I don’t regularly read the newspapers (print) but once in a while, I’d skim through some copies in the hopes of getting some scoop. Who would imagine I’d stumble upon yet another editorial lapse with Manila Bulletin.
If you have a copy of the June 16, 2007 (Monday) edition of Manila Bulletin, go over the Technews section on page D5. At the top right corner of the page, you will see a website feature for Parents Preview (www.parentspreview.com). What actually got my attention was the uncanny familiarity of the website screen shot. It does look like a domain parking landing page. Being in the domains and web hosting business for years, I can spot these type of sites from a mile away.
The entire page is covered with sponsored links!
The MB reviewed the site and actually thought it was a real website for Parenting. These landing pages are used by domain squatters to make money off of people who mistype URLs or get traffic from spam comments. Some Domain Registars also show this page right after a legit domain has expired. Yes, there is money to be made from domaineering domaining.
If you check the WHOIS of the domain, it is owned by Texas International Property Associates (TIPA) and is hosted by Hitfarm.com which provides custom designed landing pages with relevant, sponsored links intelligently placed by their industry leading Proprietary Keyword System. Likewise, a quick search for the name of the company of Google will show results about a recent law suit and another feature article about domain squatting.
I couldn’t find a copy of the article on the web version but I can only imagine how many readers were led into that site. Well, that’s more money for TIPA I guess.
The average web surfer might be fooled by these landing pages but a columnist for a major print publication? Where are the Tech Editors?
P.S.
It is possible, as commenter vance pointed out, the feature writer was reviewing the correct website but wrote the wrong domain in his/her article. It’s supposed to be parentpreviews.com and not parentspreview.com, thus the layout artist/designer got the screen shot of the wrong website. Well, that’s basically a real-world proof that domaining really works.
P.S.
ajay of MB left a comment that it’s most likely a typo error and added that the tech editor wasn’t around when this issue was published. The culprit of this bo-bo is most likely the layout artist who took the screenshot. Yes, everybody makes typo mistakes, we’re only in fact humans. Blogs like this one, make tons of typhos too (oops another typo there)! Btw, this entry wasn’t done to incite rebellion or anything. :D
Now that G**gle has recently rolled out ads*nse for domains it appears that it has both recognized domaineering as a legitimate Internet marketing business and that that some companies find parked domains an effective way to carry their advertising to users. This more or less ends the discussion about domaineers being scammers or cybersquatters. In a seemingly 180 degree turn aboutface, G**gle has now become a domain parking service provider, giving it’s stamp of approval to domain monetization. Was this done because it got tired of parking companies nibbling away at it’s lunch? Being a business, presumably it was done with the profit motive in mind.
Domaineering is domain advertising…domaining is domain speculating. Domineering is “Madison Avenue”, while domaining is Wall Street.
Domaineering is the Internet marketing practice of monetizing Internet domains by using them as an advertising venue. Learn about making money online in domaining at the http://www.Domain–Parking.com website today.
Some say that parked domains are “unused†and that is an fair statement for some but not all. The generic domains utilized in professional domaineering however are clearly being “used”…for conveying information, ( which is what all advertising basically is and what the Internet intrinsically does ), and as valuable potential earning assets, they are being used to the fullest extent their owners are aware of and are able to do. There may be disagreements that there may be better uses, however, that can be said about almost any asset…from real estate to money…and not just about domains.
Domaineering is the business of acquiring and monetizing Internet domain names for their use primarily as an advertising medium rather than as intellectual property investments for resale as in domaining. In essence, the domain names function as virtual Internet billboards with generic domain names being highly valued for their revenue generating potential derived from attracting Internet traffic hits. As with traditional advertising, domaineering is part art and part science. Often to be the most effective as advertising tools, the domain names and their corresponding landing pages must be engineered or optimized to produce maximum revenue which may require considerable skill and good knowledge of search engine optimization ( SEO ) practices, marketing psychology and an understanding of the target market audience. Domaineering generally utilizes a firm offering domain parking services to provide the sponsored “feed” of a word or phrase searched for. Occasionally content is added to develop a functional mini-website. Domaineers and some of those who advertise online using keywords believe domaineering provides a useful, legal and legitimate Internet marketing service while opponents of domaineering decry the practice as increasing the ubiquitous commercialization of the world wide web. Domaineering is practiced by both large companies who may have registered hundreds or even thousands of domains to individual entrepreneurial minded domaineers who may only own one or a few.
would you know kung sino ang nagsulat ng article? di ba si Ajay din yun? kakahiya naman sila… X:l
Abe…did you read the content of this bo-bo article? I’m looking at the snapshot. Is it just my eyes or what? Reading on the visible texts, it says…”Have you or your children ever watched a movie or DVD only to be surprised by the amount of language, violence, or sex it contained? If so, you’ll understanding of why you need to visit Parent Previews (http://www.par-…” huh, “you’ll understanding”? I think, palusot na lang yun sinabi ni Ajay na wala ang editor para masisi yun layout artist. Sangkatutak na blunder yan Technews ng Manila Bulletin. I think the section degrades the integrity of the paper.
mukhang domain squatter page nga yan..
Done right, one can make a decent money from domaineering. If you want to know more, go to http://www.domaineering.biz to learn about this new type of Internet advertising and domain monetization. Forget the speculation of domaining and move on to domaineering.
That’s correct. Domaineering or engineering ( i.e., designing, a domain for use in internet marketing is a far cry from the viewing of domains as virtual internet real estate for speculation that traditional domaining involves. Successful domaineering takes a good understanding search engine optimization ( SEO ) techniques. It’s a niche area of web marketing that’s not well understood although gaining in prominence. True domaineers do not like to be called domainers because domaineers are marketing professionals not domain speculators.
There’s “domaining” and then there’s “domaineering”. They are not the same. Domaineering is a form of legal and legitimate internet marketing used by business or others to advertise under a certain domain name that is generally optimized or targeted to a specific business or other interest. This is not as easy as it appears and may involve a considerable amount of creativity and market research to be profitable. Domaineers are primarily interested in selling online advertising space under their domains and not the domains themselves as found typically more often in domaining with it’s domain auctions. Domaineering evolved from a relatively new online marketing industry called domain parking or domain monetization. It should also not be confused with the cybersquatting of domain names which generally does not intend or perform any advertising functions. Please see http://www.domaineering.org for more information on domaineering.
I’m a victim of the inept layout artist of the Bulletin too. See http://vaes9.codedgraphic.com/posts/wikipilipinas_not_a_pedia Essentially, the artist got the URL wrong again.
Just wondering, is Manila Bulletin the number 1 paper in Philippines?
What about Manila Times and Daily Inquirer?
Have always thought Manila Times was the nation’s leading paper…
yes, anger is a sign of helplessness. i don’t think yuga indented to belittle others. and threats over the internet are just plain funny.
Art: Another Pinoy who can’t take criticism. Your angry because you see yourself in the shoes of the idiot. Not kissing Yuga’s ass but he has done a lot to boost the Philippine blogging and IT scene. People tend to stoop to violence when they can’t hang mentally.
putangina mo yuga! suntukan na lang tayo? akala mo naman kung sino kang magaling! bukulan ko kaya ang makintab mong ulo?
I’m so glad I don’t read dead trees anymore. Newspapers are dead to me.
I was eating dinner and it just so happened my husband was beside me reading this article on his laptop.
I am no fan of blogging, but I do read people’s blogs sometimes, and the fact that my husband is a hardcore blogger creates a certain level of curiosity as to what blogging is all about.
I happen to know that the Manila Bulletin features bloggers. Personally I think that’s a great opportunity for bloggers to get their opinions “heard” by more people online and offline (through newspapers).
If ever there are mistakes or typographical errors made or overlooked by the editor of Manila Bulletin, I think it would be nice to give constructive criticisms/comments. That way, both parties will benefit from each other. Makes the world a better place.
I have been a part of a publication once. Typos and errors such as these are very common especially if you have a newspaper that circulates regularly.
Ajay may be right. It might be a typo or something.
And can you guys please be easy on the lay-out artist. e may not be the one at fault you know? Haha.
I wonder if they really have reviewed the wrong site.
Since that’s the June 16th issue, I wonder if some sort of erratum had been published by the MB since. Or the mistake has remained unnoticed until this entry was posted?
maybe some kind of cloak? hehehe, iba sa print readers and iba sa net readers.
nice catch,
let’s give them a chance, they’re human too…
pwn3d lol.
Rebellion ba? Sus intrigero ka lang talaga hahaha :P
they should be more careful… . if this keep happening to MB .. i wont buy a MB copy in the coming days, weeks, months, years and in lifetime. sayang lang pera ko bili, tech news naman palagi binabasa ko tapos eto makikita ko? HELLO? pde i refund? hehe.
its funny though. its blogable… haha! MB screws the screenshots? lols!
….You Family Guide to Entertainment.. try “XSL Help with XML Spy” that’s a real entertainment!!
… and there are 2 people being fired right now. :)
hehehe… tsk…tsk…tsk..
how could they make a mistake like that?
that’s so embarassing…
dyosko di man lang ba familar sa mga ganyang bagay ang mg staff nila?
kaasar. maka apply nga dun!
ahahahah
Of course there will always be a double standard. We’re talking about the Manila Bulletin! We’d expect more from you. I couldn’t care less if that article appeared in Abante. Don’t think that even if I said it was hilarious, it overjoys me to see mistakes like these in national newspapers. It’s actually depressing.
Hari Skwatir – Sure, nobody is perfect but what they did is stupid. Call it as you see it, be your own judge. If I do something dumb, call me out. It’s cool.
ajay, this is not the first time MB got into the radars of blogs. check these 2 other blog posts about MB’s Technews:
Broadband and Malicious Software
Proud to earn zero
In those two previous mistakes, MB did not put out any errata as well.
Andrew, I believe there should be no double standards here… it is still carelessness, whether a blogger OFTEN makes typos or a newspaper screws it with a screenshot.
And btw, check your facts. I am not staff of MB Technews, I am just a columnist and report there maybe once a month (reminds me to be careful with the next URL I give for Blog O Rama though)
Not to apologize for this boo-boo or even a serious matter like plagiarism. But obviously bloggers like you still have to know the workings of traditional media where mistakes CAN happen, DO happen. The last time I heard, a certain newspaper reported someone as dead when he wasn’t, so there.
P.S. Admittedly, this flak saddens me as MB Technews has been more than supportive of the blogging community. But in the true blogging tradition, it takes bloggers to be vigilant about what the other media does.
Bloggers, though, should not be above the law. Nobody pays you, sure, but you owe it to your readers (and advertisers) not to be careless with your grammar and what-have-you. Just imagine what a single typo can do… it might give you the wrong screenshot. Ooops.
It gets better:
http://urltea.com/tb5
Looks like the author plagiarized a few too many lines from the Parent Previews about page.
Ajay, blogs are different from newspapers. Even if we make typos heer and tehre, we wouldn’t be that dumb to screen cap a landing page. And this error isn’t just bad, it’s puzzling why Manila Bulletin didn’t at least consult someone who does know something about tech before they decided to publish the article. I don’t care if the Tech Editor was in Antartica or the Cook Islands, it is still his duty and his staff’s (ergo, you) to check what goes into his section.
for a reputable newspaper they should have double check the article (validity and such). Maybe it was a last minute article.
The article did say Parent Previews. So obviously it was a case of mistyping on the part of whoever made the screenshot. I do know that my editor was in Las Vegas when the page was closed last.
Some bloggers can certainly over-react! (constructive reaction puwede na) I see a lot of typographical and grammatical errors in some top blogs (like this one) but is anybody raising a holler??! Luke 6: 37-42! :P
HELLO! how can he make a review with that site?
hey cool it guys. you’re not perfect either. apparently, the writer/columnist made a mistake but that’s not enough reason to namedrop nor judge him.
Hahaha! Nice catch Abe! :)
OMG! Alam na kaya nilla yan? Thats a big no no…
Huwat! This is obviously not a legit website (yet). I’m sorry noh, parang ang tanga lang nya. hahahaha
haha, whatta shame…obviously, the tech editor doesn’t know how to tell the difference between actual website and a landing page.
That’s so funny! But for Manila Bulletin, it’s not. They should look for a better person to do the editing for their Technews segment. It could have been a typographical error but as an editor, that’s part of the job – making sure that the article is error free and in this situation, it includes making sure that the domain name was correct.
You have to be really careful with domain names because missing or adding one letter can lead you to a totally different site.
oh yes we are all too familiar with these domain squatters. How could their tech editors not know about this?
this is a stupid mistake by manila bulletin. I search google and found out that its
“parentpreviews.com” not parentspreview.com hence people will actually get that page.
Abe, it should be “domaining” not “domaineering.”
WTF!!!! Idiots! No offense…
It only shows that he is ”cramming”
Cramming just to put something on the newspaper without further research.
Careless!
for me that’s just a waste of space in the newspaper, but who am i to judge. just like Mr. Abe said “Where are the Tech Editors?” :)
Wait, how the hell could they have reviewed that website?
I’d fire the person who put that in there just because you can’t possibly make a good review out of any domain squatted website.
Says a lot about the newspaper. Or at least their “tech” section.
OMG, that’s hilarious. I think the writer just wanted to get it over with and wrote this poorly researched piece. The fact that the tech editor let this one slip proves he’s not supposed to be editing tech.