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system:registrars [2024-02-24T11:35:51+0000] – Add note on Gandi about how AWS resold Gandi registrar services for AWS's entry into offering registrar services michael_paolisystem:registrars [2024-10-08T06:03:42+0000] (current) – format correction michael_paoli
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 specific domains?) via [[https://www.gandi.net/|Gandi.net]]. \\ specific domains?) via [[https://www.gandi.net/|Gandi.net]]. \\
 [[https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/welcome-domain-registration.html|AWS > Documentation > Amazon Route 53> Developer Guide "At the end of the registration process, we send your information to the registrar for the domain. The domain registrar is either Amazon Registrar, Inc. or our registrar associate, Gandi. To find out who the registrar is for your domain, see Finding your registrar."]] \\ [[https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/welcome-domain-registration.html|AWS > Documentation > Amazon Route 53> Developer Guide "At the end of the registration process, we send your information to the registrar for the domain. The domain registrar is either Amazon Registrar, Inc. or our registrar associate, Gandi. To find out who the registrar is for your domain, see Finding your registrar."]] \\
-%%**%%[[https://cloud.google.com/|cloud.google.com]] registrar services has been sold off to and is now \\ +%%**%%[[https://cloud.google.com/|cloud.google.com]]'registrar services ([[https://domains.google/|Google Domains]]) has been sold off to and is now \\ 
-owned and managed by[[https://www.squarespace.com/|squarespace.com]] and, at least as of the time of \\ +owned and managed by[[https://www.squarespace.com/|squarespace.com]] \\
-this writing, is still being transitioned fully over to [[https://www.squarespace.com/|squarespace.com]] \\+
 See also: \\ See also: \\
 [[https://newsroom.squarespace.com/blog/googledomains|Squarespace Enters Definitive Agreement to Acquire Google Domains Assets]] \\ [[https://newsroom.squarespace.com/blog/googledomains|Squarespace Enters Definitive Agreement to Acquire Google Domains Assets]] \\
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-Will likely well fill out and organize remainder later+Did at least mostly well fill out and organize fair bit of detail
-but in the meantime, some background "discussions"(posts):+for the curious/interested, some earlier background "discussions"(posts):
  
 [[http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2023-February/012261.html|Various pro/con recommendations, including fair bit of supporting reasons]] \\ [[http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2023-February/012261.html|Various pro/con recommendations, including fair bit of supporting reasons]] \\
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- 
-Will likely well fill out and organize remainder later. 
- 
 ===== Pros and cons and recommendations and not of various example registrars ===== ===== Pros and cons and recommendations and not of various example registrars =====
  
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 no cost to simply create account there) - I ran across a slight bug in no cost to simply create account there) - I ran across a slight bug in
 their interface - notably setting up account in US, and dealing with their interface - notably setting up account in US, and dealing with
-states.  I reported the issue to them.  They fixed it lickety-split and+states.  I reported the issue to them.  They fixed it in quite quick order and
 were great on communication and follow-through to check and ensure that were great on communication and follow-through to check and ensure that
 all was well and I was no longer seeing the earlier issue I'd reported - all was well and I was no longer seeing the earlier issue I'd reported -
 pretty impressive response for a non-paying (or at least not-yet-paying) pretty impressive response for a non-paying (or at least not-yet-paying)
-customer.+customer.  I looked up that much earlier issue for the details and went 
 +(summarized) about like this: \\ 
 +2015-01-23T04:55:34Z I opened issue and got automated response (RT support-en #5534422) \\ 
 +2015-01-23T10:21:23Z I received notification they'd transferred it to relevant support area \\ 
 +2015-01-23T16:12:40Z I received notification indicating it was resolved \\ 
 +2015-01-23T19:06:27Z I checked, not (quite) resolved and notified them \\ 
 +2015-01-24T15:06:33Z I received notification they'd forwarded to specialist \\ 
 +2015-01-26T16:19:28Z I received notification they'd applied work-around on my account (effectively fixing it for me) \\ 
 +2015-01-26T18:31:36Z I checked confirmed all good (not only work-around but bug fixed) \\ 
 +2015-01-27T16:16:55Z I received notification confirming that they'd solved and fixed the issue \\ 
 +This is vastly better than many registrars, when one often has to do battle with them and go 
 +trough 2 to 3 rounds just to get them to even understand or acknowledge that there's even an issue, 
 +after which other registrars may still fail to fix the issue and/or often provide incorrect information. 
 +And I got that great level of service from Gandi when I wasn't even a customer yet and for a relatively 
 +low priority pretty minor bug.
  
 Their No Bullshit slogan/motto really does very much apply.  No Their No Bullshit slogan/motto really does very much apply.  No
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 AWS didn't themselves (at least initially) become a registrar, AWS didn't themselves (at least initially) become a registrar,
 but resold Gadni's registrar services through AWS's Route 53 service. but resold Gadni's registrar services through AWS's Route 53 service.
 +
 +And more positive experience: \\
 +Around 2024-06-08T08:46:00Z I opened support request #155532 API & Web: feature request: DNSSEC: add capability to manage via CDNSKEY/CDS records \\
 +And yes, not expecting anything on it anytime particularly soon, but they did well understand it and take note,
 +so, rather likely will come in future API and web interface. \\
 +See also: [[https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8078.html|RFC 8078]], etc.
  
 I might be forgetting some details and further examples, but pretty much I might be forgetting some details and further examples, but pretty much
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 [[https://www.networksolutions.com/|NetworkSolutions.com]] / [[https://www.web.com/|Web.com]] - avoid like the plague.  They may not be [[https://www.networksolutions.com/|NetworkSolutions.com]] / [[https://www.web.com/|Web.com]] - avoid like the plague.  They may not be
-the worst out there, but they're pretty horrible.  Some of their sh*t:+//the worst// out there, but they're pretty horrible.  Some of their sh*t:
   * Tons of marketing/sales/spam email, difficult to opt out (have to call a phone number and can take up to 30 days to opt out!).   * Tons of marketing/sales/spam email, difficult to opt out (have to call a phone number and can take up to 30 days to opt out!).
   * Overpriced - their default pricing is horrible.  But if you play the song and dance with their offers (e.g. yearly at renewal), you can get a reasonable price (just start to go through the motions like one is going to transfer the domain away - then you get offers for a reasonable price - about market rate and about 1/3 what they'd otherwise charge).  But alas, to take that offer, you have to opt in to their marketing emails ... and yeah, opting out ... ugh.   * Overpriced - their default pricing is horrible.  But if you play the song and dance with their offers (e.g. yearly at renewal), you can get a reasonable price (just start to go through the motions like one is going to transfer the domain away - then you get offers for a reasonable price - about market rate and about 1/3 what they'd otherwise charge).  But alas, to take that offer, you have to opt in to their marketing emails ... and yeah, opting out ... ugh.
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   * Sometimes they'll opt you in for stuff you didn't ask for and don't want ... e.g. just gave you a crud yourbasedomainname.somecrudTLD without your asking or wanting ... then they of course want to sell you on renewing it.  Ugh.   * Sometimes they'll opt you in for stuff you didn't ask for and don't want ... e.g. just gave you a crud yourbasedomainname.somecrudTLD without your asking or wanting ... then they of course want to sell you on renewing it.  Ugh.
   * They also tend to push lots of announcing clueless offers.  Got [[https://www.sf-lug.org/|sf-lug.org]]?  How 'bout buy up all these sf-tote.someTLD and sftote.someTLD domains, I mean tote is like lug (as in sf-lug for San Francisco Linux Users' Group), right?  Ugh.   * They also tend to push lots of announcing clueless offers.  Got [[https://www.sf-lug.org/|sf-lug.org]]?  How 'bout buy up all these sf-tote.someTLD and sftote.someTLD domains, I mean tote is like lug (as in sf-lug for San Francisco Linux Users' Group), right?  Ugh.
 +  * 1997-07-17 they majorly screwed up Internet DNS for com. and net. TLDs, effectively knocking them off The Internet for many/most folks for many many hours.  See reports, e.g.: [[https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/071797dns.html|The New York Times: Human Error Cripples the Internet]], [[https://groups.google.com/g/comp.protocols.dns.bind/c/rDunynim12U/m/FedJdyxt484J?pli=1|USENET (as seen on Google Groups)]]
  
 So, yeah, general experience with NetworkSolutions.com / Web.com has So, yeah, general experience with NetworkSolutions.com / Web.com has
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 incompetent at that - not only could their interface not do it, but the incompetent at that - not only could their interface not do it, but the
 information they provided was incorrect, and even with numerous support information they provided was incorrect, and even with numerous support
-tickets, they couldn't manage to to it.  It wasn't that hard, change+tickets, they couldn't manage to do it.  It wasn't that hard, change
 some IP address(es) on the glue record - they just couldn't manage to do some IP address(es) on the glue record - they just couldn't manage to do
 it //at all// Comparatively with gandi.net trivial to do - copy, paste, it //at all// Comparatively with gandi.net trivial to do - copy, paste,
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 ==== GoDaddy.com ==== ==== GoDaddy.com ====
  
-[[https://www.godaddy.com/|Godaddy.com]] ... uhm, probably just don't.  How 'bout start with their +[[https://www.godaddy.com/|Godaddy.com]] ... uhm, probably just don't.  How 'bout ... 
-sexist/racist/... sleazy crud advertising ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTvYVxO_9N8|YouTube: Washington Post: GoDaddy's most controversial Super Bowl ads]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDqQhaUaVq0&t=84s|The Onion can't help but to take a well deserved parody shot at them]]) ... maybe they're better now on that?  I +  * start with their sexist/racist/... sleazy crud advertising ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTvYVxO_9N8|YouTube: Washington Post: GoDaddy's most controversial Super Bowl ads]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDqQhaUaVq0&t=84s|The Onion can't help but to take a well deserved parody shot at them]]) ... maybe they're better now on that?  I haven't particularly tracked. 
-haven't particularly tracked.  They're also based in Canada, so if you +  They're also based in Canada, so if you have some serious issue/dispute with them, and want to take legal action ... good luck with that (at least if you're not, e.g. a Canadian citizen or resident). 
-have some serious issue/dispute with them, and want to take legal action +  Been a while, but last I dealt with them their interfaces were rather lacking. 
-... good luck with that (at least if you're not, e.g. a Canadian resident or citizen). +  Some of their behavior may be or have been shady - at least I've heard such - but didn't run into that personally. 
-Been a while, but last I dealt with them their +  * Oh, but one thing I have repeatedly seen, that's quite shady, and as far as I'm aware they're still doing it.  So automatic renewals ... no biggie, right, should be quite straight forward.  Yeah, ... the way they do those ... they actually do the renewals //slightly after the domains expire// Yeah shady as fsck - basically completely and totally exposes one to the mercy of GoDaddy every single time they do that.  They don't even renew day, or //hours// before expiration, but only slightly after expiration. 
-interfaces were rather lacking.  Some of their behavior may be or have +  * Oh, and no shortage of additional issues and controversies, e.g. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_surrounding_GoDaddy#Backing_of_SOPA_and_resultant_boycott|their (mis)handling regarding their position, etc. on]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act|SOPA]]. 
-been shady - at least I've heard such - but didn't run into that +  * Egad, and their DNSSEC interface for delegated DNS doesn't even work properly: "Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2024 16:14:27 -0600" ... "we all know that it makes sense to have multiple ones otherwise how can one do a rollover? I should explain that with GoDaddy every time I enter a DS record it always gives me an error message and says that it failed. However afterwards I can look and see that it was in there anyway. I reported this to the customer service for pro customers about 4 years ago. They solved the problem rather nearty by eliminating customer service. Not a joke.   I think that was very clever of them. Nowadays I could pay $119 a month if I were an idiot and get someone that spoke poor English and wondered out loud what DNS stood for.  In any event the bug, however, is still present. It kind of does what it ever feels like at any given moment which is usually not what the person entering the data wants." ... "Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2024 21:44:45 -0600" ... "10th time is a charm" "both 8/2 records now in place"
-personally.+
  
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 and well integrate that in with other things in interoperability.  But then many registrars offer good/excellent APIs, so that's hardly and well integrate that in with other things in interoperability.  But then many registrars offer good/excellent APIs, so that's hardly
 something that's unique to AWS. something that's unique to AWS.
-Also of notewhen AWS first offered registrar services, they resold through Gandi - which also speaks to Gandi's great+Also of notewhen AWS first offered registrar services, they resold through Gandi - which also speaks to Gandi's great
 reliability and dependability and quality APIs.  Not sure if AWS still also does that, but at least since those earlier beginnings between reliability and dependability and quality APIs.  Not sure if AWS still also does that, but at least since those earlier beginnings between
 AWS and Gandi, AWS has also become registrar in their own right, so AWS may or may not still also be using (reselling) Gandi's registrar services. AWS and Gandi, AWS has also become registrar in their own right, so AWS may or may not still also be using (reselling) Gandi's registrar services.
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 ==== domains.google ==== ==== domains.google ====
  
-So, [[https://domains.google/|Google Domains]] has been a competent reliable registrar.+So, [[https://domains.google/|Google Domains]] had been a competent reliable registrar.
 However, on 2023-06-15 [[https://www.squarespace.com/|Squarespace]] concluded an agreement to purchase the Google Domains business. However, on 2023-06-15 [[https://www.squarespace.com/|Squarespace]] concluded an agreement to purchase the Google Domains business.
-So, what has been Google Domains is being migrated over to Squarespace.  And, though I'd expect that for the basic registrar services that +So, what had been Google Domains has been migrated over to Squarespace.  And, though I'd expect that for the basic registrar services that 
-would continue to be functional (but may be a bit different), it's certainly not being an entirely smooth transition for many customers.+would continue to be functional (but may be a bit different), it's certainly not been an entirely smooth transition for many customers.
 But that may mostly be due to differing interfaces, and that Google Domains offered services beyond that of registrar which Squarespace But that may mostly be due to differing interfaces, and that Google Domains offered services beyond that of registrar which Squarespace
-doesn't offer at all.  E.g. Google Domains, in its DNS offering, has supported hosting of Dynamic DNS (DDNS).  Squarespace has no such+doesn't offer at all.  E.g. Google Domains, in its DNS offering, had supported hosting of Dynamic DNS (DDNS).  Squarespace has no such
 offering, so there are many customers not so thrilled with such changes, and many have been scrambling to find suitable replacement services. offering, so there are many customers not so thrilled with such changes, and many have been scrambling to find suitable replacement services.
-Note historically and generally, Google often launches things, and later drops them, as/when they find/decide they're not (sufficiently) profitable +Note historically and generally, Google (& Alphabet) often launches things, and later drops them, as/when they find/decide they're not (sufficiently) 
-and/or don't well (enough) fit to their core business model, etc.  So, although Google was quite competent as registrar, I find it no great+profitable and/or don't well (enough) fit to their core business model, etc.  So, although Google was quite competent as registrar, I find it no great
 surprise that they're exiting the registrar business.  Do I see that as an issue with failed or reduced integration with surprise that they're exiting the registrar business.  Do I see that as an issue with failed or reduced integration with
 [[https://cloud.google.com/|Google Cloud / Google Cloud Platform (GCP)]]? [[https://cloud.google.com/|Google Cloud / Google Cloud Platform (GCP)]]?
 Not particularly, as that can probably be integrated with the API of most any registrar that Not particularly, as that can probably be integrated with the API of most any registrar that
 competently makes such available, without too much difficulty. competently makes such available, without too much difficulty.
 +
 +----
 +
 +==== iwantmyname.com / Key-Systems.net ====
 +
 +[[https://iwantmyname.com/]] - lots of general problems and incompetence.  Once upon a time, were a good registrar, but \\ 
 +--> [[https://www.key-systems.net/|Key-Systems GmbH]] was bought out / sold and ... yeah, seriously not good.
 +So, among the issues/problems:
 +  * Not particularly competent at handling whois, notably opting to make information public (not everyone wants to hide all that information, and with often good reason(s)): \\ [[http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2023-February/012260.html|(forw) I might need to change registrars?]] \\ [[http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2023-February/012265.html|(forw) 1268808 Re: (forw) Hoping for help with an IWantMyName support problem]] \\ [[http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2023-February/012267.html|(forw) I might need to change registrars?]] \\ [[http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2023-February/012268.html|(forw) 1268808 Re: (forw) Hoping for help with an IWantMyName support problem]]
 +  * Lots of incompetency with renewals/extension, e.g. generally being entirely incapable of doing renewals/extensions other than by setting up credit card and doing auto-renew. \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-May/001126.html|So, joker.com, then?]] \\ [[http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2024-May/012788.html|(forw) Customer wants to give your firm money; support won't allow me]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001128.html|So, joker.com, then?]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001131.html|So, joker.com, then?]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001133.html|So, joker.com, then?]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001135.html|So, joker.com, then?]] \\ [[http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2024-June/012789.html|(forw) Customer wants to give your firm money; support won't allow me]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001136.html|So, joker.com, then?]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001137.html|So, joker.com, then?]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001138.html|Gandi wins (was: So, joker.com, then?)]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001140.html|Gandi.net wins (was: So, joker.com, then?)]] \\ [[http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2024-June/012792.html|Gandi.net is my Jedi, now (was: Customer wants to give your firm money; support won't allow me)]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001141.html|Gandi.net wins (was: So, joker.com, then?)]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001142.html|Gandi.net wins (was: So, joker.com, then?)]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001144.html|Gandi.net wins (was: So, joker.com, then?)]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001148.html|Gandi wins (was: So, joker.com, then?)]] \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001149.html|Gandi wins (was: So, joker.com, then?)]] \\ [[http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2024-June/012793.html|Gandi.net is my Jedi, now (was: Customer wants to give your firm money; support won't allow me)]] \\ [[http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2024-June/012795.html|Gandi.net is my Jedi, now (was: Customer wants to give your firm money; support won't allow me)]] 
 +  * Miscellaneous incompetency, like in 2024, lovely automated email ... signed by ... a former principal going back long before they were acquired and all the existing team was canned: \\ [[https://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin/2024-June/001150.html|(forw) Need any help with your iwantmyname account?]]
  
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system/registrars.1708774551.txt.bz2 · Last modified: 2024-02-24T11:35:51+0000 by michael_paoli

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