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Schema.Org is an OpenDomain! This is the story of how I got a $20,000 T-shirt: I received a call a few years ago from a domain broker offering to buy the domai

Schema.Org is an OpenDomain! This is the story of how I got a $20,000 T-shirt: I received a call a few years ago from a domain broker offering to buy the domain Schema.org. I tried to tell her that I do not sell domains, I let people use them to support Open source or charities. They must of thought I was negotiating, because they kept on raising the offer - all the way to $20,000! I admit - I am not rich and I was tempted. I could have used that money to help send my kids to college, but I wanted to do the right thing, so I told her no. She then told me it as GOOGLE that wanted the domain - I think she was expecting me to make a demand for $1 million or something, but she was very surprised that I gave it to them for FREE. A few weeks later, I received a box in the mail from Google with a very nice T-shirt. Every time I wear it, my wife calls it the "$20,000" Tshirt. Proof: http://schema.org/docs/faq.html#17 http://schema.org/docs/faq.html#17

Avalaxy 10y ago
So... Why didn't you just take the money? I'm confused. Like you said, you could have sent your kids to college, but instead you chose to deny them that?
- Scaevolus 10y ago
  I'm kind of stunned, too. > software developers are as a demographic cohort terrible at negotiating - tptacek https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7612100 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7612100 His wife sounds justifiably annoyed. Google isn't a charity, $20-50k means far more to you than it does to them.
- opendomain 10y ago
  When I founded OpenDomain, I wanted to create my own project where I "paid it forward". If I sold a domain, I felt I would be selling out the original idea. I know google can afford it - but I did not know it was Google when the broker called me. If i sold it to a squatter, then we would not have the service of Schema.org today
RodericDay 10y ago
...what? You are proud of the fact that you left a whole bunch of money on the table for Google?

Avalaxy 10y ago

So... Why didn't you just take the money? I'm confused. Like you said, you could have sent your kids to college, but instead you chose to deny them that?

Scaevolus 10y ago
I'm kind of stunned, too. > software developers are as a demographic cohort terrible at negotiating - tptacek https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7612100 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7612100 His wife sounds justifiably annoyed. Google isn't a charity, $20-50k means far more to you than it does to them.
opendomain 10y ago
When I founded OpenDomain, I wanted to create my own project where I "paid it forward". If I sold a domain, I felt I would be selling out the original idea. I know google can afford it - but I did not know it was Google when the broker called me. If i sold it to a squatter, then we would not have the service of Schema.org today

RodericDay 10y ago

...what? You are proud of the fact that you left a whole bunch of money on the table for Google?