For this week, I decided to do liven up the atmostphere a little by posting some hiliarious un-intentional funny domain names. Let me know if you like these kind of posts and I'll see if I can come up with something weekly.

Intended: BenDover.com
Unintended: BendOver.com

Intended: ITScrap.com
Unintended: ItsCrap.com

Intended: SydneyTherapist.com
Unintended: SydneyTheRapist.com

Intended: OddsExtractor.com
Unintended: OddSexTractor.com

Intended:  BlackHatEbook.com
Unintended: BlackHatebook.com

Intended:  Budget.co.ck
Unintended: Budget.Co.ck

Makes me wonder if the people registering these domain names put any thought into the outcome. Obviously they didnt! Go register your funny domain today.

To put further salt on injury, tons and tons of scammers have registered domain names using the tragic events of the Boston bombing. Not only were domains regsitered, twitter accounts, facebook fanpages and more were created just hours and days after the incident.

These scam artists (don't know why they call them artists) are looking to scam people for donation money. Basically they create a website for this cause and ask hard working citizens who are trying to help the REAL victims donate money into their own pockets.

Currently there are over 120 new websites that have been registered since the bombing (according to The Domains). Michael Berkens from 'The Domains' had this to say:

“As the editor of TheDomains and as a domainer personally I hate to see these type of registrations, so here the registrant information for some of the domain names that don’t have privacy on the registrations,” writes Berken.

More and more people are looking to exploit the situation and alot of the registered domains still have no clear intentioon of what they will be used for. Companies like FusionWorks LLC of Saratoga registered Bostonexplosion.com and bostonexplosions.com within ten minutes of the bombs!! Many other companies have followed in suit.

If you are looking to donate, always call and double, even triple check the charity you see online. Never trust any site unless you have made contact.

BOSTON DOMAIN SCAM WATCHLIST (126 websites as of April 18,2013)

Video on how to use GoDaddy two-factor authentication to increase security

Currently, this two-factor authentication is probably the best way to secure your GoDaddy.com account from security risks. Go Daddy introduced this type of authentication just last year. The video below, made by Andrew Allemann will clearly show you how to set up the service the steps neccessary to increase security to your Go Daddy account.

When is the rule going into effect? 
- August 2013 

What does the rule do?
- Protects domain name registrants

This new rule is now officially called "Expired Registration Recovery Policy" or ERRP and will go into effect starting August 31, 2013. This new policy or rule, sets a few guidelines on how registrars must notiy their customers that their domain names are about the expire. More importantly, these expiry notification have to be sent out in a set interval and that a DNS resolutioon must be interrupted after expiration.

The ERRP also states that there is a 30 day redemption period for non-sponsored gTLDs and requires registrars to show pricing and info on how to recover a domain during this period.

Donald Trump who has earned his reputation as a real esate mogul is now seeking $400,000 in damages from a man in Brooklyn over websites that he has registered. Trump has filed a countersuit for damages in 'federal cybersquatting' (previous article on Wiiu.com cybersquatting). Defined by the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, it is

"was intended to prevent 'cybersquatting,' an expression that has come to mean the bad faith, abusive registration and use of the distinctive trademarks of others as Internet domain names, with the intent to profit from the goodwill associated with those trademarks."

Yung is a 33 year old man living in Brooklyn. As a former U.S. marine, he considers himself a 'domainer' described by the internetlibrary.com as

Domain name speculation is the practice of identifying and registering or acquiring Internet domain names with the intent of selling them later for a profit.

In 2011, the Trump Organization filed actions for Yung to hand over the websites to Trump but using the First Amendment rights, Yung has also a file complaing to keep the domain names. The 4 websites in the complaints were used to comment on Trump's popular tv shows like "The Apprentice" and "The Celebrity Apprentice". After reading a disclaimer on his site saying that the posted information was not approved by the Trump Organization, the websites were taken down.

Yung has also stated that he has never attempted to contact the Trump Organization to sell the websites for financial gain.

He describes that his hopes for the website were to educated Marines about opportunities avaiable on the Internet and also said

"Donald Trump is known worldwide to butcher the legal system with frivolous complaints as a vehicle to harass people," Yung wrote in the complaint.

Some Trump-related domain names that he has registered were trumpmumbai.com and trumpindia.com. These were registered in 2007 after Trump Organization announced plans to build their hotels and condos in Mumbai and Bangalore, India.

Currently, Yung holds nearly 200 domain names, some including very high profile brands like barclayscapitallehman.com, milanvogue.com goldmansachsgroup.com, and hulufriend.com. He has also acquired bofaml.com and mlbofa.com on the same day that Bank of America Corp. and Merill Lynch % Co., Inc. announed their merger.

What is your take on the current issue of so-called cybersquatting?

Finally revealed on March 27, 2013, ICANN have began releasing potential registrars to manage their own top-level domains. ICANN has accepted close to 2,000 applications from registrars who would like to have a chance at managing their own TLDs. With fierce competition quite a bit of negotiating, some applicants have decided to join forces to create a powerhouse to win over and manage their own TLDs. One such powerhouse is Directi, Tucows and Namecheap who have formed an alliance to apply for the management of the .online registry.

Two registrars from this powerhouse Directi and Tucows are known for the massive wholesale platforms and also the domain reseller platforms which they offer their users. Whereas Namecheap is one of the top registrars that manage retail sales of domain names emphasizing on customer relations and service.

With these three companies, each bringing some valuable to the table, have finally received the chance by ICANN to operate the .online extension. The 3 companies together have reach of over 40 million businesses and customers who use their hosting services. A massive user database and with their specialties in whoe retail and wholesale invidually, imagine what they can do when combined.

"This partnership makes perfect sense for us and it makes perfect sense for .online registrants," said Directi CEO & Founder, Bhavin Turakhia, Tucows CEO Elliot Noss and Namecheap CEO Richard Kirkendall at the exact same time, a powerful display of partnership and an impressive achievement considering the time zone differences. The CEOs continued, "Between the three of us and all our properties, we know we can deliver an outstanding .online experience to resellers and end users in every corner of the world."

Your parents might have told you to be careful when going online, that it is not a totally safe place, and they are right. Not to frighten you, but the Internet is home to some pretty bad stuff – there are creepy websites that can put bad ideas in your head or force you into bad habits, as well as mean and dangerous people who may end up hurting you.

But the best thing to remember is: Bad things will only happen online if you let them. This Internet Safety guide has a great list of resources that can help you identify the worst Internet threats.

Online Safety Tips

Follow the tips below and you will stay safe from both physical danger and emotional harm.

Top 10 Tips for Staying Safe Online – A short but very useful list of things to remember when you are online. The lesson here is that you can never be too careful.

Kids Rules for Online Safety – Print out this list of rules, go to your parents and read this oath to them. And more importantly, keep by your promises. It will not be easy but you will be rewarded with your parents’ trust and peace of mind.

Being SMART Rules! – Staying safe online has a spiffy acronym – SMART. Easy to remember, right? Feel free to click around to play some of their cool games that make it fun for you to learn internet safety.

10 Online Safety Rules with Video – Sloane and her friend, cool and bright kids just like you, share what they know about staying safe online. Play the video to hear their thoughts and advice.

Iggey and Rasper’s Tips for Internet Safety – Very simple to follow tips. You are probably doing half of them now, so the best thing to do is to keep on practicing these safety reminders even when your parents are not looking.

Internet Safety Games

Can’t be bothered to read long lists? The try playing these games! A few hours with these fun games and you will be better prepped for Internet nasties than most other kids.

Stop That Post and Other Games – These simple browser games will teach you the basics of online safety. Our favorite is the Stop That Post game (which already has a sequel that is equally addictive!)

Safety Land – Help Captain Broadband track down and defeat the nasty character that has been sending yucky emails, among other despicable things. This crime-fighting game puts you in the right mindset of always looking out for and staying away from Internet creeps.

Internet Safety Game – Press the yellow “Click to Play” button to start the game. A few plays of this colorful game and you will have a grasp of Internet safety as well as the proper manners when going online.

Webonauts Internet Academy – If you want an easy game with great graphics, then this is it. As an astronaut-in-training, the game will take you through a fantastic space ride. You can pick up a lot of great tips that will impress your parents and put them at ease.

Alan’s Online Gaming Safety Challenge – Take this witty quiz to find out if you know how to stay safe while playing World of Warcraft and other online games. There is no punishment if you get everything wrong, but feel free to brag about getting about everything right to your friends and parents. They will be impressed!

Internet Safety Videos

Here are several of our favorite cartoons and animated films that talk about Internet safety in a simple, fun and often hilarious way.

Safety Bots: Stuart and Scout – Meet Stuart the Safety Bot and his trusty pal Scout who will tell you all about the online safety. Who knew safety bots could be so helpful and amusing at the same time?

Help Packet the Rabbit – The fuzzy and super cute Packet the Rabbit likes to jump around the Internet, but can he stay safe jumping through all those Internet hazards? Find out and maybe even help him along!

Internet Safety for Kids – Spend seven minutes watching this award-winning video to learn the essentials of Internet safety. These were made by super cool teachers who want you to protect you and also inspire you to keep on your best behavior when logging online.

NetSafe Episode – This series of videos (there are more than a dozen videos) is one of the best out there. Seriously, this is something you should watch and even share with your school because of how well it explains the Internet and how it can harm you. For example, you will learn about why cyber bullying happens and how to get help for this very serious problem. Or if you are a cyber bully, then you will also get tips on how to be kinder online.

Photo Credit: ICANN

March 22 was the date ICANN announced the new gTLDs that passed Initial Evaluation. The first 27 applications passed without any objections at all. New sources have also confirmed that applicant can start their contract as early as 23 April 2013.

The time-frame for the other applications is planned to be released each week. The applications that pass Initial Evaluation will be announced 30 strings at a time and hoping to increase that number to 100 per week. ICANN's plan is to have all Initial Evaluations completed and posted by the end of August 2013.

(Image courtesy of Clare Bloomfield / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Internet Safety for Kids
Cyberspace may seem like a harmless playground for your children with its cute online games and virtual hangouts, but it can quickly turn into a dangerous trap. Online predators use the anonymity and social nature of the Internet to prey on vulnerable kids, including yours.

This guide teaches you the basics of Internet safety for kids. With this tools and tips resource, you can help shield your youngest kids from danger and teach the older ones how to act more carefully while online.

Real Dangers
Don’t be afraid to become an overprotective parent. There are real dangers that threaten the safety and well-being of your kids.

• Top 5 Internet Dangers for Kids: A Resource Guide – CNet lists what it sees as the top 5 dangers for kids when going online: Data theft, malicious software, inappropriate content, cyber bullying and predators.
• 4 Dangers of the Internet – WebMD has a great feature with anecdotes and expert interviews discussing the dangers of cyber bullying, sexual predators, pornography and damaged reputations.
• Facts for Parents – The San Diego Country District Attorney provides a wealth of facts for parents, from the sobering lack of supervision on children’s online activities to the warning signs that your child is at risk on the Internet to 18 solid Internet safety tips.
• A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety - The US Federal Bureau of Investigation briefs parents on why children can be at risk when going online, and what signs should raise red flags requiring immediate intervention.

Internet Safety Tools for Parents
Many of these tools are designed to stop your young kids from meeting evil strangers and seeing forbidden sites (pornography, gambling, drugs, violence/hate/racism/, malware). But they can also be customized to curtail the risky online behavior of your teenagers.

• K9 Web Protection – A free Internet filter and parental control software program for Windows or Mac.
• Net Nanny – Has very extensive parental controls, and is easy to configure. Also provides alerts and reporting on your child’s online activity should you need them.
• Norton Family – Enables web monitoring and blocking, time limits, social network monitoring and even search monitoring. Upgrading to Family Premier unlocks video monitoring, time summary and reporting features.
• Internet Filter Software Review – Not satisfied with the previous listed picks? TopTenReviews lists the best Internet filter software based on reviews, and provides a handy comparison chart between competing choices.
• Keep Your Child Safe Online – The first part of the PCMag feature tackles why you need parental controls installed in your child’s computer. Then it moves on to the meatier part: More than a dozen software suggestions that span from traditional parental control products to hard-ware-based protection to mobile control apps for teenagers who possess Internet-capable smartphones.

(Image_courtesy_of_photostock__FreeDigitalPhotos.net.jpg)

Teaching Kids Internet Safety
As a parent with a full-time job and family responsibilities, you cannot be expected to hover over your child every time he or she uses the Internet. Many times, especially for teenagers who value their privacy, attempting to spy on them may even lead to conflicts.

It falls on you to train your children to keep themselves out of their danger. Teach them these safety guidelines for starters:

• How to Explain Online Dangers to Children – The Telegraph helps parents through the task of teaching their children why and how the Internet can be a perilous place.
• Teach Kids Online Security Basics – Microsoft outlines four basic rules that kids should learn as early as possible: Keep passwords secret, use social networking safely, do not reveal too much when blogging, and looking out for online fraud.
• Top 7 Websites to Teach Kids About Internet Safety – Sometimes parents need the help of online games and computer programs to better make kids understand the concept of internet safety. These seven educational Internet safety freeware are designed to do just that.
• 11 Resources for Teaching & Learning Web Safety – Top educational blog Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne suggests a list of resources that can help in teaching kids learn web safety. Includes the Webonauts Academy that imparts proper online behaviors, an instructional eBook focusing on tweens, and videos discussing safe online practices.
• How to Talk to Your Kids – This short but enlightening guide tackles the How of teaching kids Internet safety, which is just as important to know as the Why and What. After reading you can browser around the website, which is run by the US Federal government, for up-to-date tips on all aspects of Internet safety for kids: Mobiles phones, computer security, cyber bullying, privacy and more.

Call for Help
Contact these authorities for help in keeping your kids safe online.

• Who You Should Contact for Help – GetNetWise recommends contacting the local police, national advocacy groups and federal law enforcement when you encounter online dangers that may be threatening the safety and well-being of your kids. Includes useful contact numbers and website links.
• Non-US readers should search for their respective child protection agencies. The UK for example has the CEOP. These agencies will have country- or even city-specific advice

Huge argument and debate is being stirred up as Amazon has plans to control the following various generic top-level domain.

.book, .author, and .read

Reluctant to let this happen, The Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers have strongly opposed that this be possible. Stating that Amazon's strategy to control these generic top-level domains (gTLD) would be anti-competitive.

"Placing such generic domains in private hands is plainly anticompetitive, allowing already dominant, well-capitalized companies to expand and entrench their market power," Authors Guild President Scott Turow wrote to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, the nonprofit that oversees the world's Internet domain names. "The potential for abuse seems limitless."

Direct competitors like Barnes & Nobel have also opposed to the scheme sending a letter to ICANN pointing out that Amazon would use these newly acquired gTLDs to stifle competition in the industry. Barnes and Noble also added that,

"Amazon's ownership would also threaten the openness and freedom of the Internet and would have harmful consequences for Internet users worldwide."

Furthermore, to add to .amazon and .kindle, Amazon has also applied for control for quite anumber of gTLDs including .free, .like, .game, and .shop totalling up to 76 gTLDs. In comparison, Google has also seeked control of 101 gTLDs with 23 of them being the same as Amazon.