[TXnMA]

While teaching an adult entrepreneuring class on the use of the WWW for small businesses, I addressed the subject of careful choice in domain names. As an example I used Wild Women Enterprises, an off-beat women's clothing store that had been started by a pair of graduates of one of our earlier entrepreneuring classes.

I pointed that their "WWW.WILDWOMEN-ENT.COM" domain name could be perilously similar to one leading to something quite unsavory. When I asked my young (female) assistant to "put the Wild Women's website up on the screen, she mistakenly left off the "-ENT" part of their domain name.

The next thing I knew, the screen was flooded with popup windows full of nude photos (and worse) -- and they were popping up faster than my panicked assistant could close them!

When she screamed and broke down in tears, I yanked the power cord out of the projector -- until I could get the proper website up on her monitor.

Needless to say, my point about judicious choice of domain name was made -- too well! BUT, if that had happened in public school, both my assistant and I could have been in big trouble!

FWIW, I do not recommend repeating the experiment; I just checked, and the first thing that happened (before I immediately killed the browser window) was that an applet began to load. I have no desire to know what would have happened (or appeared) if I had allowed that website to finish loading... :-(

[Slings and Arrows]

While teaching an adult entrepreneuring class on the use of the WWW for small businesses, I addressed the subject of careful choice in domain names.

You're not kidding.