Hundreds Of News Outlets Are Now Covering The “Playboy Plague”

2011 February 13
by Michael H. Berkens

There are now several hundreds of news outlets that are covering what ABC called the Playboy Plague or what domainers have been calling the domainer flu, that struck at Domainfest

Newspapers from the LaTimes to the Toronto Sun,to The New York Post to the Village Voice and even the Wall Street Journal have covered the story.

TV stations from ABC to KABC To TMZ have also covered the story.

I know there is an  old adage that there is all publicity is good publicity, I think that might be tested by this story

Strangely enough both myself and my wife we at Domainfest, attended all events including the Playboy party and hung out with many of those who got sick but fortunately seemed to have missed the “Plague”.

Also interestingly just this week a lawsuit was filed relating to Playboy taking itself private, regarding the value of the Mansion. (actually the suit was filed in July but the allegation regarding the value of the mansion 1st came up last week in an amended filing)

The lawsuit alleges that the mansion is worth $54 million dollars, or 45 times more than Playboy claimed it was worth it its filings.

According to the that suit:

“Hefner and Playboy Enterprises are hiding the true value of the company’s assets in an effort to take it private without fairly paying for the minority stake that Hefner doesn’t own.

“The information sent to minority shareholders describing the deal “seems designed to intentionally mislead, or at a minimum, confuse Playboy’s public shareholders” lawyers for the shareholders.

20 Responses leave one →
  1. 2011 February 13

    This is only Feb/2011 and it is already the main story of Domaining that will be talked about for many years to come.

    ***MHB- Both of you are one tough cookies*** good genes

  2. 2011 February 13

    Hello Mike,

    @Bulls, Great way to start 2011 and your point is well taken. We think Rick Schwartz And Howard are going to knock the cover off the ball at their special gathering and auction coming up! Yes this year will end up in the books as the brightest year for Business Address owners!

    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)

  3. 2011 February 13
    Devlin Timmons permalink

    @Jeff Schneider,

    They’re called domain names, not business addresses. A business address is the building in which the business is physically located. My advice to you is, stop trying so hard to sound smart – because it’s not working.

  4. 2011 February 13

    Hello Mike,

    @Devlin , Come on Devlin other people have ways of seeing things. Besides everyone who knows me knows I an dumber than a Bag a Hammers!

    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)

  5. 2011 February 13
    Tim permalink

    Are these news outlets specifically mentioning that this was a “domain event”?

    If so, that should help us gain some exposure.

  6. 2011 February 13
    domain expert permalink

    Except they are calling it a charity function. Not the Domainfest

  7. 2011 February 13

    IMO It just appears everyone is pointing the finger at the playboy mansion because it makes a good headline. Otherwise these “news” outlets would not really care if a bunch of geeks got sick during a business conference.

  8. 2011 February 13
    Chris permalink

    Finally some high-profile media exposure for the domain industry! This will really help give us some main-stream credibility. Oh, wait, what’s this about a drunken, tittyfest plague?

    :)

  9. 2011 February 13
    fizz permalink

    It’s even made it into the ‘Most Popular’ articles on Fairfax New Zealand’s news website titled Outbreak at Playboy Mansion?: http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/4651934/Outbreak-at-Playboy-Mansion

  10. 2011 February 13

    Have you read the comments on some of these articles? The jokes are flying. Any word yet on other parties being sick beside domainers that were there or around the same events/locations?

  11. 2011 February 13
    MHB permalink

    Tia

    I went to every event so did Judi including the playboy party.

    I had people like ggg in our room drinking late at night and spent hours with Merlin the night of the playboy party and he got sick and we did not

    Its really weird

    Judi hung out and took the bus back from the mansion with Howard & Barbara Neu and Dr Chris and his wife and they all got sick and Judi did not

    Seemed to be very hit and miss

  12. 2011 February 13
    BrianWick permalink

    Playboy’s good will and brand says the playboy mansion is worth more than a shack on the beach in santa monica. Something sticks at the expense of domainfest attendees !

  13. 2011 February 14
    Landon White permalink

    LOL,

    The Bright Corporate Oversee bunch cant seem to do any right,
    except get caught stealing and blaming the little employee,
    or releasing private who-is info with criminal intent and just IGNORING
    every bodys concern that is was isolated.

    AND now, this Health issue is in the hands of some Public Health employee
    who will cover it up becasue they are the ones responsible for in the first
    place (No Inspection bribe) PLUS if you ever saw the telivision show MONK
    that is a Public Health employee who is handling this. LOL)

  14. 2011 February 14

    I’m currently in Baltimore, visiting the parents, and I saw the story onthe evening news here on tv. The news here said that “it is believed that the disease came from a fog machine”

  15. 2011 February 14

    And my non domaining friends have begun sending me Facebook messages with links of news stories they have come across about it

  16. 2011 February 14
    Landon White permalink

    Pneumonia Warning:

    It is Acute Bronchitis…BUT (could turn into Pneumonia)

    I announced these facts at elliot’s on Friday….

    Z-pak is the only cure,
    take the 2 separate stages as directed,

    whezzing,coughing,choking,flem,mucus,green/yellow

    You should also take a “Exporiant to thin the mucous”
    in your middle chest ;…(deep Lungs)

    Your bronco (throat & chest) tubes are NARROWED by
    the Mucous that is why you choke/cough as … AIR is restricted.

    Don’t smoke Plenty of water, It may linger and return?

    “Treat it” or could turn CHRONIC from ACUTE

    WARNING:

    YOU CAN DIE FROM THIS!
    IF YOU ARE NOT GETTING BETTER!

    THIS CAN TURN IN TO
    ………………………………………Pneumonia
    AND A QUICK DEATH:

    IF…

    The mucous is allowed to go untreated it will harden and turn into PUS
    this HARDENED T H I C K PUS will multiply and block your lung cavity,
    you will NOT be able to breath all of a sudden and Death will come quickly.

    GO to the ER, if it dramatically is worse, it can happen fast …, Don’t wait!

  17. 2011 February 14
    LS Morgan permalink

    Best wishes to all who fell ill.

    (and PS- this incessant hyping/bashing of .co is way, way old now)

  18. 2011 February 14

    I think this would have been far more interesting if .co’s polynesian party were the one having it’s finger points at. It would have gotten .co tons of free publicity but not exactly the publicity they are looking for. But isnt bad press still good press sometimes?

  19. 2011 February 14
    BrianWick permalink

    Having met the .co folks, I want them to succeed in some capacity, albeit my expectations are exponentially less than others and then less than that.

    However, had this terrible thing happened at a .co party, at least 9 out of 10 newcasts would have called it a .com party – meaning .co would not have benifited at all on the negative press – and .com – no one cares either way – .com is the brand of the Internet.

  20. 2011 February 14
    LS Morgan permalink

    However, had this terrible thing happened at a .co party, at least 9 out of 10 newcasts would have called it a .com party – meaning .co would not have benifited at all on the negative press – and .com – no one cares either way – .com is the brand of the Internet.
    —-

    Lets not overlook the fact that this happened at a Domainer function, though I have yet to encounter one news outlet who even noted domain names, usually referring to it as some sort of “internet entrepreneurs” meet up.

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