Network Solutions Advertises On Your Sub-Domains

Wowsers writes "The Register reports that customers have found that their defunct or forgotten-about sub-domains have been taken over by Network Solutions to send users to ad pages. By digging through a 59K-word user agreement, you can find the following text: 'You also agree that any domain name directory, sub-directory, file name or path (e.g.) that does not resolve to an active web page on your Web site being hosted by Network Solutions, may be used by Network Solutions to place a "parking" page, "under construction" page, or other temporary page that may include promotions and advertisements for, and links to, Network Solutions' Web site...'" TechCrunch first brought this NetSol practice to light, and Ars explained how to opt out of it if you host there.

If there is one lesson that I have learned

Is that registrars have don't care who has a domain. They will happily forget to send you an email and have your domain expire and sell it to a spammer.

Re:If there is one lesson that I have learned

But. But. But that's the free market self regulating itself!

Re:If there is one lesson that I have learned

Apparently if you use their hosting service, even if you don't let it expire, they can redirect 404's from your website to any site of their choosing! No thanks!

Ridiculous prices anyway

Having a domain registered with them since 1999, I received a renewal notice... wanting $35.99 to renew for a year. When I called to tell them what an absurd price that was, they said well that's just their regular price, and they would have someone call me back about maybe getting a lower price. I've always hated marketing tactics like that, so I am of course just transferring it to be registered elsewhere. I highly recommend not using Network Solutions as your domain registrar, just based on my own experience with them.

Hope it works out... more Netsol chicanery...

I had to renew my domain with Network Solutions before they would LET ME transfer it, because once they sent that renewal notice they put it in "hold" status... even though it had 3 weeks left. Tucows were great about it and comped me an extra year for the year that Network Solutions forced me to re-up for.

Read it even more carefully.

'You also agree that any domain name directory, sub-directory, file name or path (e.g.) that does not resolve to an active web page on your Web site being hosted by Network Solutions, may be used by Network Solutions to place a "parking" page, "under construction" page, or other temporary page that may include promotions and advertisements for, and links to, Network Solutions' Web site

(emphasis mine)

So, does that mean that if you register a domain through Network Solutions but have it hosted somewhere else (even your own hardware), they can usurp control over the domain and put this crap out there?

Layne

Re:Read it even more carefully.

they only do this if you use them for DNS. Though once the domain goes inactive, the DNS automatically reverts to their local DNS until the domain is paid and active again. They are also new ventures, even though they will deny it to the end. They've report selling domains for 100k+ - NetSol is so underhanded and full of marketing tricks and ploys that it isn't even funny.

Re:Read it even more carefully.

I believe you've got this right.

If you are hosting your own web site, there is no magic whereby NS can reach out and grab a URL and redirect it whereever it pleases. DNS doesn't work that way.

This is only possible if the host in the URL resolves to a NS box, at point your browser hands the URL to the server on that box and the box figures out what to send back. What this amounts to is allowing them to use the 404 not found page to promote their interests rather than yours, even if you are a current, paid up customer for hosting.

Now if we were in the Utopian future of the semantic web, we would need to watch the guardians of that very closely indeed, but DNS falls far short of that.

With respect to subdomains -- that's similar, but a bit different. If you move your domain registration to another service, there's nothing they can do about subdomains. But if you let NS run your DNS service, then they're claiming the right to benefit from things like mistyped URLs that should resolve to YOUR content.

It's not NICE, but it is not nefarious either. What it says is that NS reserves the right to treat its customers in a cheesy way. Well, then the customers should expect something in return. If all things being equal, one vendor stipulates he can grab the benefit of people trying to reach you but failing, and the other doesn't, you should go to the vendor who treats your name service and URL space as belonging to you.

Re:

No, I read that differently. If you own soggyballs.com, this would be if you had used i.have.soggyballs.com, but are no longer using the i.have. subdomain.

The webpage you would get sent to is probably quite like what you described.

This is confusing

This is a very bad thing. When this happens to me when I browse, it makes me do a double take and try to figure out how I goofed up the URL and ended at a squatters site.

Shameful

They could make this agreeable to domain owners by making it opt-in and offering a cut of the profits to the domain owner.

The Problem is ICANN

ICANN is the root problem here, and in many other issues. Specifically, ICANNs complete lack oversight over registrars. This in itself would not be so bad, but coupled with ICANN's refusal to consider behavior and ethics when accrediting registrars. Incidents like this are eroding peoples faith in the current system, and if it goes on like this other countries will have a very substantial case for removing internet control from US hands.

Ultimately, internet registrars need to have a code of ethics, which they can be held to account over. Some people might call this woolly thinking. However doctors, engineers and yes, even lawyers and estate agents, have codes of practice that they are supposed to abide by and can in theory be held to account over. Registrars need only amass monopolies of scale and pay off ICANN with cold hard cash. Naturally, such a system attracts the most unscrupulous type of practices.

Only two things can break the net as it currently stands. ICANN, and the telecoms. The latter is dubious. If this mismanagement continues ICANN could literally bring about its own demise, and possibly the free internet along with it.

Re:The Problem is ICANN

ICANN is the root problem here, and in many other issues. Specifically, ICANNs complete lack oversight over registrars.

This isn't s registrar problem, it is a web hosting problem (or a DNS service problem in the case of subdomains) that happens to involve a hosting company that is also a registrar. Planting ads on 404 pages could be done by any (scummy) hosting company. Registrars that don't provide hosting can't monkey with 404 pages. The problem doesn't involve the registration of the domain name, it's the optional services (hosting/DNS) provided after registration where the problem arises, so I don't see how ICANN has anything to do with it. I'm not saying ICANN doesn't have shortcomings, I'm just saying this isn't one of them.

Why would anyone expect different?

If someone signs-on with Network Solutions, it's par for the course. It's just what they do, from domain "tasting", to putting holds on domains people search on, to sending out misleading renewal notices, to other highly questionable practices, they're still acting like they act like they're still the registrar monopoly. Until ICANN decides to smack them down, they'll continue to push the limits.

It's almost like they hold meetings to decide which abusive or sleazy practice they'll see how long they can get away with each month.

godaddy has a variation on this

they offer a revenue sharing of sorts...giving you a tiny cut of any click payments from ads lodged on your parked pages. But I think its a scam unless you actually set up tons of parking because you pay godaddy a $4/month fee to join this plan. To date I have made exactly zero money back because I did not specifically set up ads on my "under construction" pages. Its just godaddy taking unearned money out of my pocket.

59K-word user agreement!!!

Network Solutions user agreement - ~59,000 words
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - 76,944 words
no comments...

Re:59K-word user agreement!!!

Network Solutions user agreement - ~59,000 words

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - 76,944 words

*and* you don't have to buy Harry Potter again every year ! Great value (although not very exciting if you're over 14) !
Still, I'm moving my pages to Hogwarts Hosting !

Can we end this?

Seriously, there should be a word limit on the amount of legalese you can agree to in a single action, or for a single service.

Bonus if we can make it legally required that every contract have a human-readable summary, similar to the Creative Commons ones. Here's their summary of the GPLv2. [creativecommons.org]

The moral of the story is...

Don't use Network Solutions for anything, EVER

Especially don't use them as a whois service because they will place a hold on any domain you look up that isn't owned and force you to buy it through them unless you just wait a week and then the hold is taken off. My Boss did this and I told him never to do it again. Network Solutions charges more for everything and their customer service and level of service on products is WORSE. So why pay more if you aren't getting anything in return. Just stop using Network Solutions and put them out of business once and for all.

Pretty Sad That...

Two different sites with "Tech" in the name and the Slashdot readership haven't managed to figure out this trickery yet.

There are no magic 404s here.

When you set up your DNS with Network Solutions, a wildcard DNS entry is created. It defaults to an ad page (just like every other DNS record with them does).

At that point you have 2 options:

• Opt out - Any of your DNS records pointing to the ad page will go to a non-ad "Under Construction" page
• Assign your wildcard record somewhere - Like you should have been doing in the first damn place. "Lern2DNS nub."

While it might not be the most feel-good thing Network Solutions could do with your DNS, don't attribute to their malice what is easily attributed to user laziness.

Why do I feel like I'm on Trolldot today?

Disclosure: I have 1 domain with Network Solutions and 6 with GoDaddy

Re:

Amen, brother.

And if my fellow /.'ers hate spam as much as the parent poster and I, check out my book [amazon.com]. It's well worth a read.

Ok, I kid, I kid.

Re:opt out

opt out. opt... out... from now, I am going to boycott any company that does anything "opt out" at all. I encourage all of you to join me.

Good luck with that. Unless you plan on being fully self-sufficient on an island in the middle of nowhere, you won't be able to do it.

Re:opt out

Well, I'll have you know, I already have full plans for the formation of the new and superior society of nerdtopia.

Re:The simplist way to deal with this problem...

Exactly, fuck companies who do this. If people are using your space which you paid for to advertise their own services, the only way to truly "opt out" is to ditch them.

Alternatives?

I've been reading about the evils of Network Solutions and GoDaddy and the like. I was wondering if anyone had any alternatives to recommend for anyone looking for a decent registrar?

Thanks in advance.