Free Registrar co.cc Goes the Way of the Dodo 70
First time accepted submitter Nexus Unplugged writes "Free domain provider co.cc seems to have quietly and mysteriously disappeared. No official explanation has yet been provided, but a cached copy suggest that they stopped accepting new registrations some time ago. Speculation, however, seems to come to a single conclusion. From the article: 'Due to its free nature (and it's $10 for as many as you want), Co.CC was abused and used for scams and spamming and was even de-listed by Google at one point although they did re-enable it. Getting back to the article on hand a few days ago Co.CC seems to have removed its DNS records which ultimately has stops its own site from working and every sub domain it provided.'
It's worth noting that free domains are still easily obtainable from places like DotTK."
No surprise (Score:5, Insightful)
We can't have anything good and free because scumbags will take advantage of it.
Re:No surprise (Score:1)
You can't have anything free. Ever.
Re:No surprise (Score:2)
Air
Re:No surprise (Score:0)
Useless unless it's clean air. Clean air requires constant oxygen supply AKA plants.
Re:No surprise (Score:1)
Ok, make that, unclean air.
Re:No surprise (Score:5, Funny)
It costs money to pollute that stuff!
Re:No surprise (Score:1)
However, I would direct you to Mr. Humphries [youtube.com], who is always free.
Re:No surprise (Score:1)
Re:No surprise (Score:0)
Your mom said I could have her whenever I want.
Re:No surprise (Score:0)
At a buck-fifty a throw, she's cheap, but not free.
Re:No surprise (Score:0)
naw, I told her to keep her money.
Re:No surprise (Score:0)
Taxes.
Re:No surprise (Score:2)
Re:No surprise (Score:1)
I agree speculation should be outlawed.
Oh wait, what about Wall Street...
Re:No surprise (Score:0)
Like Lennart Poettering >_>
I can't believe no one's noticed... (Score:2)
...that people can't get their free domains because co.cc has been cut off.
Or is that what this story is about?
still several for subdomains (Score:4, Informative)
If you're okay with a subdomain rather than looking to register directly under a TLD, FreeDNS [afraid.org] is another one that's been around for a while, though they target themselves a bit more at people who want a changeable hostname for their dynamic IP (a free alternative to the used-to-be-free-but-now-isn't DynDNS).
Re:still several for subdomains (Score:3)
.co.cc is already a subdomain.
Re:still several for subdomains (Score:1)
Like .co.uk is?
Re:still several for subdomains (Score:0)
no, co.uk is not a registered domain name, co.cc is.
Re:still several for subdomains (Score:0)
Are you a smart ass or an idiot. Cannot tell.
Re:still several for subdomains (Score:2)
Google offers very robust free subdomains (Score:3)
Re:still several for subdomains (Score:0)
Pretty sure you can set up subdomains there, but you don't need to. I've used FreeDNS for a while, but all I really use is my .com and a prefix that I use to forward the traffic to a different server on my proxy.
Re:still several for subdomains (Score:2)
Just add all the domains to your HOST file (Score:1)
apk, I summon you!
apk, I summon you!
apk, I summon you!
Re:Just add all the domains to your HOST file (Score:2)
It takes more than an APK to modify /etc/hosts on an Android device. If your device isn't rooted, you need to use Android Debug Bridge [slashdot.org].
(APK has two meanings, as does Twitter [slashdot.org].)
Re:Just add all the domains to your HOST file (Score:0)
Be carefull, you forgot to chant the incantation to keep the apk-impostor away.
Re:Just add all the domains to your HOST file (Score:0)
There is no impostor, there is only apk.
Re:Just add all the domains to your HOST file (Score:-1)
he must've really gotten a piece of you that you've gone psycho like this.
Re:Just add all the domains to your HOST file (Score:0)
The summoning was successful!
Mysteriously? (Score:0)
"Quietly and mysteriously disappeared"
The article is written as if the whole thing was somehow shrouded in mistery and nobody could ever find out what happened. Well, my guess is that for very profane reasons such as lack of revenue some ordinary humans (not mysterious aliens) decided to pull the plug. That happens.
Re:Mysteriously? (Score:2)
how dare you (Score:2)
Some geographical .us subdomains are still free (Score:4, Interesting)
.wa.us is a good example. You can get seattle.wa.us and other such cities free. It's managed through nwnexus.com. I've always just contacted their sales staff to request forms to register a .seattle.wa.us or .olympia.wa.us for example. They're long, but definitely free.
Re:Some geographical .us subdomains are still free (Score:2)
Can you explain this to me in detail? Their site has nothing specific to how this is done... Thanks.
Illuminati (Score:0)
It is the Illuminati I say. This thing stinks of a conspiracy by the illuminate to take over the world.
Re:Illuminati (Score:0)
No, we have nothing to do with this.
Now excuse me, I have urgent matters to take care of.
Great big .tk advertisement (Score:0)
It's usually not this blatant, is it?
Re:Great big .tk advertisement (Score:2)
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Is it a bad sign that grassroots, word-of-mouth advertising is now indistinguishable from shills, viral advertising campaigns, and astroturfing? It's only a matter of time before corporate America catches on to the fact that we're getting pissed off by this and sells our outrage back to us, in the form of even more cynical advertising methods.
Re:Great big .tk advertisement (Score:4, Informative)
.tk sucks
Their machine runs like so:
They give you a "free domain", and then when your DNS queries reach a certain number, they suspend your domain for "unspecified reasons" and then make you pay twice the price of .com to have the domain re-enabled.
Don't use .tk for anything that isn't disposable.
Re:Great big .tk advertisement (Score:2)
And it's a playground for scammers. I wouldn't use a .tk domain for anything more important than a blog with fewer visitors anually than the ISS.
Re:Great big .tk advertisement (Score:2)
Just registered with them to try their free domain.
How do they count DNS queries, when i'm not using their name servers? (I'm using mine, check my new http://kalevala.tk/ [kalevala.tk] domain)
Re:Great big .tk advertisement (Score:0)
When any host asks tk. which nameserver handles kalevala.tk. of course :) The number of queries will of course not be a total count of the traffic to the site in question since most queries will be cached. But they can still keep a count.
Re:Great big .tk advertisement (Score:1)
check my new http://kalevala.tk/ [kalevala.tk] domain
"If works"?
Re:Great big .tk advertisement (Score:0)
Dot.tk is a giant parking page SCAM set up to lure you in by offering FREE domains only to bait and switch you once your website traffic starts rolling on in.
http://dottkscam.blogspot.ru/2010/02/dot-tk-giant-sedo-parking-scam-stealing.html
My stolen domains :
ADBOARD.TK
ADULT-DATING.TK
HOSTBOX.TK
BRIDESNET.TK
DIGITSHOP.TK
CALLWORLD.TK
EROTOP.TK
TVGIRL.TK
FREE-PEOPLE-SEARCH.TK
INDIANDRUGS.TK
KINOSERIAL.TK
MINIGAMEZ.TK
MYBESTBRIDE.TK
PHONE-CARD.TK
PILLSGURU.TK
SEOTOOL.TK
TECHSHOP.TK
TVFILM.TK
UNLIMVIDEO.TK
WEBDRUGS.TK
VIDEOLIB.TK
WEBDOSKA.TK
Standart letter:
From: Ross Pooley
Subject: Re: HELP !!!!
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your enquiry about the closed domain. Unfortunately the domain has been shut down because of a complaint about unacceptable content.
With Kind Regards, Dot TK Support
Post your warning on https://www.facebook.com/dottk?sk=wall
DotTK questions (Score:5, Funny)
If I write an NTP server in Tcl/Tk and register it on Dot.TK could I call it ticktock.tcl.tk?
Re:DotTK questions (Score:-1)
nope. 3 letter domains at .tk are $1000/year.,
Re:DotTK questions (Score:0)
Whooooooooooooooosh
Re:DotTK questions (Score:3)
Actually tcl.tk is already the primary domain for active tcl.
I reference wiki.tcl.tk and their online man pages there frequently.
Re:DotTK questions (Score:-1)
Whoooooooooosh!
Blocked It At My Job (Score:2)
At my last job we encountered too many links to scammers and malware from sites on their subdomains via spam and customer applications. We went ahead and blocked *.co.cc and would not approve any potential customer applications if that's where their website was.
If a company wants to do a website on the cheap, domains don't cost much and hosting can be had for $5/mo to free depending on your content.
Re:Blocked It At My Job (Score:3)
Myabe it's just one of those things that only geeks notice, but it still boggles my mind when I see companies (not even small ones) with a website on freewebs and matching hotmail email.
Re:Blocked It At My Job (Score:2)
i a know multi-national company whose employees (VP's, Regional Managers, ...) regularly use yahoo or gmail accounts with vendors because their corporate e-mail system is so locked down that even the smallest of attachments (anything over 500kb) gets blocked.
can't have nice things (Score:0)
This is the only reason i send in my $499/yr slashdot subscription to Nigeria.
co.cc? (Score:1)
I don't suppose it had anything to do with how that particular domain is pronounced?
Might be suited to adult sites, but it wouldn't work for everyone.
I always knew it (Score:1)
There Ain't Such A Thing As Free Co.cc.
Re:co.cc? (Score:0)
.co.ck already exists for the Cook Islands.
No great loss (Score:0)
I used them a few years ago for a site (hosting old software I'd written), had nothing but trouble with them.
They'd periodically suspend the domain without any notification and then a week long game of email pingpong to get it back again.
"Your site was hosting pirated software" really, that was news to me! . When asked to give a URL to the offending page their reason would suddenly change to
"Your site was hosting objectionable content", nope , no pron there either.
Again, ask for a URL to the content in question and it'd change again to hosting malware or sending spam.
Not once would they back up their claims with any proof, just email back a different reason for suspension. Then after they run of reasons they'd reinstate it. .tk domains, that wasn't any better, domain deleted without any reasons given.
Tried swapping to the free
As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for.
Sounds like a good target for creative commons (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Sounds like a good target for creative commons (Score:0)
Tell that to Verisign (owns eNic), because the good people (all ~600) 'need' their own tld.
Re:Sounds like a good target for creative commons (Score:0)
keep your evangelism to yourself. if your idea worked as well as your brain did when you came with it, it would fail miserably.
the article is about the apparent shutdown of an independent service that operated on the second-level domain name co.cc; NOT the ccTLD .cc which is assigned to the cocos islands and administered by verisign under contract with that australian territory's government -- it (the TLD) cannot just be 'given' to the creative commons movement.
you get what you pay for (Score:1)
Re:you get what you pay for (Score:2)
Obviously you did not read their terms and conditions [www.dot.tk] before relying on the service. DotTK are crooks by design. Their businness model is clear: get your money once you find the service useful.
Re:you get what you pay for (Score:1)
Had my website there (Score:1)
Re:Had my website there (Score:0)
no-ip.com still has free sub domains with update client like dyndns back in the day.
reply (Score:-1)
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Missed opportunity (Score:2)
They should have positioned themselves as an alternative to .xxx during the years (decade?) when people were fighting about that one. Only problem is for lesbian sites, but they could do things like we.need.no.co.cc.
my first domain was co.cc good times (Score:0)
well i suppose its just about the same as having an angelfire or geocities url but shorter. it felt really amazing though, now domains aren't $50/yr but less than $10 so people have it good these days.