Network solutions!

[Eiii]

Network Solutions likes to steal domains as soon as you search to see if they're available. This can lead to making network solutions register some pretty funny domains.

http://dontusenetworksolutions.com/
http://networksolutionssucksass.com/
This one which is maybe more vulgar
http://networksolutionshumpsdogs.com/

Those'll probably only be up for a couple days, but they're funny nonetheless. The last one is sk89q's. Add your own!

EDIT: Oh, I see how it is, Mr. Filter.
EDIT: Okay, the filter even applies to URLs. I'm sure you guys can tell what it's supposed to be, though.

[lekky]

wow, what a company...

EDIT: wow, seriously thats intercoursed up. Don't you guys have trading standards (or morals for that matter) over there or what?

EDIT2: its funny how many of these names i think up are already registered by NetworkSolutions :/

[KnacK]

I read that this morning  - that really sucks

[XtremeBain]

http://jesusmadenetworksolutionsdoit.com/

[lekky]

600,000 domain names are registered daily! Don't delay; there's no guarantee that a domain name you see today will still be here tomorrow!

Is there some sort of threat hidden in that?

[jitspoe]

Is there some sort of threat hidden in that?

I think it's a promise.

[y00tz]

Yeah a lot of registrars do this... if you read the fine print in some you'll see they aggregate domain search data and sell it...

I'm sure they have a "logical reasoning" such as 'we register it immediately so it doesn't get snatched up while our customer is considering it'

I'm glad I switched from them... paying $xx for domains was ridiculous, but I did prefer their SSL... I just got locked out of too many domains so I switched...

"Yes, hello? I'd like to switch my dns from your expensive unreliable hosting to my boxes here..."
"Oh ok, we'll need a blood sample sent to our office in the Czech Republic, can I get your credit card number?"

[KnacK]

I have switch everything over to godaddy.  Never had any issues and their certs are reasonably priced as well.

[ViciouZ]

http://networksolutionsaregirl thingys.com/

[lekky]

Yeah a lot of registrars do this...

Like who, I'm interested who can get away with this.

[XtremeBain]

Apparently they're only reserving the names for 4 days, at which point it is released back to the registry.  They started doing this to protect people who search for available domains on their site, so that they're not stolen by other domain front runners.

[Eiii]

That's their excuse, at least. They charge more than many other companies, so I really think it's just their way of guaranteeing business.

[KnacK]

A few days ago, Google made this anoouncement regarding the 5 day grace period:

confidential informant says Google will stop monetizing all domains if they are less then five days old. This potential new policy change by Google could stop all Domain Tasting in its tracks. The Add Grace Period (AGP) is a time period when registrars can delete a domain at no cost, but in this time frame a registrant could register millions of these temporary domains and place Google Adsense for Domains on them. The result is the ability to produce millions of temporary websites that literally generate millions of dollars in income per week for Google. It was disclosed in court that one of Google’s partners was generating as much as 3 million dollars a month from the practice, and that was after Google’s revenue share. Oversee.net and other companies have been using this practice for years and it will have a direct impact on them. The gravy train of free money might be coming to a halt very fast. This policy change at Google should be announced to the channel partners soon and it will have a huge echoing impact on the Industry.

The good news is the quantity of advertising will now be spread among fewer domains. If bid prices start to rise as a result of this change, domain owners who actually own real, full domains should receive more money. However, some advocates of Domain Tasting say that perhaps no one will be able to serve the niche for some ads and no one will make money on the un-served ads.

I think this is a return of the “Be Good” motto Google had a few years ago. Google has been quietly enabling this practice for years. This is a smart policy move on Google’s part to ward off impending litigation that might have hit them in the coming months. Trademark lawyers have been getting craftier at taking down Kiting by suing under other laws. The new weapon of choice is to use forgery laws instead of trademark laws. The penalty for forgery is much worse and caries a much higher fine per forged article. Dell, Yahoo, and BMW have all filed lawsuits in the last two months asking for millions of dollars of damage from Google partners and I think Google sees the writing on the wall: they might be named next.

The question remains, “Will Yahoo follow suit and also block all advertising on domains less than 5 day old?” I have a feeling Yahoo will do precisely that because they are one of the groups suing Domain Tasters using the forgery law tactic. Most of the big Domain Tasters are now using Google ad syndication feeds to monetize the traffic - those dollars will come knocking on Yahoo’s door soon.

UPDATE BY JAY: The new Google policy will go into effect before the end of February.

Now, ICANN has made a move to totally remove the free grave period to get rid of tasters all together:

Susan Crawford moved and Steve Goldstein seconded the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas, the current version of all gTLD registry contracts provides for a
five-calendar-day Add Grace period (AGP) following the initial registration
of a domain during which a domain may be deleted and the sponsoring
Registrar will be credited for the amount of the registration fee (see,
e.g.,
http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/verisign/appendix-07-01mar06.htm);

Whereas, the AGP was originally created to allow domain names that had been
accidentally registered to be cancelled;

Whereas, the practice of "domain tasting," by which names are registered and
then deleted during the AGP, has grown at a very great rate since 2005, with
tens of millions of domains registered and deleted each month;

Whereas, it is apparent that the AGP is being used for purposes for which it
was not intended;

Whereas, abuse of the AGP is, in the opinion of the majority of respondents
whose statements were collected by the GNSO Ad Hoc Group on Domain Name
Tasting (4 October 2007 report), producing disadvantages in the form of
consumer confusion and potential fraud that outweigh the benefits of the
AGP;

Whereas, the GNSO Council on 31 October 2007 resolved to launch a PDP on
Domain Tasting and to encourage staff to apply ICANN's fee collections to
names registered and subsequently de-registered during the AGP;

Whereas, it is the Board's view that abuses of the AGP should speedily be
halted, while the positive benefits of the AGP to consumers should be
retained;

Whereas, the positive benefits of the AGP may include, among other things,
avoiding fraud and monitoring, testing and development of registrars'
provisioning, production and/or merchant gateway systems;

Whereas, the Board believes that the withdrawal of ICANN's waiver of ICANN's
non-refundable transaction fee to the deletion of names within the AGP will
substantially end the practice of abusing the AGP;

THEREFORE, the Board resolves (2008.01.04) to encourage ICANN's budgetary process to
include fees for all domains added, including domains added during the AGP,
and encourages community discussion involved in developing the ICANN budget,
subject to both Board approval and registrar approval of this fee.

A voice vote was taken of all Board Members present and the motion was approved by a vote of 13-0. Bruce Tonkin abstained from voting on this item.

This is great news for the general public.

[XtremeBain]

Darnit, I just renewed my annual membership to the local domain tasting club...

[KnacK]

* KnacK pokes bain in his "dot com"