TAMPA — Capitalizing on one timely event to make a statement about another, Joyce Weaver opened a web browser, bought an inexpensive domain name, and likely infuriated some in the GOP.
The URL is http://www.gop2012tampa.com, a clear reference to Tampa being awarded the 2010 Republican National Convention.
Weaver quickly assembled a page featuring full screen photos. While she could have posted striking pictures of the pristine beaches she loves to frequent, she opted instead for images of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
An oil-coated bird. A plume of smoke. Endless ribbons of floating crude.
“It’s real,” Weaver said. “I hope that those images make people say ‘oh my goodness, what is going on?’”
Emblazoned across the photos is one line of text: “Stop Off-Shore Drilling Now.” It’s a bold statement on a page whose URL contains GOP.
“It’s a site that we figured people would go to because of the address,” she said. “If there’s a little bit of shock and awe for a few seconds, and it holds them there, then the job is done.”
It was not clear Friday afternoon whether the GOP had reserved a URL for the convention. A call to the party headquarters in Washington, D.C. was not immediately returned.
Similar addresses redirected web users, including one purchased by a WTVT executive. WTVT operates myfoxtampabay.com.
For weeks, Weaver had searched for a way to voice her opinion about the growing spill in the Gulf, which threatens sensitive coastal areas from Texas to Florida. She said she felt helpless and voiceless.
That changed Wednesday afternoon.
As soon as Weaver heard Tampa was selected to host the 2012 Republican convention, she blended the events into one very simple, yet potentially controversial website.
For the moment, the site Weaver and her husband created contains just two pages. Weaver said she’ll add more if the site gains traction.
“I hope it goes viral,” she said. “We hope that it will truly make a difference.”
SOURCE: MyFOX Tampa Bay
Posted on May 16th, 2010 at 3:42 pm by Lin McNulty
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