Domain Names

[susandennis]

Back in the olden days ('95, '96) when they first started charging money to register domain names, there was really only one place to do it and they were pretty straight forward.

Over the years the process has gotten convoluted, and that registrar has appeared to be on a crusade to make it as difficult as possible. At the same time there many many competitors have sprung up and worked hard to make the process cheap and brainless.

I have moved lots of domain names from that registrar over the years and each one was like crawling over cut glass. Now, on this job, I have yet another domain name there. The old nemisis has also raised the bar of complexity. They've moved all their stuff to Verisgn. So now, it's not only nearly impossible to move any domain name, it's pretty impossible to do anything.

They sent me an email with a new account number and a note saying password would come in snail mail. Of course it didn't. I called and after a very long and painful conversation with a guy who couldn't understand me any more than I could understand him, I got an email saying a snail mail would follow. That was a month ago. I sent email and even got a case number! That netted me an email with a password that didn't work.

So I just decided to tackle this from another angle... I tried to get the domain name transferred to another registar. This morning I got a note from Verisign saying that since, as the domain name's owner, I did not approve the transfer to the new registrar, they weren't going to let it go. Of course, I never got a request to approve from them...

GRRRRRRR I think it would be easier to rename the company, get new logos, new collateral, new t-shirts...

Comments

[kenwalker.livejournal.com]

I just noticed that you added me to your friends list. You must either be on heavy medication or some sort of space cadet.....

I really enjoyed your personal site and your journal so I added you as well. I hope you don't become offended by anything in my journal. It gets a little rough from time to time.

[susandennis]

Ha! I picked you out of a lineup! I was just looking around various journals and did a search on people in my age range who had interesting things to say... You popped out because of what you had to say and the look of how you said it. Your journal is one of the nicest looking I've seen - it gave me instant style envy.

If I ever get offended by something in a journal (which is not likely to be by something rough, more likely by something stupid), I know how not to read it!

I'm kind of just me and hope to find the same in others. Thanks for the nice words about my site and my journal. It all keeps me amused and isn't that the most important thing?

[kenwalker.livejournal.com]

thanks for the compliments! and yes, amusement is key.

[pheon.livejournal.com]

I suspect you know all this and your posting was mostly frustrated rant. But just in case, note that that lovely company --- from whom I just recently moved my domain --- has its process solidly tied to the administrative contact. If that email address is not correct --- and mine wasn't; the account contact is irrelevant; my administrative contact listed my address, but some email inside what's-its-name; took me forever to get it changed --- you will never see the change confirmation. And hence can't reply to it affirmatively.

Re: Thanks!

[susandennis]

I did NOT know that! It was a rant but it still is... Thanks! I just checked and I am listed as the admin contact and my email address is correct. Whew.

These are the kinds of things that I really wish I was younger for so I could be more sure it would be fixed in my lifetime.

I'm also glad to hear that you were able to get your domain out of there... It's nice to hear a success story with these things.

This change to Verisign has made an already pretty crappy system HORRIBLE.