GoDaddy is supposed to "park" a domain when it is in the final stages of expiring. That is, when you go there, you see a GoDaddy page that lets you know something is up. But my domain worked fine--I updated this blog on the 14th--and then all of a sudden, it was whisked away.
This business of buying up expiring domains is a whole shady corner of the internet. The guy who got mine is a 21 year-old who lives in his parents' basement in Chicago. He offered to sell it back to me for $5,500.
Think of all the boner pills that would buy him.
Or don't think of it.
So, I don't even know. Any advice or ideas you have are welcome. I'm left with the plan of trying to continue to get my correct links out through facebook and twitter, though I know this only reaches a small part of my readers. I mean, it's not like this domain was my livelihood, but I'd been building it for over four years.
Maybe I'll still get it back. I can't think that the traffic generated by people google searching my blog will generate this domain-stalker any real money. Certainly not enough to live on his own and maybe kiss a girl one day. We'll see.
Makes me way madder than my purse being stolen.
I will still be here, and if you have me linked on your blog and are seeing this post, please change your link to the URL that is up top, www.suburbanmatron.blogspot.com. And follow me on fb and twitter and all that so I can keep you in the loop. And if you are following SubMat on fb, maybe share this news with any friends you have who are also readers. Sniff.
Meanwhile I'm going to go do some emotional eating. But first I'll favor you with an emoticon.
xoxox
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43 comments:
He can steal your domain name, but he can't steal your sunshine. Fight the good fight. I'm sorry this happened.
This calls for an ultimate curse.
Fuck that GoDaddy shit.
I exude righteous anger on your behalf! I was very concerned when I couldn't find you. Presumably most of your followers are relatively resourceful? Here's hoping. Sorry. People suck.
This seriously bums me, man. Don't we know any hackers or something very 90s like that. I'm pretty sure we can make him disappear or have a bunch or parking tickets or something if we all get together and roller blade to pay phones and link up via dial up while wearing pleather and neon, right?
BUMMER. I'm with Elizabeth. Some kind of a curse would certainly be in order. Or at least some kind of Bloggers Unite kind of protest. When I try to go to you, it takes me to cing.com. What if we all start leaving abusive comments there. Saying stuff like "Set Suburban Matron FREE, you pathetic scumbag!" I think it might work. What do you think?
Thanks guys. Yella, I'm pretty sure that whether that helped or not, it would be an awesome time!
Elizabeth, I second that emotion. Fuck that shit right in the ear.
Yeah, that's the guy Gretchen. Don't click there any more though, don't want him to have traffic from my search.
DO however join me in creating a little voodoo doll.
:( Suburban Matron is bigger than a domain name!! You will draw all readers to yourself, don't fret!!
Oh, that just sucks! I'm off to correct the links to Suburban Matron on my blog...I wouldn't want anyone to click through to that guy! :(
Done, the links are changed on my blog. What a pain in the ass. Fuck that shit, indeed. Just really.
You know, back in the mid-90's, before this whole internet thing began really ramping up, I went to a seminar on how to make money on the web. It turned out to be a tutorial on how to do this...buy up domain names, then sell them for loads of cash. Wow, what a fortune to be had! A little part of me thought it sounded smart. The other 98% of me was really, REALLY uncomfortable with the whole idea. It seemed pretty skeevy, even if I couldn't quite put my finger on why way back then before the whole world knew about the WWW.
I hope that twerp's parents find out how he makes his money and give him a spanking.
Ugh, that is HORRID. I don't know what I'd do in upyournposition... I cohldnt really feel good about rewarding this guy for his dickwadery to the tune of five thousand dollars. But, yeah, you built this. Of course you want to keep it.
Any chance of appealing to GoDaddy? If they sold something they shouldn't have, can they give the guy a refund and roll this back?
Or... it would stink, but maybe you could bargain this guy down into your price range. :-(
I found you via lafemme, we are longtime acquaintances, and have been a reader of your blog for a while now. I am sad for you, that domain stuff stinks. Plus, I'm sad I gave that punk kid a hit, too. But I also used your blogroll as my own, so I admit I'm sad it is gone for entirely selfish reasons!
Trolls on the internet SUCK. When my site got hacked, I felt a similar hatred for those who simply exist to fuck with other people's shit. Go build something for yourself, asshat, and stop stealing other people's stuff.
I will change my blogroll link, but in the meantime, I want to know how you found out all that personal stuff about this dude. And if you have his address so we can go egg his house and send him pizzas he didn't order. Ring and run!!!
this just gives me a headache! i got your email and will try to fix my link. A pox on domain thieves!
"Domain thieves?"
You must have ignored twenty, maybe even thirty GoDaddy renewal messages, each one more urgent than the one before.
Yes, your blog world is in ruins.
Yes, it is YOUR fault.
If you leave your purse on the roof of your car when you go into the mall, do you curse the mall cop when someone steals it?
Oh grow a pair, James Beatty.
Becky, this sucks! Well, I hope it makes you feel a tinier bit better that the subscription on my Google Reader still sent me here to your new post even though I subscribed to your previous domain. I don't fully understand why but am glad that happened. The internet voodoo gods may just smile on you yet. And I second Jane's idea, it seems like GoDaddy should do some internet pirating to get it back for you. ARRR!
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/cybersquatting-what-what-can-be-29778.html
You can take him to court under the ACPA.
Okay, I'm back because I woke up twice in the middle of the night worrying about you (and, frankly, having a hot flash)and I checked what Justine said and yes, I was also able to get to you via my Google Reader. So...yea Google! Also, BlogWild is a genius, because this sounds like the very definition of cybersquatting. Maybe it's time to call Lawyer Mom? Nobody like a Texan Republican woman to strike the fear of God into some parasite boy living in his parents basement.
I guess this means you have to reregister a domain in your alter-ego's name: Suburban AWESOME.
My father once responded to a rather lengthy and involved story about a totally shitty thing a guy had done to my best friend with a single, heartfelt word:
"Churl."
I've changed your link, sunshine Becky. And I will add, "Karma, churl."
Hmmmm... could you harness the power of FB and Twitter and friends to tilt the google algorithm? I don't know if it will help, but wouldn't think it would hurt. A google search for Suburban Matron and then click ONLY on the "BLOGSPOT" entry. It was the first entry on the second page of results for me. (And I 'bout broke my mouse, clicking with FUCK-YOU-VIAGRA-BOY zeal.)
James Beatty, that just may be the lamest analogy I've ever heard.
Really, Papa? If you let your domain registration lapse for a month, then whined about the consequences, what would you compare it to?
Vultures? Parasites?
James sounds like a purse thief with a guilty conscience.
OMG it took me forever to find you. Don't ever go away like that again, m'kay?
That dude is just bitter because he looks like the "mysterious killer" in the WOW episode of Southpark, season 10 "Make Love, Not Warcraft."
I fixed my link and didn't give him one click. What a poophead. Just give it back, guy.
So in James's analogy are we all the mall cops trying to get him, the thief, to return the purse? Or is he the mall cop? Say what you will about domain names, this whole discussion has reignited my passion for teaching young wankers the proper use of analogy and other literary devices when they are going to use them to be, well, wankers.
Wow, it's exciting to see how people like James Beatty take that extra moment to be of use to others. He must be extraordinarily kindhearted to spend time giving such thoughtful and truly helpful advice. So nice to know that when something bad happens to someone, JB is there to make the world a better place. Awesomesauce!
Ms. Matron, you will have dedicated readers no matter what, and your work from the past will not be for naught. As they say at my alma mater, "fight on!"
If James Beatty were as smart as he wished he could be, he would know enough to know something. For example, that GoDaddy was having tremendous & well-documented (among ppl who need to be as smart as we really as we require them to base actions, not just blibbering abt pooping on people) internal server issues right around the time yr domain was expiring, Becky, so WHO KNOWS where yr process was in that shifting ground? Qui sait?
James Beatty: Downtrodden, miunderstood Mall Cop, what is especially hilarious abt you is that you not only don't know what you wish you knew, but you don't even know what is here to know. Becky JUST left her purse in her front seat & got her window busted & her purse STOLEN & in fact did not whine & only blamed herself, as far as that goes. So, to wrap up, if you are sad abt this treatment in response to yr silly, illiterate heckling, I hope you have a compassionate blog audience with whom to share yr troubles, in between giving them tips on how to get a big, blue woody.
That is all horribly aggravating! I hope you had a decent supply of comfort chocolate on hand! Just wandered over from Second Blooming.
It only took me like 2 minutes to find your new home. It's just like you moved one street over in the same neighborhood so you could have granite counters or something.
Who is James Beatty? Found you again today, sorry about the domain name fiasco. Glad to see you're posting.
People suck. You're still awesome.
I'm not really linked to you but eventually found this through Camp Papa (your dad's??) email which was on your sister's comments section. (can you tell I have a PI license?? LOL) That does suck; never never give that 21 year old shark your money or satisfaction!!
It finally occurred to me to google 'suburban matron blog' and your site was second under boner-boy's.
Damn, what a bastard. I thought you had stopped blogging and I was like NOOOOOO.
That sucks!!! If it makes you feel any better, I found your blog on some other blogger's blogroll today, so at least she updated the URL. I will ask my husband about your conundrum. He is wicked smart. Of course I am biased, but he's a web geek, he may know something!
Thanks for letting me know. I wondered why the feeder page was blank, then I looked you up on Google. Despair not. I'll bet lots of your devoted readers will do the same!
I keep checking on you :) If you get a new domain name shoot me a comment at messymom.com and let me know, because you can't let this stop you. I had a similar situation a couple years ago. My biggest frustration after switching is when I do a search on my blog page looking for a post from before the switch it doesn't show up, but it's not that big of a deal.
So THAT's what happened! Ugghh Ugghh Uggh and you were dealing with GoDady who are all so legit. I hope you get it all sorted out, but loved your description of the igit who has your domain name!
aha! I just did some digging to see why you hadn't posted in so long... and here you are. So sorry for that mess.
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