6 ms·

Curious what their backup plan is for when Gaddafi takes control of bit.ly.

lazyjeff 16y ago
Yes, this. I think the main concern would not be the DNS servers being lost, but the revocation of domains to raise money, or redistribution of the domains by the (potential) new regime.
- InclinedPlane 16y ago
  Indeed. Situation 1: Qaddafi's regime appropriates all .ly domains and redirects them to whatever the fuck they want (including clones of the originals). Situation 2: Qaddafi's regime is overthrown by a coup, junta, popular uprising, or what-have-you, and then the new regime decides to repudiate business agreements made with the old regime, including domain names. Neither is hugely unlikely. I cannot for the life of me understand why any business would sink the foundations of their brand into the sands of the questionably stable Libyan regime.
  - Isofarro 16y ago
    "I cannot for the life of me understand why any business would sink the foundations of their brand into the sands of the questionably stable Libyan regime." Is that any more risky than a supposedly stable US Department of Justice and Homeland Security? http://torrentfreak.com/u-s-government-shuts-down-84000-websites-by-mistake-110216/ http://torrentfreak.com/u-s-government-shuts-down-84000-webs...
    - Charuru 16y ago
      Uh, yes?
  - iuguy 16y ago
    If Libyans start using bit.ly to get around censorship I could see bit.ly being seized, but I can't imagine all .ly domains being redirected.
ig1 16y ago
What do you think the motivation for such an action would be? Disabling the internet makes sense from a crowd control perspective, but what reason would Gaddafi have to take control of bit.ly? Doing it for money reasons is ridiculous, the value of bit.ly is just a drop in the ocean for a country like Libya. Libya have far more lucrative options if they want money. Unless Gaddafi's been hanging out on 4chan and wants to do a massive rickroll, I think you're over-estimating the chances of Gaddafi seizing bit.ly.
- jonknee 16y ago
  Just to taunt the US doesn't seem out of the question. He seems to enjoy being provocative.
- jonursenbach 16y ago
  He already seized vb.ly because it was used to serve porn. There's no way in hell that bit.ly isn't doing this as well.
  - ig1 16y ago
    vb.ly's slogan was “the internet's first and only sex-positive url shortener” vb.ly was focused was on adult material. Bit.ly specifically forbids adult material.

Yes, this. I think the main concern would not be the DNS servers being lost, but the revocation of domains to raise money, or redistribution of the domains by the (potential) new regime.

InclinedPlane 16y ago
Indeed. Situation 1: Qaddafi's regime appropriates all .ly domains and redirects them to whatever the fuck they want (including clones of the originals). Situation 2: Qaddafi's regime is overthrown by a coup, junta, popular uprising, or what-have-you, and then the new regime decides to repudiate business agreements made with the old regime, including domain names. Neither is hugely unlikely. I cannot for the life of me understand why any business would sink the foundations of their brand into the sands of the questionably stable Libyan regime.
- Isofarro 16y ago
  "I cannot for the life of me understand why any business would sink the foundations of their brand into the sands of the questionably stable Libyan regime." Is that any more risky than a supposedly stable US Department of Justice and Homeland Security? http://torrentfreak.com/u-s-government-shuts-down-84000-websites-by-mistake-110216/ http://torrentfreak.com/u-s-government-shuts-down-84000-webs...
  - Charuru 16y ago
    Uh, yes?
- iuguy 16y ago
  If Libyans start using bit.ly to get around censorship I could see bit.ly being seized, but I can't imagine all .ly domains being redirected.

ig1 16y ago

What do you think the motivation for such an action would be? Disabling the internet makes sense from a crowd control perspective, but what reason would Gaddafi have to take control of bit.ly? Doing it for money reasons is ridiculous, the value of bit.ly is just a drop in the ocean for a country like Libya. Libya have far more lucrative options if they want money. Unless Gaddafi's been hanging out on 4chan and wants to do a massive rickroll, I think you're over-estimating the chances of Gaddafi seizing bit.ly.

jonknee 16y ago
Just to taunt the US doesn't seem out of the question. He seems to enjoy being provocative.
jonursenbach 16y ago
He already seized vb.ly because it was used to serve porn. There's no way in hell that bit.ly isn't doing this as well.
- ig1 16y ago
  vb.ly's slogan was “the internet's first and only sex-positive url shortener” vb.ly was focused was on adult material. Bit.ly specifically forbids adult material.