
Sequoia, Greylock Take Stake In OpenDNS - davidw
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/07/sequoia-opendns-greylock/
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blasdel
OpenDNS is not 'open' in any meaningful way, and it's not DNS (poisoned on an
opt-out basis).

It's not fast either: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=497959>

I don't know how the hell they managed to market themselves so successfully as
the answer to "my ISP's DNS sucks", especially when their entire business
model is so straightforwardly evil: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Site_Finder>

~~~
rjurney
Wait, let me get this straight:

They're evil for providing global DNS you can use from anywhere because of
something verisign did? And their service is terrible because its not quite as
fast as your ISPs DNS which is much closer to you? Bitter much?

People like OpenDNS because you can set and forget it, as you move around
networks. Its nice. If you don't like it, don't use it. But spare us your
outrage, mm-kay? ;)

~~~
blasdel
Their service is a much more invasive version of what Verisign was rightly
excoriated for -- they don't stop at squatting on wildcard DNS + malware
domains, _they proxy Google search!_

My shitty ISP's DNS is only slower than OpenDNS on my ISP's awful internal
network that routes my DNS packets over it's internal network cross-country
for no reason -- on the internet backbone OpenDNS is marginally slower. Both
are completely blown out of the water by Level3's free public DNS (4.2.2.1 -
4.2.2.6).

OpenDNS's claims to speed are bullshit, and they don't even seem to try --
I've only ever seen packets routed to them via NTT/Verio, which is the least-
connected and highest-latency Tier 1 Network.

~~~
gscott
I hate that when using OpenDNS on my computer if I ping a site that is down
the ping is returned from another IP address. I am less bothered by if the
site doesn't exist, they load the search page from OpenDNS I would expect that
as they have no other way to make money.

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master
This was a competitive VC deal? Halsey Minor has been trying to get someone to
take OpenDNS off his hands for quite some time now; he needs the money. Don't
believe everything you read, kids.

~~~
rjurney
OpenDNS claims openly to be profitable. You're saying this is false?

Your claims of desperation do not jibe with one of the VCs being... Sequoia.

~~~
master
Umm, why do you feel a need to downvote and reply to every criticism of this
company?

Just because something is making money doesn't mean it is making enough money
to be worth keeping around. Also, doesn't mean it's making as much money as
someone thought it would. The VCs involved may have invested sensing a
turnaround opportunity, or to combine OpenDNS with a portfolio company. I'm
sure they received favorable terms for their cash.

~~~
rjurney
You don't seem to have any inside knowledge whatsoever, you're just making
assumptions and stating them as fact. Which is why you got down-modded.

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rjurney
Had the pleasure of interviewing David when I was in Silicon valley last
month, and was impressed at how down to earth a guy he was. I'm sure they'll
put this money to good use.

~~~
fdfd
David was pud's sysadmin, about as low on the totem pole as one can get. "Down
to earth" is the only favorable adjective one could use for this fellow.

~~~
rjurney
Jealous much?

~~~
fdfd
I know David from various different settings and even he will agree that he's
a smarmy fellow.

~~~
rjurney
I know you from one setting, and so far my impression is that you registered
an account just to talk shit about someone anonymously. I think you will agree
that makes you a despicable coward.

~~~
fdfd
That's funny, 'cause I don't know you and it's my first time posting on this
site, though I've visited precisely once beforehand. I did read the site
guidelines and I suggest you do the same. There is a bit in there about
civility that you have clearly missed.

As for David: his line of work is identical to Verisign's roundly reviled
typo-squatting model.

~~~
dan_the_welder
I typed them two IP addresses in myself because Embarq's DNS was so shitty.
Daily outages shitty.

Verisign abused their power and jacked the internet.

How are these things the same?

