Forum Post: Occupy Wall Street Pays $8,000 for Internet Domain

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/11/04/occupy-wall-street-pays-8000-for-a-home-on-the-web/

Occupy Wall Street, seeking a more formal Web presence for the coterie of protesters who have set up camp in downtown Manhattan, is acquiring the domain name occupywallstreet.net for $8,000, according to parties on both sides of the transaction.

“The unincorporated association known as Occupy Wall Street” will take possession of the domain, said the protester who negotiated the deal, Jake DeGroot, 26 years old. It will become the most official online home of the leaderless movement, which has spread its message through a loosely organized network of websites, Twitter accounts, text-message alerts, email lists, Tumblrs and livestreams.

To some of those occupying Zuccotti Park, the domain purchase is a strategic move.

“We would hesitate to use the term branding, necessarily, because of the corporate connotations to that,” said DeGroot, a theatrical-lighting designer who lives in Queens, “but there are advantages to the identity of the movement. It’s important that we have a full, robust Web presence and strategy.”

Protestors approved the purchase at their general assembly on Tuesday night, though some bristled at the price tag. “Communications,” including computers, WiFi networks and livestreaming equipment, is already the largest line item on Occupy Wall Street’s most recent balance sheet, more costly to the operation than food. The $8,000 purchase of occupywallstreet.net is likely the movement’s single biggest expense to date but still represents less than 2% of what the group had raised as of October 18, which is over $450,000.