Comments on: Am I A Blogger Domain Squatter? Is that Bad?

By: Darren Kuropatwa

Darren Kuropatwa — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:12:22 +0000

Hi Alan,

Don’t give it up. You’re not squating. It’s yours. You thought of and grabbed the url first so you get to decide what you want to do with it regardless of how anybody else feels about it.

The moveable type blogshop was my first introduction to blogging. Shortly after I found the mirror at blogshop.blogspot.com and was happy to find it as blogger.com is my personal first choice of blog engine. The site has value for visitors even though it hasn’t been updated in a while. I continue to value it as my personal introduction to the blog.

A personal resonance:

My first blog was for one of my grade 12 precalculus classes. It lasted only about 3 or 4 weeks. Since it was such a small beginning I deleted all the posts and and used the site (url: http://pc40s.blogspot.com) to develop my second class blog (I didn’t start my own personal blog until six weeks later). I can’t tell you how many times, and how often, I’ve kicked myself for doing that. It wasn’t a fantastic beginning but it was the beginning of something that has changed me professionally and personally. And I can’t get it back. I really can’t express the depth of my regret. Don’t let it go. Like Bogey said: “… you’ll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday soon; and for the rest of your life.”

By: Alan Levine aka CogDog

Alan Levine aka CogDog — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:11:53 +0000

Heh, maybe. Its not even an internet domain, it is a blogspot.com name. Just because I am not posting tot he site does not mean I am not using it, or I have an invalid reason for holding on to it.

But the requester never formalized his/her need or intent, so I am staying out. The jury is out on what the “better” use might be.

But the conversation around it has been wonderful.

By: Chris Duke

Chris Duke — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:29:40 +0000

If you’re not going to continue developing and using the site, there’s no reason archive-worthy information couldn’t be moved or backed up. I don’t think that’s a reason to keep the domain.

If the person requesting it is going to use it to develop a blog to meaningfully participate in a community of any sort, their use of the space will be more than what you’re currently planning to do with it.

Then back up your site and release the domain. Of course, we’ll have to hope that it’s coordinated sufficiently that the user requesting it manages to get the name before someone else does.

If one or both of the above IF’s aren’t true, keep the domain. To me, it’s the netiquette thing to do; and imagine if roles were reversed – would you be posting a rant about how a domain you want is not being used when you’d make better use of it?

-Chris
SL: Topher Zwiers

By: Colin Gray

Colin Gray — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:03:50 +0000

I do a fair bit of webdesign alongside by elearning work and often find domains that I require just sitting dormant, or containing a bunch of adverts not related at all to the subject. It’s frustrating but I’m not sure what the solution is. If someone buys it then they should have the right to keep it…

By: Bryan Alexander

Bryan Alexander — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:30:36 +0000

Agreeing with Downes’ second comment.

And seconding your cheer for the awesome Archive.org.

By: Stephen Downes

Stephen Downes — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 12:28:52 +0000

I looked at the site and… I take it back.

There is content on the site. It remains relevant and of historical value. That is not squatting.

It becomes ‘not squatting’ if the domain is being used to store content.

By: Stephen Downes

Stephen Downes — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 12:26:46 +0000

You’re squatting. It doesn’t become ‘not squatting’ just because it’s you.

By: John Larkin

John Larkin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 06:47:14 +0000

Hi Alan,
You are the one and only original CogDog Blogger… just think of the blogshop domain like your favourite old bone… buried back there in the yard somewhere. Every now and then you might dig it up, have a bit of chew and then bury it again. It’s your favourite old dog bone. Yours to bury, yours to chew and yours to keep.
Cheers
John

By: Alan Levine aka CogDog

Alan Levine aka CogDog — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:26:56 +0000

With Dr Glu’s last words, I am staying pat with my squatting, unless a requestor can make a reasonable, justifiable plea.

I dont hafta do nuttin

By: Gardner

Gardner — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:04:20 +0000

Keep it. The long tail suggests there’ll be a use for it sometime whether or not you post any new content.

Revisit the question in five years. :)