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Network Solutions Advertises On Your Sub-Domains
Wowsers writes "The Register reports that customers have found that their defunct or forgotten-about sub-domains have been taken over by Network Solutions to send users to ad pages. By digging through a 59K-word user agreement, you can find the following text: 'You also agree that any domain name directory, sub-directory, file name or path (e.g.) that does not resolve to an active web page on your Web site being hosted by Network Solutions, may be used by Network Solutions to place a "parking" page, "under construction" page, or other temporary page that may include promotions and advertisements for, and links to, Network Solutions' Web site...'" TechCrunch first brought this NetSol practice to light, and Ars explained how to opt out of it if you host there.
Is that registrars have don't care who has a domain. They will happily forget to send you an email and have your domain expire and sell it to a spammer.
"Thanks for all the money you paid to us. We've used it to buy off ISO among other things" -Microsoft
Switch to another provider. Vote with your feet.
The only problem with geeky nerds is they are probably very smelly ones.
I know mine are...
Having a domain registered with them since 1999, I received a renewal notice... wanting $35.99 to renew for a year. When I called to tell them what an absurd price that was, they said well that's just their regular price, and they would have someone call me back about maybe getting a lower price. I've always hated marketing tactics like that, so I am of course just transferring it to be registered elsewhere. I highly recommend not using Network Solutions as your domain registrar, just based on my own experience with them.
So, does that mean that if you register a domain through Network Solutions but have it hosted somewhere else (even your own hardware), they can usurp control over the domain and put this crap out there?
Layne
This is a very bad thing. When this happens to me when I browse, it makes me do a double take and try to figure out how I goofed up the URL and ended at a squatters site.
They could make this agreeable to domain owners by making it opt-in and offering a cut of the profits to the domain owner.
Execute? [Y/N] _
Amen, brother.
/.'ers hate spam as much as the parent poster and I, check out my book. It's well worth a read.
And if my fellow
Ok, I kid, I kid.
ICANN is the root problem here, and in many other issues. Specifically, ICANNs complete lack oversight over registrars. This in itself would not be so bad, but coupled with ICANN's refusal to consider behavior and ethics when accrediting registrars. Incidents like this are eroding peoples faith in the current system, and if it goes on like this other countries will have a very substantial case for removing internet control from US hands.
Ultimately, internet registrars need to have a code of ethics, which they can be held to account over. Some people might call this woolly thinking. However doctors, engineers and yes, even lawyers and estate agents, have codes of practice that they are supposed to abide by and can in theory be held to account over. Registrars need only amass monopolies of scale and pay off ICANN with cold hard cash. Naturally, such a system attracts the most unscrupulous type of practices.
Only two things can break the net as it currently stands. ICANN, and the telecoms. The latter is dubious. If this mismanagement continues ICANN could literally bring about its own demise, and possibly the free internet along with it.
May the Maths Be with you!
opt out. opt... out... from now, I am going to boycott any company that does anything "opt out" at all. I encourage all of you to join me.
Good luck with that. Unless you plan on being fully self-sufficient on an island in the middle of nowhere, you won't be able to do it.
This guy's the limit!
Unless you work at an ISP, I would disagree.
It is not Goatse.
If someone signs-on with Network Solutions, it's par for the course. It's just what they do, from domain "tasting", to putting holds on domains people search on, to sending out misleading renewal notices, to other highly questionable practices, they're still acting like they act like they're still the registrar monopoly. Until ICANN decides to smack them down, they'll continue to push the limits.
It's almost like they hold meetings to decide which abusive or sleazy practice they'll see how long they can get away with each month.
I had to renew my domain with Network Solutions before they would LET ME transfer it, because once they sent that renewal notice they put it in "hold" status... even though it had 3 weeks left. Tucows were great about it and comped me an extra year for the year that Network Solutions forced me to re-up for.
they offer a revenue sharing of sorts...giving you a tiny cut of any click payments from ads lodged on your parked pages. But I think its a scam unless you actually set up tons of parking because you pay godaddy a $4/month fee to join this plan. To date I have made exactly zero money back because I did not specifically set up ads on my "under construction" pages. Its just godaddy taking unearned money out of my pocket.
SLASHDOT: news for people who can't concentrate on work or have no life at all and got tired of yelling back at the TV.
Network Solutions user agreement - ~59,000 words
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - 76,944 words
no comments...
I can't call that English
Don't use Network Solutions for anything, EVER
Especially don't use them as a whois service because they will place a hold on any domain you look up that isn't owned and force you to buy it through them unless you just wait a week and then the hold is taken off. My Boss did this and I told him never to do it again. Network Solutions charges more for everything and their customer service and level of service on products is WORSE. So why pay more if you aren't getting anything in return. Just stop using Network Solutions and put them out of business once and for all.
Well, I'll have you know, I already have full plans for the formation of the new and superior society of nerdtopia.
What if Tetris was invented by Nazis?
I've been reading about the evils of Network Solutions and GoDaddy and the like. I was wondering if anyone had any alternatives to recommend for anyone looking for a decent registrar?
Thanks in advance.
...since you are going to give me the ad revenues, right guys? I paid for the domain so it's my money right? What? You're not? And you practice front-running on my domain availability look ups? And you charge me 3x the national rate for registrations? Oh, wait, is your business model based on enantiodroma ? Because you're doing a very good job of making yourself extinct.
People need to realize that there's something unethical about long and complex user agreements, and stop doing business with companies that use them. A good company will provide a simple service and do it well. It won't be easy, because most companies have long and complex user agreements, but this is a shift that needs to happen eventually.
There are no magic 404s here.
When you set up your DNS with Network Solutions, a wildcard DNS entry is created. It defaults to an ad page (just like every other DNS record with them does).
At that point you have 2 options:
While it might not be the most feel-good thing Network Solutions could do with your DNS, don't attribute to their malice what is easily attributed to user laziness.
Why do I feel like I'm on Trolldot today?
Disclosure: I have 1 domain with Network Solutions and 6 with GoDaddy
Opt out really is just a "stupid tax". If you're stupid, and don't opt out, then you get screwed.
You're on slashdot, surely you support a "stupid tax"!
Seriously, there should be a word limit on the amount of legalese you can agree to in a single action, or for a single service.
Bonus if we can make it legally required that every contract have a human-readable summary, similar to the Creative Commons ones. Here's their summary of the GPLv2.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!