Slashdot Mirror


Free Registrar co.cc Goes the Way of the Dodo

First time accepted submitter Nexus Unplugged writes "Free domain provider co.cc seems to have quietly and mysteriously disappeared. No official explanation has yet been provided, but a cached copy suggest that they stopped accepting new registrations some time ago. Speculation, however, seems to come to a single conclusion. From the article: 'Due to its free nature (and it's $10 for as many as you want), Co.CC was abused and used for scams and spamming and was even de-listed by Google at one point although they did re-enable it. Getting back to the article on hand a few days ago Co.CC seems to have removed its DNS records which ultimately has stops its own site from working and every sub domain it provided.' It's worth noting that free domains are still easily obtainable from places like DotTK."

38 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. No surprise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We can't have anything good and free because scumbags will take advantage of it.

    1. Re:No surprise by alexo · · Score: 1

      Air

    2. Re:No surprise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Ok, make that, unclean air.

    3. Re:No surprise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      It costs money to pollute that stuff!

    4. Re:No surprise by ikaruga · · Score: 2

      Specially for DNS. It's already pretty bad people buy domain names that they'll never use so that they can resell it later for 50+ times the price.

    5. Re:No surprise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I agree speculation should be outlawed.

      Oh wait, what about Wall Street...

    6. Re:No surprise by Richard+Dick+Head · · Score: 1

      Finally we can put that myth to rest. Air is not free.

      However, I would direct you to Mr. Humphries, who is always free.

    7. Re:No surprise by Stimonk · · Score: 1

      Cost is minimal (internet connect + free time + free easily available proxies)! Also, Co.cc was closed down by their registrar, likely for a user spamming / or a highly illegal act like child porn or a terrorist site - http://diggreponsitory.blogspot.ca/2012/11/cocc-shuts-down-with-millions-of-users.html Either way, they're not coming back!

  2. still several for subdomains by Trepidity · · Score: 3, Informative

    If you're okay with a subdomain rather than looking to register directly under a TLD, FreeDNS is another one that's been around for a while, though they target themselves a bit more at people who want a changeable hostname for their dynamic IP (a free alternative to the used-to-be-free-but-now-isn't DynDNS).

    1. Re:still several for subdomains by omnichad · · Score: 2

      .co.cc is already a subdomain.

    2. Re:still several for subdomains by Synerg1y · · Score: 1

      I've always had good luck with no-ip . Same deal though.

    3. Re:still several for subdomains by fgouget · · Score: 1

      Another option is eu.org which was created by a founder of Gandi when .org domains stopped being free.

  3. Just add all the domains to your HOST file by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    apk, I summon you!
    apk, I summon you!
    apk, I summon you!

    1. Re:Just add all the domains to your HOST file by tepples · · Score: 1

      It takes more than an APK to modify /etc/hosts on an Android device. If your device isn't rooted, you need to use Android Debug Bridge.

      (APK has two meanings, as does Twitter.)

  4. Re:Mysteriously? by bbecker23 · · Score: 1

    Mistery in the data-center!? Now it all makes sense. Damned condensate ruins everything.

    --
    cat /dev/random > sig.txt
  5. how dare you by desdinova+216 · · Score: 1

    give a calm, logical, rational reason for something that happened on the internet!

  6. Some geographical .us subdomains are still free by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    .wa.us is a good example. You can get seattle.wa.us and other such cities free. It's managed through nwnexus.com. I've always just contacted their sales staff to request forms to register a .seattle.wa.us or .olympia.wa.us for example. They're long, but definitely free.

    1. Re:Some geographical .us subdomains are still free by anasciiman · · Score: 2

      Can you explain this to me in detail? Their site has nothing specific to how this is done... Thanks.

      --
      Think of me when you shave your legs...
  7. Google offers very robust free subdomains by Andy+Prough · · Score: 2

    under the mygbiz.com address.

  8. DotTK questions by Freshly+Exhumed · · Score: 4, Funny

    If I write an NTP server in Tcl/Tk and register it on Dot.TK could I call it ticktock.tcl.tk?

    --
    I deny that I have not avoided attaining the opposite of that which I do not want.
    1. Re:DotTK questions by dissy · · Score: 2

      Actually tcl.tk is already the primary domain for active tcl.
      I reference wiki.tcl.tk and their online man pages there frequently.

  9. Blocked It At My Job by noc007 · · Score: 1

    At my last job we encountered too many links to scammers and malware from sites on their subdomains via spam and customer applications. We went ahead and blocked *.co.cc and would not approve any potential customer applications if that's where their website was.

    If a company wants to do a website on the cheap, domains don't cost much and hosting can be had for $5/mo to free depending on your content.

    1. Re:Blocked It At My Job by Anrego · · Score: 2

      Myabe it's just one of those things that only geeks notice, but it still boggles my mind when I see companies (not even small ones) with a website on freewebs and matching hotmail email.

    2. Re:Blocked It At My Job by Amouth · · Score: 1

      i a know multi-national company whose employees (VP's, Regional Managers, ...) regularly use yahoo or gmail accounts with vendors because their corporate e-mail system is so locked down that even the smallest of attachments (anything over 500kb) gets blocked.

      --
      '...if only "Jumping to a Conclusion" was an event in the Olympics.'
  10. Re:Great big .tk advertisement by Elbereth · · Score: 1

    Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

    Is it a bad sign that grassroots, word-of-mouth advertising is now indistinguishable from shills, viral advertising campaigns, and astroturfing? It's only a matter of time before corporate America catches on to the fact that we're getting pissed off by this and sells our outrage back to us, in the form of even more cynical advertising methods.

  11. co.cc? by phorm · · Score: 1

    I don't suppose it had anything to do with how that particular domain is pronounced?
    Might be suited to adult sites, but it wouldn't work for everyone.

  12. Sounds like a good target for creative commons by epSos-de · · Score: 5, Interesting

    .CC should become the Creative Commons domain. All websites under this top level must be forcefully re-mixable with attribution. The world would be a much richer place. The creative commons movement is great and is far more profitable than the licensed content model, if you know how to use it properly.

  13. you get what you pay for by gostu · · Score: 1

    I used to have a .tk domain for my website for several months, and I wouldn't recommend it. Everything was fine until a power outage forced my server to shutdown. As soon as the power was back up, I checked my .tk website only to find out that my domain was redirecting to a "you won a free ipad" scam site. I was certain that my dotTk account was hacked and so I wrote an email to the provider. Their response stated that this was in fact, a standard procedure: they have a script that every once in a while verifies that all .tk domains actually host a website. If it finds any domain without a website, and my domain registered as such because of the power outage, it is automatically redirected to a "sponsor" website. They said that the only way to avoid this is to upgrade to a premium account. They eventually restored my domain, but the damage was done. I had to personally call all my users (some of which are not very technical) to warn them about the scammers. Since then i moved to a paid domain (not .tk) and never looked back. You get what you pay for, and if you want a domain that actually works, a free .tk is not a good choice.

    1. Re:you get what you pay for by dolmen.fr · · Score: 1

      Obviously you did not read their terms and conditions before relying on the service. DotTK are crooks by design. Their businness model is clear: get your money once you find the service useful.

    2. Re:you get what you pay for by gostu · · Score: 1

      They also have double standards, since the scam site they redirected to was in itself violating their ToS. Anyway, the pdf you linked says that now they're no longer enforcing the "each domain must have a website" rule. I wonder if there's any truth in this.

  14. Had my website there by yanom · · Score: 1

    I had my personal website up registered there, brrk.co.cc . It wasn't really public, but it was just a fileserver/webserver for my personal use while on the road. Guess I have to go back to the numerical IP now...

    --
    "That's either incredibly asinine or the most brilliant troll I've ever read. Not sure which." -Anonymous Coward
  15. Re:Great big .tk advertisement by Larryish · · Score: 3, Informative

    .tk sucks

    Their machine runs like so:

    They give you a "free domain", and then when your DNS queries reach a certain number, they suspend your domain for "unspecified reasons" and then make you pay twice the price of .com to have the domain re-enabled.

    Don't use .tk for anything that isn't disposable.

  16. I can't believe no one's noticed... by MisterSquid · · Score: 1

    ...that people can't get their free domains because co.cc has been cut off.

    Or is that what this story is about?

    --
    blog
  17. I always knew it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    There Ain't Such A Thing As Free Co.cc.

  18. Re:Great big .tk advertisement by MysteriousPreacher · · Score: 1

    And it's a playground for scammers. I wouldn't use a .tk domain for anything more important than a blog with fewer visitors anually than the ISS.

    --
    -- Using the preview button since 2005
  19. Missed opportunity by fa2k · · Score: 1

    They should have positioned themselves as an alternative to .xxx during the years (decade?) when people were fighting about that one. Only problem is for lesbian sites, but they could do things like we.need.no.co.cc.

  20. Re:Great big .tk advertisement by pantaril · · Score: 1

    Just registered with them to try their free domain.

    How do they count DNS queries, when i'm not using their name servers? (I'm using mine, check my new http://kalevala.tk/ domain)

  21. Re:Great big .tk advertisement by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    check my new http://kalevala.tk/ domain

    "If works"?