8 ms·

How do you own a domain? If you rely on a registrar, it just move the identity owner from an email provider to a registrar. Real overkill method is own a TLD.

by ezoe 4y ago

How do you own a domain? If you rely on a registrar, it just move the identity owner from an email provider to a registrar. Real overkill method is own a TLD. It's unrealistic for an individual though.

jjav 4y ago
> If you rely on a registrar, it just move the identity owner from an email provider to a registrar. OP put own in quotes because of this. Still, while horror stories with registrars certainly exist, they are vastly outnumbered by horror stories of gmail/et.al. locking people out for no reason and no recourse.
makeitdouble 4y ago
Registrars are not infallible, but are a big step above in term of stability. There is the ideal view that you should be able to have your own virtual island where absolutely nothing can deprive you of ownership (including existing govs. depending on your beliefs), and I kinda root for the people who try to push it as far as possible. But pragmatically, registering your domain goes a very long way and is IMO the best trade-off you can get without going crazy.
- fauigerzigerk 4y ago
  I agree and it's what I do. But I think there is one valid counter argument. If you have to pay for something, then there is always additional potential for loss of access that doesn't exist with free services. That potential is perhaps even greater with domain registrars and all the other service providers involved in email services (registrar, domain host, email provider). Any issue with any of these services could mean you're not getting notified of problems and you may no longer be able to get into the admin account. And if you try to avoid that by storing a different notification/recovery email with them (if at all possible), it opens another can of worms. My main domain almost expired on one occasion because I didn't get the renewal reminders at the alternative address I had stored there years ago. I had simply forgotten about it. And after I had canceled my legacy G Suite account recently, I received a message from Google at one of my old recovery addresses telling me that this G Suite (Workspace) account was going to be automatically upgraded unless I log in to check some box. Only I could no longer log in as the account didn't exist any more, nor could I contact support as that requires logging in as well. Every single account I pay for requires some sort of constant monitoring and maintainance. Otherwise, things just degrade and access is eventually lost. That's why I'm not sure whether I would really recommend everyone rent their own domain.
  - makeitdouble 4y ago
    Yes, this is a real issue. Some people straight keep renewal schedules in their calendar like they do for anniversaries and tax filing deadlines. Funnily enough, registering domains at specific occasions makes it easier to remember to check the status (credit card registration etc) At the core of it, I’m not sure it’s that different from anything you actually “own”. Someone “owning” a house would still probably get it seized if they disappeared for years without ever paying property and local taxes. Losing a house is pretty extreme, but to your point a domain name is also becoming a pretty big deal nowadays.
    - fauigerzigerk 4y ago
      >Some people straight keep renewal schedules in their calendar I do too, but will I still be using that same calendar in 6 or 7 years when the renewal comes up? The calendar is linked to some of the same subscriptions.
googlryas 4y ago
Perhaps it would be easier to just own an IP address?
- 867-5309 4y ago
  the certificates needed to secure email require a domain name
  - account42 4y ago
    There is no technical reason that certificates can't sign IP addresses - that is pure policy because IPs currently don't really represent an identity.
Timshel 4y ago
Big difference you can fransfer your domain to another registrar if you are unhappy with it.
- sgjohnson 4y ago
  Not always. Most nation-state NICs won't let you.
  - account42 4y ago
    You can't transfer to a different registry (since there is only one registry for each TLD) but where have you had problems transferring to a different registrar? Is this a case of the registry also being the (only) registrar? I don't think that's common.

by ezoe 4y ago

jjav 4y ago

> If you rely on a registrar, it just move the identity owner from an email provider to a registrar. OP put own in quotes because of this. Still, while horror stories with registrars certainly exist, they are vastly outnumbered by horror stories of gmail/et.al. locking people out for no reason and no recourse.

makeitdouble 4y ago

Registrars are not infallible, but are a big step above in term of stability. There is the ideal view that you should be able to have your own virtual island where absolutely nothing can deprive you of ownership (including existing govs. depending on your beliefs), and I kinda root for the people who try to push it as far as possible. But pragmatically, registering your domain goes a very long way and is IMO the best trade-off you can get without going crazy.

fauigerzigerk 4y ago
I agree and it's what I do. But I think there is one valid counter argument. If you have to pay for something, then there is always additional potential for loss of access that doesn't exist with free services. That potential is perhaps even greater with domain registrars and all the other service providers involved in email services (registrar, domain host, email provider). Any issue with any of these services could mean you're not getting notified of problems and you may no longer be able to get into the admin account. And if you try to avoid that by storing a different notification/recovery email with them (if at all possible), it opens another can of worms. My main domain almost expired on one occasion because I didn't get the renewal reminders at the alternative address I had stored there years ago. I had simply forgotten about it. And after I had canceled my legacy G Suite account recently, I received a message from Google at one of my old recovery addresses telling me that this G Suite (Workspace) account was going to be automatically upgraded unless I log in to check some box. Only I could no longer log in as the account didn't exist any more, nor could I contact support as that requires logging in as well. Every single account I pay for requires some sort of constant monitoring and maintainance. Otherwise, things just degrade and access is eventually lost. That's why I'm not sure whether I would really recommend everyone rent their own domain.
- makeitdouble 4y ago
  Yes, this is a real issue. Some people straight keep renewal schedules in their calendar like they do for anniversaries and tax filing deadlines. Funnily enough, registering domains at specific occasions makes it easier to remember to check the status (credit card registration etc) At the core of it, I’m not sure it’s that different from anything you actually “own”. Someone “owning” a house would still probably get it seized if they disappeared for years without ever paying property and local taxes. Losing a house is pretty extreme, but to your point a domain name is also becoming a pretty big deal nowadays.
  - fauigerzigerk 4y ago
    >Some people straight keep renewal schedules in their calendar I do too, but will I still be using that same calendar in 6 or 7 years when the renewal comes up? The calendar is linked to some of the same subscriptions.

googlryas 4y ago

Perhaps it would be easier to just own an IP address?

867-5309 4y ago
the certificates needed to secure email require a domain name
- account42 4y ago
  There is no technical reason that certificates can't sign IP addresses - that is pure policy because IPs currently don't really represent an identity.

Timshel 4y ago

Big difference you can fransfer your domain to another registrar if you are unhappy with it.

sgjohnson 4y ago
Not always. Most nation-state NICs won't let you.
- account42 4y ago
  You can't transfer to a different registry (since there is only one registry for each TLD) but where have you had problems transferring to a different registrar? Is this a case of the registry also being the (only) registrar? I don't think that's common.