GoDaddy.com Dumps Linux for Microsoft

RobertB-DC writes "Bargain-basement registrar GoDaddy.com has decided to move all its parked domains to Microsoft servers, saying that they'll provide 'a technology platform that is security-enhanced, highly scalable and easy to manage.' This is a shift away from Linux, a decision met with derision by other registrars such as Gandi.net, which greeted the news with the headline 'Go Daddy and never come back'. Late last year, GoDaddy.com had some 'issues', shall we say, with non-Microsoft browsers."

Comments

GoDaddy.com looking for people with Linux Skills

[Anonymous Coward]

It's interesting that GoDaddy.com is looking for people with Linux skills:
http://jobsearch.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?q=linux &cn=GoDaddy&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&re=14&brd=1%2C128%2 C1862%2C1863

Examples:

Linux Systems Manager
http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=3993 8005&AVSDM=2006-02-20+15%3A04%3A46&Logo=1&q=linux& cn=GoDaddy&lid=338&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&brd=1,128,18 62,1863

Senior Linux Software Engineer
http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=4015 5008&AVSDM=2006-02-24+17%3A38%3A10&Logo=1&q=linux& cn=GoDaddy&lid=338&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&brd=1,128,18 62,1863

Microsoft probably paid them for this...

[drasfr]

That is my assumption... I used to work for Register.com and we were having a HUGE number of parked domains and redirected domains served by Linux. Basically Microsoft approached us and offered us a pile of cash AND some of their engineers to help so we migrate the servers serving this (futurestep it was called if i remember right) to Windows and that they can use that as advertisement AND that netcraft would show a significant change in the number of sites hosted by Windows.... Let's say that it was very hard to refuse this...

So yeah... I would assume the same. How much money/services did they got from Microsoft?

Security through feature removal!

[WoodstockJeff]

they'll provide 'a technology platform that is security-enhanced, highly scalable and easy to manage.'

If you want to run anything on Godaddy's servers that accesses files in PHP (which includes things like include and require in directories other than the current one), you have to ask to be put on a Linux server. This is because the only way Godaddy has found to keep Windows "secure" is to disable features... It's one of the reasons they recently stopped supporting "one button install" for PHPBB; it wouldn't work if it was on a Windows box, due to safe mode restrictions.

Fortunately, that isn't a problem with parked domains!

Re:Who cares?

[ImaLamer]

Now that I read it, the legal agreement is the story:

http://documents.secureserver.net/show/document.as px?plvid=1&name=hosting_sa

in no event shall Your web site consist of the following: search results, registration, "thank you", error, email or chat pages, pages comprised primarily of other advertising or pages that contain any of the following types of content: pornographic, obscene or excessively profane content or content intended to advocate or advance computer hacking or cracking, gambling, illegal activity, drug paraphernalia, hate, violence or racial or ethnic intolerance.

I can't put ads on my own error pages? Even if I'm hosting 30 domains on a dedicated account? Since when is bad web design a reason to shut a website down; so what if I plaster the thing with ads? And saying that gambling and drug talk isn't allowed goes a little far as restrictions vary from state to state and even from city to city (in the USA).

Re:Who cares?

[SillySnake]

This is clearly Go Daddy trying to do us all a favor. No one likes the dumb mispelling domains with tons of sponsored search links for pr0n, pills, and the such.. This is simply Go Daddy declaring open season on all the parked domains they host.. It's that simple :)

Re:Who cares?

[jmorris42]

> It does, as bragging rights for Microsoft to show that its server solution is
> hosting xx% of the internet.

You are close to the truth. Watch Netcraft. Anytime Microsoft gets near the 20% mark a fresh deal is announced about some parked domains moving to IIS. They really can't afford to drop into the teens and retain any credibility as a player in the server space so they spend whatever it takes to prevent it.

The more important number is Netcraft's active domains number and IIS is only at about 25% there. That gives a better picture of where they stand. Take out their own massive net operations and those of their slaves (Dell, HP, heck, most everybody who sells PCs, software or who develops heavy on Windows) who use IIS because they fear the consequences of using anything else and it would really be pitiful.

Re:Mod parent DOWN

[Benley]

BTW, what has Google ever given back to the OSS community it depends on to supply Linux, MySQL, Python, etc.?

Does employing a huge number of prominent open-source developers count for anything? OSS coders gotta eat, you know. A partial list, off the top of my head: Guido Van Rossum (Mr. Python), the Gaim lead developer, the Camino lead developer, Spamassassin lead developer (I think; not sure), a bunch of Firefox developers ... the list goes on. These people are paid to work on OSS projects and contribute code back to the community!

IMHO, MS is Buying IIS Marketshare.

[WoTG]

Some of the Netcraft numbers are based on the number of domains hosted by a platform or web server. By paying off GoDaddy.com for parked domains they will get a large boost in Netcraft numbers for IIS and Windows Server. Sure the domains don't reflect 'productive' websites; but they still count. Not a bad plan.

From GoDaddy's point of view, it's a no brainer. Who doesn't want money? Besides, there isn't even any evil involved in this one.

Bad Advertising

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

With MS essentially bribing GoDaddy to make the rather trivial move for their parked domains, you have to wonder just what MS's PR people were thinking.

Will their new slogan be, "Microsoft - where do you want to park today?"

I don't get it.

[Southpaw018]

Okay...essentially, the core change is that GoDaddy is moving their parked sites from BIND to MS DNS. Curiously, most of the argument here focuses elsewhere (LAMP, IIS, LAMP's components vs alternatives).

I use MS DNS 2003. It's nice. It's easy to use. I enjoy having a GUI built in and supported by the developer in addition to having the power of command line editing. The only thing I wish I could change is that it uses a sequential zone serial number instead of a dated one (ie, instead of 2006032301, 2006032302, 2006032303, it uses a raw format - 1, 2, 3...)

I really don't see what the big deal is...