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Date: 10/31/07
Posted by: Black Monk
What's in a name? $2200 USD, is what.
So reactionquake3.com expired and I didn't bother Centurion (it was in his name) about renewing it because hey, we got rq3.com and that's much shorter to type. I figured after it expired, I'd pick it up for $20 or whatever because who the hell wants a VERY specific domain name that references a free game/mod that's not got a huge playerbase or PR value?

Oh shit was I wrong!

Apparently reactionquake3.com is a "Valuable Web Name" and got snatched by some company that squats on domain names until they can get tons of cash. After an email inquiry (because their web-based search couldn't find it and then just stopped responding), I found out that they want $2200 USD for that domain name and that payment plans are available.

BUAHAHAHAH!

So they picked it up for like $5 from some domain registrar and are trying to sell it for $2200. Not a bad racket if you can get someone desperate or stupid enough to plunk down that kind of cash.

I have to honestly question the resellability or marketability for reactionquake3.com; I mean, it's not like Microsoft Game Studios is going to rush out to register that domain for a game they happen to be developing with the exact same name. Or Ford Motor Company needing a website for their new electric car, the ReactionQuake III or whatever.

Pretty much the only market that exists for that domain is me and I really don't feel like paying quite that much for that domain name. On the other hand, it doesn't cost them very much to just hold onto it forever. What, $5 a year, if that? So it's little financial risk for them.

I remember back in the heyday of the dotcom boom I went in 3-ways with Sze and Lath to pay $150 for rq3.com. I mean, it was one of those coveted 3-digit domain names and at the time most or all of them had been bought up already. At some point both Sze and Lath didn't care anymore and said I could keep the domain. I wonder how much it's worth. I could be rolling in the cash with millions and millions of dollars! Wooo party time! Or maybe not.

Anyway, if you know if any running RQ3 servers and know how to contact the server ops, try to tell them that their config files should be updated. The line:

seta sv_master4 "q3master.reactionquake3.com"

should probably read:

seta sv_master4 "q3master.rq3.com"

Bear in mind that I don't remember if we're actually running a Q3 master server at that address or not, but in case we are, the reactionquake3.com domain sure as hell won't be working for that purpose!

The docs will be updated to reflect this whenever JBravo, um, updates the website.

I think I'll submit a counter offer to "Dan" of $20. Hell, I'm a big spender. I might even go up to $25! But not a penny more--we're in an economic downturn, after all. Gotta be frugal!