How do you secure a domain name? (smugmug users)

[woodstock]

Hi

I'm going to open a smugmug account for my photos and they will let you use your own domain name. I can either merely use the name I want, with .smugmug.com after it, for free, or, just the domain name - you pay a little more for that extra though.

1. Assuming that the name I like comes up completely blank when I type it into the browser - how do I go about using it? Do I have to buy it from some "higher authority" if there is literally nada when I type it in? Or is it first come first served then?

2. Assuming that the name is owned by say, godaddy.com and I want to use it - do I have to pay them a monthly fee for the name as well as the annual fee to smugmug, or how does that work?

Smugmug does the hosting, I just don't know what to do with the domain name.

What really ticks me off is that literally 9 hours ago the name I really wanted came up BLANK and I then typed it into the MSN domain search to see how to acquire it (a test) and then clicked out before doing anything about it. Minutes ago when I tried to type it again, it came up as "owned" by some entity but "for sale". A generic entity - had nothing to do with the topic ta hand. I bet they have that set up on purpose. Bastids.

 

[SkyHog]

I usually do a google search for the cheapest domain registry I can find. A domain name is a domain name no matter what anyone tells you (hosting is a whole 'nother story).

The site will usually have a search box to see if they name you want is available. If it is, register it through them.

Now, pointing it somewhere is a slightly more entailed (but still easy) process, and you'll need to get some DNS info to do it. Register the name first, we'll help you with the rest after.

 

[woodstock]

Thanks Nick! I'll keep you all posted. I am HOPING that smugmug will be click click done...

 

[Lawreston]

I can't give you the technical advisory but I learned to strike while the iron's hot.
Several years ago I "tested" www.distinctiveviews.com. for my aerial(and other)photography. It was available and my techie friend told me to "register it before some else locks onto it." So I did. I've had it sewn-up into several years from now though I'm still building the site after numerous delays.

Quite some time back I had a telephone call from someone who was interested in buying www.distinctiveviews.com. I was suspicious of whatever, begged-off being the domain owner and just took a message. It seems that there is a large and successful firm in Texas which specializes in windows and window treatments. Preparing to establish a website said firm learned that www.distinctiveviews was not available.

A few days later I took a poke at http://www.distinctiveview.com (note the missing s) and there it was. Take a look at it. Now I need to get my own site completed.

HR
(Address, tel. # and e-mail address in the card(below) aren't current since I moved out of Topsham in June 2007; and I've yet to make a correction other than a rubber stamp on the back of the physical cards I distribute)

 

[jesse]

Thanks Nick! I'll keep you all posted. I am HOPING that smugmug will be click click done...

You must purchase a domain name from an accredited registrar. There are plenty of them these days. Personally, I use GoDaddy (read below to see why).

The concept is simple but complicated. You'll purchase the domain from the registrar and you'll buy it with no other services. From there you'll be able to log into the registrars website and point the domain at the name servers of your host.

You can PM me with any question you have--this is exactly what I do basically all day long.

As far as why I use GoDaddy. Some people will complain about them but I've always found them to have *great* customer service. I had purchased a domain and left it on auto-renewal by mistake. A couple weeks ago I received a phone call from an ENGLISH SPEAKING AMERICAN asking me how things are going with Go Daddy and that they recently renewed a domain. I told him that I meant to cancel that domain but that's my fault so don't worry about it. He actually went out of his way to *REFUND* me my money. There are *few* companies that will call you and then give you money back....This earned big points with them in my book.

 

[woodstock]

Thanks Jesse and Harley. I appreciate the guidance - I am clueless about computers unless there is a template set up and even then...

I set it up this AM. smugmug partners with godaddy so it was really easy.

It is:

www.compassrosegalleries.com

xphotography, xphotos.com, xgallery.com, and ximages.com were taken, so I figure galleries is OK because there will be several galleries within.

I have to link it with my own site, then build it.

Compass rose came to me because I wanted to tie in the travel aspect without being super specific/limiting, and, as a bonus - well, that ties into flying too. When I eventually take it back up again that is!

What do you think of the name?

 

[SCCutler]

As far as why I use GoDaddy. Some people will complain about them but I've always found them to have *great* customer service. I had purchased a domain and left it on auto-renewal by mistake. A couple weeks ago I received a phone call from an ENGLISH SPEAKING AMERICAN asking me how things are going with Go Daddy and that they recently renewed a domain. I told him that I meant to cancel that domain but that's my fault so don't worry about it. He actually went out of his way to *REFUND* me my money. There are *few* companies that will call you and then give you money back....This earned big points with them in my book.

Spike's cynical alternate view:

They had someone who wanted to use that URL, noted that you were not actively using it and saw the opportunity to get it without buying it. JOOC: was it registered and in use by soeone else fairly quickly?

Funny story: My cousin has a URL he has had registered for years (10+), used it for a business for a while, has kept it for the email addys. Got an email from GoDaddy with a buy offer at some nominal sum ($250 or $500, I do not recall), and he responded that he was not interested in selling, but thank you very much for the contact.

Series of emails follows, GoDaddy sternly admonishing him that they could not possibly conduct a negotiation for his URL if he would not participate in good faith in the "negotiation." Telling them that he was not interested in selling kept yielding more offers (I think that they got up to $1,500.00 or something like that). Finally, he told them he'd sell it for $50k or so, and they shut up.

 

[jesse]

Spike's cynical alternate view:

They had someone who wanted to use that URL, noted that you were not actively using it and saw the opportunity to get it without buying it. JOOC: was it registered and in use by soeone else fairly quickly?

If that was their goal, they were very smooth about it. They didn't offer to refund me for the domain. It was something I kinda snuck in as they were hanging up.

No, the domain, does not appear to be registered to anyone or in use right now.

Funny story: My cousin has a URL he has had registered for years (10+), used it for a business for a while, has kept it for the email addys. Got an email from GoDaddy with a buy offer at some nominal sum ($250 or $500, I do not recall), and he responded that he was not interested in selling, but thank you very much for the contact.

Series of emails follows, GoDaddy sternly admonishing him that they could not possibly conduct a negotiation for his URL if he would not participate in good faith in the "negotiation." Telling them that he was not interested in selling kept yielding more offers (I think that they got up to $1,500.00 or something like that). Finally, he told them he'd sell it for $50k or so, and they shut up.

You sure that was GoDaddy? I've been using them for *years* and I've never received a buy offer from them. It's always been from BuyDomains.com..Hate those guys.

 

[Lawreston]

[Snip]
As far as why I use GoDaddy. Some people will complain about them but I've always found them to have *great* customer service. I had purchased a domain and left it on auto-renewal by mistake. A couple weeks ago I received a phone call from an ENGLISH SPEAKING AMERICAN asking me how things are going with Go Daddy and that they recently renewed a domain. I told him that I meant to cancel that domain but that's my fault so don't worry about it. He actually went out of his way to *REFUND* me my money. There are *few* companies that will call you and then give you money back....This earned big points with them in my book.

Adding to my earlier comment in this tread: I'm with Jesse re his support of GoDaddy. After not having had my in-progress site completed -- my upside-down Skyhawk brought about a series of delays -- I didn't think regularly about my GoDaddy account. At some point lightning struck and I learned that the registration was in expiration. Fearing that the prior-referenced Texas company might be lurking I contacted GoDaddy. The representative was very proficient in getting me back into registration. That's when I extended the registration for a bunch of years and it didn't cost much for the extension.
Additionally, I'm in some arrangement -- Jesse will know to what I'm referring -- that if someone attempts to trace the ownership of www.distinctiveviews.com I'll not be identified.

HR

 

[woodstock]

Additionally, I'm in some arrangement -- Jesse will know to what I'm referring -- that if someone attempts to trace the ownership of www.distinctiveviews.com I'll not be identified.

HR

Hi

Is that a good idea? I figured if I were trying to sell photos, I would want to be found, so I left it public... I am sure I can go back and change it. I'm usually very careful about public info on the net but in this case I couldn't decide if it would be a good thing to have up, or not.

 

[Lawreston]

Hi

Is that a good idea? I figured if I were trying to sell photos, I would want to be found, so I left it public... I am sure I can go back and change it. I'm usually very careful about public info on the net but in this case I couldn't decide if it would be a good thing to have up, or not.

Without going into GoDaddy to see what-the-H I was loosely referencing I'll await Jesse's response to your above inquiry. I think my referenced arrangement was/is to prevent spam shoppers from learning the ownership identity of my not-in-actual-use domain. Jesse?

HR

 

[Lawreston]

Woodstock: While within this thread take a look at http://tiffanydumasphotography.com/.

Tiffany worked for the company which bought my camera store back in March of 2004. When that firm closed the store(????) at end of January 2008 Tiffany leased what had been a photo lab room further back from the retail facility and opened a studio.

Tiffany is aligned with a California facility which maintains her website. Said CA facility can print and ship any photo orders which viewers of Tiff's website might place orders. For that the facility gets a 16% fee of the selling prices which you set.

I'm in the process of dealing with the firm but I've been busy this summer and so, delayed. I'll come back to this post and identify the facility.

HR

Woodstock: Here is the added information. Take from it as you wish.

Dear Lawreston /,
Thank you for contacting Printroom.com. We have received your request for more information, regarding setting up an on-line storefront or using our professional lab services. A sales representative will be contacting you shortly.

Be sure that you visit our Pro Features Benefit page at www.printroom.com/proFeatureBenefit.asp.

We look forward to speaking with you.

Regards,
Printroom.com
2520 Mission College Blvd. Suite #202
Santa Clara CA, 95054
888-868-4157
email: pr_sales@printroom.com
Web: www.printroom.com

[[Oh, and my contact there is Barbara Watkins.]]

Woodstock:

Another addition. As I got back into getting off my A$$ on the project this was my latest contact from Barbara Watkins.

Hi, Jerry.

I was the one you talked to. You can call or email me any time and we can go over your questions. Sorry about your computer. Hope it is better, now.

Regards,

Barbra

Barbra Watkins | Sales Manager | Printroom
2520 Mission College Blvd., Suite 202 | Santa Clara CA, 95054
Direct | 408-986-6234| Toll free | (888) 868-4157 Ext. 6234 | Fax 408-987-8840
email: bwatkins@printroom.com | Web: www.printroom.com

Office hours: 8:00 to 4:30, Pacific time, Monday through Friday

We have recently incorporated a knowledgebase on the website to assist you with any common issues you may be experiencing. It can be found at www.printroom.com/info/Solutions_Database.asp

 

[jesse]

Without going into GoDaddy to see what-the-H I was loosely referencing I'll await Jesse's response to your above inquiry. I think my referenced arrangement was/is to prevent spam shoppers from learning the ownership identity of my not-in-actual-use domain. Jesse?

HR

You can query any domain to see who the registered owner is. Basically in this case your domain is registered in the name of GoDaddy's "Domains by Proxy" company while you maintain full control of the domain.

It really does help reduce spam--although--I've kept my information public for years without too many issues.

Is that a good idea? I figured if I were trying to sell photos, I would want to be found, so I left it public... I am sure I can go back and change it. I'm usually very careful about public info on the net but in this case I couldn't decide if it would be a good thing to have up, or not.

Generally if someone is going to buy your pictures they are not going to figure out your contact information by querying the whois servers. Instead they will simply look for your name/phone/e-mail address on your website.

 

[mikea]

...As far as why I use GoDaddy. Some people will complain about them but I've always found them to have *great* customer service. I had purchased a domain and left it on auto-renewal by mistake. A couple weeks ago I received a phone call from an ENGLISH SPEAKING AMERICAN asking me how things are going with Go Daddy and that they recently renewed a domain. I told him that I meant to cancel that domain but that's my fault so don't worry about it. He actually went out of his way to *REFUND* me my money. There are *few* companies that will call you and then give you money back....This earned big points with them in my book.

You won't like talking to that ENGLISH SPEAKING AMERICAN so much when you're asking why they canceled your domain because of a bogus spam or DCMA complaint or just because somebody wanted it.

 

[Henning]

Thanks Jesse and Harley. I appreciate the guidance - I am clueless about computers unless there is a template set up and even then...

I set it up this AM. smugmug partners with godaddy so it was really easy.

It is:

www.compassrosegalleries.com

xphotography, xphotos.com, xgallery.com, and ximages.com were taken, so I figure galleries is OK because there will be several galleries within.

I have to link it with my own site, then build it.

Compass rose came to me because I wanted to tie in the travel aspect without being super specific/limiting, and, as a bonus - well, that ties into flying too. When I eventually take it back up again that is!

What do you think of the name?

I think it's an excellent name.

 

[jesse]

You won't like talking to that ENGLISH SPEAKING AMERICAN so much when you're asking why they canceled your domain because of a bogus spam or DCMA complaint or just because somebody wanted it.

Can you provide a reference to them doing that? Every single case I'm aware of was GoDaddy canceling their HOSTING for a website. I'm not aware of a case where they were nothing but the registrar and took the domain away.

 

[woodstock]

I think it's an excellent name.

Thanks Henning. Occasionally, I am inspired.