Monetize ponderize

[_Jonah]

So the Durrant clan got caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

But just so I have this straight, they “naïvely” bought domain names, printed up t-shirts and wristbands to sell for profit, and launched a web site to sell their gear moments AFTER (not before) Daddy Durrant said “Ponderize” 52 TIMES in his talk to the LDS sheeple.

O.K. everyone…stay on the boat, doubt your doubts, give them a break, ponderize, or **insert some other cliché Mormon catch phrase that warms your boob here**.

[_DarkHelmet]

Devin should have waited at least a few months before starting the marketing campaign. Write a book about ponderizing and sell it through Deseret Books, and push your merchandise that way. That's how the other church leaders do it. But as a businessman he knows the importance of timing. It was critical to get those websites operational by the time he went live.

[_DarkHelmet]

It's not just you. It's an obvious marketing ploy which was deliberately planned and executed.

And then immediately changed and then changed again and then abandoned and then directly and openly addressed the next day to the media? I'm glad you're not a judge or a police officer.

The clumsy response to the negative reaction from their target market just makes the whole scheme more hilarious.

[_Lemmie]

For Mak, so he can read some facts instead of assuming all non-Mormons stereotype, here's a pretty comprehensive assessment: From reddit post by https://www.reddit.com/user/Gileriodekel

Here is a chart I made for reference during this next bit.

"Ponderize" was said a total of 93 times on Twitter prior to General Conference.

The first instance of "ponderize" was by @------- on 5/5/2010. She is not a Mormon. After @-------, "ponderize" was said 25 more times over 4 years, none of them were by Mormons.

Then Devin Durrant came onto the Twitter scene.

Between 9/14/2014 and 9/27/2015, Durrant said "ponderize" 52 times. This accounts for about 56% of all tweets containing "ponderize" prior to the October 2015 General Conference.

After Durrant started tweeting "ponderize" regularly, 13 other Mormons also made tweets containing "ponderize". Of those 13, 4 of them also tagged Durrant in their tweets.

Only 2 non-Mormons tweeted "ponderize" after Durrant.

Here's a chart that sums that information up:


Who Tweeted

How Many Times

Percentage of Total


Total 93 100%
*Total Non-Mormons 28 30%
Devin Durrant 52 56%
**Total Mormons 13 14%

*Non-Mormons Before Devin Durrant 26 28%
Non-Mormons After Devin Durrant 2 2%

**Mormons 13 14%
Mormons who also tagged Devin Durrant 4 4%



93 tweets really isn't that much. Then, on 10/3/2015, Devin Durrant gave his talk. He said "Ponderize" 24 times.

Now, there are over 2,000 tweets containing "ponderize". People are googling and tweeting the word like crazy.



Here's the part that people are upset about: on September 27, 2015, Devin Durrant's son, Ryan Durrant, bought the domain "Ponderize.us". Ryan knew that this was his dad's catch phrase, since his dad ended 82% of his tweets with it. He also knew that his dad was going to be giving a talk in General Conference.

Now, Devin may or may not have told Ryan to register the domain or what his talk was going to be about. What we do know is that Ryan set up a business to sell t-shirts and bracelets with his dad's catch phrase. Worst case scenario, Devin told Ryan exactly what to do so they could make a couple bucks, thus committing priestcraft. Best case scenario, Ryan had a really good guess about what his dad was going to talk about at General Conference.

Either way, Ryan's insider knowledge about his dad's talk allowed him a business opportunity to make a lot of money. He knew the Mormon culture would eat up the "Ponderize" word and concept.



At first, on the Ponderize.us homepage, Ryan claimed


We are selling these at the cost of creation and shipping to get the word out to Ponderize! We hope you enjoy these reminders!.

then, some time on the 4th, he changed the homepage to say


We are selling these to spread the word out to Ponderize! We hope you enjoy these reminders! All profits will be going to the Missionary Fund of the church, thanks!

This change to the homepage implies that he lied and was making a profit, despite what the homepage said at first.

After even more backlash on the 4th, Ryan took Ponderize.us down

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

And then immediately changed and then changed again and then abandoned and then directly and openly addressed the next day to the media? I'm glad you're not a judge or a police officer.

The clumsy response to the negative reaction from their target market just makes the whole scheme more hilarious.

The facts are on our side. I have to wonder if Mak has a dog in this fight because of his employment with the Church.

If I were a detective investigating whether or not Mr. Durrant had planned and executed a deliberate marketing campaign coupled with a deliberate business plan I would come to the conclusion that was the case.

Pardon my candor, but Mr. Mak comes to an alternate understanding of reality through asymmetric thinking that only an 'in-group' Internet Mormon can appreciate. It smacks of thin gruel apologia if you ask me.

- Doc

[_sock puppet]

When Devin Durrant said he purchased ponderize.net and ponderize.org to protect them, protect them from what? From someone else using them for the very purpose (commercialization) that his son bought and was trying to use ponderize.com?

[_Quasimodo]

When Devin Durrant said he purchased ponderize.net and ponderize.org to protect them, protect them from what? From someone else using them for the very purpose (commercialization) that his son bought and was trying to use ponderize.com?

Even if his motives were as pure as he says (I have great doubts), it's astounding that he didn't realize that this could become as big a can of worms as it has. He is either an opportunist or not very bright. It could be both.

[_RockSlider]

why is everyone so upset about this ... how is it any different than a GA writing a book?
or the church selling the quads?
or unloading all the cheap Book of Mormon's?

[_sunstoned]

Salt Lake City — (KUTV) A controversial website has been taken down after critics alleged it appeared designed to profit on a talk given Sunday at LDS general conference.

That website - ponderize.us - disappeared Sunday night after online backlash and accusations of using a religious occasion for personal gain.

"At best it was cheap and empty consumerism," said Casey Walrath, 30, a graduate student and active Mormon in Salt Lake City. "At worst it looked like a General Authority's family had planned to use a meme-worthy conference talk to make some money on the side."

Oh. My. God.

Given the speed with which the website appeared I'd suggest the son and daughter in law had this planned in advance.
That suggests they read Daddy's talk in advance.
It even suggests Daddy himself may have instigated the money grubbing.

They had to have this planned in advance. There was lead time need to design and print up the shirts and have the wristbands made. The fact that the site went online right after the talk with these items tells me they know about the talk ahead of time and probably had the GA's blessing.

[Guest]

why is everyone so upset about this ... how is it any different than a GA writing a book?
or the church selling the quads?
or unloading all the cheap Book of Mormon's?

Or like Joseph Smith originally trying to sell the Book of Mormon. I don't think anyone should be too upset about Durrant's business plan. Nobody got hurt. He shouldn't lose his position in the church over it. I just think it's funny. I wish he totally went for it and pulled out a display of T-Shirt, mugs, and wrist bands and started selling them, infomercial style, in the middle of his talk. "If you act now, I'll throw in a free Ponderize bookmark"