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G. About
Forwarding Domain Names
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- A "forwarding domain
name" works for web pages, similarly to the way a
forwarding telephone number works for telephones.
* Demo:
Type in 'SusquehannaSeniorNet.org',
observe forwards to
'susquehannaseniornet.blogspot.com'.
- Similarly, the forwarding domain name '17754.org'
forwards to 'track2.com/17754'.
- - A "forwarding"
domain name is sort of a "variation" of a regular domain
name.
- - You can convert a forwarding domain name to a regular
domain name. Important thing is that you own it.
- A "standard" domain name normally takes you to a domain
with that same name.
- - For example, JVBrown.edu
takes you to the actual domain www.jvbrown.edu.
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- Does Your Web Page
Absolutely Need A Domain Name?
- No. You can have a web page without having a domain
name. But with the price being as low as it now is,
approximately $9 per year, there's little reason not to
get one.
- If you're thinking about registering your name,
consider doing it NOW, before someone else with the same
name registers it.
- For example, JamesIngram.net
forwards to my resume page, and JamesRobertIngram.com
forwards to my contact information.
- Does Your Domain Name
Have To Have A Web Page?
- No. If you don't specify a web page, the Registrar will
usually "park" your domain name. Example 17754.com
(speculators?).
- However, since you can set up a blog page for free in
about 5 minutes, there's little reason to "park" your
domain name.
- The two big advantages
of having a domain name:
- Makes it
easier for people to remember the
address, for example
'NineDollarWebPage.com' instead of
'NineDollarWebPage.blogspot.com'.
- Having
your own domain name gives you
PORTABILITY. You can later move the
website to a different hosting service at a
different actual address, and the domain name
stays the same. Which means you don't have to
change business cards or stationary -- or
most importantly, people's habits to
find your page.
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- Explanatory Note:
Format For Typing Address (URL) Into Your
Browser:
- You can usually type a URL into your browser in several
variations -- for example, 'http://www.17754.org' or
'http://17754.org' or '17754.org' , and the
browser will find the page.
- For printing on a business card or brochure, you would
probably use the most concise version '17754.org'
, or possibly 'www.17754.org' for more clarity. (Note a
lot of people still don't seem to understand difference
between web address & email addess.)
- Extra: Anytime you see a URL in the newspaper like
'track2.com/index.shtml', the 'index.shtml' shows
ignorance, as the browser always defaults to the default
home page 'index.shtml' or 'index.htm' or however it's
been named.
- - The biggest
CHALLENGE today with finding a domain name, is that so
many of them have already been taken.
- Most
registrars have some sort of tool where you can type in a
domain name, click "Search", and it will tell you if the
name is available or not, and also suggest similar
names.
* Demo
- Use GoDaddy.com,
and search for the domain name
'SusquehannaSeniorNet.org'.
* Observe
variations offered.
* Look up domain
ownership info in WhoIs database.
- - The '.com' is
usually preferred, but the '.net', '.biz', .'org' and
other extensions will usually suffice.
- Allowable characters are letters, numbers, and hyphen.
I usually recommend NOT using the hyphen, as people seem
to have problems remembering them.
- - Shorter
names are usually preferable when possible.
- But, a longer name that is easier to spell and
remember, may be preferable to a shorter name with
abbreviations.
- For example, we used 'SusquehannaSeniorNet.org',
rather than 'Susquehanna-SeniorNet.org' or something
abbreviated such as 'SusSenNet.org'. (Exception:
'FishRE.com' )
- Domain names are
case-insensitive. For example, you can type in
'NineDollarWebPage.com' or 'nineDOLLARwebPAGE.com', and
it doesn't matter.
- You can view
additional articles on finding domain names by Googling a
phrase something like "how to find a good domain
name".
- I recommend
registering the name for 1 year initially to make
sure you like it, then register it for 5 years or
more thereafter.
.
- Some people recommend
using 3 different vendors for web page, domain
name, & email (not all eggs in 1 basket with vendor
'ups & downs').
- - Said another way, "Consider NOT hosting your web
page, with the same company you register your domain
name".
- Example: My track2.com domain is registered with
Verisign, hosted at PowWeb.
- What Registrars Does
Ingram Use?
- Most recently I was using 1and1.com
(was about $6/year), and previously GoDaddy.com
(about $9/year).
- In future, plan to use Godaddy, because 1&1
effective 11/3/08 is raising price from $6.99 to
$8.99.
- Selecting A
Registrar:
- There exist hundreds of Registrars, where you can
purchase a "forwarding domain name" of the format
"YourName.com"
- The Blogger.com Help page "Where
can I buy a custom domain name for my
blog?" lists
about eight registrars.
- It's probably best if you use a registrar that has
easy-to-use, do-it-yourself web-page controls, as the
support with these low-cost registrars is not always
good.
- You might consider registering independently of
Blogger, so you have the future flexibility of
redirecting it to somewhere other than Blogspot.
- There is a YouTube video Purchasing
and setting up a Custom Domain through
Blogger by
Blogger support staff (2 min).
- Brief History:
- GoDaddy is probably the "pioneer" and best-known of the
low-cost Registrars.
- Prior to GoDaddy, registration could cost $35, $50, or
$100 per year; with very user-UNfriendly web pages.
GoDaddy sort of "revolutionized" this industry by
bringing the price down to around $10/year, and much more
user-friendly control panel pages
- Within the past year, a company named 1and1.com
has been doing heavy advertising and offering similar
services for less.
- My first domain Track2.com is registered with
Verisign.com, where back in 1999 I paid for 10 years in
advance to get a "discounted" rate of $35/year.
===Comparing
1and1.com versus GoDaddy.com: -
- Advantages Of
GoDaddy.com over 1and1.com: (just my
opinions, can change rapidly)
- Website is a bit more user friendly, since they
have been doing this longer.
- Tech support people you can call on the phone are more
knowledgable, located in US & speak clear English.
1and1's support people seem less knowledgeable, are
off-shore and may have heavy accents (problem for person
with bad hearing like me).
- Advantages Of
1and1.com over GoDaddy.com:
- Price is slightly lower, about $8.99/year versus
$9.99/year for GoDaddy (sometime more price
difference).
- Features are included at no extra charge that cost
extra at GoDaddy, such as email, web page, and private
registration
- Note that supposedly the cost to these registrars is
about $6 per year, so apparently 1and1 was selling these
domains at almost no profit at earlier price of $6.99.
They claimed they weren't planning to raise their prices,
but they did. (Phoned April 08).
- More Comments About
Registering with GoDaddy:
- When you register, they usually try to sell you
lots of extra-cost options. I recommend ignoring all
those; just click-past them, and your total bill should
not be more than about $9.99.
- Private
Registration
- When you register a domain with GoDaddy, they want to
sell you an option called "Private Registration",
which protects your personal data, for about an extra $6
per year.
I recommend not
doing this, but rather creating a 2nd separate email
address for registration (more below).- - 1&1
currently offers private registration at no extra change,
but I have not yet used it (seems complicated).
- *
Demo
- Run through priliminary steps for registering an
audience person's name.
* Demo
- Login & view forwarding info for a domain name
SusquehannaSeniorNet.org.
J. Email
Associated With The Domain Name
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- - When you register a
domain name, you are required to have a VALID email
address, and you cannot use an address connected with the
domain you are registering.
- The address that shows in the public 'Whois' database
can be seen by Spammers. (Lately not problem, but has
been previously).
- - For web pages I
create for others, I usually "split" the registration
information.
- I put MY public address in the 'Admin' information for
the public 'Whois' -- to "protect" them from
Spammers.
- I put their address in the 'Account' information (which
only the Registrar uses), so they will receive the
renewal notices.
- Email Addresses
- You might consider setting up SEVERAL email addresses
as follows:
- Email 1: Dedicated for NOTHING but the domain
registration. Keep all correspondence in a separate
mail folder titled "1and1" or "Registrar".
- Email 2: Dedicated for nothing but listing on the web
page. Note this address can also get SPAM. (Alternately,
you can use just a phone number w/o an email.) The
phishing-type emails will come to this address.
- Email 3: For business/organization correspondence with
the public.
- Email 4: For online banking.
- Email 5: For online shopping.
- Email 6: For family only.
Comcast & Verizon and most ISPs allow you to create
several email addresses. Alternately, you can set up a
free Gmail address (Google), and forward that address to
Email #3, your business address. Yahoo works, but you
can't forward the free ones. Hotmail is reportedly very
problem-prone.
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This page created 9/26/2008
modified 10/07/08 by
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(bottom include)
JamesRobertIngram.com
, Williamsport
PA, Apache Junction AZ
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