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Verisign Plans to Revive SiteFinder Advertising 'Service'

Posted by michael on from the think-of-the-consumers dept.

kiddailey writes "Claiming that their own independent examination of their controversial redirection service has found 'no security or stability problems', and that 'Internet users consider the service a helpful tool to navigate the web', Verisign has announced that it will give a 30- to 60-day notice before resuming the SiteFinder 'feature' that it voluntarily shut-down a couple of weeks ago."

3 of 370 comments (clear)

  1. WWW != Internet by ericspinder · · Score: 5, Informative

    Repeat after me, the World Wide Web is not the entire Internet. Now many applications will resolve a screwed up domain name and try to make a connection to Verisign's site. Instead of getting a "unknown host" programs will get a "service not found" which is a very different error. Or at least that is how I see it, I am only moderately knowledgable about DNS issues.

    --
    The grass is only greener, if you don't take care of your own lawn.
  2. Typos != intentional usage by tcopeland · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From the Verizon site article:

    "Prior to ICANN's October 3 directive to shut down the service, Site Finder had
    been used more than 48 million times by Internet users to get where they want to go online."

    "...has been used more than 48 million times...". Makes it sound like folks are eagerly flocking to the Verizon web site to 'use' this service. It's as if the highway administration shut down all lanes of I-95 and then celebrated the increased HOV usage.

    --
    The Army reading list
  3. Let your voice be heard, more on the poll... by wherley · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The ICANN Information page on Verisign's Wildcard Service" elicits comments from Members of the Internet community. Emails are to be copied to wildcard-comments@icann.org A selection of comments is viewable here.
    I'd suggest making your comments now.
    Regarding the Verisign survey...more information about it is in this article. Excerpts:
    The survey, a telephone poll of 1,000 internet users who could recall seeing Site Finder, was conducted by Markitecture and Harris Interactive and commissioned by VeriSign. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5%

    On the opposing side, Tucows Inc, a domain name registrar that competes with VeriSign, said a poll of its resellers (generally ISPs and web hosting companies) indicated that 90% of respondents wanted Site Finder turned off.