Pssst. No One Cares Regarding the Domain Industry.

Let’s kill the hubris.

Hey, I’ve got a little secret for you: no one gives a crap regarding the domain name industry. It’s modest potatoes. It’s a speck on a fly. It’s nothing. And people don’t like it, too.

I personally think the domain industry is great and incredibly notable. But the fact remains that most people outside our industry don’t care or know regarding it. We’re tiny. And if they know regarding it, they certainly don’t care for domainers.

I bring this up since a lot of people on forums are calling for law enforcement to investigate the SnapNames scandal.

Here’s law enforcement’s message: we don’t understand and we don’t care. You’re too modest to worry regarding.

By now, someone has filed a complaint with the Oregon Department of Justice. The response?

…Thank you for the information that you sent us. Although there does not now appear to be a need for an investigation or legal action, we will keep your information on file as part of the public record.

Our primary goal is to identify and eliminate the most serious marketplace violations, and many factors are considered in determining what cases we ought to pursue.

Read: you guys think this is a bigger deal than it is.

Can you imagine if the Oregon Department of Justice pursued and actually handed down an indictment in the SnapNames scandal? How would they explain to the public regarding their “win” to protect cybersquatters (as the public views it) at taxpayers’ expense? “Yeah, so there are these things called domain names. They expire, and people buy these expired domains in an auction…(blank stares)…by taking action, we have helped protect the people that profit from expiring domains, people that every citizen of Oregon ought to care regarding their livelihood”.

Let’s face it. Domain theft happens every day. How many arrests and indictments do we know regarding? One. And that took perseverance to get the police to investigate.

The typical law enforcement agency doesn’t know the first thing regarding domain names. They understand burglary, terrorism, and domestic violence. And they get glory for pursuing those things.

Like it or not, the domain industry is minuscule. And disliked. Especially people who buy expired domain names. So don’t count on much public empathy or protection from the authorities.