All this recent talk of new web pages has caused me to start searching for a domain name. Just about everything is already taken, and I was getting frustrated at not finding a good name after so many dozens of tries. I typed in a certain four-letter expletive and got the following results. Anyone happen to know why this particular domain is owned by the US District Court? (The asterisks are mine)

Domain is f***.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------- Domain is taken.

Registrant:

ORDERED STATUS QUO ANTE (F***14-DOM)

US District Court, Central District of

California

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Domain Name: F***.COM

Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Zone Contact: Network Operations Center (NSOL-NOC) NOC@NETSOL.COM 703-742-4777 Billing Contact: Accounts Payable (AP5173-ORG) ap@NETSOL.COM 703-742-0400

Record last updated on 02-Jun-1999. Record created on 26-Apr-1999. Database last updated on 22-Feb-2000 13:20:38 EST.

-- Powder (Powder47keg@aol.com), February 22, 2000

Answers

Powder ... Could they be looking to make a profit by selling the name to a new PORN site ?? Eagle

-- Hal Walker (e999eagle@FREEWWWEB.COM), February 22, 2000.

District Courts tend to end up owning bankruptcy assets until they dispose of them. This would be a HIGH dollar value asset.

C

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), February 22, 2000.

I just e-mailed this page to Matt Drudge. He's just the person to check it out.

-- semper paratus (still_here_with@my.pals), February 22, 2000.

I must agree with Chuck. It is possible that the Court came into possession of the domain name in question during the course of some criminal or civil proceeding. I imagine that there are porn site operators who would pay a pretty penny for *that* domain name, so the Court can't just sell it at auction alongside old Post Office trucks or office furniture.

Anyone have any idea how they'd dispose of something like that?

-- Bob White (bwhite@nospam.com), February 22, 2000.

And always wondering why people pay for a domain name! You don't need one, or your LOCAL ISP can set up an alias with something similar to a domain name.

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), February 22, 2000.

No comment on F, except I would think it would have been one of the first to go...

Anyway, I did hear something about a new suffix, .CC I think, that still has many, even common, names available. Not sure if it's a new "standard" or just some company's idea. Just a thought. <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), February 22, 2000.