Is Domain registery another Yuppy Scam?

[2180]

So, I was thinking about this and did some looking around.........? The whole damn thing looks like "jive" my groovey bros&sistas, I entered a domain and they said it was taken, then I go to the site that supposedly exists and yes, you guessed it, NOT THERE!!!!!!!!

[blue2blue]

There are a lot of domain names that were grabbed up in years past where the site went bust. And then there were a lot of those (more trailer trash) scams where the customer got a 'free' or lowcost domain registration -- but he didn't actually own the name.

 

Once a domain name has been used, it's seen as something that might someday be valuable again to someone (since it was in the past). Not that any humans probably even look at the names. It's a corporate form of hoarding and may be reflective of the same self-defeating pathologies as regular old obsessive-compulsive hoarding.

 

 

Anyhow, it's kind of an interesting proposition. You might try some of the .org, .net, .biz, .tv, .etc (that last is a joke) variants. OTOH, that can be problematic, too.

 

As can really long domain names. OTOH, the assumption is that most folks either bookmark sites they're interested in or just google for them... so easy-to-remember domain names are not nearly as important as they were 10 years ago.

[franknputer]

Domain registry is necessary, because when you punch in the name www.whatever.com it needs to be translated into a numerical network address - which must also be unique. If you & I could both call our computers the same name at different addresses, the network traffic wouldn't know where to send the data.

 

So - you have to register the name you want, and you pay a nominal fee to keep it for (X) amout of time, such as 5 years. You can have a domain name & still not use it - it's still taken. But, if the registration lapses, then it's up for grabs.

[2180]

Thanks blue-1 and Frank, still seems like a scam, buy-up a bunch of names for nothing and then someone comes along and has to buy "it" from "you"???? Maybe there needs to be some "rules" set-up to make this fair to everyone, maybe Bill Gates could be our internet George Bush and dictate the rules to the New World Order of all rich people telling the poor what to do on the internet!!!

[Kiwiburger]

But thats the american way. Go to a new territory - buy up lots of land for next to nothing, sell it at a huge profit. The rules are: first in, first served.

 

Actually - I think it's more obscene that certain celebrities who didn't get there {censored} together when the internet was new, yet when the feel they have the "right" to own a particular WWW name they set their expensive laywers on the poor bastards who got there first.

 

Intellectual property rights should only go so far. When companies like Cadbury decide that they "own" the color purple, it's time to revolt.

[daklander]

 

Originally posted by 2180 buy-up a bunch of names for nothing and then someone comes along and has to buy "it" from "you"????

 

 

The names do cost the buyers money. Some folk do buy in bulk and lower their costs but it is still a cost to them.

 

It's called free enterprise and you could do the same thing, if you wanted. Run the search and if your names come up, buy them. They'll be parked, usually for no charge, by the registrar. Who-is will have your admin and contact information so if there is interest by a party they can contact you and you can agree to terms.

 

You have to buy a minimum of two years for any given name registered.

 

If there is a name you want, you can go to a registrar, pay a fee and they will, essentially, try to snipe the name as soon as it becomes available.

[AudioMaverick]

2180... If you are in the US, try this URL to see who owns the sites you are looking for - "Who Is" on Network Solutions

 

The database somethimes get a little out of sync (3 billion web sites in the world, you know). But, you can keep an eye out for sites coming up for renewal. Opportunists would grab these up fo rspeculation dollars. But, new regulations makes it more difficult for someone to reserve a name for that purpose.

[e-b-e]

Often when a domain name comes up as already taken...... and you can't view a website by putting that domain name in your browser....it is because the domain name is owned but the person who owns it doesn't currently have the domain name hosted anywhere.

[Phil O'Keefe]

As can really long domain names. OTOH, the assumption is that most folks either bookmark sites they're interested in or just google for them... so easy-to-remember domain names are not nearly as important as they were 10 years ago.

 

I agree... but OTOH, having a short, easily remembered domain name that you can quickly and easily give to someone in person (or via a business card) or over the telephone can also make it easier and more likely they'll remember the URL, that they'll type it in correctly and that they might actually use it. Same for .com IMO, since people tend to mentally "default" to that anyway.

 

But Google has certainly made it easier to find things. I just think there still might be some advantages to short, easily understood and remembered .com domain names.

[lowbasslowbass]

You have to stay away from companies that have a bad record.

 

Otherwise bad things can happen. And you may end up having to pay lawyers to claim back what should be yours.

 

Better safe than sorry!

 

A songwriter friend of mine uses Dreamhost for her hosting needs and she keeps saying that they are an excellent company to do business with.

 

Dreamhost has a promo code that can be used to save something like $80 when you sign up. I am really thinking about it myself these days...