Should I get a domain?

[John Schreiber]

We're looking at dropping our local dialup ISP and getting a cable hookup.

I'm thinking that at the same time, I may want to register a domain name of my own. I remember hearing that the thing to do was to get your own domain, then set it up to bounce everything to a yahoo or hotmail email account so you can access your email from anywhere.

Does this make sense, or am I remembering wrong? What is involved in getting my own domain? What does it cost?

[Arvin Brown]

You don't need to get a domain. Just sign up for a free account with Yahoo. But if you do want a domain, you can register with a cheap service for around $10/month.

[Jim Becker]

Having your own domain separate from your ISP isn't a horrible thing and can give you a lot of flexibility. Your domain is independent from your ISP, so you can insure that your email address and web site, if any, remain the same "forever"...or at least for as long as you pay for the domain.

You don't need to forward your personal domain's email to a HotMail or Yahoo (or similar) account in order to have access from "anywhere". Web-based services (free) such as mail2web.com will provide that to you when you are traveling with no problem. I use that one as an example only as I happen to use it for my own access when traveling.

[Wolf Kiessling]

We're looking at dropping our local dialup ISP and getting a cable hookup.

I'm thinking that at the same time, I may want to register a domain name of my own. I remember hearing that the thing to do was to get your own domain, then set it up to bounce everything to a yahoo or hotmail email account so you can access your email from anywhere.

Does this make sense, or am I remembering wrong? What is involved in getting my own domain? What does it cost?

Ditto what Arvin said.

The reason to get you own domain is if you want to set up a web site.

[Jim Becker]

The reason to get you own domain is if you want to set up a web site.

Plenty of folks get domains and don't have web sites...they do it because they want to control their identity over time while still having choices for access to the 'net. But having your own domain certainly makes having a personal web site a lot more...err...personal!

[Tom Sweeney]

that you can set it up as an email addy & either retrieve it from web mail, forward to another account or set up Outlook Express or Eudora on your computer. you can register a dot com domain right now at godaddy.com for about $8 a year. This is strictly for the registring of the domain name. for a small bit more you can get site hosting, email services etc..

The real email benefit of your own domain is that as long as you keep the name registered you keep the same email address. If you get tired of yahoo or AOL or they go out of business or whatever you still have the same address & don't have to notify all your contacts that you changed.

Of course you could also setup your own personal web site very easily & for just a little more money.

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

I have owned dozens of Domains. My main domain is zackjennings.com

You can get a domain for $18/year if you buy it for 5 years at doteasy.com. Along with the domain name you get 20MB of webspace. The utility for forwarding your mail to a yahoo acct is easy to use.

I like having an easy to remembeer address. You can also collect your mail direcly off of their server or refer to your cable internet address. You can collect your mail on the road from your cable internet provider by logging into their site. So, you really don't need a hotmail or yahoo acct.

My provider is Cox cable. I can log into Cox from anywhere and use my password to check mail but I never do it. Any mail I get, can wait until I get home.

http://www.doteasy.com

http://www.zackjennings.com/

[Wolf Kiessling]

Jim and Tom... Boy, was I given some bum dope. If I understand what you are saying is that by "registering a domain name" I would get to keep my email address even if I change ISP. Is that correct? I was under the impression that if I changed ISP I would also have to change email address. That is one of the reasons I don't even look at other ISPs because I don't want to change my email address.

Another thing, my current web site is a freebee from my ISP and they basically told me what my URL is. If I get my own domain, would I be able to keep my current web site and just change the URL and keep it thereafter forever? Until you quit paying for domain registration, that is. Not sure that makes any sense but I'm hoping...

[Tom Sweeney]

here it is:
You currently have an email address wolf@yourisp.com they probably give you 10MB's of space for a personal web site. that is all standard.

you want your own domain so you go to godaddy.com and register WOLFKIESSLING.COM (available BTW) for $7.95 a year.
to use this domain you need an email hosting provider. You can check with your current ISP to see if they will host your WOLFKIESSLING.COM email for free or a very small price. Now to step back you can just forward WOLFKIESSLING.COM to wolf@yourisp.com & not worry about it. You can make your @WOLFKIESSLING.COM anything you want IE: wolf@WOLFKIESSLING.COM . This function is included free at godaddy. Then if you decide to change your ISP to differentisp.com. you just go to your godaddy administarative panel & change the forwarding of wolf@WOLFKIESSLING.COM to your new wolf@differentisp.com & your all set.

Now of course if you get your own domain you will want to change your email addy you give out to everyone to wolf@WOLFKIESSLING.COM. but after that it won't matter what ISP you use you will always be wolf@WOLFKIESSLING.COM, as long as you pay the $7.95 a year for domain registration.

Clear as mud?? if not email me at clearasmud@realtymarketing.com ;-)
That's another benefit - depending on hosting company - anything@realtymarketing.com will get to me

One more thing - you can also forward www.WOLFKIESSLING.COM to www.yourisp.com/yourfreewebsite so that it is easier for people to remember your URL. you just need to get the DNS info from your ISP to set the forwarding at your godaddy admin panel.

not afiliated BLAH BLAH BLAH

[Jim Becker]

here it is:

What he said!

It's nice to be able to retain your "identity" without giving up your ability to make different decisions about how you access the Internet. Having your own domain is the only way to do that.

[Wolf Kiessling]

[

Okay, Tom......as you said - clear as mud I printed it out, put it on my regular desk and will read it about 10 times. Actually, I understand most of it but some is a little fuzzy. However, that's okay for now.

I just got some new business cards so I'm not gonna do anything until I use them up. Only got 250 so it shouldn't take that long. It's kind of funny, the last two times I got business cards, each time something changed, either address/phone number, or website URL.

I guess this domain thing is kind of like the new rules re cell phone changes, you now get to keep you old number. Is that a correct analogy? Funny, I went on-line about four years ago and thought all this time the only time you need a domain name is if you want to set up a web site where you sell stuff. Come to think of it, ouch, I believe the lady that took my money at the ISP told me that.

[Jim Becker]

I just got some new business cards so I'm not gonna do anything until I use them up. Only got 250 so it shouldn't take that long. It's kind of funny, the last two times I got business cards, each time something changed, either address/phone number, or website URL.

Wolf, check and see if you can forward your email from your ISP to another address automagically...if so, you can go ahead and get things setup for your own domain and not have a problem with the current cards...email and even web can be easily redirected to your own site.

[Wolf Kiessling]

Wolf, check and see if you can forward your email from your ISP to another address automagically...if so, you can go ahead and get things setup for your own domain and not have a problem with the current cards...email and even web can be easily redirected to your own site.

I will do that on Monday, Jim. If that is possible, would this be the scenario?

1. I would have a domain set up, say www.wtk.com arbitrarily.

2. I still have my old email address with my current ISP - wjk@texhoma.net

3. Someone sends a msg to my old email address, it gets routed automatically to www.wtk.com and that is where I retrieve the message from. If I send an email, do I use the old email address or the new domain email address - I guess that would be, under this scenario, if I understood Todd Burch, wjk@wtk.com

4. My current web URL is www.texhoma.net/~wjk (actual)

5. I transfer all the info on my current website to my new domain - the arbitrary www.wtk.com. This leaves no info at the old URL

6. Someone dials up www.texhoma.net/~wjk and the call gets directed to www.wtk.com automatically. (If this is so, I would have to get my ISP to maintain that URL even though the web site is no longer there?)

7. Is this essentially what would happen?

[Jim Becker]

1. I would have a domain set up, say www.wtk.com arbitrarily.

Correct. You pick your name, and as long as it's available, you can "buy" it. The longer period you pay for, the lower the cost per year. You might want to talk with Keith about what he can do for you on this in addition to other options, such as those mentioned by Tom or the service I use, myhosting.com

2. I still have my old email address with my current ISP - wjk@texhoma.net

Yes, you will still need to maintain that as your ISP will send you notices on that address.

3. Someone sends a msg to my old email address, it gets routed automatically to www.wtk.com and that is where I retrieve the message from. If I send an email, do I use the old email address or the new domain email address - I guess that would be, under this scenario, if I understood Todd Burch, wjk@wtk.com

Yes, email that is set to your old address is/can be forwarded to your new, permanent one. (Check that your ISP provides for this--most do!) When you send outgoing email, your "reply to" should be changed to your new address, but you will probably still need to use your ISP's outgoing SMTP server. How you do that is specific to your ISP; they may or may not use "authentication" to keep their servers from being used as spam relays.

4. My current web URL is www.texhoma.net/~wjk (actual)

5. I transfer all the info on my current website to my new domain - the arbitrary www.wtk.com. This leaves no info at the old URL.

6. Someone dials up www.texhoma.net/~wjk and the call gets directed to www.wtk.com automatically. (If this is so, I would have to get my ISP to maintain that URL even though the web site is no longer there?)

7. Is this essentially what would happen?

There will still need to be one page at your old URL...essentially a blank page with a "redirect" statement in the header to send folks to your new URL automatically. Tom, me, or someone else can help you with that when it needs to be put up. It's a simple, blank page with some special code. Everything else gets moved to the new storage location and the only changes you would need to make would be if there are any URLs in the site that are hard coded to the old address...which there shouldn't be if it was put together "normally" with "relative links".

[Wolf Kiessling]

Thank you, kind sir......