There are no dirty words - just dirty minds.

There is no FCC to control what goes in and what comes out in the domain blogosphere. Unlike television, the Internet is a relatively free, open medium.

The original seven words you weren’t allowed to broadcast on television, along with the background story on what caused their ban can be found in this humorous post.

But what about domainers?

There are certain things that would stir a lot of trouble when spoken with reference to domains, domainers or domaining.

Here’s our choice of those “7 Dirty Words of Domaining.”

Lowballer – A lowballer is someone who knowingly underbids, openly or privately, for a domain that is much more valuable by industry standards. Example: “You’re such a lowballer, offering to pay $2,000 for my LLL .com!“

Halvarez - From “Hank Alvarez“, the alias and bidding handle of former VP of Operations at Snapnames. Used to describe an insider, a shill bidder. Example: “Man, I think this Namejet auction has another halvarez bidding against me, look at these funny bids!“

Pigeonshit - A domain of small value, as opposed to a generic. A term coined by domain king Rick Schwartz for domains with no selling potential. Example: “Your IDNs and long-tails are nothing but pigeonshit!“

Flipper - A domainer that practices small profits for domains. When used in derogatory context, someone who is an amateur or part-time domainer. Example: “Bob is such a domain flipper, he registers pigeonshit and sells them for $20 a pop!“

Minisite - A euphemism for crappy collections of 2 to 5 pages, an amateur attempt at adding content and AdSense to a pigeonshit domain. Example: “Minisites and mass development are meant to attract penny-pinching domainers!“

.TEL – The ultimate bottom of the domain TLD food chain. Impossible to monetize, park or develop, .TEL is the only TLD that came out of ICANN while in pre-beta. Example: “.TEL fanbois are usually flippers, lowballers and register pigeonshit!“

Zuccarini - An American businessman who served time in federal prison for violating the Truth in Domain Names Act. Used to describe someone that knowingly diverted domain traffic to pornographic destinations. Example: “Man, you got a zuccarini on me by sending me to visit LemonParty.org!“

It appears that it wasn’t enough to clean the proverbial Augean stables, as Oversee sued Nelson Brady (Hank Alvarez’s real name) in court, asking for a total of $33 million in damages.

That’s a lot of money that Hank Alvarez does not have, despite having rigged thousands of domain auctions.

In his official response, Hank Alvarez a.k.a Nelson Brady claimed that he did it all in order to secure health coverage due to a degenerating condition that he has inherited:

” Brady primarily used the Hank Alvarez account to legitimately purchase domain names that Brady believed would be profitable so that he could accumulate savings for his long-term health care. Brady’s mother suffered from a genetic neuromuscular disorder and died at age 56 wheelchair bound with her legs locked in a 90 degree angle at her knees. Brady has the same symptoms as his mother, including severe pain, weakness and stiffness in his muscles, among other things. All these symptoms have gradually worsened as Brady ages (he is currently 54) and for many years Brady has been able to function only by taking muscle relaxants. ”

It's time to give to the needy domainer, Hank Alvarez!

This is truly a tragic situation; we cannot imagine the domain world without Hank Alvarez actively participating in auctions, tweaking his bots in front of a terminal. Nelson Brady should not end up like Stephen Hawking, wheel-chair bound, needing a nurse to change his diapers 24/7.

It’s just inhumane.

For that purpose, a new fund has been established: Bank of America contributed the account BOA-38254642774653 that domainers around the world can use to submit their contributions to the Hank Alvarez Health Fund. It’s an obligation we all have towards a man that did wrong but also admitted his wrong-doing and is on the course to recovery.

Recently, Hank Alvarez announced on his web site, HankAlvarez.com that he’s on a sabbatical in Tibet; an indication that he has undergone major personality changes and that he is indeed a new man.

Help Hank Alvarez, the domainer whose spirit broke but who managed to get up on his feet again!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Tibet. The new destination of Hank Alvarez.

It appears that today’s news of Bido exiting the domain auction market has hit a nerve with domainers worldwide, as yet another sign of a ‘bad economy‘.

Sahar Sarid’s decision and subsequent announcement to close down the Bido platform was received as “shock and awe” by the domain media.

Hank Alvarez, involved in an embezzlement scandal of massive proportions is apparently selling his web site, HankAlvarez.com and is getting ready to leave the country and embark on an oriental-bound sabbatical.

It is not yet clear whether the news of a $33 million lawsuit brought against him by former employer, Oversee, played any role in his hasty decision to leave the domaining business. It is doubtful that he will be missed.

Read more at the web site of Hank Alvarez, HankAlvarez.com

With the recent development of Oversee suing Nelson Brady for $33 million dollars, this amazing piece of domaining kraftwerk is once again becoming a great read.

Enjoy Part I in all its wholesomeness – Part II is still being decrypted.

Hank Alvarez announcing the immediate availability of company shares.

Hank Alvarez – the ousted former VP of Sleaze at Snapnames – announced today that he’s offering shares of his company for sale, a prelude to an apparent IPO in the coming months.

Once regarded as the brains behind the drop-catcher Snapnames, Hank Alvarez was named and shamed last November by his very company when it was discovered that he had been rigging the auctions for years.

Despite all this, Snapnames avoided any further damage by issuing generous refunds and sending large bidders Christmas goodies, something that Hank Alvarez did as well.

No longer a part of Oversee, Hank Alvarez has taken on the domain consultation services through his company, HankAlvarez.com

In the past, other questionable IT professionals such as Kevin Mitnick have denounced their criminal activities and have become legitimate, productive members of society.

The best thing about Patrick Ruddell, is his demeanor. It would take an army of people with Tourette’s to make the guy flinch. It usually takes one hot chick from his weekly videos at ChefPatrick.com to make him visibly excited. His upcoming domainer cruise in October was met with cheers from the Socrates club of San Fransisco domainers.

But how will things be now that Chef Patrick is trading his chef moniker for Moniker’s mother company, Oversee?

We had the opportunity to ask Chef Patrick five questions.

Chef Patrick stayed up later than usual; yesterday was a crazy day with Rick Latona’s new daily auctions occupying the news. Chef Patrick managed to squeeze in, just in time for the domain bloggers to begin their eulogies of the Chefster.

Here we go – a DomainGang exclusive interview.

Chef Patrick is known for his spiffy suits and designer eyeglasses.

Chef Patrick, welcome to the DomainGang chat. Congratulations on your new position at Oversee as Chef Extraordinaire. What will be your role with Oversee at Ft. Lauderdale – what will you be doing *for* Oversee with regards to domains?

My direct responsibilities are to help acquire and sell domain names. I am also tasked to help with some sort of Social Media push and co-host the Domain Masters radio show.

Sounds fantastic, a job with a lot of day to day responsibilities to stick your cooking spoon into. But what about your entrepreneurial hat, will that still be your personal focus: Blogging about your sponsors, Video news with hot chicks from your home sofa, DNCruise and the Socrates club guys – will these continue at a secondary pace?

ChefPatrick.com will always be a major part of what I do, so that will continue to be a priority. The one change that will occur is my weekly videos will move from Friday to Saturday this summer. When my family and I move to Ft. Lauderdale my in-office time will increase which will make it difficult to shoot a video during business hours. As for the cruise, that’s my baby. I am pleased to say that Moniker/SnapNames has agreed to sponsor the event, support what I’m doing and plan on sending several employees. I will continue to push and promote the cruise and in fact, I have to record some more personal video invitations this weekend.

Outstanding. It will be extremely  rewarding to do all that and still come home after a hard day at work and continue with your personal obligations and fun functions. By taking this position at Oversee are you distancing yourself from TRAFFIC, DomainFest’s main competitor, their schedule and business goals?

Not at all. Although Moniker no longer handles the TRAFFIC auctions we still maintain a high visibility in the industry. As of right now I do have plans on attending TRAFFIC Vancouver in June.

You are truly a magician in public relations! Patrick, you know that I have to ask this question: Do you think Oversee has overcome the Hank Alvarez stain that became a scandal back in November?

I am answering this question strictly as Chef Patrick. Personally I do believe they have either overcome or are very close to overcoming that incident.

Very good. Domainers, after all, have a short memory but I appreciate your diplomatic answer. And finally – because you have to catch some much deserved sleep – please give us a few words about the future of domaining from your perspective, what is Chef Patrick’s vision for the domain industry?

Some random thoughts – The obvious shifts in PPC revenue have forced the domain community to diversify into development, affiliate marketing, lead generation and so forth. Innovation is key! For those that have been able to adapt and continue to adapt, things will be good. I see a day where domain names hold title and are closed like real property using title agencies. This may mean that domain brokers become licenses, just like Realtors. Our industry has a lot of room for growth and a very bright future.

Thank you Chef and best of luck with your move to Ft. Lauderdale and your new position with Oversee.

Milan is known for its enthusiastic soccer fans - and now TRAFFIC Milan 2010.

Ever since the news of Hank Alvarez and his auction trickery broke back in November, the former VP of Operations at Snapnames (sometimes known as Nelson Brady) has been nowhere to be seen.

It seems that in the domaining universe things are forgiven and forgotten quite easily.

There are rumors, however,  that Hank Alvarez will appear - albeit, incognito – at TRAFFIC Milan which opens its welcoming gates to domainers in less than three weeks.

Here’s the reasoning behind this alleged, secretive appearance:

Hank Alvarez is essentially not charged with any crime, ever since the class action lawsuit was dismissed by the judge.

Milan is in Italy, where the Mafia still controls a large portion of business. What a better place to be introduced back to the domain industry?

Hank Alvarez was once married to Maria DiFranceze, a great-niece of Don Corleone, so Hank has connections in Italy. Once part of the famiglia, only death can undo the bonds.

Hank Alvarez loves pizza. His favorite is “stuffed” with onions and seafood – just like stuffing auction prices was his favorite practice at Snapnames.

TRAFFIC Milan tickets are affordable. The euro is down and Hank doesn’t have much money now that his Snapnames money-making machine is gone.

To a lot of Europeans, Hank Alvarez represents the epitome of American Ingenuity and Entrepreneurship. Essentially, he’s a domain hero.

Stay tuned as we uncover more details of this upcoming European Vacation of Hank’s – incognito, of course.

Hank Alvarez breaks his silence.

It appears that as soon as the last remaining class action lawsuit against Snapnames was dismissed, former multi-auction bidder Hank Alvarez came forward from his house in the mountains where he has been residing for the past 4 months and allegedly made the following announcement:

Dear friends,

It’s hard for me to come back after almost 4 months of an activity hiatus. I took a sabbatical back in November, to ensure that peace and due process would take their course.

I’m a family guy, a decent programmer, a good husband, father, and a superb lover to my wife. I love animals, especially my dog Skippy and the two cats, Milly and Molly. I also like rainbows, reading stories about the Wild West and my favorite fruit is the coconut.

What I mean by this is, that y’all misjudged me and tried to rip me a new one back in November, without knowing all the facts and the complete truth about what happened. I have a new book in the works – titled “If I Shill Bid It” – and the truth will be out there, soon.

Sometimes, it takes the fall of a man for the dogs that bite him to get poisoned from his rich blood. I am not a bad person and I love you all. I proved that by sending you Holiday wishes from my web site, HankAlvarez.com

Folks, the domain industry is a beautiful, wonderful and splendid opportunity for all of us to make money. Don’t let hatred, misinformation and a bunch of lawyers dictate you how much money you can make. I can show you, since I hit it big myself.

God bless and may the domaining force be with you!

Domainers en route to the DomainFest party.

Less than three months after the announcement of the Hank Alvarez / Nelson Brady / SnapNames / Oversee scandal – whatever you might want to call this clusterflock of a domainer situation – there are virtually no traces of it left in the daily discussions.

Once occupying half the daily forum traffic of DNForum, the threads about Hank Alvarez have been dead for weeks and conveniently so right before the DomainFest extravaganza, sponsored by DomainSponsor – a sister company of SnapNames.

Somewhere among the mountains of Playboy Mansion silicone and the well-fed bellies of keynote speakers, there seems to have been little room set aside for the scandal that shook the domainer foundation and trust in a company used by many, less than 90 days ago.

Is it because major players like Frank Schilling opted for the Rust Consulting rebate early on? Rumors put the amount to above mid five figures – an indication of the amounts delivered to similar uber-domainers around the end of the year and on time before DomainFest.

It was the perfect plan and timing by Oversee; who’d want the scandal of having a contagiously sick child in their birthday party, after all?

It seems that domainers, like ancient Romans, enjoy the blood and gore of the games once they are on  – and quickly forget once food, drinks and assorted candy is passed around by the Caesar.

As long as it’s not them that are thrown to the lions!

If you filled out the form carefully, Snapnames already sent you a check.

It’s been a full two months since the Hank Alvarez (aka “Nelson Brady“) scandal broke the sleepy waters of the Domain village.

It was a day of infamy, when Snapnames announced that their very own Vice President of Engineering did nothing short of engineer the results of thousands of domain auctions.

At the point of breaking the news, Snapnames had already hired Rust Consulting, a third party forensics company specializing in putting out legal fires before they become holocausts.

Two months and two class action lawsuits later, our Snapnames rebate check has arrived in the mail; right in time for the celebration of the Russian new year. Spasiba, Snapnames.

We would like to thank Snapnames for delivering back with interest, the $x,xxx in money that we spent competing with Hank Alvarez. What about the blood, sweat and tears, these are still pending.

To be honest, the Oversee company is definitely trying to invest in a future of less suspicious domain bidders and to increase profits for the company.

Until the next domain scandal hits.

We decided to take your pulse about what could potentially happen in the future, with regards to a scandalous situation.

It's time to show some holiday season spirit.

Almost two months have passed since former Snapnames employee Hank Alvarez became the centerpiece of news related to the tightly knit domainer community.

His now infamous ‘halvarez‘ handle at Snapnames leaves a bad taste in the mouth of many domainers – many of which ended up paying a whole lot more money at auctions, or lost them altogether to an insider that retained the secret of his success sealed for almost four years.

Breaking his silence in a DomainGang exclusive, Hank Alvarez delivers a special message to the worldwide community of domainers via his web site, HankAlvarez.com

From this message, it is evident that the illustrious Hank is alive and kicking, perhaps preparing his toolchest for a powerful return in the new year, 2010.

No matter how many disliked the path that Hank Alvarez chose on his way to success, it was a method that led to riches and fame; some estimate the worth of his portfolio to many millions of dollars.

Regardless, the domain industry received a much-needed boost from the Snapnames scandal. Like a phoenix rising from its ashes, Snapnames is currently enjoying a positive fourth quarter for 2009 and expects to be out of the red sometime in early 2011. Apparently, someone at Oversee is doing a great job at managing the fallout from the Snapnames controversy.

Visit HankAlvarez.com to read what Hank Alvarez has to say. You might be pleasantly surprised.

What happened to the mysterious Nelson Brady?

It appears that the noise surrounding the Snapnames / Halvarez scandal has completely disappeared from the domaining airwaves – much like Nelson Brady a.k.a. Hank Alvarez himself.

While we can only speculate on the ongoing relationship between the named perpetrator and his former employer, it appears that there is some sort of agreement between the two.

There are some rumors, however,  that Nelson Brady will make a public appearance tomorrow via the domainer channels; this has yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, we are looking for your opinion on what is going on with Nelson and his whereabouts.

911 emergency reaches out to desperate domainer - the audio has now been released.

Several days ago we published the transcript of a 911 call by a desperate domainer who had been duped by Hank Alvarez.

The audio of this amazing incident is now available and it’s truly CHILLING.

It’s evidence of harm caused by the illustrious Hank Alvarez and of the sheer luck of one domainer who attempted to terminate his own domain portfolio.

CAUTION: the audio can be disturbing to some so please do not click unless you want to listen to the entire conversation between the 911 operator and the domainer. It’s almost as nerve-wracking as having to go through 10 minutes of promoting TRAFFIC West/2007 in order to finally listen to Nelson Brady’s dorky voice among background noise from hungry domainers eating dinner, while being entertained by lame jokes – per Rick Schwartz’s blog.

If you’re ready to proceed, then by all means click here.

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Cash Piggy loves domain coupon codes

Oversee – the mother company of Snapnames & Moniker – is offering some goodies to all domainers; just in time for the upcoming Black Friday mega-sale.

There are several new promo codes, that once entered into the related field will yield special savings for all purchases at Moniker or Snapnames.

Here we go – an exclusive to DomainGang:

Code: Halvarez
Result: Get a .com at Moniker for $5.99 (new registrations) or a free shill bid at Snapnames.

Code: Rebate
Result: Get a free Snapnames rebate lottery ticket related to the Hank Alvarez scandal – for only $27.99 to cover lawyers’ expenses (plus shipping and handling.)

Code: BigJoeBubba
Result: Free “Get out of jail” pass – not valid for former VPs of Engineering at Snapnames.

Code: NelsonBrady
Result: Absolutely nothing. This code is useless, period.

Code: SharkAttack
Result: Free participation to the class auction lawsuit of your choice – not valid against Oversee or its subsidiaries.

Best of luck during your Black Friday mega-shopping!