The Daily News has an interesting story today about two .nyc domains that are at the heart of an online turf war in The Bronx. Welcome2thebronx.nyc and welcometothebronx.nyc. are being used as digital bargaining chips as one Bronx blogger wants another to retract statements and stop harassing her in a dispute that seems to be about of all things, a Whole Foods Market.
An online dispute rooted in the Bronx has turned into a battle of domains.
Blogger Ed Garcia Conde claims he’s being extorted by a fellow borough blogger who registered a .nyc domain using his well-known “welcome2thebronx” handle.
The South Bronx writer was livid when he discovered the new URL names, offered by the city this month, were already registered by Ruth Papazian, better known by her blog name “Bronx Hipster.”
“There is no reason for her to take that name if there is no malicious intent,” said Garcia Conde, of Melrose. “I believe she acted unethically.”
Through a mediator, the “Hipster” asked Garcia Conde to fork over $250 and to retract any negative statements he has made on social media about her in the past before she signs over the two domains: welcome2thebronx.nyc and welcometothebronx.nyc.
Garcia Conde calls the demands an attempt at extortion over his own intellectual property.
“All I want is what’s rightfully mine,” the 39-year-old said. “We never really met eye-to-eye, but this is the ultimate act of aggression.”
Read the full story on NYDailyNews.com
How petty is it that 2 bloggers — both located in the Bronx — go to the worldwide web, striking poses and calling one another names rather than meeting up to resolve their $250 difference over coffee! That’s hardly more than cab fare.
“[T]his is the ultimate act of aggression?” I can think of a few acts more ultimate than registering a domain.
Hi:
I just came across this post, and wanted to make a couple of things clear.
I was an unwilling participant in this article. Ed Conde Garcia went to The Daily News and made all sorts of defamatory accusations against me, after which the reporter emailed me and forced me to respond with “my side” of the so-called story.
I had been subjected to months of online harassment by Conde and his friends on social media that escalated to threats of physical violence after I purchased the two .nyc domain names. I was going to transfer the two domain names to him if he reimbursed me for what I paid for them via Go Daddy during the premium registration period, and posted a statement on his social media pages retracting previous allegations, such as my having taken bribes from the Bronx Borough President. He turned down the deal, because he wanted to continue harassing me more than he wanted the domain names.
If Conde thinks he has a case, he can certainly go through ICANN’s arbitration process like any other normal person, instead of inciting his friends and followers to “go South Bronx” on me, etc.
All I want is to get my good name and reputation back, and not to be harassed, bullied or threatened with violence by Conde and his friends. I don’t think that’s petty on my part at all.
Ruth
Don’t mess with The Bronx, bro.