Amin Hollon 🏳Got a few soon-expiring domains I'm happy to transfer at no fee to a good home:
static.quest
theprodigalsbrother.com
verboseguacamole.com
One domain (a separate one I didn't list because someone had already asked about it) transferred to a good home. Three domains I've still got and am willing to transfer to a good home to keep them from the domain squatters:
- static.quest
- theprodigalsbrother.com
- verboseguacamole.com
R. L. Dane 
You've given up on writing The Prodigal's Brother? Or is it because the story has a new name?
I like the VerboseGuacamole name. You may miss that one later on.
Because I've got the new title/format, it doesn't really make sense to keep the old domain. And I probably should've used a subdomain to begin with. :)
I like the VerboseGuacamole name. You may miss that one later on.
I do too, it's just… I haven't used it for anything in three years. And that's $30 in registration fees I paid to do nothing with it. Keeping paying seems… irresponsible. Honestly though I've let go of a lot of domains in the last year and I think I might just hold on to that one if no one here asks for it. Keep it away from the squatters a little longer just in case.
If I have a project down the road that calls for an avocado-related domain, I do have one idea for a cool one that I doubt anyone else will think of, saved in reserve. (the reason I haven't already gone for it is that the TLD is an expensive one, but… for the right project that can be waived.)
Where are you posting the story ("Coriolis," right?) now?
Nowhere at the moment; I don't have any ready for publication. But it'll probably be coriolis.benjaminhollon.com. Or if that's too long, I could also do coriolis.benhollon.com. ;)
Maybe get a really short URL like amin.my for link sharing ;)
.my is actually the Malaysia TLD. ;)
They just removed the residency requirement, which is… a little sad, to be honest. Hopefully the same thing doesn't happen as happened to Serbia's .rs domain and the Rust community.
In seriousness though URL shortening is not generally something I approve of. The downsides tend to outweigh the benefits.
Kevin Karhan 
#URLshorteners result in increased #LinkRot!
The one possible exception to that I've seen was A Page Apart's use of their own personal URL shortener for links from one of their books. The positive side of this is that if a page they linked to does disappear or change addresses, they can change where the URL redirects to. The downside is, if they disappear, none of the links in any of their books work anymore.
I think they had an index of where all of them pointed to in the back of the book though… checking… yes, they do.
Even when it's a 1:1 thing, like amin.my / verbatim/page/url.html -> benjaminhollon.com / verbatim/page/url.html ?
Sure; if amin.my goes down someday, noone knows what domain the link goes to.
They will if the web archive survives ;)
In my experience it only tends to get some URLs from URL shorteners. Especially niche ones like whatever custom solution I'd whip up.
You can always manually archive it to make sure that it's saved for posterity.
I've done that many times. ;)
oooooor I could just keep my links nice and long?
The only time it really matters is when you're telling someone the address (in which case you're right there with them and can make sure it's done properly) or when someone sees in in print (and QR codes are a better option for that these days).
I know, I looked it up ;)
Oh, I had no idea that's what .rs was.
TLD colonialism is not good. :'(
Lesson: if it's a two-letter TLD, it's almost certainly a country code.
Unfortunately I contributed a little bit to that with clew.se. :P
Just imagine how Christmas Island feels!
I *do* know that (almost??) all 2-character TLDs are country codes, it's just the prevalence of .tv, .ws, and other crud rotted my brain in the last 15 years. XD
I remember when LifeChurch.tv popularized churches getting .TV URLs. UGH!!!
Now they're just life.church
Man, I hate ICANN so much right now. :P
.tv is Tuvalu's country code. imo better to use .church than another country's TLD.
And what'd ICANN do wrong??
Yes, I'm familiar with .TuValu, although I forgot which country .ws is.
ICANN is rubber-stamping absolutely nonsensical domains like .zip. I think I've even heard of company-name TLDs, but don't quote me on that.
Some of these are truly awful:
.lifestyle
.vana
.living
.diy
.food
.meme
.ing
.music
.box
.case
.dad
.esq
.foo
.nexus
.prof
.zip
.mov
.phd
.watches
.channel
Yeah, .zip was poorly-considered.
And yes, .google, .apple, .microsoft do exist. A good couple hundred of them, I believe (I didn't actually count): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_top-level_domains#Brand_and_corporate_top-level_domains
.diy
Don't see what's wrong with this one??
.music
Again, I don't see the problem.
.phd
Why not? They work hard for the title, let 'em have it in their domain name.
Those are pretty benign, but still, they're just not necessary.
TLDs are for country codes and for major categories of sites. Not for hobbies.
I lived for two decades where the only choices were .com, .net, .org, or a janky country code, and while it had a lot of limitations, it also afforded some stability.
I just don't think that having random TLDs-du-jour added every few months is a good thing.
Those are pretty benign, but still, they're just not necessary.
I think you underestimate the prevalence of namespace collision. A fun TLD can really help alleviate that. :P
TLDs are for country codes and for major categories of sites. Not for hobbies.
Hard disagree. After all, I use domains for hobbies, so why not have hobby-focused TLDs? (also, you're one to talk, Mr. rldane**.space**)
I just don't think that having random TLDs-du-jour added every few months is a good thing.
Don't agree with you on that, but I do agree that they shouldn't be given to corporations to solely control. I mean who thought it was a good idea to give Amazon sole control over the .author and .book domains?
And to people using country code TLDs that aren't theirs, please give it some extra thought! A while back a fedi instance with the .af TLD got shut down by the Taliban, who now control the .af registry.
I mean… I'm not exactly surprised given that they were giving Afghanistan control over the domain for a LGBT-focused (iirc) fedi instance… but… yeah.
I also feel for all the people in the UK who lost their .eu domains after Brexit.
Krafter
mirabilosWhile we're at it, perhaps not have .io domain registration fees go to a country that kicked out everyone who was living in the location in question?
@amin @RL_Dane I have an actual hate at ICAN’t for those new gTLDs.
Also because they first ridiculed alternative DNS roots for them… then they steamrolled over multiple already-existing gTLDs (like .biz but also a few others)… then they saw the money and let the number explode to insanity (also, .amazon went to the company, not the forest…).
.book and .author went to said company as well, which is insanity.
Ugh, that's burn-it-to-the-ground stuff, right there.
Why are you guys bringing out my inner angry 20-year-old? XD
Possibly because I'm an outer angry 20-year-old, discussing topics I'm passionate about. :)
My inner angry 20-year-old took a nap at around 23 or so, and then came back with a roaring vengeance in 2018.
I'm still trying to get him to simmer down. XD
When I was 20, I used to think of myself as VERY much like Adrian from "The Young Ones":
https://yewtube.com/watch?v=KQE6-2lsJbQ
(The red-headed one -- sorry I couldn't find a better example)
Anyway, that's kind of hilarious to think about now, because I don't think my personality could be anything further from that.
I'm still trying to get him to simmer down. XD
No, no, let it out! Angry 20-year-olds are awesome! Well… when they're angry about social justice issues and things like that, not when they're angry because a bar they're trying to get into saw through their fake ID.
thedoctorOther 20-year-olds do! ;)
@RL_Dane @thedoctor @mirabilos
And 20-year-olds will one day be respected 60-year-olds. Gotta instill the "rage against the machine" ethic while they still listen!
Have you realized thus far that all of the I-don't-give-a-crap-about-anything boomers were all once super-idealistic flower children?
Something happens to that idealism. :'(
@RL_Dane @thedoctor @mirabilos
I'm still pretty idealistic. We'll see where that goes.
You'd think so, but the angry-20-year-old isn't sustainable.
Looking forward to seeing your version of this-40-year-old-has-had-quite-enough-of-the-worlds-crap. ;)
Hm I think I've already got a bit of that…
That feeling... it kinda ferments in your bosom... ;)
@thedoctor @RL_Dane @mirabilos
You're not one of the entities I'm angry at. Lemme tell you if I ever meet an embodiment of Apple or Google I will be plenty angry. ;)
I honestly get frightened by my short fuse on these subjects.
I was watching an episode of a tv show where the intro was a lady giving a keynote type speech talking about the silicon valley business she built, and I found myself literally screaming, "WHO THE F--- CARES?!?" at the T.V.
That took me aback. I didn't realize just how much animosity towards silicon valley I had accrued in my heart.
The reaction is understandable, but still... not healthy. :/
@RL_Dane @amin @mirabilos I feel like rage is the only sane reaction to some things. Maybe not healthy but everything else feels wrong.
@thedoctor @RL_Dane @mirabilos
I can agree with that. I think that in many cases not responding with anger is a sign of emotional supression.
sotolfOstensibly, yes, but in reality? Probably not much. Sounds kinda sleazy, no?
D. MoonfireI mean, that's what you give 'em middle names for, no? ;)