EVANGELICAL CYBER-SQUATTER'S "BAIT-AND-SWITCH"
It seems, as ever, that God needs as much help as He can get when it comes to promoting His agenda. And if that help includes just a smidgin of sharp practice - nay, maybe even fraud - then that appears to be just fine for some evangelicals. Although not quite up there with the bizarre rationalization that shooting doctors who perform abortions is "doing the Lord's work," creating dodgy web sites is one more manifestation of the lengths some folks will go to to do God's job for Him.

In a recent posting to the "Daily Telegraph" online edition, I erroneously entered my blog address as "thenakedbystander.blogpot.com." Notice the missing "s?" Well apparently I didn't but someone had figured out that this is a typical mistake to make. anyone clicking on my link found themselves at a biblical message site filled with evangelical cant at its best! The "Mega site of Biblical Studies" not only tosses out pop-ups for crap but runs an ad for an iPod, a Capitol One account, and some other dubious fluff.

The site is a wonder to behold if only because of two things; its stunningly bad design (clearly not "Intelligent Design" and the topics available, running from Armageddon to the Voice of Satan - and all points in between. Running the ads seems to be a bit pointless because one of the main thrusts of the page is that the End is Nigh and opening a long-term Capitol One Savings account doesn't strike me as being worth the effort.

Now, by snagging the "blogpot.com" domain, you'll find that if you type pretty much anything in front of it you'll end up at the Mega Site. I tried "satan.blogpot.com" and I was saved! And to make sure errors are leveraged more, the misguided malefactor has also registered "blogpsot.com." This practice is not illegal, but you have to ask what the motivation is of the people who buy such domain names, who clearly know what they are doing. And waht they are doing is at least shameful and at worst fraudulent. And doing it in the name of the Lord just makes it all the more tackier.

And who is this mastermind? Here's the WHOIS entry:

Doug Powell (DME) use this one (BLOGPSOT-COM-DOM)
PO Box 10142
St Petersburg, FL 33733
US
+1.7275428374
amazingbible@verizon.net

Feel free to call or spam him, and give him my regards.