Hostgator as Domain Registrar Coming - Questions

[jerrys]

Hi:

I just recently read via HG's newsletter that HG will soon become a domain registrar. In fact, read it just this morning in HG's latest newsletter:

QUOTE

Watch out GoDaddy!
HostGator is mere weeks away from offering domain registration from our very own domain registrar service. Not only will the registration prices be significantly cheaper than GoDaddy,
END QUOTE

I've been using GoDaddy to now as well as Dreamhost as my domain registrars. Dreamhost will automatically give you domains by proxy service, free, with registration. GoDaddy will do the same, PROVIDED, you register /transfer 5 or more domains to them.

Question 1
Will Hostgator also offer domains by proxy service with it's upcoming domain registrar status?
Question 2
Q.1 is yes, will there be a charge for the service? Will it be similar to what GoDaddy or better, Dreamhost offers?

This service is valuable in that security and privacy details should be retained at the ISP level and not made open to the entire www, imo. Thanks.

[pathiggins]

is domains by proxy also known as who is privacy? I know that the us government does not allow contact information on a .us to use these.

[jerrys]

I am not sure what the U.S. government allows or does not. First of all the internet is a global phenomena although it might have been born out of the U.S. Fundamentally, domains by proxy is when the domain registrar represents the domain owner for listing in public 'who is' type of searches rather then display the actual admin, registrant contact details. In other words, you necessarily need to go through the domain registrar to acquire specific information like that (which is possible with reason) as oppose to just having a domain registrant's details made public for all to see. GoDaddy offers this server for a price, unless you register / transfer 5 or more domains with them. Then the service becomes free. Dreamhost will do this up front as a free service, even for just a single domain. I personally have COM, NET, INFO TLDs all protected with domains by proxy service between the two registrars. I am not sure about TLD US. I am wondering if GD will also provide such similar service, and whether it will be free or paid, once they become a domain registrar.

[pathiggins]

i would say yes, since the domain registration service that they currently offer at www.hostgator.com/domains does offer this.

the only exception is that you cannot block the whois info on a .us domain name, since the us government regulates those and does not allow that, only on a .us name.

[quietFinn]

Originally Posted by pathiggins

i would say yes, since the domain registration service that they currently offer at www.hostgator.com/domains does offer this.

That is because Enom offers it, and HostGator is currently Enom's reseller.

[EarlyOut]

I'd be very surprised if HostGator offered fewer domain registration options than Enom. I'd say it's a safe bet that domain privacy will be available.

[jtitter]

This sounds like the "ID PROTECT" product that eNom, and most registrars, currently offer.

[jlgreer1]

I'm looking forward to Host Gator's domain registration service.

I wonder how much trouble it will be to transfer all of my domains here. I have heard that Godaddy has ways to stifle the transfer process. Though I have never had any trouble with Godaddy, they are getting more and more expensive and their interface changes just about every time you use it. It almost seems like a never ending infomercial.

Jeff

[btraill]

I registered my domain here even with the high price. Knowing that HostGator will support Domain Registry down the road; that's enough to make me pay the extra 5-6.00.

[virtvir5]

Any domain transfers should be quite straightforward once HG has its own registrar service established. Assuming that HG's customer service follows its usual excellent practices (as I'm sure it will) the requestor will only need to make a simple transfer request to Hostgator and then respond as necessary to any resulting authorization demands from the current registrar.

If there are any delays at all, they usually occur in the latter area as the 'losing registrar' is (I think) allowed to hold back for a few days even after the EPP authorization code has been provided.

[jlgreer1]

I have heard that Godaddy has a number of hoops embedded in their contracts that make it difficult to transfer domains away from them.

Jeff

[Rockoids]

Originally Posted by jlgreer1

I have heard that Godaddy has a number of hoops embedded in their contracts that make it difficult to transfer domains away from them.

Jeff

That's going too far, really. I've transferred domains from all the major companies without problems.

I do look forward to how HostGator adds this service, of course.

[quietFinn]

Originally Posted by jlgreer1

I have heard that Godaddy has a number of hoops embedded in their contracts that make it difficult to transfer domains away from them.

Jeff

I have heard that the earth is really flat.

[Rockoids]

Originally Posted by quietFinn

I have heard that the earth is really flat.

It's not?

[EarlyOut]

I'm pretty sure that ICANN has some strict requirements for domain transfers. Any company that tries to get cute, and make it very difficult for you to transfer your registration, would find itself in serious danger of losing its authorization to be a domain registrar.

[Rockoids]

Originally Posted by EarlyOut

I'm pretty sure that ICANN has some strict requirements for domain transfers. Any company that tries to get cute, and make it very difficult for you to transfer your registration, would find itself in serious danger of losing its authorization to be a domain registrar.

I agree. There are some gotchas in the interfaces of some registrars, but you can usually work around them if you follow the directions and examine the screens and buttons carefully enough.

[GatorDavid]

Originally Posted by EarlyOut

I'm pretty sure that ICANN has some strict requirements for domain transfers. Any company that tries to get cute, and make it very difficult for you to transfer your registration, would find itself in serious danger of losing its authorization to be a domain registrar.

Yes, and you can report them here: http://reports.internic.net/cgi/regi...lem-report.cgi