Updated 8 September 2005

If you ever needed any further proof of the extent to which William S. Burroughs — avant-garde author, drug addict, homosexual, petty criminal, and parttime exterminator — has penetrated popular culture, you need look no further than the incredible number of web sites that have been named after him. There are sites that use his name, his book titles, key phrases from his writings. The sheer number of Burroughs-inspired domain names is astonishing and makes you wonder if he might not be one of the single greatest sources of URL inspiration on the web. Probably few literary sources other than the bible could compete with the cornucopia of Burroughs-inspired web sites.

To look at the names of sites inspired by Burroughs, the vast bulk of which have absolutely nothing to do with the author, is also to get a mini-lesson in the principles behind selecting a name. For example, the names of Burroughs’ most seminal books have mostly been snatched up — you can’t get nakedlunch.com or softmachine.com. And yet there is another of Burroughs’ seminal early works that has yet to be registered as a domain name: The Ticket That Exploded. Why? Clearly it’s because ticketthatexploded.com is just a cumbersome name, especially with those two t’s where “ticket” and “that” conjoin.

While creating RealityStudio.org, Supervert conducted an informal survey of domain names inspired by Burroughs. Only .com, .net, and .org were considered, since these are the most common non-country-specific domain names. What’s more, there are a host of other valid domain extensions — you can still register nakedlunch.tc, if you want — and it would be just too time-consuming to bother with every last variant. Below you can read the results of this survey.

(Status key: Parked means that a domain name is registered but that it points to a generic placeholder site of some sort. Inactive means that a site is registered but that you receive an error if you even try to access it. Available means that a site can still be registered with a valid registrar such as register.com or godaddy.com.)

Domains Based on William Burroughs’ Name

williamsburroughs.com
Status: Parked.

williamsburroughs.net
Status: Inactive.

williamsburroughs.org
Status: Available.

williamburroughs.com
Status: Parked.

williamburroughs.net
Status: Available.

williamburroughs.org
Status: Taken. Mysterious one-page site protected by PGP.

wsburroughs.com
Status: Flash site dedicated to Burroughs; wsburroughs.net and wsburroughs.org are still available.

williamsewardburroughs.com
Status: Available.

Domains Based on William Burroughs’ Book Titles

junky.com
Status: Web site about drug abuse.

junkie.com
Status: Parked.

nakedlunch.com
Status: Parked. (Formerly web site for a band named after the novel.)

nakedlunch.net
Status: Web site for a Steely Dan tribute band.

nakedlunch.org
Status: Inactive.

novaexpress.com
Status: Web site for Novex, a Canadian courier service, “the lower mainland’s only environmentally friendly courier!”.

novaexpress.net
Status: Inactive.

novaexpress.org
Status: Inactive.

softmachine.com
Status: Inactive.

softmachine.net
Status: Redirects to smallworlduk.org, a software database business.

softmachine.org
Status: Web site for Italian artist who makes what he calls “soft art”.

ticketthatexploded.com
Status: Available, as are ticketthatexploded.net and ticketthatexploded.org.

wildboys.com
Status: Parked.

wildboys.net
Status: Redirects to a gay porn site.

wildboys.org
Status: Web site for a male stripper bar in Waco, Texas.

exterminator.com
Status: Parked.

exterminator.net
Status: Inactive.

exterminator.org
Status: Inactive.

theexterminator.com
Status: Directory of New York pest control agencies.

interzone.com
Status: Parked.

interzone.net
Status: Spanish-language internet provider.

interzone.org
Status: Inactive.

queer.com
Status: Site of OutProud, The National Coalition for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth.

queer.net
Status: An undeveloped web site that seemed to have the intention of creating “a place for people to meet.”

queer.org
Status: Owned by PlanetOut.

placeofdeadroads.com
Status: Inactive.

westernlands.com
Status: Inactive. (Formerly redirected to swcp.com, Southwest Cyberport, an Internet Service Provider.)

citiesoftherednight.com
Status: Available, as are citiesoftherednight.net and citiesoftherednight.org.

bladerunner.com
Status: Inactive.

bladerunner.net
Status: Site of company that makes kevlar clothing.

bladerunner.org
Status: Parked.

addingmachine.com
Status: Web site for an accounting firm, “Old-Fashioned Accounting at Net Speed.”

addingmachine.net
Status: Inactive.

addingmachine.org
Status: Web site for Adding Machine Media.

electronicrevolution.com
Status: Parked.

electronicrevolution.net
Status: Available.

electronicrevolution.org
Status: Parked.

ghostofchance.com
Status: Available.

tornadoalley.com
Status: Inactive.

portofsaints.com
Status: Web site of a book builder/publisher/broker.

ahpook.com
Status: Parked.

nakedscientology.com
Status: Available.

cobblestonegardens.com
Status: Web site of a business that provides some unspecified service.

thirdmind.com
Status: Web site of an internet design firm.

thirdmind.net
Status: Inactive.

thirdmind.org
Status: Web site of a collective of artists, musicians, writers, painters, filmmakers, dancers and performers who come together to share and promote grassroots art. Openly acknowledges its inspiration by Burroughs.

Miscellaneous Burroughs-Inspired Domains

gentlemanjunkie.com
Status: Web site of a Chicago band that takes its name from the Burroughs biography Gentleman Junkie.

literaryoutlaw.com
Status: The title of another prominent Burroughs biography is available: Literary Outlaw.

wordvirus.com
Status: Word Virus, the title of the William Burroughs reader, is inactive.

wordhoard.com
Status: Parked

languageisavirus.com
Status: Excellent site about literature, collage, and machine writing.

benway.com
Status: Small site taking its name from Doctor Benway.