GoDaddy does NOT frontrun....

[draggar]

In a severe case of lacking in wisdom, I checked a few domains the other night w/ GoDaddy (instead of the usual WhoIs service).

Most were acronyms or 2-acronym combinations but very popular.
Acr1 is the same acronym
Adj = adjective
FN1 -s the full name of Acr1

Combination one: Acr1Acr2.com
Google Results:
+Acr1 +Acr2 = 51,400 results
Acr1 Acr2 = 24,000 hits (huh?)
+"FN1" +Acr2 = 370,000 hits
+"FN1" +FN2 = 139,000 hits

Combination 2: Adj1Acr1
Adj Acr1 = 13,400 hits
+Adj +Acr1 = 147,000 hits


Both were still available yesterday afternoon. I've done it before with better domains with much better Google results and they were still available up to 48 hours later.

It seems that Google is NOT front running, or at least they do not think my domains are good enough.

[acronym007]

Yes, GoDaddy "appears" to be a safe place to register names. I have looked up names there too and later registered them. Nothing to do with the name quality more business ethics.

[dcristo]

I have had concerns they sell there data to third parties. Many webmasters have expressed the same concern, but it is difficult to pin point the source of the problem.

[acronym007]

They are nothing like NS who registers the name the same minute you check it.

[dcristo]

They are nothing like NS who registers the name the same minute you check it.

No but I have had domains registered hours after checking their availability on GD. And these were names no one else would likely register, and by known tasters.

[acronym007]

No but I have had domains registered hours after checking their availability on GD. And these were names no one else would likely register, and by known tasters.

See with me I was able to register names on there hours, days later, the names were still available. I was impressed and happy about that but I don't trust any registrar 100% because they all have access and no laws preventing them from behaving in an unethical manner.

[CureCancer]

GD Rules!

[Bill Roy]

Over the past few months I have literally checked thousands of domains at GD and only once has a name that was shown as available been unavailable when I came to register it, and that was just one of those annoying blips in the system as it turned out to be as the name had been registered since 2002.

I might not like the their taste of music whilst on hold on the phone (that can be turned off), I might not understand their pricing policies on some extensions (I can register them elsewhere), but as a registry they have always been helpful. The one time I phoned concerning an attempt by someone to steal some domain names of another member here (and many others were also on the phone to them about the same incident) they acted swiftly and I am glad to say responded to by immediately seizing the domains so they could not be transferred into the ether somewhere, and the domains were returned to their rightful owner.

This is why GD get my vote as the best. It would surprise me if ever there was evidence of GD pirating the searches.

[draggar]

GD seems to be pretty good to me so far. One of the domains I was able to register two days after checking it.

I need to be able to trust my registrar that they will be there tomorrow (*coughcoughnameflycoughcough*) and they won't front-run me.

I've also used 1&1 (don't laugh) who hasn't front runned me yet (some domains still available after a week). GoDaddy has a much better domain management too, though (and a faster one, too).

I'm actually glad I started to use them last month and started moving my domains over from 1&1.

[tinner666]

Before I ever heard of front-running, I checked names there. Hemmed and hawed, checked a day or two later, still there, skipped a day or two, then said "What the Heck?", the name would still be there. I'd get it. Never gone back and found one gone unless I had TOLD somebody what I was thinking of.

[draggar]

Even though people here don't like them, I've had the same luck with 1&1, as much as 2 weeks later, domains are still available (checking every few days).