Sunday, April 24, 2005
Savvy Florida Man Nabs Domain Name of New Pope
A savvy tech writer has nabbed the Internet domain name of the new pope Benedict XVI, but said he will ask his devout Catholic grandmother what he should do with it. Rogers Cadenhead, a Florida-based tech writer, purchased the rights to BenedictXVI.com on April 1 -- more than two-and-a-half weeks before Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger announced that he would assume the papacy under the name of Benedict XVI.
All Bases Covered: Cadenhead had no divine inspiration about the identity of the new head of the Catholic church. He just decided to buy the domain names corresponding to all the popes since the year 1700 for US$12 each, he wrote on his Web site, cadenhead.org, today. "I couldn't resist the chance to have some skin in the game. Someone else already has JohnPaulIII.com and JohnXXIV.com, but otherwise I put a chip down on every name of the past three centuries," Cadenhead wrote. Cadenhead, 38, also registered ClementXV.com, InnocentXIV.com, LeoXIV.com, PaulVII.com and PiusXIII.com.
Cadenhead said he was raised Catholic, and that he bought the domains as a game -- not as a way to make money by cybersquatting. Cadenhead said he hasn't figured out what he's going to do with the BenedictXVI.com domain yet but that his "decision would be guided by the idea not to piss off 1.1 billion [Roman Catholics.]"
Whatever he decides, he will first seek approval from his devout Catholic grandmother. "I guess you could call her a papal adviser," said Cadenhead.
Brought to you by Guardian eCommerce.
All Bases Covered: Cadenhead had no divine inspiration about the identity of the new head of the Catholic church. He just decided to buy the domain names corresponding to all the popes since the year 1700 for US$12 each, he wrote on his Web site, cadenhead.org, today. "I couldn't resist the chance to have some skin in the game. Someone else already has JohnPaulIII.com and JohnXXIV.com, but otherwise I put a chip down on every name of the past three centuries," Cadenhead wrote. Cadenhead, 38, also registered ClementXV.com, InnocentXIV.com, LeoXIV.com, PaulVII.com and PiusXIII.com.
Cadenhead said he was raised Catholic, and that he bought the domains as a game -- not as a way to make money by cybersquatting. Cadenhead said he hasn't figured out what he's going to do with the BenedictXVI.com domain yet but that his "decision would be guided by the idea not to piss off 1.1 billion [Roman Catholics.]"
Whatever he decides, he will first seek approval from his devout Catholic grandmother. "I guess you could call her a papal adviser," said Cadenhead.
Brought to you by Guardian eCommerce.
