Do NOT use GoDaddy, don't even visit the site.

[brie@do.crimes.brie.gay]

@Baa@mk.absturztau.be @ocean@raru.re they definitely don't do this every time, there is some sort of criteria for it

that one is pretty easy to verify yourself, just look up a random domain name on godaddy and it probably won't get registered

there are also limits on how much GoDaddy (or anyone else) can do this:

There is a 5 day grace period after a new domain name is registered where a registrar (e.g., GoDaddy) can get a refund on it. That's probably what they're doing here: if you wait 5 days the domain will probably be available again.

They can only get a refund for 10% of the total domains they register, so they can't do this constantly. From what I've heard, before this 10% policy was added, this type of registering domains that people were looking for was even more common.

Random fact that mildly amused me: the 10% limit is from the AGP Policy (from ICANN)

[lumin@capivarinha.club]

@ocean@raru.re I think that looking through domain name availability with the command line is a safer way of checking, right?

[maddiefuzz@masto.hackers.town]

@ocean namecheap did it to me

[datakrash@cyber.ms]

@ocean Namecheap does that as well, by the way.

[autisticplushy@lgbtqia.space]

@ocean Can you make them register all the domains you check availability, like doing it in mass?

[ocean@raru.re]

@autisticplushy someone should make a script that randomly checks garbage domain names on a timer, so it just wastes a ton of godaddys money

[autisticplushy@lgbtqia.space]

@ocean

[drwho@masto.hackers.town]

@ocean @autisticplushy It doesn't waste their money. They just add a row to their database and it's live.

[thisismissem@hachyderm.io]

@ocean @Viss alternatively: bankrupt godaddy by tricking them into registering millions of useless domains

[nothacking@infosec.exchange]

@ocean@raru.re As a general rule, registrars who's main businesses is domains are a bad choice, especially the ones that do promotions like ".com for 1$".

They are resellers, and must pay nearly the whole 10$/year to the registry (a different company), leading to very small margins. Any extra money to run ads or promotions must come from either:

1. charging you extra money
2. ... or screwing customers.

Really, the whole system is a racket, but there are things that reduce the risk of bad things happening.

[wrewdison@masto.hackers.town]

@datakrash @ocean this is why I only search when I know I’m going to buy.

I don’t trust a single fucking one of those companies.

[natanox@chaos.social]

@drwho @ocean @autisticplushy There must be a reason for them to do it, so a script that hammers them with nonsense domain lookups to clutter their database of snatched domains could harm them in some way.

[leadegroot@bne.social]

@ocean this has been a known risk for decades i only ever check domain name availability at the command line, and recommend the same to everyone
$ whois something.com

[viss@mastodon.social]

@thisismissem @ocean i love this denial of service scenario

[deltawye@tiggi.es]

@ocean I cannot recommend hosts that are part of NewFold Digital - formerly Endurance International.

[almonds@mastodon.mit.edu]

@ocean
I think they do this to themselves with Punycode domain names. A while ago I got one 2 emojis long, and ever since, they've sent me emails telling me to act fast for "similar" names. They all start with x and have several random letters and aren't even proper Punycode. I'll see if I can find an example...

Edit: added screenshot

[sb@metroholografix.ca]

@ocean
Can attest to Porkbun - uncluttered ui, proper API access, decent prices, no BS (yet). Only downside is that it's based in nazi occupied america. Otherwise, they're probably one of the best out there.

[chuff@bark.wolp.chat]

@ocean@raru.re

Porkbun seconded

[epsi@akko.wtf]

@ocean been hearing about this for years

I use namecheap but I really should swap to porkbun

[vextaur@blog.taursnd.haus]

@ocean Porkbun for the win