Air Asia flight QZ8501 is missing.
The tradition of registering domain names related to natural disasters or global accidents continued earlier today.
No sooner had the announcement of the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 been made, that several domain names were registered:
- QZ8501.com – a domain hiding behind WHOIS protection and apparently associated with “World Internet Authority”.
- QZ8501.net and .org – registered as well.
- FlightQZ8501.com – a domain that sports a bare bones “blog” about the event, plus banner ads.
- FlightQZ8501.net and .org – registered also.
- MemorialQZ8501.com – registered and for sale on Flippa.
Most of the time, such domain registrations indicate intent to attract monetizable traffic from people searching for news of the disaster or accident; the use of such web sites as portals by actual relatives or victims is extremely rare.
Domainers offering such accident or disaster domains for sale have typically received scorn and other unsavory commentary from their peers.
Meanwhile, FlightQZ8501.net and MemorialQZ8501.com have hit Flippa domain auctions, in a clear attempt to make money from the misery of others.
