same price plus the PayPal fees, I could have it. He graciously offered this clearly undervalued domain name without asking questions, simply because he felt that I wanted it more.

I jumped on the opportunity and agreed to buy it from him; in the process I paid an extra 25% for the purchase to show my gratitude.

The buyer’s gesture was extremely noble and characteristic of a gentleman. I appreciate people who display a lack of selfishness and I often strive to act the same way. In a world of faceless electronic communication, such acts are the exceptions to the rule.

Thank you, Vincent; you’re one true Gentleman.

Nowadays, an increasing number of Americans become sexually active in college, instead of at a younger age.

Universities set the paradigm with regards to research, life, personal relationships and technology, which includes the Internet and domain names.

It’s not strange that the Washington University and the University of Missouri invested $200 per domain, securing their domain names in .xxx from the ICM Registry.

After all, universities have huge budgets for technology and research.

According to an article in the St. Louis Today, the pro-active move was made to protect the University’s name and trademarks from being used for pornography.

The article also uses the mild term “domain prospectors” to describe domain investors. That’s a step up from “cybersquatter” – a term that’s been used left and right by those outside of the domain industry.

It’s great seeing that universities understand how domains and the Internet works, for a change. Now onto the Main Street and Wall Street markets!

It’s refreshing to see that Greek Orthodoxy in America is going strong; with 6 million Orthodox Christians in the US, young and old Americans of Greek heritage support their community through their local churches.

In Orlando, the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church of greater Orlando offers a variety of information through its web site.

Having attended several Greek festivals through the years, I can say that they get better and better. The food is home-made and delicious, giving that of restaurants a real run for the money. Orlando Greek Fest 2011 was definitely a success.

But not everything is authentic by Greek standards. Many things deemed as Greek are tweaked outside of Greece. To a Greek transplant, this seems odd at first but I can only say that after a while one chooses to ignore the “oddities”.

No, dear friends; hummus is not Greek. But try melitzanosalata or taramosalata instead when ordering food at your favorite Greek restaurant.

The concept of  flambeed “saganaki” cheese is unknown in the Greek mainland; the same goes for the chanting of “Opa!” when serving such delicacies at various Greek tavernas and restaurants in the US.

When dancing, and we aren’t talking about the “Zorba dance” devised for the sake of the movie ‘Zorba the Greek” in 1964, it is appropriate to cry out “Opa!” to encourage a dancer who’s performing on the dance floor. Definitely not appropriate when serving your grandma’s stuffed grape leaves, also known as dolmades.

While some attempt to deliver the essence of the Greek psyche, you need to live in Greece – and not drop by as a tourist – in order to understand and appreciate the culture, the food and the joys of being Greek.

Matt Barrett is a prolific producer of one such guide, at GreeceFoods.com and provides authentic and factual information for English speakers.

In a nutshell, those that condemn Greece and the Greeks for living life and enjoying its moments need to take a deep breath, step away from their electronic world and smell the roses.

I will now close with “kalo brady” - for “good night” – thus saving the “opa!” for when I dance.

Last week was long and busy and in more than one sense, counter-productive. Domaining is not a science and yet, it appears to require more energy than being creative and artistic.

What a better way to flush out all negativity and non-constructive thinking than take a mini vacation to Asheville, North Carolina.

Flying to Greenville, South Carolina was a smooth sixty minutes, then driving up to Asheville for another hour through the rising elevation of the Carolina mountains.

The brown colors of the trees blended beautifully into the yellow, orange and red of the leaves, creating a powerful palette that sends waves into the mind. The temperature, ranging from the low 50′s to the upper 60′s was perfect for walking on trails with nature’s sounds prominent; birds, furry animals and waterfalls; the air cool and fresh felt like 100% pure oxygen.

What a miracle: the eyes, the mind, the soul – refreshed all in one go.

Nothing there existed to remind me of domains or web development, nothing related to the mechanical chains that sap away so much energy on a daily basis. Just my camera to capture the moment that I will then share with friends and loved ones, to remind myself that life is short and nature’s art goes a long way.

But if you still want to see a domainer’s post, visit Biltmore.com to view the largest home in America, a tour that requires at least 3 hours to complete, visit the humane, never-sleeping city of Asheville and drown yourself into the natural palette of North Carolina’s fall.

When someone is in dire straights I’m eager to help; not simply driven by the good Samaritan doctrine but by my own set of ethics.

It’s what defines me as a person: to do the right thing.

As I explained through DomainGang, the domain name AV.net was recovered in September after several months of investigation and wrestling with the Registry.

Today, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a box of Napa Valley wine from the lawful owner of the domain whom I assisted with its recovery. The gift was sent through Wine.com - the ultimate wine-related domain and a globally acclaimed keyword.

The sender’s gesture is very much appreciated and it feels fantastic knowing that in the process I both helped a stranger and made a friend.

I raise my glass of Silver Oak Merlot to a toast, greeting all good people out there: keep fighting the good fight in life.

TGIF!