Changes between Version 10 and Version 11 of WebInfoPamphlet
- Timestamp:
- May 21, 2008, 4:33:38 PM (16 years ago)
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WebInfoPamphlet
v10 v11 103 103 Domain registration is an Internet-wide practice performed by a very few, select and highly specialized companies called "registrars." These are companies that have huge resources and experience and are required to demonstrate those resources and experience with the Internet's management authorities (like ICAAN). 104 104 105 Their only role is to sign you up for a domain no one else has, take your yearly fee and put you on a database that has your domain, information about who owns it, and the IP addresses of the people who host the local dns for that domain. They also circulated this information to a network of servers called "DNS servers" (there are about two dozen of them world-wide).105 Their only role is to sign you up for a domain no one else has, take your yearly fee and put you on a database that has your domain, information about who owns it, and the IP addresses of the people who host the authoritative DNS for that domain. They also circulated this information to a network of servers called "root DNS servers." 106 106 107 107 That's it. People type in the url and it goes to one of those servers to find out where the local dns is hosted. 108 108 109 Local dns is something different. Here the provider has a set of records that have your domain name, your service year (www or mail or whatever) and the IP of the specific server this stuff is one (or servers if there's more than one). It's the system that tellsyour browser or email client where precisely to go to find a website or to send a specific person email.109 Authoritative DNS is something different. Here the provider has a set of records that have your domain name, your service year (www or mail or whatever) and the IP of the specific server this stuff is one (or servers if there's more than one). It's the system that tells .your browser or email client where precisely to go to find a website or to send a specific person email. 110 110 111 That's the difference: Like with an office or apartment building, domain registration is like the telephone directory: it gives the address to the building where the person you're looking for resides or work. Local dnsis the office or bell directory downstairs that tells you precisely where, inside the building, that person can be found.111 That's the difference: Like with an office or apartment building, domain registration is like the telephone directory: it gives the address to the building where the person you're looking for resides or work. Authoritative DNS is the office or bell directory downstairs that tells you precisely where, inside the building, that person can be found. 112 112 113 If a provider controls domain register, that provider can actually prevent you from moving your site from his/her servers or demand all kinds of things from you before permission is given. That's why it's illegal. A provider cannot be a domain registrar. 114 115 So how do they offer both? They're paying a registrar to do the domain work and passing on the charges to you. The only problem is they don't pass on the information about who the domain registrar is and so you can't make a change yourself. As remarkable as it may seem, this bit of high-tech flim flam is perfectly legal and providers (like tucows and godaddy) do it all the time. 113 If a provider controls domain register, that provider can actually prevent you from moving your site from his/her servers or demand all kinds of things from you before permission is given. 116 114 117 115 This practice runs counter to everything the Internet stands for. You can't move your site if someone else is controlling the domain and if you can't move your site, you are a prisoner. No matter what someone may tell you about a "contract" or anything else, you have the legal right to know who is providing your domain registration and the legal right to move your domain anyplace you want. … … 119 117 In fact, you ''do'' have access to this information even though your provider may hide it from you. You use the whois command on a command line of any terminal hooked up to the Internet. For example, 120 118 119 {{{ 121 120 yourterminal$ whois mayfirst.org 121 }}} 122 122 123 123 yield this information: 124 124 125 {{{ 125 126 Domain ID:D101505448-LROR 126 127 Domain Name:MAYFIRST.ORG … … 133 134 Registrant Name:Media Jumpstart Inc. 134 135 Registrant Organization:aka May First/People Link 135 136 }}} 136 137 137 138 So we know two things right off -- this domain name is owned by the organization Media Jumpstart (our owning foundation) and it's registered at dotster (our domain registrar). All registration records give you this information. And at the bottom of the record it says: 138 139 140 {{{ 139 141 Name Server:B.NS.MAYFIRST.ORG 140 142 Name Server:A.NS.MAYFIRST.ORG 143 }}} 141 144 142 which are the names of the local dnsservers at May First/People Link.145 which are the names of the authoritative DNS servers at May First/People Link. 143 146 144 If you go to Dotster, login and you are the owner of this record (the registrant) you can repoint it to whatever provider IP address you want and that place will then assume handling local dns (and presumably many other services) for you. There may be some restrictions (like if you owe the old provider money) but if you're in the midst of a contract year or are paid off, you can make the move legally without any question.147 If you go to Dotster, login and you are the owner of this record (the registrant), then you can re-point it to whatever authoritative DNS server you want and that place will then assume the responsibility for handling DNS lookups (and presumably many other services) for you. There may be some restrictions (like if you owe the old provider money) but if you're in the midst of a contract year or are paid off, you can make the move legally without any question. 145 148 146 149 The right way to do it is: the person who owns the website should own the registration.