Archive – The Silicon Valley Story

Real Estate

Zillow Ghosts My Questions

Posted on April 9, 2024

Rental Applications and Zillow and CA Civil Code (Part 2)

Zillow CEO Rich Barton said: “Expedia and Zillow have become large businesses based on the fundamental belief consumers should be empowered with information.” I agree so why do we have a problem? Short answer: Zillow says it is not responsible for what CA Civil Code 1950.6 says it must do.

Why is Zillow non transparent and evades my queries? It appears it is because the application fees paid by potential renters (over and over for the hundreds and hundreds of rentals ) go to Zillow not the landlord and that puts the burden of following CA Civil Code 1950.6 on Zillow which has no intention of following, (so they state). Zillow says: “We are not a landlord or an agent of the property,.” Ok Zillow, we know you aren’t the landlord but have you revisited your website recently about how you act as tenant screener for the landlord or property manager? Definitions can be debated when circular logic is used. Might there be others that define your actions as agent to the landlord? That’s a ‘yes’.

Zillow does not give itemized receipts for the fee paid and does not send the consumer/credit report when requested. Both failures to act are against CA Civil Code requirements. We can spend time defining what exactly you are in relation to the applicant but let’s look at this from Rich Barton (Zillow CEO) in a letter to investors in November 2023: “Zillow is well positioned as a pay to play marketplace.” Pay to play..yes, we see it and know it.

That data point appears not to be reserved for sales alone. In the application process as well as home sales there is a pay to play agenda. Which is why, when I asked about the application fees paid to Zillow and the obligation of the fee collector (CA Civil Code) to provide detailed receipts and copy of consumer/credit report if asked by applicant, my query was ignored in replies from Rental Support at Zillow. No answer as to who gets the application fees. I know it’s paid to Zillow because I paid it and their website for rental managers confirm. By definition and statute, Zillow owes me a copy of the credit/consumer report and a receipt of how the money was spent.

This is what we are talking about:

Provide application fee receipts

Applicants in California must receive an itemized receipt showing the screening fee and other costs included in the fee you charged (See Civil Code §1950.6(d) and (f)).

What is California Civil Code §1950.6?

The California Civil Code §1950.6 is one of the most important regulations of the residential application fees for California.

Provide a copy of consumer reports when requested

Applicants who pay a screening fee and make a request are entitled to a copy of the California tenant screening reports you pulled.

Yes. The application fee is profitable and reliable and repeatable and the renter must pay it to play the find a rental game. Pay to play.

Warning: Ok, Boomer Story Here

Back in my Stanford days I put a notice up on the board at Tressider Student Union for a room for rent in downtown Palo Alto. Many, many responses followed. One guy comes over that afternoon – and in 5 minutes he noticed a book of poetry and asked if it was mine. I said yes and that was all we needed to decide he’d be a fine housemate. He was in Modern Thought and Literature grad school at Stanford and I just liked to read poetry.

And it all worked out. But nowadays we’d probably still be collecting background info. I never asked where his money to pay rent would come from.

Fast forward from that time to tech start up time in Palo Alto when I rented out a bedroom with private bath in my house. I read the responses to my Craigslist post, they came over to meet me and look at the space. I heard a small part of their story, charged $100 deposit. That’s how I ended up with Paul who was then deciding if he wanted to put any more effort into his start-up or go to Yale Law where he had been accepted. With hesitation he decided to give it one more try for the startup and it’s good he did. You know him as the co-founder and original CEO of Pinterest. .(Now, Chairman of the Board of Joby Aviation)

Another renter came in as “I just graduated from college, I’m 23. and got a job at a start up in Palo Alto.” He left the start up in 3 months, and with a few others did his own thing and ended up being bought by Zuckerberg. The Addison Street house got an article written about it as being “The Second Most Important Garage in Palo Alto.” The HP garage is the first. (Imagine that and no application fees or massive intrusive checks into irrelevant background info. I’ve also rented the same way to visiting professors , NVIDIA consultants, Hoover Tower researchers, interns from the White House, etc..

Renters Rights during application process (California)

Your right when renting in Calif:

A copy of your credit report from the person you pay the application fee to. You have a right to a copy of your credit/consumer report if you request it from the person you paid. Also, an itemized receipt is required to be given to you when you pay an application fee. (In other words, what did they spend your money on?). These are regulations from the CA Civil Code. Many do not know of these codes/requirements.

If you don’t or can’t get these items and you are dealing with Zillow, contact rentalapplications at zillow dot com

If you can’t get help there let the Commissioner of The CA Department of Real Estate know: Chika.Sunquist at dre.ca.gov

These items are not optional, they are codified. Here is the source of the requirements from landlord/property mgr to applicant:

CA Civil Code: 1950.6 (Renter’s Application Rights Outlined)
(d) The landlord or his or her agent shall provide, personally, or by mail, the applicant with a receipt for the fee paid by the applicant, which receipt shall itemize the out-of-pocket expenses and time spent by the landlord or his or her agent to obtain and process the information about the applicant.

(e) If the landlord or his or her agent does not perform a personal reference check or does not obtain a consumer credit report, the landlord or his or her agent shall return any amount of the screening fee that is not used for the purposes authorized by this section to the applicant.

(f) If an application screening fee has been paid by the applicant and if requested by the applicant, the landlord or his or her agent shall provide a copy of the consumer credit report to the applicant who is the subject of that report.

also see
https://law.justia.com/codes/california/2022/code-civ/division-3/part-4/title-5/chapter-2/section-1950-6/# .

Just a posting in Craigslist , a short bio and $100 got you into my place in downtown Palo Alto. I had amazing people and not one application or background check in 19 years.

Google tells us The Civil Code of California is a collection of statutes for the State of California. The code is made up of statutes which govern the obligations and rights of persons within the jurisdiction of California.

How does one situation get so complex and chaotic and in my opinion, unfair? It happened when renting left mom and pop land and became the new profit center of the real estate world.

Before having found that quote, of pay to play it became obvious Zillow isn’t forthcoming about the application fees and does not want to disclose what it does because doing so puts Zillow in the position of explaining its non adherence to CA civil law. And having to provide copies of credit reports and an itemized receipt.

I wrote this story up already, this second one is in response to being ghosted and ignored by Zillow as to queries I wanted answers to, so click here and read: Zillow and Rental Application Fees

California Rentals, Civil Code 1950.6 and ChatGPT

Posted on March 31, 2024

Frustrated with the renting process in California? The fees you pay over and over? Santa Cruz County is trying to liberate the renter from the mess by making application fees a thing of the past as people struggle from the massive cost and complexity that is the rental process, without losing their money and minds.

Maybe, I thought, artificial intelligence has something to say that I am not. I asked ChatGPT to write a poem about trying to rent in California in today’s wild world of rentals. Say what you will about AI, this poem is a gem that captures the scene. Here are a few lines from the poem: (entire poem included, keep reading!)

In valleys deep, where tech giants reside,
Rents soar like birds on a limitless tide.

TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS OK FOR ZILLOW and others TO ABANDON THE CA CIVIL CODE AND IGNORE THE RIGHTS OF RENTERS. and Does the CA Dept of Real Estate care?

LET’S DIVE IN: (and as ZILLOW and/or the CA Department of Real Estate responds, I will update)

Here’s the background to why I asked for a poem.

The California rental market of today takes me down memory lane to days of Bulletin Boards. (I hear it, Ok, Boomer) It was so easy: post a name and some basic info and wait for the people to call. Meet and greet and soon you’ve got a renter. Or you, the renter, had a place. There were no credit checks, no credit reports, no $50 fees (over and over) for the right to apply. No complicated application forms, no social security cards “to be presented in person.” No one needed to know your life history from playground to present.

My most recent frustration began because of Zillow. I paid their $35 fee for a credit report good for only 30 days, upon which time it ‘expires’. This is needed they say for “the right to apply.” If you don’t rent a place in one month, you pay again – (question – which expires first the credit report or the exhausted renter?) and when I asked for a copy of my report I got no response. Not then and not after.

I recently finally found an email for a Zillow customer service rep for rentals, rentalapplications@zillow.com. I wanted to know why Zillow doesn’t give an applicant the copy of the credit report because a landlord or property manager is required to do so if requested by applicant. This is stated in CA Civil Code 1950.6: If an application screening fee has been paid by the applicant and if requested by the applicant, the landlord or his or her agent shall provide a copy of the consumer credit report to the applicant who is the subject of that report.

Section 1950.6 also says :The landlord or his or her agent shall provide, personally, or by mail, the applicant with a receipt for the fee paid by the applicant, which receipt shall itemize the out-of-pocket expenses and time spent by the landlord or his or her agent to obtain and process the information about the applicant.

No one I know has ever received this. Zillow, what’s up with this?

CA Civil Code is full of juicy renter’s rights. There are more such as a return to renter of any unused fees. And no one knows about these rights or if they do I don’t see them put into action. Not even real estate giant Zillow? Nope. The response for my getting a copy of credit report is they don’t have it any more, and anyway, no one is allowed to see it, but if there is something on it I don’t like I should contact Experian. A cosmic sigh follows this logic.

I tried to contact the CA Dept of Real Estate regarding this situation and was dismissed. I asked for an email address and was informed there is no way to email CA DRE. Enter Google and I found one email. Happened to be the Commissioner so I cc: ed her on my emails to Zillow. I am awaiting a response from my last email response to Zillow. BTW, Tania the customer service rental rep, is quite polite and obviously attempting to help but seems hamstrung by rules beyond her pay grade.

Santa Cruz County is attempting to do away with application fees altogether. (Fantastic!) It is scary how much of a profit center this has become and such a burden to already burdened applicants, (yes, I hear the echos of denial from landlords) so I will let you decide. Here’s Santa Cruz County and its fight against application fees: Santa Cruz and Application Fees

Best of all, here is ChatGPT capturing the flavor so well. The prompt: write a poem about how difficult it is to rent in california

California Rental Struggle (titled by ChatGPT)

In California’s land of dreams, where palm trees sway,
Where golden sunsets paint the end of day,
Beneath the azure skies, a struggle unseen,
Lies the weary quest for a place to convene.

In cities bustling with life’s vibrant dance,
The hunt for shelter becomes a dire chance.
For rent, a lofty mountain, hard to scale,
Where dreams collide with harsh, economic gale.

The sun-kissed coast, a beacon for the free,
Yet shackled by the chains of realty.
In valleys deep, where tech giants reside,
Rents soar like birds on a limitless tide.

In San Francisco’s hills, where fog rolls in,
The cost of living feels like a sin.
With every lease, a slice of soul is sold,
In this game where the stakes are never old.

From Hollywood’s glitz to Silicon’s glow,
The struggle to secure a home does grow.
In labyrinthine markets, landlords reign,
As hopeful tenants navigate the pain.

For every room, a dozen seekers plead,
In California’s race for a place to feed.
Where rent is king and pockets grow thin,
The battle to belong feels like a sin.

Yet amid the chaos, hope still flickers bright,
In the hearts of those who strive with all their might.
For in the land where dreams are born anew,
Hope springs eternal for the chosen few.

Though California’s rent may seem a daunting plight,
With perseverance, one may yet see the light.
For in the heart of struggle, resilience thrives,
And in the quest for home, hope forever survives.

Domain Names Entertainment General

GoDaddy, Super Bowl Ads, Domains and Success

Posted on February 9, 2024

GoDaddy, Super Bowl Ads, Bob Parsons,domain names

I owned domain names since time began, December 1998, which is just about the beginning in domain time. I bought through GoDaddy although I just read that Bob Parsons, founder of the original GoDaddy, says he sold the first domain in 2000. I disagree – but if I’m wrong, where were they?

I’m thinking of Bob Parsons today because I was missing the old GoDaddy. It was wild and crazy but things got done. I am trying to sell some old domain names on auction and between not knowing auctions, mess-ups and confusion with Afternic and hour long waits online and X help (aka Twitter) that sends me email addresses that go nowhere and then a chat person who can’t help me with a link to a sales page of a domain name, I was so frustrated, wishing Bob back.

And suddenly I was in a cosmic coincidence. I started thinking of Bob’s ads for the Super Bowl and how they made him famous. They were based on sex. And because of that he became an overnight sensation which made him successful. I immediately googled him and there he was, being interviewed about how the sex angle brought him success.

Then I realized: Super Bowl coming up in a few days. And the domain name I am trying to auction is success and sex dot com. And it’s Bob’s story but he’s not here to help with his wild and crazy employees, (yes, talking to them on the phone got into Bob and the crazy things that happened). So, I’m stuck with a GoDaddy AI that really needs updating (doesn’t recognize word auctions) and stuck inside a sales machine that really is for domain investors not someone like me. And the timing is right – oh, cosmos what are you telling me? Call in Bob and sell?? Ok, Bob, send out some domain name success and sex vibrations on the eve of a Super Bowl.

I see the listing of domains for sale with my successandsex dot com next to sexandsuccess dot com. Big difference between us: that one is for sale for $2495.00 Mine is $600.00

And here it is and with a nod of thanks to Bob and in his honor I virtually assign his story to this domain sale: SuccessandSex on auction at GoDaddy

Buy It Now: (USD)

$600.00 *

Lower Case: s u c c e s s a n d s e x . c o m

Upper Case: S U C C E S S A N D S E X . C O M

Category: Entertainment & Leisure – General

Banking Big Tech Fintech Investing Start Ups

California Ave, Palo Alto, E-Trade, Bank of the West

Posted on September 19, 2023

Cue the Time Machine. Long ago, overheard at Printers Inc Cafe: “Can you believe the guy in my double E class is dropping out to start a company based on his bookmarks. He’s ridiculous.” That would be Jerry Yang, founder of Yahoo. I kept listening and learning.

Printers Inc. Cafe was on California Ave; first a bookstore we all loved and then just the cafe was left. I still miss the bookstore with its original counter cafe and the cat who lived there.

More on California Ave: I could walk down the block to this start up called E*Trade. WHAT? I could trade myself? No broker? Color me in. Then they ‘got big’ and moved to a real campus and then another and another and now, oh my, bought out by Morgan Stanley. No comment.

And my bank was there too. Bank of the West. To me it was just a bank. It worked for my simple needs and all was good. And then, and then, IT BECAME CANADIAN. Bought out by Bank of Montreal. I wouldn’t care so much if Justin Trudeau hadn’t shut down the bank accounts of every Canadian that donated over $40.00 to the Trucker. striking against mandates.

Oh bring on the fainting couch. Throw out all the lessons I was taught on liberty. Ferocious act by a leader. There is a new word in my vocabulary now: de-banked. I may get de-banked for this.

Well, Jerry Yang is doing just fine I hear.

FOUND: e*TRADE memorabilia, year 2000 (Morgan Stanley: if you ever set up a history collection for your new possession , and want to go back in time, I’m happy to talk about my memorabilia and seeing it find a new home. I’ve sheltered the origin story papers long enough)

General Start Ups

ChatGPT writes a post for TheSiliconValleyStory

Posted on April 27, 2023

I asked ChatGPT to write a blog post

Here it is, along with the prompt:

write a blog post for thesiliconvalleystory.com

Title: The Evolution of Silicon Valley: Where Innovation Meets the Future

Introduction: Welcome to TheSiliconValleyStory.com, your guide to the ever-evolving landscape of innovation and technology. In this blog post, we embark on a journey through time, exploring the remarkable transformation and enduring spirit of Silicon Valley. From its humble beginnings as an agricultural region to its status as the global epicenter of technological advancement, Silicon Valley’s story is one of perpetual reinvention and pioneering spirit.

The Seeds of Innovation: Silicon Valley’s story begins in the early 20th century when a handful of visionaries recognized the potential of this fertile land. Stanford University, founded in 1885, played a pivotal role in nurturing early innovators. The region’s transformation truly took off after World War II when Hewlett-Packard, the pioneering electronics company, set up shop in a Palo Alto garage. This marked the birth of the culture of innovation that would come to define Silicon Valley.
The Rise of the Tech Titans: The 1970s and 1980s saw the rise of iconic companies like Apple, Intel, and Oracle. Silicon Valley became a hotbed of technological breakthroughs and entrepreneurial zeal. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak revolutionized personal computing, while Larry Ellison and his team brought the power of databases to the masses. These tech titans not only created game-changing products but also shaped a unique ethos of risk-taking, collaboration, and disruptive innovation.
The Dot-Com Boom and Bust: The late 1990s witnessed the exuberance of the dot-com boom, as Silicon Valley became synonymous with internet startups and venture capital funding. Companies like Amazon, Yahoo!, and Google emerged, forever altering the digital landscape. However, this euphoria was short-lived, as the bursting of the dot-com bubble in the early 2000s led to a period of introspection and recalibration. Lessons were learned, and the resilience of Silicon Valley shone through as it rebounded stronger than ever.
The New Era: Artificial Intelligence and Beyond: As we entered the 21st century, a new wave of technological innovation took hold in Silicon Valley. Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data analytics emerged as the driving forces behind the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and Google’s DeepMind pushed the boundaries of what was deemed possible, ushering in an era of autonomous vehicles, space exploration, and intelligent algorithms.
The Expanding Horizons: Silicon Valley’s influence extends beyond its physical boundaries. The spirit of innovation has transcended geographical limitations, inspiring the creation of tech hubs around the world. From Bangalore to Berlin, from Tel Aviv to Shenzhen, pockets of innovation have blossomed, but the allure and mystique of Silicon Valley remain unrivaled. Its unique ecosystem, comprising top-tier universities, venture capital firms, and a vibrant startup culture, continues to attract dreamers and disruptors from across the globe.
Embracing Diversity and Ethical Responsibility: Silicon Valley has not been without its challenges. Issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion have come to the forefront, prompting a much-needed reflection on the industry’s shortcomings. Additionally, concerns surrounding data privacy, algorithmic biases, and ethical AI have highlighted the need for responsible innovation. Silicon Valley is now on a collective journey towards fostering a more inclusive and accountable tech community.

Conclusion: Silicon Valley’s story is an ongoing saga, shaped by relentless innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and societal impact. From the garages of Palo Alto to the skyscrapers of San Francisco, the journey of this technological mecca continues to unfold. As we look to the future, it is crucial to remember that the true power of Silicon Valley lies not only in its

3Dprinting Artificial Intelligence Domain Names

ChatGTP writes a sales letter for me: 3D Printing domain name for sale

Posted on December 13, 2022

We can all use some help sometimes. I am making no comment on how good this post is, or isn’t. I asked for help and I got it. So, TY, ChatGTP!

I asked ChatGPT to write a sales letter to sell the domain name SiliconValley3Dprint.com

Here it is:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Are you looking for a premium domain name for your 3D printing business in Silicon Valley? Look no further than siliconvalley3Dprint!

This unique and memorable domain name is the perfect fit for a company that specializes in 3D printing technology in the heart of the tech world. With siliconvalley3Dprint, you can showcase your expertise and establish your brand as a leader in the exciting and rapidly-growing field of 3D printing.

In addition to its catchy and relevant name, siliconvalley3Dprint also has a number of other benefits. It is easy to remember and spell, making it easy for customers to find and visit your website. It is also short and concise, which is ideal for use on social media and other marketing channels. Plus, it is a .com domain, which is the most widely recognized and trusted top-level domain on the internet.

Don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity to secure siliconvalley3Dprint for your 3D printing business. Act now and take the first step towards establishing your online presence and attracting customers in the vibrant and innovative community of Silicon Valley.

All offers considered. Make an offer on www.Afternic.com

Bitcoin Cryptocurrency Fintech Start Ups

Once Upon A Time, A Coinbase story of 2013

Posted on October 20, 2022

I had no idea I was an OG. I had no idea what it meant. Here’s how I found out.

I recently went to a reunion of my old bitcoin meetup held at Plug ‘n Play in Sunnyvale. Wow, look at all the people. We had 10 or 12 in the group when I began. (have’t been in 2 years). Nothing like the old days of January 2014. That was, as far as I can tell from my records that the first time I attended a meetup (and where the hell was Scott Robinson, fearless leader, who was so kind as to show me how to access my transactions on the blockchain so as to get a refund, an event seared into my memory amongst all the other things he did such as bring the best and brightest of BTC people to our meetup as speakers? Missed you and TY, Scott)

Someone asked me when I first started in BTC, I told him, he grabbed me from my solitary stance eating a slice and took me over to a group and intro’ed me as an OG. I looked confused. He explained. TY!

Somewhere in this timeframe I opened an account at Coinbase. I mention this because they are currently manually verifying me, a process which takes 2 days according to the text and email they sent. Why are they verifying? Because I needed 2FA authentication to get back in yesterday and they sent the code and none of my apps for authentication were working. Silent scream. Worked on getting authy back. Problems there too even after re-install. What the hell was going on? I think this has to do with recent transfer of phone – my son got a new iPhone, I got his. (Yea, I’m fine with this.) All went well except for this?? Not sure if this is the reason, still trying to figure it out.

Meanwhile Coinbase is offering me other options to get in. My license and selfie don’t seem sufficient and they changed wait time from 10 minutes to 2 days. This triggered a memory. Way back when Coinbase was young, in 2013 I had another “verify” problem. I received the following from support:

I completely understand and regret the frustration this is causing. Unfortunately, we do not have a process in place to manually verify accounts at this time. While you are still able to purchase up to 10 BTC, sell up to 50 BTC per day, and take full advantage of our bitcoin wallet services, it may not be possible to verify your identity using our current system.

Please know that we’re actively working to improve this system so that it becomes a much more convenient process in the future. Implementing new identity verification measures requires careful consideration to provide convenience to our legitimate users, and safeguards to protect against malicious users who may be trying to steal others’ identities.

I apologize that I cannot completely resolve this issue at the moment, but please feel free to send me a message anytime if needed!

Well, how things change over time. from “no system to verify” to now.

Finding the old email was a blast from the past and Coinbase, if it would have helped my selfie pic for ID purposes I would have worn my Coinbase “To the Moon” cap you gave to us at the BTC meetup reunion you helped sponsor. Thx for the swag and hope you soon find out I’m me.

Just a flashback to early days of Coinbase from an OG.

Coinbase, we do go back in time together. How’s the manual verification process going?

General social media Stanford Start Ups

Silicon Valley, Year 2000, A Trip on the Wayback Machine

Posted on August 15, 2022

Cue the time machine. In 2007 I wrote about Silicon Valley and what it was like in the year 2000. Strap in, here we go:

The Silicon Valley Story, Year 2000

It was so much fun to be here in the year 2000. The future was exciting, everyone was giddy with the possibility of tech as miracle. And it was. It made money out of nothing; but then gave it back. However, SiliconValley is resilient and now, in 2007, we are back with more and more and the new, new thing. More conservative perhaps, maybe not. This might come to be known as the Social Networking Era.

Everyone blogs now. I was an early adopter and began in 2000. So long ago it was called a weblog, its original name.

This was the introduction to my blog. On Blogger. Which was not owned by Google. Imagine that.

In his best selling book on Silicon Valley, “The New New Thing”, author Michael Lewis explains that until 1994, Silicon Valley was simply the source of a few high tech companies. In April of that year, Netscape incorporated and a sea change occurred. Lewis says unprecedented wealth was created. And it has. This wealth has changed forever the face of this area. as housing, food, cars, are all at unheard of prices. But the sea change involved more than just the creation of newly minted mega millionaires. Places we used to call San Jose, Santa Clara. Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos and Palo Alto are no longer discrete communities in the eye of the world. They are Silicon Valley. A place or a state of mind? The people who live here, work here are at the eye of the storm. Their homes are worth millions and yet they did nothing to increase the value; the “dot-comers” did it. Yet, these same people with the enormous wealth in their homes resent the invasion of the techno culture and all it brings. New restaurants, the demise of others, the SUV’s, the Starbucks, all are lightning rods for the anger and resentment. Yet, the net has come and change won’t flow backwards. The media has been in charge of how the world views the Valleyand its lifestyles, its tech innovations and the people that come here, attracted by the talent, the money, the possibilities. But what about the people themselves. What do they have to say? What’s it like to live here, to be one of the ones creating the new technologies, the new wealth? And what does it mean to be here and not be part of the techno culture, rather to be someone caught up in a world of change, unbidden, unasked for?

All of us have different visions, views and stories of Silicon Valley. This weblog
has been created to be a place for those views to be heard. Whether you
remember this as “the valley of heart’s delight” or just arrived to be part of the
techno-culture, it is only when we hear all the voices, unchained from the media’s
interpretation, that the Silicon Valley story will unfold as completely as it can.
It’s your story too, talk to us.

Domain Names Entertainment Games General Start Ups Virtual Reality VR/AR

A Domain name, Twitter and a UK Games Programmer

Posted on June 14, 2022

Let’s jump across the pond and visit a young game designer in the U.K. I found him by a series of random events that began on Twitter.

Michel Cyger (@MichaelCyger) Director of Domain Education for Godaddy.com and founder of several domain related platforms tweeted the question “Who else is in the “I own my name dot com domain”club?”

I answered that I was a part of this club and also owned my son’s name, JamesRichardBradley dot com and two grandkids names. And I bought one for a friend.

Somehow this got me to looking up the kid’s domain name in google and finding this JRB, who is not my son but shares his name in a country specific domain name for his website. https://www.jamesrichardbradley.co.uk

My JRB is not a techie (because of or despite all those years in Palo Alto?) He is a talent manager for writers, actors, directors in soCal – (and he has also not used his domain name, much to my dismay).

I find that my child’s U.K namesake is indeed into tech and some interesting tech at that. Please click on his site, James Richard Bradley , but if you don’t, here’s some self described data about about him:

“I’m a gaming and technology enthusiast with 10 years of experience in the retail industry, currently retraining in my dream field of work, Games Programming. I have a passion for strong narrative and immersive gameplay, but I currently have a particular interest in exploring the use of AI in level design to create a more immersive experience.”

James of the U.K. happy to meet you. I’m not into gaming and not a programmer. In fact, here’s my only contribution to gaming, the domain name eGameworld.com which happens to be for sale. Bought circa 1998 from godaddy. It can be a dynamic site with some work, a great name has come into its own.

So James, if you find this post, say hi here and let us know if you are still doing programming and if not, what are you up to? Thanks to Michael Cyger for asking the question of who owns their name as a domain and leading to our finding a James Richard Bradley in the U.K who does indeed have a domain as his name, just like the U.S. JRB.

And to everyone: visit eGameWorld.com, a great domain for sale.

Domain Names Games

From Good Morning America to Gotham: Here’s eGameworld

Posted on June 23, 2021

A Moment of Fame in Silicon Valley HIstory

From Good Morning America to Gotham: my domain names always have a story. They were the reason my email address was the headline in The San Jose Mercury News. Or Good Morning America called me or NYU Law interviewed and wrote about me. Or being a story on every local tv station in Silicon Valley.

All because of domain names? Yes. Just words. One publicity rich event was when I took on a multinational organization to win a trademark infringement domain name fight. Not in court, but on the very domain they wanted to sue me over. I published my arguments invoking, along with the law, Tim Berners-Lee. I won. Chilling effects website found the case, published it as well as Internet Freedom Foundation and this lead to NYU Law calling me. Power to the people as Tim and Woz said about computing.

The story that put my email address as headlines on The San Jose Mercury had to do with an ad I put in the paper to trade a domain name for a place to live. The Merc interviewed me and surprised the hell out of me by making this the headlines. When your email is the headline, you get noticed and Good Morning America wants to talk to you. It was fun for a few days but then the news cycle is over and that’s that! One and done.

Much has happened in IRL and virtually since those stories. By the time iRobot came nagging me about a domain I owned that they thought was trademark infringement I just put up a blog post showing them how they were incorrect and that was that.

Ok, now, I’d like a bit of that attention and fame because I am ready to sell some never used and some very unused domain names. eGameWorld.com for one. It is FOR SALE! Let me shout it to the rooftops. I bought egameworld in 1998. I’ve decided to try getting a tiny site up with a gaming news feed and some affiliate links. I am tired, so decided to hire someone, first time hiring a developer. Started with Craig of course (thank you Craig Newmark for so much). That’s craigslist I’m talking about. Problems already…people who advertised did not respond. hmm..ok, so from Silicon Valley I end up with someone from NY who advertises in L.A. Craigslist. Alright, its a digital, virtual world, fine by me. I had no idea however the name of the company I was responding to was Gotham. Have I found my superhero? Or, OMG, is this the Joker? I’m always looking for cosmic jokes – have I been served one now? EGameWorld has landed in Gotham? I believe in you..Here’s a pitch for you: GOTHAM TECH

Meanwhile I decide to sell a site, never used, bought in 2007 and do the same thing: affiliate links and newsfeed. And then, a few hours after I decide to do this I find out 23andme has gone public with the ticker symbol ME. My domain is DNAisME dot com…I bought it in 2007 and it has been unused since. Any chance 23 will not come after me for trademark infringement? Ok, we’ll see, ’cause the site is coming, and DNAisME is me, since 2007.

Gotham? Really?? I ended up in Gotham? And a domain with the 23nadme ticker symbol? Oh, the places I’ve been, and I’m skipping the years the Japanese took over CowsAreVeg (I’ve got it back.)

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