Free Domains: Another AOL Idea Gone Wrong
Monday, October 30, 2006
Okay. So AOL's giving away free domain name registrations! Yay. Yippee and Hooray! But before you toss your skirt in the air and start the technotrance polka let me tell you the limitations that you will see on their *FAQ* links. Before we get to that, make a note: At this time you can only use your "domain name" for email. And it seems AOL is enticing you to do this with the added benefit of inviting up to 100 people to "share" your special email with so they too can use
As of October 30, here is the address to the FAQ if you want to take a swift glance yourself. https://domains.aol.com/personaldomain/html/faq.html You pros will understand it at once - as well as the implications of this. Net newbies [read: AOL members not by choice but by internet savy limitations] may not, so let me hit the highlights.
5.Who is the registrant of the domain name I create?
Members will have use of the domain through AOL. This means that AOL will remain the official ICANN registrant but maintain internal system records linking you as the end-user of the domain. AOL reserves the right to terminate service if AOL Terms of Service (TOS) are violated.
First thing that comes to mind is domain name ownership. This means AOL is basically asking for permission to hijack your swifty idea for a domain name. I want to secure the name kathimcmanus.com and let's pretend it's available. [It's not.] So AOL is the listed registrant and as long as they feel I am abiding the TOS I get to continue to "use it" for free. But they can disallow me at any time they feel I am disobeying the TOS. If they kick me off from using my own personal name [If I chose that], because they are the listed registrant there is nothing I can do.
Second thing. Desire. If I register any domain name, I have just given AOL free but very powerful marketing information. [Huh?] They are going to know something they did not know before I registered my "free domain name" through them. They are going to know that I want it. When someone knows you want something they have ideas that you would probably pay for it. Who's in control then?
Thirdly. Dependence. So I begin making use of the domain name - as do all 100 people I have gotten to use it- which is even limited as we shall see in my next point of contention - what do I do when I want to break away from anything AOL? All my friends are emailing me at my new personal name .com; my other 100 friends are getting their email via this domain name I used AOL to secure and I am stuck. What happens if AOL wants to impose new restrictions or insert ads? [Or do they do that already - anybody?] I am at their mercy. So are my friends.
And because you can check your domain name email on AOL's site, I wonder how smart it was for the AOL employee to come up with the idea of "add 100 friends!" So they can get barraged with ads also! And unknowing you, have just brought AOL free people to advertise too. Spectacular!
7. Can I use my domain for web hosting?
Initially, you will not be able to use the domain for web hosting. Check back soon for this functionality.
So can you imagine what "eventual" web hosting from AOL offering a free domain name would look like? Ads, terms of service nightmares, control over what your website says, how it functions... It would be just like having your very own AOL community website!
If you've spent any time at http://www.aol-icq.net you can see the nightmares I had with them pulling my AOL member site time after time when I wanted to disseminate the information that yes, you could use ICQ while on AOL. And I was PAYING them $21.95 or some such nonsense per month, for a crappy 48 K connection when I wasn't getting busy signals. I can imagine the fun AOL would have with you once you bought into this.
Alternatives
Low-cost or free alternatives depending upon your needs or wants can be found here:
- Recommended free web based email accounts
- Register your own domain name. Pay less than $10 a year for your very own www dot com and be the listed registrant and be able to host with it - purchased separately, choose your hosting company or let GoDaddy host it - and have a free "parked page" and be able to choose from more than just .com or .net, the always affable, ever-present GoDaddy.
- Free domain name registration and hosting. No ads. Private Registration included for free. Many features. Have a look at DotEasy.
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New!
July 13 2006
This site and blog are not necessarily against AOL. It's a critique of some of the methods AOL uses or some may say abuses toward it's customers and/or the internet at large.
Visiting Dear AOL, for example, will reveal a petition that some are signing in order to stop AOL from sending allowed spam to your AOL email-box.
Are you being threatened with trademark infringement? Have you been ordered to transfer your domain name over? Here are some resources:
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Chilling Effects Clearinghouse
About This Blog
This blog was formed after AOL™ or America Online ™ - an online service provider - sent a threatening notice to the Registrar of the domain name www.aol-icq.net telling them to transfer it to AOL. The notice made assertions of copyright infringement of the name and even went so far as to assert their ownership of the once non-AOL controlled name ICQ™. At first blush, this may seem not so unreasonable. However. The former owner of www.aol-icq.com, acquired circa 1998 for the purpose of helping AOL members use ICQ while on AOL, is the same owner of www.aol-icq.net, which was acquired in 2002 when an accidental missing of the deadline left it open for AOL to register it.
Therefore, does this latest AOL threat sound like Reverse Domain Name Hijacking?
