Live data from Hacker News

Alphabet selling Google Domains assets to Squarespace

bloomberg.com

131–140 of 623 posts

Re: Alphabet selling Google Domains assets to Squarespace

#131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use porkbun.com. Their site is simple. When you click the "Checkout" button you're taken to a confirmation page with a "Continue to Billing" button. There are discreet links you can click to add email/web hosting, but no interstitials to click through. Edit: fixed autocorrect of domain name

... Freudian slip?

autocorrect is a helluva drug

Re: Alphabet selling Google Domains assets to Squarespace

#132

Now would be a good time for Cloudflare to announce they've (finally) added .app and .dev support. Nonetheless, Squarespace isn't bad but I found their domain pricing to be overpriced to target the specific market that doesn't really care about domain pricing they just want their domain and Squarespace set up at once. I can't see myself sticking around post the grace period mentioned.

I like Squarespace’s domain hosting. The only problem is indeed that they will be a couple of bucks more than competitors. That being said, they seem the most stable of the companies in this space that is not otherwise egregiously bad in some way or the other, so I’ve been willing to pay those few bucks more. For the key domains I own it adds up to around $20-$30 more a year which isn’t bad for the greater piece of m…

That stability point is key. You don't want nonsense from your registrar.

Re: Alphabet selling Google Domains assets to Squarespace

#134
post #8

How long until the "don't trust Google to not kill a product" feeling becomes so widespread it begins to hurt them? I don't know any historical precedents...

It's now a self fulfilling prophecy. No one used Google Stadia because Google kills things with little warning, which subsequently caused Google to kill Stadia. Google will never be able to launch another product.

I wouldn't really say that for any of the new products that people actually wanted to use. Including Google Domains (even if it might not be an effective use of workforce for Alphabet).

Re: Alphabet selling Google Domains assets to Squarespace

#135
post #8

How long until the "don't trust Google to not kill a product" feeling becomes so widespread it begins to hurt them? I don't know any historical precedents...

For what I know it already does. I know people considering migrating some infrastructure to the cloud and if they're not already aware of Google's reliability I'll tell them.

Re: Alphabet selling Google Domains assets to Squarespace

#137
post #74

I'm sad to see this, not b/c I like Google, but because domain names are otherwise a manipulative space, and Google was saving us from that. Domain service - name registry - is a weird market because it includes cross-subsidizing businesses and the information has value (and people will pay for anonymity to avoid hassle), so buy decisions aren't just price/performance. Google and Cloudflare can offer it near cost jus…

I have a conspiracy theory that a lot of domain registration companies like GoDaddy sell the domain name searches to squatters (sometimes themselves). The larger cloud companies don't have so much incentive do this. I always look up domains from the terminal.

I was disturbed by learning squatters no longer just sell domains for big bucks, some of them started to offer them for rent.

Re: Alphabet selling Google Domains assets to Squarespace

#138

(in the voice of David Attenborough) And thus starts the great domain migration of 2023. 10 million fledgling domains begin their search for safety in new homes, far away from the coming impending onslaught of upsells and limited time offer emails. Some will find refuge in Cloudflare, others, not so.

Thanks! I just realized "describe in the voice of David Attenborough" is a great prompt.

Re: Alphabet selling Google Domains assets to Squarespace

#140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a conspiracy theory that a lot of domain registration companies like GoDaddy sell the domain name searches to squatters (sometimes themselves). The larger cloud companies don't have so much incentive do this. I always look up domains from the terminal.

I was disturbed by learning squatters no longer just sell domains for big bucks, some of them started to offer them for rent.

That's awful. So someone pays them them, builds a website on their property and they still have you by the balls. I guess you'd only rent to add a redirect over to a new domain.

I've just tried negotiating with a squatter. I'm trying to resurrect a web game with a few thousand players which the original dev neglected. I've rebuilt it on another domain but the community have game data stored in the browser localStorage against the original site. I offered US$200 and was told no - not even a counter offer. I believe they see the domains as lotto tickets - it's in their interests to let a lot of the negotiations fall though so they can win big on a few massive deals.

Post reply on HN