Protect christiananime.net from spam!

[Mithrandir]

OK. I kid you not. That subject line is COPIED AND PASTED from an email I just received from the stinkin' weasels at register.com (they are who we have registered caa's domain name with). They went on to tell me that if I PAID them money, they would enroll me in a "Private Domain Registration" program.

In other words, they want me to pay them to not send me spam.

With all due respect (read: none) I'm replying to them and requesting they spend a few moments perusing an appropriate article on wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protection_racket

I felt some of you might find this amusing.

[MorwenLaicoriel]

Oh brother! Is there any sort of organization you can report them to? Like, the BBB or something?

[meboeck]

Wow. That's just sad. However, it is also mildly amusing. It's amazing what some of these companies will try to pull.

[rii namuras]

(Ha. I doubt they'll get away with that one for long...)

[White Raven]

That is one heck of a comeback. LOL

[Tommy]

Do stalkers get paid to stop stalking?

[Authority3000]

Wait... I was under the impression that 'Private Domain Registration' was a service that protected and kept private your contact details (e.g. email address) from WHOIS. I recall seeing the Private Domain Registration option on most popular domain registration services such as GoDDady and Yahoo Domains. In fact, this page on GoDaddy reads very similar to how the email you received probably read:

Did you know that when you register a domain [...] Your personal information is exposed 24 hours a day, everyday, to anyone, anywhere.

Protect yourself from spam, fraud, stalkers and worse by keeping your name, address, email and phone number private.

Make any Domain Name Private
$8.99/yr NOW JUST $4.99/yr!

As you can see, on that page, GoDaddy is saying that if you don't pay them 4.99 extra every year you'll probably be exposed to SPAM and other possible inconveniences. YahooDomains has a very similar notice. As far as I know, GoDaddy is "THE" leading name in domain registration and Yahoo is, of course, a large and trusted corporation. I've seen the notice on most other Domain registration web sites I've visited as well.

Like said, all the mainstream domain registrants that I have examined so far do indeed attempt to manipulate you into paying extra for their Private Registration, but this is highly understandable since Private Registration is a service that causes the registration service extra effort and time because you are normally required by law to have your private information on the Internet (and available to spammers) in the WHOIS database when you have a registered domain. I'd have extreme difficulty thinking of this service as a protection racket, and more view it as a simple variance in the level of service quality based on how much effort you're paying a particular company to provide you. if every domain registration company wishes to charge extra for private domains (which they do, logically), it is indeed in their ethical right to do so.

I think you may have misunderstood the email Register.com sent you as them threatening to spam you rather then just the (ad like) notice that your domain had a public registration and the note that this causes spam problems, and that paying them would get your information off the Internet (this is more paperwork for them) and end any possible issues you may have with spammers grabbing your information from the Internet. This may sound corrosive but most domain companies do it (although some more aggressively then others) and what they say regarding spam is mostly true and definitely not their fault.

[Angel37]

Well considering the fact that the only way you'd GET spam is by registering or giving out your e-mail to stuid sites OR if register.com gave that information to spam companies, I'd say your need for spam protection isn't really needed. It's prolly just advertising but I am interested in what they reply to you. XD

[Authority3000]

Well considering the fact that the only way you'd GET spam is by registering or giving out your e-mail to stuid sites OR if register.com gave that information to spam companies, I'd say your need for spam protection isn't really needed. It's prolly just advertising but I am interested in what they reply to you. XD

When you register a domain much of your private information is placed on the Internet, making clear to everyone who the owner of a domain is and how to contact them. Spambots crawl the Internet, searching for information such as this, causing you to receive spam. To combat this, the registration companies now offer to make your domain private for you, this is a service and it is more trouble and work for registration companies, thus the charge. It is not unethical for a registration company to send you warnings that you're most likely receiving spam due to your private information being on the Internet due to your domain (which is legally required by default) and that you may upgrade to their private service where they keep your information private(which heavies their work load since this information is originally legally required to be on WHOIS).

[Slater]

let's just make it easy and switch to another DNS. There'd be a 48 hour downtime, but is that worth Phil's cash or is it worth Phil's cash?

[Angel37]

let's just make it easy and switch to another DNS. There'd be a 48 hour downtime, but is that worth Phil's cash or is it worth Phil's cash?

Don't make me eat you...

[Slater]

u cant eet me, i have bigger post count

[Mithrandir]

Wait... I was under the impression that 'Private Domain Registration' was a service that protected and kept private your contact details (e.g. email address) from WHOIS.

Mostly correct, yes.

As far as I know, GoDaddy is "THE" leading name in domain registration and Yahoo is, of course, a large and trusted corporation.

That would surprise me. My primary sites are all with internic (or whatever they're called this month) and my secondaries (like CAA) with register. If Godaddy somehow became the biggest player in town, I didn't hear about it.

I'd have extreme difficulty thinking of this service as a protection racket, and more view it as a simple variance in the level of service quality based on how much effort you're paying a particular company to provide you.

You do know I'm joking, right? I sent the reply to them very tongue in cheek.

I think you may have misunderstood the email Register.com sent you as them threatening to spam you rather then just the (ad like) notice that your domain had a public registration

:lol: I'm guessing you don't know that I'm a sysadmin for a living.


I was posting this because I thought people might find it humorous, but also because I wanted to go on record as being annoyed with it. I actually have a series of email aliases that I enable when I need to interact with the people I created the account for. The email (and snailmail) address on file with them is bogus, but I can turn it on if I need the email address for anything. (I have over 500 email addresses.) It just so happens I checked in the spam box that this address files to and found this.

And slater: Changing DNS providers won't solve the problem. Trust me. I've tried nearly all of them. At least internic doesn't make you fax in your drivers license any more!

[Myoti]

Hah, that's great. Pay them to not spam us? Wow.

I actually have a series of email aliases that I enable when I need to interact with the people I created the account for. The email (and snailmail) address on file with them is bogus, but I can turn it on if I need the email address for anything. (I have over 500 email addresses.) It just so happens I checked in the spam box that this address files to and found this.

I find that quite awesome, somehow. XD

[Mr. SmartyPants]

LONG LIVE THE DON!

I can see it now, the Godfather 4: INTERNET RACKETING!

You should email them saying "If you spam my domain, I will pay someone to email spam back to you!"

[Authority3000]

I was posting this because I thought people might find it humorous, but also because I wanted to go on record as being annoyed with it.

Yeah, you're sure not the only one too, Register.com seems to be developing a rather bad reputation as of late due to its many unhappy customers.

That would surprise me. My primary sites are all with internic (or whatever they're called this month) and my secondaries (like CAA) with register. If Godaddy somehow became the biggest player in town, I didn't hear about it.

Well, if one were to judge by total number of registered domains, Microsoft and CNET have called GoDaddy "the world’s largest domain name registrar" [source] (.doc) more then once recently. And popularity wise, I tend to hear GoDaddy get (by far) the most mentions at popular technology sites such as Digg.com and Slashdot, more then any other host or registrar [source]. Also, they were the fastest growing registrar as of 2005 [source].

[Zilch]

LONG LIVE THE DON!

I can see it now, the Godfather 4: INTERNET RACKETING!

You should email them saying "If you spam my domain, I will pay someone to email spam back to you!"

Are we gonna find a server motherboard next to us in bed when we wake up?

Anyway, the interweb seems to be the best place to squeeze money out of people these days, so yes, I find this rather amusing.

[Mithrandir]

Are we gonna find a server motherboard next to us in bed when we wake up?

Are you saying it's not normal to wake up next to computer hardware?

[Myoti]

You should email them saying "If you spam my domain, I will pay someone to email spam back to you!"

Pay? Shoot, if they did that us, they'd probably have the entirety of all 4,475 (current) users spamming them back. For free/fun.

Are you saying it's not normal to wake up next to computer hardware?

Define "normal," and we'll go from there. =)

[Mithrandir]

Pay? Shoot, if they did that us, they'd probably have the entirety of all 4,475 (current) users spamming them back. For free/fun.

I'd like to also go on record saying a DEFINATELY would not like to see that!

Define "normal," and we'll go from there. =)

"Inascertainable"

[mechana2015]

And popularity wise, I tend to hear GoDaddy get (by far) the most mentions at popular technology sites such as Digg.com and Slashdot, more then any other host or registrar [source]. Also, they were the fastest growing registrar as of 2005 [source].

Well as to Digg talkking about them... they were sort of a paying advertiser for the Diggnation radio show so I think that their high level of mentionability there at least is a little... suspect.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Are you saying it's not normal to wake up next to computer hardware?

I guess I'm certaintly not normal

Pay? Shoot, if they did that us, they'd probably have the entirety of all 4,475 (current) users spamming them back. For free/fun.

HOLY CRAP! I'm all for that!

[meboeck]

I guess I'm certaintly not normal

We all already knew that. XD

[Angel37]

Mith.......I think waking up next to hardware is perfectly normal..b/c I'm not normal and I don't wake up next to hardware so....

[Nate]

Hey Mith, given the number of spambots lately, it seems your theory about a protection racket may have been dead on... XD;;

[Mithrandir]

Well, don't expect me to celebrate about being right.

[GrubbTheFragger]

XD yea there have been alot of Spam bots recently.