Maryland License Plates Now Inadvertently Advertising Filipino Online Casino(vice.com)
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Maryland License Plates Now Inadvertently Advertising Filipino Online Casino
https://www.vice.com/en/article/4a3xe9/maryland-license-plates-now-inadvertently-advertising-filipino-online-casino
122 comments
> “The MVA does not endorse the views or content on the current website using that URL…”
Maybe they should learn that they did actually endorse it, and they should be liable for it.
Imagine if the NBA put that same link on their jerseys, and then a white supremacist organization bought out the URL. Would they be liable for “endorsing” it? Of course they would! Same for Maryland. Morons.
Maybe they should learn that they did actually endorse it, and they should be liable for it.
Imagine if the NBA put that same link on their jerseys, and then a white supremacist organization bought out the URL. Would they be liable for “endorsing” it? Of course they would! Same for Maryland. Morons.
They should send replacement plates to affected people.
nah just seize the domain
While Maryland has been happy to use eminent domain to seize things for far more dubious reasons, like during the Baltimore Colts saga, those things typically have at least been in Maryland
The D root server seems to be in Maryland, perhaps they could sort that one out.
https://www.iana.org/domains/root/servers University of Maryland
Maybe the H server too.
https://www.iana.org/domains/root/servers University of Maryland
Maybe the H server too.
Where exactly "is" a domain name?
> Where exactly "is" a domain name?
In a database, which, for dot-org, would be owned by Public Interest Registry, which is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, US:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Interest_Registry
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.org
Though the technical side of things is run by Afilias / Identity Digital, located in Bellevue, WA:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afilias
In a database, which, for dot-org, would be owned by Public Interest Registry, which is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, US:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Interest_Registry
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.org
Though the technical side of things is run by Afilias / Identity Digital, located in Bellevue, WA:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afilias
No. Absolutely not.
As a Maryland resident who happens to have this special "commemorative" license plate, I do find this newsworthy and of interest.
I got my car in 2012 -- this was the "standard" plate for 2012-2016, that you got whether you wanted it or not (unless you paid for a "specialty plate", an existing program. https://mva.maryland.gov/about-mva/Pages/info/27300/27300-29...)
State MVA puts a URL it does not own or control in any way on a license plate that will last for decades, never even considers that the URL could change hands, is pretty hilarious.
I've hated this license plate for 11 years now -- I don't want to advertise flags and wars on my license plate. I wonder if via this snafu I can get them to replace it with a regular one; there seemed to be no normal way to ask for a standard one to replace this 2012 commemorative one up to now.
> “The MVA does not endorse the views or content on the current website using that URL, and is working with the agency’s IT department to identify options to resolve the current issue.”
The "option," we all know, would be paying now-hostage-level price for buying the domain. I don't know whether I'd rather my tax dollars went to that or replacing the plate of any 2012 plate holder who asks. What I'd really rather is they stop spending any resources on annoying mandated special commemorative license plates. Bring back two-color solid license plates.
I got my car in 2012 -- this was the "standard" plate for 2012-2016, that you got whether you wanted it or not (unless you paid for a "specialty plate", an existing program. https://mva.maryland.gov/about-mva/Pages/info/27300/27300-29...)
State MVA puts a URL it does not own or control in any way on a license plate that will last for decades, never even considers that the URL could change hands, is pretty hilarious.
I've hated this license plate for 11 years now -- I don't want to advertise flags and wars on my license plate. I wonder if via this snafu I can get them to replace it with a regular one; there seemed to be no normal way to ask for a standard one to replace this 2012 commemorative one up to now.
> “The MVA does not endorse the views or content on the current website using that URL, and is working with the agency’s IT department to identify options to resolve the current issue.”
The "option," we all know, would be paying now-hostage-level price for buying the domain. I don't know whether I'd rather my tax dollars went to that or replacing the plate of any 2012 plate holder who asks. What I'd really rather is they stop spending any resources on annoying mandated special commemorative license plates. Bring back two-color solid license plates.
Maryland resident as well. I believe you payed a few extra dollars for the commemorative license plate.
The war that is being advertised is the one where the British were a bit frustrated that we didn’t accept their ways, and they were coming back to take what was theirs. They rolled up to DC and burned everything except a few buildings. Legend has it that Madison and family left the White House so fast that when the British arrived, the food was still warm on the table.
The British then rolled up to Baltimore thinking it would be an easy capture just like D.C. was.
They were wrong, and we ended up causing them to pack up and leave in defeat.
The war is prestigious to Maryland because over 3,000 militia members from Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania successfully kept the worlds superpower at bay, saving Baltimore and probably the rest of the country.
The war that is being advertised is the one where the British were a bit frustrated that we didn’t accept their ways, and they were coming back to take what was theirs. They rolled up to DC and burned everything except a few buildings. Legend has it that Madison and family left the White House so fast that when the British arrived, the food was still warm on the table.
The British then rolled up to Baltimore thinking it would be an easy capture just like D.C. was.
They were wrong, and we ended up causing them to pack up and leave in defeat.
The war is prestigious to Maryland because over 3,000 militia members from Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania successfully kept the worlds superpower at bay, saving Baltimore and probably the rest of the country.
Unrelated to the license plates, but the war is remembered differently in Canada, in Britain, and by historians. I think Wikipedia has it right calling the war "indecisive". In Canada, the war is remembered as the time we trounced the Yankees and burned the White House. The Brits don't think much of the war at all. Historians say its much more complicated of course, but the key facts to remember are (despite what the Canadians say) the troops that burned the White House were British regulars, not Canadian militia, and that the militia was highly unreliable and had significant levels of desertions (despite the national pride now). It's also good to keep in mind that Britain was in the midst of a total war with Napoleonic France and that the Americas were a sideshow. The US distinguished itself early with the frigate battles, like the Constitution vs Java, but then there was the Shannon vs Chesapeake.
The high rate of desertions should be a point of pride, it was a dumb war.
It is embarrassing that the British Empire couldn’t achieve a full victory against what was, at the time, a regional power. It is embarrassing that the US couldn’t fend off a sideshow invasion. It is embarrassing the whole thing couldn’t have been sorted out diplomatically.
Nothing was accomplished by the war but a bunch of buildings burning down and some tens of thousands dying. The deserters look pretty good in retrospect.
It is embarrassing that the British Empire couldn’t achieve a full victory against what was, at the time, a regional power. It is embarrassing that the US couldn’t fend off a sideshow invasion. It is embarrassing the whole thing couldn’t have been sorted out diplomatically.
Nothing was accomplished by the war but a bunch of buildings burning down and some tens of thousands dying. The deserters look pretty good in retrospect.
> The Brits don't think much of the war at all.
I've never studied history, and especially have never studied it abroad, but I think I've just always assumed that nations who've lost wars don't generally spend a lot of time educating their students about them.
I'm sure there are exceptions to this - World Wars 1 and 2 seem too big to go missing from literature, for example, and perhaps this is my naive, too-literal interpretation of "history is written by the victors," but I'd just always expect losses to either be minimized, or be taught exclusively to vilify a persistent enemy.
I've never studied history, and especially have never studied it abroad, but I think I've just always assumed that nations who've lost wars don't generally spend a lot of time educating their students about them.
I'm sure there are exceptions to this - World Wars 1 and 2 seem too big to go missing from literature, for example, and perhaps this is my naive, too-literal interpretation of "history is written by the victors," but I'd just always expect losses to either be minimized, or be taught exclusively to vilify a persistent enemy.
Mostly just... the British have a LOT of history and so the stacked ranking of wars over the course of just the British Empire includes over a dozen more consequential wars than the War of 1812. The poor high school students have enough names and dates to remember!
The Vietnam war might be another exception.
Except for the Star Spangled Banner being written, it mostly isn't remembered at all in the US. The French and Indian War got more coverage in my US history class and that is a pre-revolution British/French war.
it really is a shame we (the US) were not able to take all of the land that is now Canada...
> I believe you payed a few extra dollars for the commemorative license plate.
I am absolutely 100% positive that I neither paid extra dollars for the War of 1812 commemorative license plate, nor was offered an option -- this was the "standard" plate in 2012, no other "standard" plate was available, this was what you got unless you wanted to pay for a "specialty" plate.
Perhaps in 2013-2016 it was different. Or perhaps if you already had a standard pre-2012 plate, you could pay to replace it with the commemorative one? But if you were getting new plates in 2012, you got this one as the default option. I am sure.
Other interesting historical facts about the War of 1812 include all the native indian nations who allied with Great Britain in the desperate futile hope that somehow they could stop their inexorable disposession and ethnic cleansing by the USA.
I am absolutely 100% positive that I neither paid extra dollars for the War of 1812 commemorative license plate, nor was offered an option -- this was the "standard" plate in 2012, no other "standard" plate was available, this was what you got unless you wanted to pay for a "specialty" plate.
Perhaps in 2013-2016 it was different. Or perhaps if you already had a standard pre-2012 plate, you could pay to replace it with the commemorative one? But if you were getting new plates in 2012, you got this one as the default option. I am sure.
Other interesting historical facts about the War of 1812 include all the native indian nations who allied with Great Britain in the desperate futile hope that somehow they could stop their inexorable disposession and ethnic cleansing by the USA.
Indeed, it was the standard plate issued for several years (2010-2016). You could also pay a $20 fee to change from an existing plate to the 1812 commemorative one.
https://web.archive.org/web/20101128031616/http://starspangl...
https://web.archive.org/web/20101128031616/http://starspangl...
Maybe they should have first checked with the other kind of Indians what it is like to live under the rule of Britain? :D
That was still in formation in 1812, but, yeah, I don't have any particular reason to think the native nations would have done better with a different outcome of the war of 1812, but I certainly understand why some nations figured it was worth a shot and they probably wouldn't do worse.
Anyway, I still don't want to advertise war on my license plate.
Anyway, I still don't want to advertise war on my license plate.
The natives in Canada probably didn't do much better in Canada between the war of 1812 and the Riel Rebellion, but it certainly helps now. British law said we couldn't settle the land without a treaty with the natives. This didn't really stop settlement but it does mean that some tribes have forced significant monetary settlements from the Canadian government. Some money for broken treaties, and some for settling without a treaty.
Good point. Canada just being generally a lot less populated by Europeans for whatever reasons than the USA (presumably in large part climate?) probably helped too, creating a context with slightly better outcomes.
But different legal regime under Great Britain -- and different position as colony of a European state vs independent "we're all we've got" -- does seem likely to be relevant, good call.
I suppose the best case for native nations in the War of 1812 would be that both USA and Great Britain get weakened and distracted from further colonization for as long as possible.
But different legal regime under Great Britain -- and different position as colony of a European state vs independent "we're all we've got" -- does seem likely to be relevant, good call.
I suppose the best case for native nations in the War of 1812 would be that both USA and Great Britain get weakened and distracted from further colonization for as long as possible.
They referred to them as Indians because they resembled the people they had seen in India before.
> They referred to them as Indians because they resembled the people they had seen in India before.
No.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tribal-Nomenclature-America...
"The word Indian came to be used because Christopher Columbus repeatedly expressed the mistaken belief that he had reached the shores of South Asia. "
No.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tribal-Nomenclature-America...
"The word Indian came to be used because Christopher Columbus repeatedly expressed the mistaken belief that he had reached the shores of South Asia. "
They referred to them as Indians because Christopher Columbus was a lousy navigator.
Everyone knew the world was round in the 15th century.
They had a good idea how far it was from Europe to the east coast of Asia going westwards.
They knew that an ocean going ship wouldn’t have enough provisions to make the journey.
Columbus thought the earth was far smaller and he would be able to make it. He was wrong. Fortunatly for him there was a large landmass in the way which meant he could get restock his provisions (water, food etc)
They had a good idea how far it was from Europe to the east coast of Asia going westwards.
They knew that an ocean going ship wouldn’t have enough provisions to make the journey.
Columbus thought the earth was far smaller and he would be able to make it. He was wrong. Fortunatly for him there was a large landmass in the way which meant he could get restock his provisions (water, food etc)
I can see how it might be chosen as the "standard" license plate for 2012 - it is the anniversary of The War of 1812, after all.
That's a pretty one-sided description of the War of 1812. The whole thing was a bit of a fiasco and an attempted land-grab of territories controlled by Native American nations allied to the British by hawkish Senators from border states who wanted to make a name for themselves by advocating for it. The war ended with the British agreeing to status quo ante-bellum, even though America started the war. The general upshot is just that the British-allied Native Americans were, by treaty, supposed to have their territorial integrity respected but the British didn't think it was worth the hassle to enforce those provisions so those Native Americans all got pushed aside.
It doesn't really have clear "winners" or "losers." Really more like Britain getting stung by a bee while it was in the middle of something (War with France) and finding that rather inconvenient, but successfully fending off the bee's (America's) attempt to take its house.
It doesn't really have clear "winners" or "losers." Really more like Britain getting stung by a bee while it was in the middle of something (War with France) and finding that rather inconvenient, but successfully fending off the bee's (America's) attempt to take its house.
Well, what you describe does actually have clear winners and losers -- just not between the US vs GB. The settlers are the winners, and the natives are the losers.
I love mandatory glorification of this on my license plate. Advertising for a casino is just icing on the cake.
I love mandatory glorification of this on my license plate. Advertising for a casino is just icing on the cake.
> Well, what you describe does actually have clear winners and losers -- just not between the US vs GB. The settlers are the winners, and the natives are the losers.
True. That is often disregarded in how we talk about nation-state competition.
True. That is often disregarded in how we talk about nation-state competition.
The US declared war. They were pissed off about many things, but one of the more notable ones was that they were frustrated that the UK was supporting the sovereignty of Native American nations, which hindered the westward expansion that many people in the US viewed as their birthright.
The UK was actively making concessions to try and avoid war. The United States declared war anyway.
The UK then taking the fight to DC was absolutely fair game. People are allowed to fight back when you attack them.
The UK was actively making concessions to try and avoid war. The United States declared war anyway.
The UK then taking the fight to DC was absolutely fair game. People are allowed to fight back when you attack them.
The UK made concessions too late. By the time they decided to stop kidnapping* American sailors and forcing them to work in the British Navy, the war had already started.
*impressment is the word they used.
*impressment is the word they used.
[deleted]
I can think of at least a dozen other undeveloped peoples who successfully kept the Brits, then the worlds superpower, at bay. Superpower or not, infantry was never the British forte. In my opinion, logistics was. But logistics wins wars, not battles.
It was also during the attack on Baltimore that Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the Star Spangled Banner, a point of pride for Maryland
> The war is prestigious to Maryland because over 3,000 militia members from Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania successfully kept the worlds superpower at bay, saving Baltimore and probably the rest of the country.
They didn't learn from it, because at the other end of the war, the British regulars were decisively handled by another ragtag group that they didn't think much of.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_New_Orleans
They didn't learn from it, because at the other end of the war, the British regulars were decisively handled by another ragtag group that they didn't think much of.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_New_Orleans
Hear, hear! Two color plain stamped plates. Our vehicle's tags don't need to be a weird advert no one cares about. It's bad enough to get forced into paying for a reissue (remember when NY changed to yellow-and-blue and started charging for keeping the old plates?), doubly so when it's for some bureaucrat's amusement on having a "fun" plate.
The European way is even plainer: countries choose either black on white or black on yellow.
The country puts their code ("DK", "S" etc) on the left.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_vehicle_registration_...
The country puts their code ("DK", "S" etc) on the left.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_vehicle_registration_...
Eh, I like my choice of plate design here in NC.
Our previous, Save The Honeybee: https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/138097239_1...
Current, NC Aquariums: https://www.obxtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/NCA-plat...
Next, Venus Flytrap: https://i.redd.it/v1d1vce3uks31.jpg
Funds from these support the cause on the plate typically.
Our previous, Save The Honeybee: https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/138097239_1...
Current, NC Aquariums: https://www.obxtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/NCA-plat...
Next, Venus Flytrap: https://i.redd.it/v1d1vce3uks31.jpg
Funds from these support the cause on the plate typically.
> Funds from these support the cause on the plate typically.
What percentage, though?
What percentage, though?
Not enough I'm sure but more than zero. Out of the $30 you pay for the plate it looks like $20 goes to the fund for that cause. So it's not a small amount.
Wow, that's significantly better than I was expecting!
> State MVA puts a URL it does not own or control in any way on a license plate that will last for decades, never even considers that the URL could change hands, is pretty hilarious.
I'm not a resident, but I found this hilarious as well. I think putting any URL on a license plate (or similar) is poor form, actually, but one that you don't actually control and take pains to ensure you keep registered? Hilarious level incompetency right there.
I'm not a resident, but I found this hilarious as well. I think putting any URL on a license plate (or similar) is poor form, actually, but one that you don't actually control and take pains to ensure you keep registered? Hilarious level incompetency right there.
> I don't want to advertise flags and wars on my license plate
I chuckled a little at this because the Maryland flag is on EVERYTHING in Maryland, including the current standard license plate.
I chuckled a little at this because the Maryland flag is on EVERYTHING in Maryland, including the current standard license plate.
To be fair the Maryland flag is easily one of the best state flags. It fails the "Could you easily draw it from memory" test but the design and color scheme more than makes up for that. I'd put it everywhere too.
I remember spending a day in fourth grade during Maryland history reproducing the flag on construction paper. (Admittedly that was many years ago; my children apparently didn’t get this exercise.) The Crossland parts are pretty easy; the Calvert parts are a little harder. The tricky parts are getting the number of pales correct, and coloring in all the countercharges correctly (i.e. where the red goes vs. white, and where the black goes vs. yellow).
One of the side benefits of driving a truck is that most states do not do anything to their Truck Plates..
Mine is a Plain white piece of metal, with black letters, no logo, no seals, no anything. White and black
Mine is a Plain white piece of metal, with black letters, no logo, no seals, no anything. White and black
Would you be willing to try replacing your plates with Chesapeake Bay plates? I don't recall the add-on being that high.
$20 then $10/renewal forever. Renewal I guess is every two years?
Yes. I actually had to fully replace my plates this year because one was quite literally flaking apart, and full replacement was $155.
You don't have to drive
As if war and flags didn’t build the society you enjoy today. And they will build the society for future generations to enjoy. Whether they like it or not.
Of things that built the society I enjoy today, I am fully aware that, for instance, enslaved labor and stolen land built the society I enjoy today -- I am not in favor of the government forcing me to advertise that fact positively on my car.
Certainly human history is full of war and violence, and that is what has led to where we are, sure. That doesn't mean we need to glorify it. Or that the state has to impose the glorification of it on car identification plates.
What's with the proto-fascism on HN these days? Scary times.
Certainly human history is full of war and violence, and that is what has led to where we are, sure. That doesn't mean we need to glorify it. Or that the state has to impose the glorification of it on car identification plates.
What's with the proto-fascism on HN these days? Scary times.
I’m just saying be realistic. Everything that exists today can be judged easily. Future generations will crap on us for various reasons too while enjoying all the benefits.
Sent from my iPhone, unfortunately built using slave labor in the supply chain. I could use an android but it probably does the same or worse. To others who are equally complicit whenever they use a computer. Should I remove the apple sticker I placed on my car?
Sent from my iPhone, unfortunately built using slave labor in the supply chain. I could use an android but it probably does the same or worse. To others who are equally complicit whenever they use a computer. Should I remove the apple sticker I placed on my car?
can't you just get a different license plate if you want to though
If you give more money to the incompetent agency, yes.
In the uk its trivial to replace a plate. What would you do if it falls off? Over here i've seen number plates written by hand on a white card.
The UK has extremely detailed and demanding standards for number plates: https://www.bnma.org/advice-centre/the-new-rules-british-sta...
But you can choose from many different suppliers.
Here in the US, you have to get them from the DMV, but the legibility requirements are so low. The backgrounds, narrow font, and minimal reflectivity all make them much worse than those in the UK and Europe.
(Lack of enforcement is also a problem: I lived in the UK for ~10x the time I've lived in the US, but in the US I've seen ~10x as many cars with missing numberplates.
But you can choose from many different suppliers.
Here in the US, you have to get them from the DMV, but the legibility requirements are so low. The backgrounds, narrow font, and minimal reflectivity all make them much worse than those in the UK and Europe.
(Lack of enforcement is also a problem: I lived in the UK for ~10x the time I've lived in the US, but in the US I've seen ~10x as many cars with missing numberplates.
> number plates written by hand on a white card.
Those aren't legal, although you can probably get away with them for a while.
Those aren't legal, although you can probably get away with them for a while.
As far as I could tell, my options for doing that were:
1. Reporting my plate as stolen or damaged (assume there's a replacement fee, don't know how much)
2. Paying $20 and then $10/year forever for a "specialty" plate.
Granted, even though I'm complaining about this like a grumpy old man, I have spent probably 20 minutes on three occasions looking into it by googling. If someone can find a free way (or even reasonable one-time fee) for me to get a standard plate without having to lie about it being stolen or damaged (or getting someone to steal or damage it haha), do point me to the procedure. In general, as expected, doing most anything with the MVA is a really confusing maze of bureaucracy, so I have some conditioned fear of trying it even if there is a procedure (but I haven't found one).
I am now wondering what, say, Jehovah's Witnesses did, I bet they and/or other religious groups would not be okay with a flag on their car for religious reasons.
1. Reporting my plate as stolen or damaged (assume there's a replacement fee, don't know how much)
2. Paying $20 and then $10/year forever for a "specialty" plate.
Granted, even though I'm complaining about this like a grumpy old man, I have spent probably 20 minutes on three occasions looking into it by googling. If someone can find a free way (or even reasonable one-time fee) for me to get a standard plate without having to lie about it being stolen or damaged (or getting someone to steal or damage it haha), do point me to the procedure. In general, as expected, doing most anything with the MVA is a really confusing maze of bureaucracy, so I have some conditioned fear of trying it even if there is a procedure (but I haven't found one).
I am now wondering what, say, Jehovah's Witnesses did, I bet they and/or other religious groups would not be okay with a flag on their car for religious reasons.
I came home from a motorcycle ride one day and my plate was simply gone. It fell off somewhere out in the highway.
I’m pretty sure I didn’t have exclusive rights in to badly tightened bolts.
This was in CA, but there was no police report or anything. I imagine plates fly off cars with some routine each year all over the country.
Contact your DMV and look up what’s involved with replacing a lost plate. At most they’ll likely want the matching pair (I assume they come in pairs in MD) back and a small fee.
I’m pretty sure I didn’t have exclusive rights in to badly tightened bolts.
This was in CA, but there was no police report or anything. I imagine plates fly off cars with some routine each year all over the country.
Contact your DMV and look up what’s involved with replacing a lost plate. At most they’ll likely want the matching pair (I assume they come in pairs in MD) back and a small fee.
This is a great solution. People take their plates off to clean grime off. If you did that and did a lousy job putting the screws back in then nature would likely take its course.
> Paying $20 and then $10/year forever for a "specialty" plate.
Relatively cheap compared to many other states.
Relatively cheap compared to many other states.
You have to pay yearly for a specialty plate on top of registration fees? Is this a Maryland thing or have I been lucky enough to only get a specialty plate in a state that charged a one time fee?
Yes, in Maryland. Every state is different (i'd imagine not every state even has "specialty" plates), I don't know what's more common.
But I imagined the whole reason they have "specialty" plates is revenue generation?
https://mva.maryland.gov/about-mva/Pages/info/27300/27300-29...
I think "specialty" plates are silly. I am old enough to remember when there was one option, and for every state it was white letters on a different solid color background, and that was fine.
But I imagined the whole reason they have "specialty" plates is revenue generation?
https://mva.maryland.gov/about-mva/Pages/info/27300/27300-29...
I think "specialty" plates are silly. I am old enough to remember when there was one option, and for every state it was white letters on a different solid color background, and that was fine.
In Florida, the fees paid for specialty plates are given directly to an organization which established the plate -- typically a charitable organization. So they're a way to support, while also providing personalization. The $25/year for my plate goes directly to my alma mater. Even Disney set up their plates to go to the Make a Wish Foundation.
I pay $100 a year for WI specialty plates.
You can damage it yourself. Seems pretty straightforward.
Probably against the law (especially if you plan on continuing to drive the car waiting for replacements), but you'd probably get away with it. (more risky if you or your car attract police who want an excuse to mess with you). Good answer though.
If you don't want to feel like you're lying you can consider the URL now pointing to a gambling site to be damage. It's effectively been defaced.
Does the new one look similar to the old one, just with a different border?
If my level of bother for the website would have been higher than my appetite for legal risk I'd be checking the statutes and covering it with a proper paint job that does not damage the actual plate info
If my level of bother for the website would have been higher than my appetite for legal risk I'd be checking the statutes and covering it with a proper paint job that does not damage the actual plate info
Or a piece of blue tape.
"You can just" and "Can't you just" phrases should trigger you to think twice.
The phrases show poor empathy on your part: It's a hassle to go to the RMV and get another plate, it's a hassle to update any place where your plate needs to be registered, it costs money...
The phrases show poor empathy on your part: It's a hassle to go to the RMV and get another plate, it's a hassle to update any place where your plate needs to be registered, it costs money...
Depending on how sophisticated the operators are, it's possible hostage level pricing could still be low six figures. They may not actually realize just how valuable what they've scooped up actually is. At government scale, I'd actually say anything <$1m is probably less costly in total than any kind of action involving replacing a recall of rollback or existing plates.
They could change the law in MD allowing these plates to cover the URL with a sticker. Hopefully of a url of your choosing.
Pretty sure it's already legal to do this so long as your tag number is still legible.
Maybe just slap a sticker on the URL?
I wonder if they would be more active in trying to fix it if it was some weird fetish porn site
For people into girls named Mary?
Is it legal for US citizens to use that gambling site in the US?
I thought the US courts believe .com and .org to be 'in' the US and have seized gambling .com domains that are targeting US citizens in the past.
I thought the US courts believe .com and .org to be 'in' the US and have seized gambling .com domains that are targeting US citizens in the past.
Welcome to America's Hottest Talkline.
People wondering what the heck this is about should go listen to episode 167 of Reply All[0]. It's been a couple of years since I heard it, but IIRC, the talk line in question squats on disused phone numbers that were similarly published on long-lasting media. Or that the publishers forgot to get allocated, or similar.
That's the very TL;DR version made hazy by the passage of time. Apologies for no doubt missing any number of salient points.
[0] https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/awh2a4
That's the very TL;DR version made hazy by the passage of time. Apologies for no doubt missing any number of salient points.
[0] https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/awh2a4
If the government is going to put a domain name on license plates, you'd think it would make sure the domain name stays registered as long as the license plates remain in use. They're lucky it was snatched up by a casino and not something worse like hardcore pornography or a hate group.
To fix this, the state of Maryland should identify everybody who still has this license plate and send them a replacement plate in the current style. They have that information in a database somewhere, associated with names and addresses, so they should be able to run a simple query. If not, that means they probably need to fund a project to upgrade their databases to a modern implementation of SQL.
To fix this, the state of Maryland should identify everybody who still has this license plate and send them a replacement plate in the current style. They have that information in a database somewhere, associated with names and addresses, so they should be able to run a simple query. If not, that means they probably need to fund a project to upgrade their databases to a modern implementation of SQL.
Government plates should use .gov or some similar tightly controlled domain (.edu might be acceptable).
Florida has "myflorida.com" which is an official government website, but .com is not a limited and controlled TLD; so in theory registration could fail and someone scoop it up.
If it were "myflorida.gov" that would be much less likely.
ahahahah http://myflorida.gov redirects to dot com (it's dot muffin)!
Florida has "myflorida.com" which is an official government website, but .com is not a limited and controlled TLD; so in theory registration could fail and someone scoop it up.
If it were "myflorida.gov" that would be much less likely.
ahahahah http://myflorida.gov redirects to dot com (it's dot muffin)!
They should have done that, but it probably took a contractor minutes to create a TEMPORARY, EXAMPLE domain like "starspangled200.org."
The plan would have been to change this later to read md.gov/starspangled200, which will 301 redirect to maryland.gov/starspangled200, which needs to be made to point to a new starspangled200.maryland.gov subdomain because the Windows server running www.maryland.gov requires everything to be under the www.maryland.gov/Pages/<page name>.aspx URL scheme... But project management ran over budget, and the people who needed to be contacted about those changes couldn't be reached, and when the subcontractor's project manager talked to the vendor's project manager who emailed the wrong government IT department, some information was lost. The necessary forms needed to be filed, but to do so the contractor needed a particular vendor ID number and approval for that takes months, how many more projects do you plan to do for the state? And anyways starspangled200.com looks pretty clean, do we really want to do this optional redirect? So they spent some pocket change and registered it for 10 years, and handed off the task of renewing it to some administrator who could spell DNS but knew nothing else about it with a stern warning that things would break if it was not renewed.
Disclaimer: I have no specific knowledge of this project.
The plan would have been to change this later to read md.gov/starspangled200, which will 301 redirect to maryland.gov/starspangled200, which needs to be made to point to a new starspangled200.maryland.gov subdomain because the Windows server running www.maryland.gov requires everything to be under the www.maryland.gov/Pages/<page name>.aspx URL scheme... But project management ran over budget, and the people who needed to be contacted about those changes couldn't be reached, and when the subcontractor's project manager talked to the vendor's project manager who emailed the wrong government IT department, some information was lost. The necessary forms needed to be filed, but to do so the contractor needed a particular vendor ID number and approval for that takes months, how many more projects do you plan to do for the state? And anyways starspangled200.com looks pretty clean, do we really want to do this optional redirect? So they spent some pocket change and registered it for 10 years, and handed off the task of renewing it to some administrator who could spell DNS but knew nothing else about it with a stern warning that things would break if it was not renewed.
Disclaimer: I have no specific knowledge of this project.
> Government plates should use .gov or some similar tightly controlled domain (.edu might be acceptable).
Most government entities are not qualified for .edu.
For a while (pretty long ago, I think early 00s, maybe even late 90s) GSA (who managed .gov. at the time) made some noises about narrowing it further (may have even closed noncompliant registration for a while, while keeping grandfathered ones) to federal government sites only, which led to a lots states using .com or .<state>.us domains for nongrandfathered domains, and even adopting them as preferred sites where they had grandfathered domains.
The policy direction died fairly quickly, but the impacts were more lasting.
Most government entities are not qualified for .edu.
For a while (pretty long ago, I think early 00s, maybe even late 90s) GSA (who managed .gov. at the time) made some noises about narrowing it further (may have even closed noncompliant registration for a while, while keeping grandfathered ones) to federal government sites only, which led to a lots states using .com or .<state>.us domains for nongrandfathered domains, and even adopting them as preferred sites where they had grandfathered domains.
The policy direction died fairly quickly, but the impacts were more lasting.
I was thinking of the specialty plates that are issued for educational institutions - those could get away with an .edu
California offers a special plate for UCLA but it has no URL.
California offers a special plate for UCLA but it has no URL.
There's a common belief that .org domains are much more tightly controlled than they are. They may have thought they were doing the right thing.
They probably registered the .com before .gov was easy to get. FWIW when I click your .gov link I get an SSL warning in safari on iOS.
Ha! I'll update it to http which works, but that's hilarious.
I know whitehouse.gov uses lets encrypt; I wonder how many TLDs have domains using them, and which the rarest is.
I know whitehouse.gov uses lets encrypt; I wonder how many TLDs have domains using them, and which the rarest is.
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>The website printed on the plates is not owned by the Motor Vehicle Administration.
Where there is the problem. Maryland sub-contracted out the site, probably stopped paying for it or the "contractor" closed done. Someone grabbed it.
Well I hope Maryland is enjoying what may be mo more than 10 cents per year per plate they are saved in taxing people. And as a bonus, they also are now giving out free advertising.
Next step, force people to replace the plates and maybe charge them a fee for doing that.
Where there is the problem. Maryland sub-contracted out the site, probably stopped paying for it or the "contractor" closed done. Someone grabbed it.
Well I hope Maryland is enjoying what may be mo more than 10 cents per year per plate they are saved in taxing people. And as a bonus, they also are now giving out free advertising.
Next step, force people to replace the plates and maybe charge them a fee for doing that.
You left out the last half of the quote which is just as telling to me, "and is working with the agency’s IT department to identify options to resolve the current issue.”
Their options are Jack & Shit, and Jack already left town. You think this gambling site is going to voluntarily give back the domain for pittance that this state agency could afford to offer it? You think a DMV of a state is going to come up with the funds for a highly publicized domain squabble? The public blowback from that should be intense. The agency's IT department has already shown their incompetence and lack of funding by not being able to pay the registration fees for a domain long enough for something they used on an official state "document".
Their options are Jack & Shit, and Jack already left town. You think this gambling site is going to voluntarily give back the domain for pittance that this state agency could afford to offer it? You think a DMV of a state is going to come up with the funds for a highly publicized domain squabble? The public blowback from that should be intense. The agency's IT department has already shown their incompetence and lack of funding by not being able to pay the registration fees for a domain long enough for something they used on an official state "document".
Even though the original company went out of business, maybe the trademark is still owned by someone. They could use ICANN's dispute channels to challenge ownership of the name.
This is a website used on official government issued "documents" (I don't know what the proper word for a non-paper item like this would be). The fact that it was a 3rd party entity that registered the domain is also farcical. That would be like the federal government letting some 3rd party register whitehouse.gov or healthcare.gov and then that 3rd party allowing the domains to lapse. Let's just pretend for the sake of the argument the .gov and .com TLDs being equivalent. If that's too far of a stretch, why in the world was a .com TLD allowed on a gov't document? Why not a conical to the already existing maryland.gov domain?
The whole thing reeks of incompetence or even some sort of corruption
The whole thing reeks of incompetence or even some sort of corruption
The good news is, the number of people who actually haver ever followed the URL found on the bottom of the license plate is probably pretty darn minimal.
maybe slightly higher since you can get your phone to automatically picture-to-text recognize it instead of having to type it in yourself, but... probably still pretty minimal.
I mean, I'm most shocked that anyone noticed the url's contents have changed! I wonder how long it took anyone to.
maybe slightly higher since you can get your phone to automatically picture-to-text recognize it instead of having to type it in yourself, but... probably still pretty minimal.
I mean, I'm most shocked that anyone noticed the url's contents have changed! I wonder how long it took anyone to.
Domain was last updated in Nov 2022. It's been displaying this since at least December: https://web.archive.org/web/20221202223252/https://www.stars...
So it's taken over half a year before the media to notice.
So it's taken over half a year before the media to notice.
Nothing from a government entity should ever have anything other than a .gov or similar TLD associated with it.
Lesson learned. I don't think this is worth more thought other than reflection, hopefully by someone close to this decision, hopefully by someone who can put in some recourse to minimize the chance of this happening again.
This is hilarious and inevitable.
This is hilarious and inevitable.
I always wonder if anyone really even learns anything from these kinds of episodes. They probably didn't even know the URL was gone until the media reported it. I'd be willing to bet nobody responsible is going to even give it thought or reflection, let alone produce a post-mortem and change any of their internal processes.
> This is hilarious and inevitable.
Hilarious, yes, but only inevitable because of widespread incompetence. Whenever I get a little Impostor Syndrome and question my own competence at my own job, it feels good to read these kinds of articles to reassure myself that there are people out there orders of magnitude less competent.
> This is hilarious and inevitable.
Hilarious, yes, but only inevitable because of widespread incompetence. Whenever I get a little Impostor Syndrome and question my own competence at my own job, it feels good to read these kinds of articles to reassure myself that there are people out there orders of magnitude less competent.
It would be funnier if the domain was bought by a drivers ed school..
I guess you need to do a 'whois' on whatever domain is printed on the license plates you are about to receive, before you accept them?
I understand why people are upset about this but this is probably among the least intrusive gambling ads that we have to deal with. What if the only legal form of gambling advertising was urls on the back of license plates that states auctioned off? In principle, it would be terrible, but in practice, it'd be a great improvement.
I just registered a domain for 10 years (the maximum allowed) and was wondering how likely I was to remember to renew. Auto-pay probably wouldn't work with credit card numbers changing. I might still be using the same email or at least have it forwarded. A phone calendar reminder? I did that once long ago and when changing phones the reminders didn't sync correctly. Maybe buy a physical 10 year calendar.
Anyway, I figure that's what happened here from 2012 to 2022.
Anyway, I figure that's what happened here from 2012 to 2022.
Do credit card numbers change? I thought only the expiration date changed and maybe the cvc code or equivalent security check.
If somebody steals your number, your bank (or credit card company) will send you a new physical card with a new number. Or at least mine did, ymmv.
Auto payments usually fail when the card is expired.
That's true, it's the expiration and code that change.
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Why can't you just go and get a new number plate, without an advert on it?
In the UK you just take your vehicle registration document to any motor accessories shop and have them make up a plate, for not much money.
In the UK you just take your vehicle registration document to any motor accessories shop and have them make up a plate, for not much money.
Only the state (and a few odd cases like the federal government) manufacture plates in the US, and they usually don't have a published process exactly for obtaining a new plate when you already have one. That said, my experience in a couple of states is that DMV clerks have no problem putting in a plate as lost/damaged/stolen if you just ask for a new one. The fee where I live today is only $15, but I live in a poor state, Maryland might be steeper.
Yeah it isn't that hard. File it as lost/stolen and get a replacement. When I sold my last car I forgot to turn in my NC amateur radio plate with my callsign. I guess they recycle them. When I went to finally do it the lady at the license plate office just marked it lost/stolen and let me keep it.
The email addresses for Lafayette, California’s police ”tip line” are random Gmail addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]. How is that not a problem for government record keeping? At least the Gmail addresses won’t expire like Maryland’s domain name registration.
https://www.lovelafayette.org/city-hall/city-departments/pol...
https://www.lovelafayette.org/city-hall/city-departments/pol...
Had to look it up but that is the zip code for Lafayette. it was probably the best out of several bad choices.
A direct gmail domain is understandable for a small city government but it does look unprofessional. I liked how governments were one of the few organizations that took advantage of the hierarchical nature of dns, you would get things like dmv.ca.gov and courts.sf.ca.gov Unfortunately that is going away as well. everybody has to have a second level domain and now you have stupid things like lovelafayette.org instead of lafayette.ca.gov
A direct gmail domain is understandable for a small city government but it does look unprofessional. I liked how governments were one of the few organizations that took advantage of the hierarchical nature of dns, you would get things like dmv.ca.gov and courts.sf.ca.gov Unfortunately that is going away as well. everybody has to have a second level domain and now you have stupid things like lovelafayette.org instead of lafayette.ca.gov
The War of 1812? What a bizarre thing to commemorate.
If anything it was a draw and I say that as a Canadian. The USA were the aggressors and never got anything so really it was a loss for the US.
If anything it was a draw and I say that as a Canadian. The USA were the aggressors and never got anything so really it was a loss for the US.
Maryland put "War of 1812" on the plates because of the Battle of Baltimore, specifically the siege of Fort McHenry, which inspired Marylander Francis Scott Key to write the poem that would later become the national anthem.
Fort McHenry is in the lower left of the license plate.
The star spangled banner flies above it.
The "bombs bursting in air" are the fireworks.
It doesn't commemorate the war, it commemorates the anthem, it just says "War of 1812" because that's when the event occurred.
It was a terrible design but I've got amateur radio plates so I avoided it.
Fort McHenry is in the lower left of the license plate.
The star spangled banner flies above it.
The "bombs bursting in air" are the fireworks.
It doesn't commemorate the war, it commemorates the anthem, it just says "War of 1812" because that's when the event occurred.
It was a terrible design but I've got amateur radio plates so I avoided it.
It's registered at godaddy currently, if they were smart they'd transfer the domain to an unfriendly and very non-nato country quickly if this bubbles over somewhere officially. I'd probably have opted to just redirect to a random fetish porn site for grins, but if you have a gambling empire and stand to profit why not, you already have free marketing for life courtesy of the Maryland government.