The Most Infamous Girl in the History of the Internet
August 25, 2008
We’ve all seen her. You’re innocently typing a website URL into the address bar, make a typo, and there she is.
She’s the “parked domain girl”, and she’s been viewed more than the Paris Hilton sex tape or Miss Teen South Carolina’s inspirational eloquence on domestic map shortages and the South African education system.
(See an example at why5.com)
Demand Media is the company responsible for pimping out this girl on empty websites set up to generate money from accidental visits. The Demand Media business model is this — scoop up generic or keyword-rich domain names and sell advertising space despite the lack of any iota of useful content.
It’s not exactly spamming, but it’s just one notch above mass emailing Viagra ads.
This poor girl was harmlessly walking to Psych 301 class and smiled for a snapshot. Now she’s being exploited more than Miley Cyrus or teenage Chinese gymnasts by people who take domain name monetization too far.
How the guys behind this sleep at night is beyond me, but apparently they do so in a bed of $100 bills.
Who is she?
Does anyone know who she is? Does she get paid per page impression? The Baha Men swiped 10% royalty every time “Who Let The Dogs Out” played. I can only hope this girl has a similar arrangement.
In an attempt to solve the riddle behind this infamous portrait, I looked closely at the background and now believe she is standing on the University of Texas campus next to the famous 307-foot tower.
Here’s my photographic evidence:
What do you think?
Comments
84 Responses to “The Most Infamous Girl in the History of the Internet”
Got something to say?
I think you’re wrong. The tower in the original photo has 2 rows of 4 windows. The tower in your evidence has rows of 3 windows.
I can confirm that this photo was definitely taken on the University of Texas campus. The row of bushes behind her surround a flag pole also seen in the photo and both are located on an open mall area in front of the main administration building. A few years back a UT graduate was part of a group that was sued and lost $10 million under the CAN-SPAM act so there’s definitely a history of people from around here being involved in these kinds of activities.
She is from a stock photo site. The company dropped a few bucks and purchased the photo. I used her in a site i designed a year ago.
Check the commonly used stock sites- istock, getty, veer…etc. She should be tagged with the photographers name.
i think keywords used when i found her were- happy, teen, pretty, smiling, school.
good luck
Just imagine if they used that space at least in part for some sort of branding. They would practically have a household name, at least with regards to Internet users.
Think she might possess unadulterated lust for old fat guys?
This is Richard Rosenblatt’s trophy girlfriend. He pays her to attend events in hopes of staying in the closet a little longer.
She looks like she’s judging me for not being able to type in the proper URL.
Dude, you are funny. Your comment on Copyblogger made me spit coffee so I wandered down your way. Glad I did. You’ve got yourself a new subscriber.
Hmmm I think she’s done porn… Lemme check my archives.
@Emily
Your comment had me laughing out loud. She does look like that! XD
Its not the same place…. reasons:
in picture tower has 4 windows not 3 (clincher for me)
roof of front building in viewable from close range and at eye level and front building is not as tall as your photos unless a level was added since.
and hedge looks taller than your campus photos
Maybe it’s the reincarnation of Jesus? Hahaha.
She is from istockphoto.com she was offered up as a free image of the week a couple years ago.
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/lifestyle/teens/746781-attractive-student.php?id=746781
Copyright: Dustin Steller
Uploaded On: 2005-08-06
Mystery Solved!!!
Here is a whole picture collection of her:
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_search.php?action=file&filetypeID=&userID=39198&text=hf7
why did i stumble this.. why did i comment…
Wow. All I have to say is… Wow. For being such a ridiculously pointless post, I couldn’t help but read all of it… and the comments.
Great post… seriously.
Actually the most infamous girl in the history of the Internet is Everywhere Girl: http://www.theeverywheregirl.com/ I have even seen her on my school campus’ paraphernalia.
Oh yes, seen her many times on those typo URLs. Maybe this pic was purchased from any stock photography site like istock ?? Just a guess because otherwise she must have someday seen herself and asked for royalty.
I can’t speak about that blonde girl we’ve all seen. But Emma Infiniti will be an infamous web girl one day. Check her out at http://www.emmainfiniti.com
i think you ahve way to much time on your hands. and she would get it!
I love posts like this. This is unique quaility content. Just what the search engines are looking for.
Good Job manidge.
wish they used this one instead…would be making more typos :-)
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/lifestyle/teens/703664-happy-young-woman-2.php?id=703664
Mistery solved second part!! thx Matt :)
http://meneame.net/story/la-musa-del-parked-domain#comment-2
http://www.istockphoto.com/user_view.php?userID=39198?action=view&location=Profile&userID=39198&postID=15581
OMG!! Sister Hanna??? xD
Cute sister :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/fiveloaves/page7/
Lovely — definitely lovely! But, I’ve never seen her before …
Hello people.
I am the photographer who took the photo you all are talking about. I shot the series in the Kansas City area, so it is definitely not a real college campus. Here is the link to see some more from the series…
http://www.istockphoto.com/dsteller/
As a side note, yes, it is my little sister. I would like to add that she is very happily married. ;-)
Ready for a HUGE irony? If you mistype my own domain name (using stellar instead of steller), it takes you to a parked domain page with her picture. :-)
-dustin
Interestingly enough, did the writer of this blog purchase the use of the photo? If not, please do so. It’s only $3. Otherwise, iStockphoto might come after your butt for infringement. :-)
Wow, I can’t believe nobody responded to your awesomeness.
lol! Travis, I guess I have that effect on people. :-)
Thank you.
Personally I don’t think IPhoto can actually request payment from the author of this blog because the photo is reproduced for journalistic reasons and as such a fee wouldn’t need to be paid. At least the answers have been found.
[...] The Most Infamous Girl in the History of the Internet – Ever wonder who that girl who pops up every time you mistype a domain name is? Turns out her name’s Hannah. Just a strange FYI proving yet again that anonymity is dead. [...]
actually in your pitctures there are only three windows on the tower. notice that you can count four windows in the picture with miss unknown.
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[...] Who is that gal? [...]
FYI the shot was taken at Unity Village, which is in the Kansas City area:
http://unity.org/aboutunity/unityVillage/
Here is another shot of her in front of the same building:
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/lifestyle/teens/703645-young-woman.php?id=703645
And another:
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/lifestyle/teens/703664-happy-young-woman-2.php?id=703664
Here is a shot of that same building and the same tower at Unity Village (just a slightly different viewpoint, the trees have grown a bit, but all architectural details match up exactly, from the roof to the windows to the raingutters):
http://flickr.com/photos/76479985@N00/2603243014/
Here are the same buildings, tower and close to the same viewpoint (though further away) in Google streetview:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.945959,-94.408092&spn=0,359.953136&z=15&layer=c&cbll=38.946033,-94.408199&panoid=wF3CK4liJ9-bQlXRS0hDyQ&cbp=12,18.54562972630311,,1,-5.4838518818313275
You can see the hedge, flagpole, and other details–as well as the exact match in the architectural details.
Also I believe you can see this building–also at Unity Village–in at least one other photo of her:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.947328,-94.404874&spn=0,359.953136&z=15&layer=c&cbll=38.947492,-94.404904&panoid=OoJvaNaG-IBv1Z7yR9qR0g&cbp=12,252.830639423887,,0,6.794915820992236
flug…
outstanding job there.
Give flug some sort of award!!!
I’m broke and my job was sent overseas so there’s nuthin’ I can do but frment rebellion against the elite class that is forcing millions of USA citizens into an economic quagmire as we compete with millions of illegal aliens for ever-more scarce economic resources.
[...] haciendo un buen uso de Twingly (por que Technorati ya no mola) llegue al post de You Suck at Websites quienes ya hace un par de meses hacian un pregunta similar, obtuvieron cientos de respuestas, pero [...]
[...] Missing Manual and all around fabulous Wikipedian) pointed us to this weblog post from last year The Most Infamous Girl in the History of the Internet. In the comments there are many leads about where the photograph comes from – including the [...]
[...] Missing Manual and all around fabulous Wikipedian) pointed us to this weblog post from last year The Most Infamous Girl in the History of the Internet. In the comments there are many leads about where the photograph comes from – including the [...]
Don’t know about it being at Unity Village but it is most definitely not UT. It looks close… I guess… although not that close, in my opinion. The dead give away is that the tower in the photo has 4 windows across, while the UT tower only has 3.
[...] impinge on the conscious mind. But if you have ever seen the most famous lady on the Internet – Parked Domain Girl – you must have visited a parked [...]
[...] con ganas de perder el tiempo en boludeces (de quienes seguramente me haría un gran amigo) se pusieron a maquinar sobre la identidad de esta chica y el cómo llegó a ser "tapa" de estas páginas de tan dudosa [...]
They should make one like this instead
“oops, you no find right website, better lucky next time”
If we repent and beleive in the gospel and turn to Christ we will be saved from the wrath of God for sin on the day of judgment. Read gospel of John, and also read Romans.
Romans go home.
a parking girl :D
hope she sues that parking company badly :p
She’s at UCLA.
$624 blown on purchasing the entire set from istockphoto.com. All of them are on my walls.
This is much easier than actually stalking the person, discreetly taking their photos and getting them developed.
Ya know… that just gave me a superb idea.
time to create:
istalkphoto.com
[...] Domain Parking (Wikipedia en inglés) “La musa del parked domain” en Mangas Verdes “The Most Infamous Girl in the History of the Internet” en You suck at websites [...]
[...] The Most Infamous Girl in the History of the Internet. Do you agree? [...]
Geez you people are SO Internet. A couple posts back the person who took the photo (said it was his sister) told the whole story. With links as proof. No response. Time passes and….now you’re back to trying to guess where the photo was taken. (Blundered in here by mistake, doubt I’ll be back.)
looks like ut austin campus?
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This is a really good post and something I never thought about, but I do recall a few eatery charges on my credit card that seemed to be much higher than I recalled spending. Well I think I will make an effort to bring enuf cash for tipping from now on if possible!
I think you’re wrong. The tower in the original photo has 2 rows of 4 windows. The tower in your evidence has rows of 3 windows.
This is a really good post and something I never thought about, but I do recall a few eatery charges on my credit card that seemed to be much higher than I recalled spending. Well I think I will make an effort to bring enuf cash for tipping from now on if possible!
WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENS WITH THIS BLOG? UPDATE IT!
It looks like it was taken at WHO GIVES A SHIT?!
http://tinyurl.com/2cqexec
[...] The Most Infamous Girl in the History of the Internet [...]
CHEEP ITO!
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Lastactionseo…
Vielen Dank für das freischalten des Kommentars….
[...] didn’t take long before I found was this article on You Suck at Websites from 2008 asking the same [...]
Oh my. Another article about those horrible people who buy up domain names like they’re land or prospecting for mines.
Remember the land rush in the 1700’s and 1800’s and 1900’s? Man, people were investing in land everywhere. 100 acres here, 1000 acres there. Who were these people? Even famous actor/comedian Bob Hope owned over 2000 acres of prime California land just above Santa Barbara. What an ASS!
How dare anyone buy up entities that represent value to those who would own those entities! I think it’s better that this type of capitalistic ownership be OUTLAWED, so those too slow to realize the value of certain words and phrases on the internet as domain names can at least buy up a few so they can benefit financially from those laws protecting them against smarter people.
My take on all these people buying up domain names on the internet is they must know something the majority of us don’t. I think that’s the fact that domain names are VALUABLE and FREE FOR ANYONE TO BUY for a simple registration fee.
It’s like those dang inventors who come up with an idea and then have the NERVE to patent their ideas so the rest of us have to pay them if we want to use the benefits of their hard work and investment. I think they should be punished too.
Domain investors… rotten people making money on their understanding of the value of generic descriptive domains, and then going out there, just like all of us can do, and buying the domains to control them. I hate them for having brains and ambition.
[...] Known commonly as “the Parked Domain Girl” or “the Expired Domain Girl“, her’s is the beaming face that pops up when the URL punched into your browser when you’ve included a typo. Two years ago, You Suck at Websites explained: [...]
I would digg her to park my domain
Your an idiot, there is no way that the towers are the same. Hopefully your blind
[...] (“The most infamous girl in the history of the Internet“) [...]
[...] (“The most infamous girl in the history of the Internet“) [...]
Unbelievable that people are still posting about the damned towers for some two years now. The original photographer has already posted in the thread, lets see if your keen investigative skills can find him.
Where was this popular domain squatting photo taken? And who is the model?…
The photo is from iStockPhoto user Dustin Steller. It was taken in Kansas City, although people often mistake it for the East Mall at The University of Texas at Austin. The girl is his “happily married” little sister.
You can find more of her here:
…
[...] Until they took to the Tumblr community, offered $25, and got their answer within minutes. Meet Hannah Steller: [...]
This girl has always be known as page not found or parking domain. lolz.. Actually i havealways come accross such websites which are parking domain or down showing the same girl since long time back.
[...] haciendo un buen uso de Twingly (por que Technorati ya no mola) llegue al post de You Suck at Websites quienes ya hace un par de meses hacian un pregunta similar, obtuvieron cientos de respuestas, pero [...]
Imagine how the real-life Hannah must feel, being sort-of recognized everywhere she goes. Like say you’re out-of-town, and you’re going to meet some friends at a bar you haven’t been to for years. You walk into the place, don’t see your friends, see her talking to the bartender, and realize the place is under new management.
Saw this picture in a Walmart today
[...] may end up in no man’s land. And when you do, you may be greeted by the charming face of the Parked Domain Girl, a blond-haired, blue-eyed anonymous beauty used by a company called Demand Media as a type of [...]
I read this entire page of posts just because I have never seen someone so pretty… Cool post though!
I see your point, and I totally love your opinion. It goes without saying I also like the design of your website, quite inspiring. Later.
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Finally got her name! The girl is Sasha Gray. mystery really solved.
Hanna Steller
http://www.urlesque.com/2010/11/03/parked-domain-girl/
She definitely is the most infamous girl on the history of the internet. I have to say though, I absolutely hate seeing her picture! They really should switch it up because people know they’ve landed on a bogus page when they see her.
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I thought for sure it was going to be the girl from all of the dating site ads.