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.AU

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:29 pm
by olrac
Quick question is http://www.dslrusers.net.au in anyway affiliated with dslrusers.net?

I just typed in the wrong address and things looked similar but not the same....

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:42 pm
by Glen
Carlo, in no way affiliated. The legal term is passing off, its under the misleading and deceptive conduct section of the Trade Practices Act. In this case they have picked a web address deceptively similar to ours to capitalise on mistakes or mistypes like yours.

I find it personally fairly disgusting behaviour, but then again I was shocked when the two admis at .au called an asian member "a powerpoint" at digital when they were admins there. Obviously other forums and people have a higher tolerance for abuse and racial abuse of their members than I do, I would not want to associate with those sort of personalities.




ps Just to be clear, they started that site (look at the dates) when they thought they would be kicked out of digital for calling an asian member a powerpoint (AVKomp did leave for a moment). As it turned out, that sort of behaviour didn't exclude them from being a member of digital, so the au site is ligering on before it dies a natural death

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:50 pm
by stubbsy
The same site has also registered .com.au too so they have the .au versions of the two URLs for this site.

I used to think that to get a .au domain name you need to be a registered business with that or a similar name. I'm guessing this is why Gary had .com and .net domains since dslrusers (and d70users before that) wasn't a business name

it would seem it is now open slather in Australia and you can get any .au domain name you want

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 3:36 pm
by jdear
.com.au you need an ABN for... unsure about the others...

interesting to see birddog apparently a member there

J

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 6:47 pm
by digitor
Glen wrote:Carlo, in no way affiliated. The legal term is passing off, its under the misleading and deceptive conduct section of the Trade Practices Act. In this case they have picked a web address deceptively similar to ours to capitalise on mistakes or mistypes like yours.

I find it personally fairly disgusting behaviour, but then again I was shocked when the two admis at .au called an asian member "a powerpoint" at digital when they were admins there. Obviously other forums and people have a higher tolerance for abuse and racial abuse of their members than I do, I would not want to associate with those sort of personalities.


ps Just to be clear, they started that site (look at the dates) when they thought they would be kicked out of digital for calling an asian member a powerpoint (AVKomp did leave for a moment). As it turned out, that sort of behaviour didn't exclude them from being a member of digital, so the au site is ligering on before it dies a natural death


So that's what happened over there, leading to the brief "resignation" of avkomp. This is the first I've seen of this other site, though.

Cheers

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:10 pm
by Trieu
This thread was locked earlier today... or am I seeing things :?: :?:

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:11 pm
by ATJ
There are some familiar "faces" over there.

The mod "appears" to have coincidently had the same idea as me about an avatar from an animated gif of his face.

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:59 pm
by !~DeViNe~DaRkNeSs~!
we had the same sorta thing on http://www.fordlaser.com a disgruntled member seperated from our forum and created fordlaser.com.au Thankfully he let his site fall apart then we have also snapped up his domain :D

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:33 pm
by Yi-P
ATJ wrote:There are some familiar "faces" over there.

The mod "appears" to have coincidently had the same idea as me about an avatar from an animated gif of his face.


I did notice the same thing, its much of a starting copy of this forum... still very young out there...

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:01 pm
by Greg B
Trieu wrote:This thread was locked earlier today... or am I seeing things :?: :?:


No, you're not - just a miscommunication in the mod area. All fixed now.

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:04 pm
by gstark
Carlo,

As mentioned already, they have no affillation with us whatsoever.

While my personal belief is that their basis for existence is outside the scope of the AuDA policies, The AuDA interpret their policies in such a way that makes the .au namespace effectively open slather.

Read on ...


jdear wrote:.com.au you need an ABN for... unsure about the others...


Jonathan,

Well, yes, and no. :)

Here's where tha AuDA makes, I think, a mockery of their policies.

Yes, you need to have an ABN to get a license to use a .com.au or .net.au domain. You also, according to their policies, need to have a "close and substantial connection" to the name.

That all sounds good and proper, and it sounds like there's some measure of protection there for people and businesses. As I said ... sounds like ...

The requirement for an ABN is exactly that: a requirement that you hold an ABN.

ANY ABN. doesn't have to be related to any business that you may wish to have a website for ... if you have an ABN ... you're fine.

"Close and substantial connection ...."

Have I used the term farcical yet? Maybe I should.

Logic would , I suspect, suggest that your ABN and your .com.au domain be somewhat related, and thereby would lie the "close and substantial connection".

Logic plays no part here, however. You have your ABN - jdear, sole trader, perhaps. You want a web presence ... what would be a good domain name for you? jdearphotos.com.au perhaps?

Nah ... that's too obvious.

What about CanonImaging.com.au?

Perhaps NikonPros.com.au suits you better? They're both available,m and your's for the taking.

But where's the "Close and substantial connection" you ask.

Good question.

The answer is that you've just purchased the domain name, and you're creating the website. THAT, believe it or not, is your close and substantial
connection.

I happen to think that's a really smelly load of bullshit, bit it is exactly how the AuDA interprets its policies.

So, armed with that information, if you want just about any domain name you fancy ... forget the stated rules: they're meanigless. Just get an ABN, and register your preferred domain name. It's that easy!


Now, getting back to the point, most of you who know me know what I think of advertising. The stated purpose behind this new effort is to raise advertising revenue for the site's owner.

In all honesty, apart from the obvious abhorrence I have of that, I really couldn't think of anything less compatible with a vibrant discussion forum on photography than advertising: could you imagine what it would be like here were we hamstrung by dollars paid to us by a camera manufacturer, for instance.

So ... let them have their site, complete with their advertising dollars ... and banners, pop-ups, tracking cookies ...

Then see if you can have the same sort of free, frank and open discussion of the type that we have here from time to time.

I think I know where I'd rather be.

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:11 pm
by rooboy
Hmmm...I clicked on the Chat link at the top. Firefox gives me a warning of an invalid security certificate, so I immediately click cancel. FF crashes, and has to be force-quitted :?

Won't be trying that again :lol:

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 12:53 pm
by Steffen
Glen wrote:ps Just to be clear, they started that site (look at the dates) when they thought they would be kicked out of digital for calling an asian member a powerpoint (AVKomp did leave for a moment).


Is that an insult? What does it mean? Well, I know I wouldn't wanna be called anything MS related, but I've never heard anyone being called a powerpoint before...

Glen wrote:As it turned out, that sort of behaviour didn't exclude them from being a member of digital, so the au site is ligering on before it dies a natural death


I guess it's hard in the longer term to sustain a forum based solely on the idea of protest...

This new split-off forum does appear to use a very similar layout and look-and-feel to dslrusers, but hey, isn't imitation the sincerest form of flattery? ;)

Cheers
Steffen.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:08 pm
by Dr Jan Itor
Steffen wrote:Is that an insult? What does it mean? Well, I know I wouldn't wanna be called anything MS related, but I've never heard anyone being called a powerpoint before...


I was wondering the same thing, but I worked it out after a while. It isn't MS related, and it's very poor form.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:09 pm
by Greg B
A bit OT, but relevant to the content.......


Steffen wrote:
Glen wrote:ps Just to be clear, they started that site (look at the dates) when they thought they would be kicked out of digital for calling an asian member a powerpoint (AVKomp did leave for a moment).


Is that an insult? What does it mean? Well, I know I wouldn't wanna be called anything MS related, but I've never heard anyone being called a powerpoint before...


Excellent question Steffen, I wondered exactly the same thing. A bit of googling has failed to unearth any reference to "powerpoint" as an insult, racial or otherwise. When I fist saw that comment in this thread, I just assumed there was some new speak which I hadn't encountered.

I can see a huge potential for insults based on software names. Or maybe this was in an electrical context e.g. you are nothing but a light switch, and your mother is a dimmer. So there.

Does anyone have any idea of the context whereby powerpoint is an insult?

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:20 pm
by gstark
Greg B wrote:Does anyone have any idea of the context whereby powerpoint is an insult?


Yes.

I was hoping I wouldn't need to post this ... :(

It's a racial slur, referring to the "slanty eyes" we might see in some races ... kind of like the way an Australian wall socket looks. Think in terms of the wall socket as being like a smiley face we use here ...


Dr Jan Itor wrote:and it's very poor form.


Yes it is. Very distasteful.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:23 pm
by iGBH
Thanks for clarifying that. I too was also unsure of what was insulting about 'powerpoint'. I know Microsoft products are the subject of much derision but it did seem like a weird analogy.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:33 pm
by Greg B
Thanks Gary - sorry I asked really.

However, at least I now understand what it means.

What I do not understand is the thought process that leads to people making statements like that. It is just pathetic.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:43 pm
by gstark
digitor wrote:So that's what happened over there, leading to the brief "resignation" of avkomp.


Just to clarify a point: Steve - avkomp - was not, to my knowledge, the person responsible for making this remark.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:54 pm
by moz
"powerpoint"... I learn something new every day.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:36 pm
by Oscar
Thought I would read this thread and maybe learn something about websites or addresses. Now I'm sorry I read it until the end.

Maybe we could delete some of the comments.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:48 pm
by Frankenstein
gstark wrote:
Greg B wrote:Does anyone have any idea of the context whereby powerpoint is an insult?


Yes.

I was hoping I wouldn't need to post this ... :(

It's a racial slur, referring to the "slanty eyes" we might see in some races ... kind of like the way an Australian wall socket looks. Think in terms of the wall socket as being like a smiley face we use here ...


Dr Jan Itor wrote:and it's very poor form.


Yes it is. Very distasteful.


Yep, that's really gross.

Frank

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:29 pm
by Glen
Just to reiterate Gary's post, it was not Steve (AVKomp) who uttered the remark, it was the person chatting to him. That person also used it another time when chatting about asian prostitutes, so I assume it is part of his vocabulary.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:35 pm
by stubbsy
And there I think it's time to really lock this thread. I think the issue has been well and trully covered. If anyone disagrees with the thread being locked I'm more than to hear from them via PM and open to persuasion.