Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 23:26:05 -0400
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Sender: The Internet TourBus - A virtual tour of cyberspace
From: Bob Rankin
Subject: TOURBUS - 22 June 1999 - UNEEDA DOTCOM?
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TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: UNEEDA DOTCOM?
Today's Tourbus will delve into the topic of Internet domain names.
Should you have your own www.yourname.com address? Read on to learn
why you might want to get your very own Internet "vanity plate"
address...
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WHY GET YOUR OWN DOMAIN?
------------------------
If you run any sort of business, you really should have your own
domain name. People who put business pages on the freebie sites like
Geocities, or those who use personal ISP accounts will suffer from a
lack of credibility. Which address would you pick if you wanted to
shop for shoes on the web?
http://www.YourISP.com/~jsmith/shoes.htm
http://www.geocities.com/FashionAvenue/28045/
http://www.great-shoes.com
Having your own domain puts you on a level playing field with the big
dogs, and makes the statement that you should be taken seriously.
And there's also your e-mail address to think about.
When you got your first e-mail address, you probably didn't consider
what would happen if you ever had to change it. In addition to
telling everyone your new address, it can mess up your business cards
and mailing list subscriptions. Here are some reasons why you might
be faced with the problem of having your e-mail address changed:
1) If your Internet service provider is bought out or goes out of
business, you might have to change your e-mail address. (I did!)
2) If your company or school changes their e-mail server software, your
e-mail address could change.
3) You might graduate from college or move, or change jobs.
Or you just might not like your address. Some people have awful
addresses like wpo#123#COLUMB20#c#SMITHJR#125#%OFFICE@GM0.STATE.SC.US
or John_Smith_at_CHPPM__FTMCHPRNS@CHPPM-CCMAIL.APGEA.ARMY.MIL. Try
getting one of those on your business card!
Using a mail forwarding service like POBOX.COM or web-based email at
HOTMAIL are possible solutions, but who's to know whether they'll stay
in business for 5 years? Getting a personal domain name is one way to
insulate yourself from this problem. It's permanent, and you can take
it with you wherever you go.
PICKING A DOMAIN NAME
---------------------
The old song says "all of the good ones are taken", but that's not
necessarily true for domain names. True, most common words, acronyms
and surnames have probably been snapped up, but a little creativity
can help you find a good domain name. To do your research, visit
WHOIS - http://www.networksolutions.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois
where you can check to see if a domain is in use. For example, I
checked RANKIN.COM and found that I missed the boat by six years.
It was registered to Rankin Technology Group in 1993 - drats! It
turns out that RANKIN.NET and RANKIN.ORG are long gone too.
Since the WHOIS database contains the name, address and phone number
of the domain owner, you can always make an offer to purchase one
even if it's already in use. An established business might be loathe
to part with their domain for less than a king's ransom, but if you
visit the site and find that it's not really being used, the owner
might part with it for a reasonable sum.
REGISTERING A DOMAIN NAME
-------------------------
Registering a new domain is not difficult, and you don't have to
operate your own server. Most domains are in fact "virtual domains",
hosted by a service provider on their equipment. It costs only $35
to register your very own domain, but you do have to pay for the
first two years in advance, which means a layout of $70. The domain
registration process involves these basic steps:
1) Choosing a domain name
2) Finding an ISP to host your domain
3) Filling out the online domain registration form
4) Confirming the registration by e-mail
We've already covered the first step. To find a host for your
domain, first check with your ISP. Most will do so for a reasonable
fee. You'll probably incur a setup charge of $50 - $100 and a
monthly fee of $10 - $30, depending on how much disk space you need.
If your ISP doesn't offer a good deal, try a hosting service such as
WestHost. I use WestHost for TOURBUS.COM and several other domains
and have been impressed with their excellent service for over a year.
WestHost costs only $9/month and includes 15MB of storage, unlimited
email addresses, CGI access, autoresponders, graphical statistics and
shopping cart software. (Finally, I can be bob@tourbus.com!)
WestHost - http://www.westhost.com
Ready to register your domain? The online registration form and
related help files can be found at the Network Solutions website:
InterNIC - http://www.networksolutions.com/
The only tricky part is the Name Server Information area on the form.
You'll have to consult your ISP or hosting service to fill these out.
After you submit the form, you'll get a copy in your e-mail, which
you simply forward to the specified processing address. Depending on
the prevailing winds, your domain could be active within hours or
days. You'll get an invoice in the mail for $70, which you must pay
within a month, or lose the domain.
WHAT'S NEXT?
------------
Once your domain is registered and your ISP completes the setup,
you're ready to roll. Use an FTP program such as CuteFTP (my
favorite) to transfer your website files to the directory your ISP
has associated with the domain name, and you're done. If you don't
have an FTP program, visit one of these sites where you can check
out & download several different FTP programs.
Consummate Winsock Apps - http://cws.internet.com
TUCOWS - http://www.tucows.com
ARE YOU NON-PLUSSED?
--------------------
Just a reminder, we're giving away a FREE PALM III HANDHELD COMPUTER
to one lucky TOURBUS PLUS reader at the end of this month. If you're
not familiar with TOURBUS PLUS, the members-only weekend edition of
TOURBUS, look here:
TOURBUS PLUS - http://www.tourbus.com/plus.htm
That's enough for today, see you next time! --Bob
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