Hello all,
I've created this Steemit post in order to help a friend who is now experiencing an unexpected financial burden. Please read on!
Recently, my friend @mikeonfire made an appeal for help, having come under some very difficult and unexpected life circumstances.
I've already gone ahead and sent him some bitcoin, and wish I was able to give more. Although I'm unable to spare more money at this time, I've decided to try to help raise additional funds for him by auctioning one of my domain names.
Why am I doing this?
Truth be told, I have only ever met Michael Nimetz on one occasion. On that day, we shared what to me was a profoundly meaningful conversation, through which I received one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given. This is not an exaggeration. The experience was a defining moment in my life. I owe this man more than words can possibly convey.
Since then I have kept in touch, and from following him on social media, have seen how active he is in the anarchist community, in Acapulco, involved in many projects and giving generously of his time and passion to contribute to uplifting and supporting the efforts of those around him. Now I believe he is in need of some support, and that's what this post is about.
What's for sale?
This as an auction for the domain name ANARCHIST.tv (domain only, no website).
So it is understood this is legit, I am going to forward the domain back to this post, so if you enter it in your browser it will return you here. (Edit: I've set up the domain forwarding, but it is taking some time to propogate, it is still pointing to the old redirect. Please give it some time)
What can I do with Anarchist.tv?
The answer is, what can't you do with it?
- Create a video content site to help spread awareness about self-ownership, the non-aggression principle, and other important topics
- Forward the domain to your existing website
- Create your own personal @anarchist.tv email address, (or create a business around a leasing such custom addresses)
- Start a social media site like Liberty.me but for video content
- Simply hold the name as an investment (like virtual real estate). Your only overhead is the annual renewal fee (about $20/yr for .tv)
- Host your own video podcast and get to interview famous anarchist thinkers and activists
Regarding this last idea, let me tell you, the right domain can certainly open doors, especially for someone just starting out and who does not yet have an online following, reputation, or recognized brand name. Just pick your favorite anarchists, and imagine yourself approaching them with, "Hi, I'd like to interview you for Anarchist TV". Who would possibly say no!?
I spent a few minutes creating some simple ideas for logos, to provide a visual for those who might like to imagine starting a project with this domain. If you win the auction, feel free to use any of them if you'd like. Here they are:
You can create a simple logo like this pretty easily at Snappa.com.
AUCTION RULES
Bidding will be conducted in a comment thread below. Once the post is published, I shall place the first comment as "BID HERE". To bid, simply reply directly to that comment (so it creates a sub-thread of comments) with your bid amount.
Bids placed elsewhere in the comments will be disregarded. All bids must be placed in the 'BID HERE' comment sub-thread.
- Starting Price: $50
- Minimum bid increments:
- $5 increments up to $100 (i.e. $50, $55, $60, $65 ....)
- $10 increments up to BIN (i.e. $100, $110, $120 ...)
- BIN (Buy It Now): $500
- Auction End: Auction shall end exactly 7 days from the timestamp of this post, OR, someone posting SOLD in the bid thread indicating they will buy the domain at the BIN Price.
- Anti-sniping: Any bid made within the final hour of the auction shall extend the auction by an additional hour from the timestamp when that bid was placed.
NOTE:
* You can exceed the minimum bid at any time (i.e. bid from $100 to $150).
* Although there is no real recourse if you win the auction and do not pay, please do not do that. This is a charity auction, after all. Please do not bid unless you are sure that you will follow through on your word.
How will the transaction be handled?
If you are the winning bidder, I will provide an address for you to send the amount of the winning bid directly to Mike. Upon his confirmation of receipt of the funds, I will transfer the domain to you. I'm sure he would take crypto or fiat dollars (PayPal, etc).
However if you prefer that we use a third party online escrow service, we can certainly do that too. In that case buyer (you) shall cover any applicable fee.
Don't worry if you are not familiar with the domain transfer process. it is very easy and I have literally done it hundreds of times before.
Final Remarks
- Some of you may not know Mike, and that's okay. You can still bid on the chance to purchase a great .tv domain at a great price, and feel good knowing that you are doing someone a big help at the same time.
- For those that do know him, this is a chance to show your support with the added incentive of receiving something of value in return!
- To everyone else, please upvote this post! As I mentioned in the title, not only will the auction proceeds be donated, but so will every Steem Dollar earned by this post! This will actually help out doubly, since the more votes it receives the more it will be seen, giving the auction itself greater exposure.
- To my knowledge this is the first ever domain auction held on Steemit! #woohoo! It should be interesting.
If you feel at all moved by my efforts, please do share this post to help spread the word. Thank you!
Lastly, if you have any questions about the auction or need clarification please comment below. (please do not comment in the bidding thread).
Note too, you can also donate to Mike directly, regardless, via bitcoin or dash at the addresses he listed in the comments section on his post here I cited earlier. He may also be in the process of organizing a separate and more formal fundraising campaign. Stay on the lookout.