August/September 2008

In this issue

1. Catching Up
2. Do You Own Your Domain Name?
3. Doing Web-Based Communications Right—Part 1 of 3
4. Find of the Month

Hi,

Catching Up.

Summer has gone by much too fast. Vacation was wonderful, the return not so wonderful Anyhow, things overall are going well here. Let’s get to it, here is DesignDetails.

Do You Own Your Domain Name?

This is an important question to find an answer to. When you or your company setup your website, how did you get your domain name?
Read More »

Doing Web-Based Communications Right—Part 1 of 3

Large corporations and well-funded start ups have the bankroll to build web communications with large amounts of research and planning. There are teams of people working on tasks such as…
Read More »

Finally, Find of the Month

Every month I share an Internet destination that has some application to doing business, getting things done, or just plain cool. This month it’s a cool one. A friend shared this video with me a while back, and I’ve been holding on to it. It’s a video on the TED web site. TED: Technology, Entertainment, Design is an annual conference that brings together fascinating thinkers and doers. This video from Jill Bolte Taylor is worth the 18 minute viewing time.

Wrap up

That’s it for this month of DesignDetails. Let me know if you have any questions about any of this content. I always welcome questions and feedback to make this of value to you.

Are you facing a challenge or have a question relating to the Internet? Please share. I can answer your questions and share with everyone.

If you like this e-newsletter, consider forwarding to a friend. Thanks for spreading the word.

Do you know someone in need of expert help or advice with web communications? I always welcome your referrals of friends, colleagues, and family. And let me know if you welcome referrals as well.

I’ll talk to you again next month.

Bert Mahoney AIGA
Publisher, DesignDetails
Principal + Creative Director
HamiltonBerchman Design Group, Inc.
Director of Internet Strategy and Services
AIGA Santa Barbara

AIGA | the professional association for design

This is an important question to find an answer to. When you or your company setup your website, how did you get your domain name?

• Did you buy it yourself?
• Did you have someone buy it for you?
• Did it come as part of a package deal? (Meaning that you got your domain name as part of some ’special website deal’)

This may seem like a trivial matter for some people. However, I know of at least one business owner who found out the hard way your domain name is serious business. When he wanted to move his entire web site to a less expensive web hosting company he discovered that the domain name he thought he owned was not registered in his name.

The web hosting company was the authorized registrant on the domain, not him. Technically this means the hosting company owned the domain name – not him. You need to be named registrant.

There are three “contacts” for a registered domain name:

• Administrative
• Technical
• Billing

At the very least you should be the “Administrative” contact, and most likely the “Billing” contact as well.

Is this the case for you?

Some of you will know, like I do, that you definitely own your domain name. But what if you are not sure? Where do you turn to find out. I have the answer for you. You need to do a “whois” search.

Go to this web site, called AllWhoIs.

Once at this web site enter the domain name you want to search and its suffix (.com, .net, .org, etc.)

Press “search” and the results will show in the window below. Look to see if you are the registrant and administrative contact. If not you need to get in touch with who is to transfer the domain.

Anything to share?

Please do so in the comments