Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

GoDaddy Backs SOPA

Posted by samzenpus on from the if-you-don't-have-anything-good-to-say dept.

redletterdave writes "Website hosting company GoDaddy has officially voiced its support for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) Bill in 2012, which is designed to thwart movie and music piracy on the Internet by empowering copyright holders to effectively shut down websites or online services found with infringing material. If passed, the U.S. government could blacklist any website it deems in violation of copyright, which could range from a few posts in a Web forum to a few links sent in an e-mail. GoDaddy supports SOPA for 'protecting the intellectual property of hard-working Americans, U.S. business and the American public from the harm that necessarily flows from the purchase of counterfeit products.' Yet, of the 142 companies that support the SOPA bill, GoDaddy is the only Internet company on the list."

25 of 353 comments (clear)

  1. GoDaddy by InterestingFella · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Anyone in the industry has known to avoid GoDaddy for domains. Their sole existence is based on commercials and advertisements, not good service. It's a perfect example that advertisements works too. This news isn't exactly surprising and will do nothing to GoDaddy's market share.

    1. Re:GoDaddy by ChromeAeonium · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Ugh, some of those ads were reason enough to avoid them.

    2. Re:GoDaddy by AngryDeuce · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I started boycotting GoDaddy earlier this year when their CEO, Bob Parsons, went to Africa to get his rocks off killing an elephant for sport.

      And no, I'm not anti-hunting, but I am anti-hunting endangered animals, especially if there is no cultural norms involved, and I am definitely anti-hunting if your sole motivation is just to kill something for fun.

    3. Re:GoDaddy by cybernanga · · Score: 5, Interesting

      While elephants are endangered globally, they are not always endangered locally if you see what I mean.

      Some areas of Africa, have good conservation and wildlife management programs, and actually have too many elephants for their local environment to support. The funds they pull in from rich foreigners who want to kill something for fun, are used to sustain the management programs.

      Supposedly they could move the elephants to areas where they are low in numbers, but this is not always sensible. Firstly, it costs money, which they don't have much of. Secondly, there is a reason why some areas have low elephant populations, usually lack of management programs or high numbers of poachers, in which case moving elephants to that location is non-productive, as they will be killed by poachers.

      I know it is counter-intuitive, but sometimes killing elephants for fun, actually helps the elephant population to survive.

      One way of looking at it, is that sport hunting attaches a monetary value to an elephant, turning it into an asset for people to whom an elephant is usually a liability. (They destroy crops, and large areas of vegetation). People tend to look after their assets.

      --
      www.Buy-Proxy.com - A "buyer-driven" global marketplace.
  2. So it must be time by medcalf · · Score: 5, Insightful

    to move my domain off of GoDaddy. My laziness only gets them so much revenue.

    --
    -- Two men say they're Jesus. One of them must be wrong. - Dire Straits
    1. Re:So it must be time by Lexx+Greatrex · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Namecheap. They currently have a coupon code SOPASUCKS for domain transfers.

      I can happily confirm that all of my godaddy domains have been successfully transferred to namecheap (eNom) without any noticable downtime. The geeks have spoken.

  3. Of course they back SOPA... by pr0f3550r · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Regulatory requirements are hardest on smaller entities to implement. This is exactly the kind of barrier that would make it unprofitable for a small DNS provider to implement. Just as HIPAA favors large HMOs over smaller ones, and SOx helps mega-corporations.

  4. Re:Bad Decision GoDaddy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Moving your domains now and sending them a note will help *prevent* this bill being passed.

  5. Re:Bad Decision GoDaddy by amazon10x · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Don't wait for them to pass it.

    Do it now, and email them to tell them why you're doing it.

  6. Reddit Boycotts GoDaddy by souravzzz · · Score: 5, Funny

    Reddit users are planning to move domain names from GoDaddy to other registrars over this. /. readers also thought of a similar protest, but the 3 guys who still used GoDaddy were nowhere to be found.

  7. more interesting links by Weezul · · Score: 5, Informative

    Cheezburger network CEO Ben Huh may pull over 1000 domains from GoDaddy in protest of GoDaddy's support for SOPA. Gizmodo has a list of companies supporting SOPA. Jeff Epstein has instructions for bulk transfers away from GoDaddy.

    Adam Savage has also warned that SOPA could destroy the internet as we know it. Reddit concurs that SOPA could destroy them.

    Two congressional staffers, Allison Halataei and Lauren Pastarnack, who helped write SOPA/PIPA become entertainment industry lobbyists

    --
    The Christian religion has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. -- Bertrand Russell
  8. How to Leave GoDaddy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Jeff Epstein has put up a step-by-step guide detailing the easiest way to leave GoDaddy:

    http://blog.jeffepstein.me/post/14629857835/a-step-by-step-guide-to-transfer-domains-out-of-godaddy

    Take special note of that trick to confirm the transfers at the end, because it can save you a five day wait. There are also ways to export your zones if you made the mistake of using GoDaddy as your DNS provider. Several other registrars are running deals right now, too. I've heard people saying that NameCheap (which is anti-SOPA) will let you keep the time you had paid for, so if you registered a domain for 10 years, you won't just lose it all. They even have a coupon of SOPASUCKS

    While NameCheap appears to be the most active anti-SOPA registrar, other honorable mentions include MediaTemple (the CEO has tweeted that he is opposed to SOPA) and DNSimple (which offers a discount for those escaping GoDaddy),

    1. Re:How to Leave GoDaddy by mariasama16 · · Score: 5, Informative

      For those who get to this far down in the threads, NameCheap also has a coupon of BYEBYEGD. Disclaimer: I have no domain, so can't say whether they're good or not (the Reddit thread has lots of happy people, their Social Media contact involved, quite a few people switching to them and directions for how to get off of GD as well).

  9. Re:It's about the prices by xombo · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://internet.bs/ has great deals on domains and it's located in the Bahamas.

    Did I mention they have an API?

  10. another interesting link by Weezul · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How SOPA's 'circumvention' ban could put a target on Tor

    --
    The Christian religion has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. -- Bertrand Russell
  11. Discounts by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Use "NODADDY" a Name.com for 10% off transfer ins (COM, NET, ORG, TV, INFO, IN, US, CO, ME & TEL) and also receive 40% off any hosting plans.
    HostGator is doing 50% off Shared / Reseller / VPS first month. Coupon code: NOSOPA
    Name Cheap has a "special discount deal": BYEBYEGD
    DreamHost use NOTOSOPA you get your first registration free.

    I can't claim credit for this, all came from Reddit

  12. NSOL's SRS Plus by jbov · · Score: 5, Interesting

    For anyone managing a large amount of domains, an SRS Plus partner account from Network Solutions would be the way to go. There are two benefits:
    1) The prices are cheaper.
    2) They are not GoDaddy


    With a partner account you have access to change contact information, DNS servers, request auth codes, etc...

    Oh, and like xombo said about internet.bs below, SRS Plus also has an API.

  13. Gandi.net - ethical registrar that don't advertise by dopeghost · · Score: 5, Informative


    Gandi.net are a sizable international registrar i first heard of back during the last 'elephant sized' Godaddy debacle.

    They support a load of projects like Debian and the EFF, along with charities like the International Federation of Human Rights and the WWF.

    They cost a tiny bit more than Godaddy but it's a pittance given the manner with which they conduct themselves.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandi

    https://www.gandi.net/supports/

    --
    This UID is 7651 digits too high to subjectively infer IQ from.
  14. Re:So under SOPA.... by geminidomino · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Isn't the point of SOPA to block people within the USA from accessing content outside of the USA that they cannot otherwise claim jurisdiction over?

    Nope. The point of SOPA is to abuse Verisign's US jurisdiction by seizing the domains of content on .COM/.NET/.ORG outside of the USA (and inside, too. Let's be honest. Why go through the trouble of a trial when they've got their new rubber stamp to meet the same end?) so that NO ONE can access it. They're trying to be the great firewall of China for the whole world.

    It won't work that way, of course, but it's still the intention.

  15. .bs domains by naroom · · Score: 5, Informative

    My favorite .bs domain (Yes, it is SFW.)

  16. Re:wow, a reason to like GoDaddy even less by Jafafa+Hots · · Score: 5, Informative

    The fact that Bob Parsons blogged in support of waterboarding and other forms of torture, and then when called on it edited his blog post and lied and said he'd never said what he'd said... that AND the sexism was enough to convince me he was an immoral piece of shit.

    Been using namecheap since.

    --
    This space available.
  17. Re:It's about the prices by smpoole7 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If price is all you care about, then you get what you pay for. McDonalds and Burger King have nice, cheap lunches ... that will eventually kill you.

    My ISP here in Alabama is Hiwaay Information Services. Yes, they charge about $10 more per month than ATT, but they're extremely reliable. When I have a problem, I speak to a local expert who actually knows what he or she is talking about. Y' gets what you pay for.

    We can say that we oppose things like SOPA, but one of the most effective ways to prove it is to put your money where your mouth is. Support those businesses that are doing the "right" thing -- EVEN IF IT COSTS A BIT MORE.

    Otherwise, when the day comes that the entire Internet is censored and controlled by powerful interests, you'll have no one but yourself to blame.

    --
    Cogito, igitur comedam pizza.
  18. Re:It's about the prices by perryizgr8 · · Score: 5, Funny

    You missed out stevejo.bs

    ftfy.

    --
    Wealth is the gift that keeps on giving.
  19. Stories about GoDaddy by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here are more reasons. These are stories about GoDaddy on Slashdot, in order by date, to 2010-09-11:

    Go Daddy Usurps Network Solutions (2005-05-04)

    GoDaddy Serves Blank Pages to Safari & Opera (2005-12-08)

    GoDaddy.com Dumps Linux for Microsoft (2006-03-23)

    GoDaddy Holds Domains Hostage (2006-06-17)

    GoDaddy Caves To Irish Legal Threat (2006-09-16)

    MySpace and GoDaddy Shut Down Security Site (2007-01-26) That incident prompted this web site:
    Exposing the Many Reasons Not to Trust GoDaddy with Your Domain Names.

    Alternative Registrars to GoDaddy? (2007-02-03)

    GoDaddy Bobbles DST Changeover? (2007-03-11)

    850K RegisterFly Domains Moved To GoDaddy (2007-05-29)

    According to this March 11, 2008 story in Wired, GoDaddy shut down an entire web site of 250,000 pages because of one archived mailing list comment: GoDaddy Silences Police-Watchdog Site RateMyCop.com. See below for Slashdot's story about RateMyCop.com.

    GoDaddy Silences RateMyCop.com (2008-03-12)

    ICANN Moves Against GoDaddy Domain Lockdowns (2008-04-08)

    GoDaddy VP Caught Bidding Against Customers (2008-06-29)

    KnujOn Updates Top 10 Spam-Friendly Registrars List (2009-02-06, 80 comments) GoDaddy is on the list.

    R.I.P. FTP (2009-07-13, 359 comments) The GoDaddy web site is extremely complicated. Quote: "In that case, why don't more people switch to administering their sites via SFTP instead of FTP? Here are the steps it took me to enable SFTP on my GoDaddy hosting account. Feel free to use this as a reference, but the obvious point is that as long as this many steps are required, it's safe to say that most users won't be switching: 1) Go to the 'Hosting' menu and pick 'My Hosting Account.' 2) Next to the name of your website, pick 'Manage Account.' This will open the Hosting Control Center. 3) In Hosting Control Center, click to expand the 'Settings' options. 4) In the 'Settings' control panel, click the 'SSH' icon. 5) You will see a page saying 'SSH is not set up', and prompting you to enter a phone number so that their automated service can call you with a PIN number. After you enter your phone number, the phone rings a second later, and you enter the PIN in a form on the GoDaddy website. 6 ) You will then see a page which says: Current Hosting Account Status: Pending Account Change -- Your request to enable SSH is being processed. This upgrade may take up to 24 hours." [Punctuation and emphasis changed for clarity.]

    Registrars Still Ignoring ICANN Rules (2009-07-22, 122 comments) Quote: "GoDaddy (and their reseller arm, Wild West Domains) have a different problem: They still block transfers for 60 days after a registrant's contact update, even after the ICANN update specifically prohibited doing so. They freely admit it, too."

  20. Keep GoDaddy's history in mind by Arrogant-Bastard · · Score: 5, Informative

    1. They were founded by spammer Bob Parsons. (Yes, spammer. Check the archives of Usenet's news.admin.net-abuse.email.)

    2. They have a very long and ongoing history of supporting more spammer, phishers, scammer, forger, etc. domains than anyone else. (See same source, plus archives of the spam-l mailing list.) The reason? They run an "abuse desk" that passes on complaints to the spammers, who can then of course target complainers for retaliation. (Yes, they do occasionally make a show of removing spammer domains -- but only when sufficient public exposure has turned up the heat enough. And even in those cases, they (a) help the spammers move the domains to another registrar and (b) sell the same spammers more domains.)

    3. They confiscated the SecLists.org domain out of sheer spite and stupidity. (See the Wayback Machine's archives of the NoDaddy web site. Read the rest of it while you're at it.)

    4. They run offensively sexist, sleazy TV commercials. (Yes, I like boobies too -- who doesn't? -- but these ads are insulting and degrading to women.)

    5. They frequently bungle/obstruct domain changes and transfers and make it effectively impossible for domain owners to fix the situation.

    6. Spammer Bob Parsons likes to kiil endangered, sentient animals for fun. Think about that for a minute: just for the thrill of the kill, this complete asshole is willing to extinguish the life of a beautiful, compassionate, free animal. That's one of the most selfish, low, vicious things that someone can do -- whether that animal happens to be an elephant or a fellow human being. And it tells you everything that you need to know about him: he'll do anything for self-interest/profit...including selling out the entire Internet.

    7. The bottom line is this: there is no point in threatening GoDaddy. If they take it sufficiently seriously, they'll just lie about it and then quietly go back on their word once the furor dies down. So don't threaten. Just act. Get your stuff out of there, tell everyone else you know to get their stuff out of there, and let's be down with it. Spammer Bob Parsons has already made far too much money and done far too much damage in the process; it's time to blacklist him and his company forever. They don't deserve the privilege of your business, and they certainly don't deserve to be part of the Internet community.