Last week I looked-up a domain name that was exactly on-target for the next website I want to do and it was available. Today I look and it's registered to someone else. Is there some way that someone can get a list of what domain names have been "looked-up" to see if they're available (not the registrar I checked with but someone else -- the registrar would WANT me to get the domain name through them). I'd imagine that having such a list and then registering the names that are being looked-up would be a great business...
...or am I not getting enough sleep?
Yeah, this theory has been around for awhile, and why not believe - at least for any given registrar - that it's possible to track.
Though, based upon my own extensive experience, I'd have to say either 1) it's not true; or, 2) I must simply pick crappy domains.
Here's another thought: Recently there's been a few big players that have been registering everything under the sun on a traffic test basis for a few days then cancelling the registrations that don't show traffic promise.
You might want to check back on the registration just in case. Just don't be typing the domain into your browser or you'll encourage these companies to keep it. :(
(Whew! It's not just me.)
My stepdaughter's name is unusual. Made-up in fact. Doesn't even follow conventional spelling rules.
Looked it up one day out of curiosity.
Looked it up the next day intending to register it, and got interrupted before I could get it done.
Went to register the next day - poof, she gone.
<insert twilight zone music here>
Go to any random registrar and start - but don't complete - the registration process of any old domain. Maybe even make an attempt to have the domain look like it might be worthy of registration.
Then, tomorrow, report back here: Was the domain somehow myteriously registered in the next 12 hours?
Let's put this to a test.
I went back the next day to register it and it was taken. I was sure that either my network was hacked or the registrar was screwing me.
A couple of days later, I found out that one of my partners had taken the initiative and registered it. ;)
I found out that one of my partners had taken the initiative and registered it.
Alas, I have no partners to blame for having a similar experience . . many times. :(
Webwork, I think this is a cool idea. Do you think we should try it on certain registrars only? Does anyone here feel that there is a heightened level of sheistiness going in from, say, GoDaddy, rather than NetSol? And I take it we should try the most awkward domains possible... or should we try something that looks like it could actually generate some traffic? I'm gonna try one on NetSol, and go as far as I can before having to put in the credit card info... i'll check back with ya'll on Sunday or Monday to tell you if it's gone.
If anyone says "they just did it to me" that event will naturally be followed by any number of other members "checking it out". I, for one, will join the fray if we get to that point.
I spent one whole afternoon going through an expired domains list, checking for good keyword, backlinks etc and on that night that all of them were taken. Even those very lousy names that I don't even intend to buy.
In the end, I lost interest only, bought another name to realise that almost all of it is available afew days later.
Not worth taking any chances, or giving someone else a heads-up.
Onya
Woz
Conspiracy theories are back on the table!
I wouldn't put much trust in third party whois either. Who knows what their agenda is for providing free whois searches.
J
1) good domains can be valuable
2) regisering domain names is cheap
3) those who who run registrars and whois services can easily see what domain names are being searched on.
4) simply by snatching up the good domain name ideas these registrars and whois'ers can make a bundle.
Maybe they themselves do not purchase these domain names, but it is easy enough to form an alliance for just such purposes.
BTW, try getting a valuable domain that has recently expired...the registrars hold them hostage and make a killing. It's not much of a leap to apply the same to newly thought of domain names that the unwary search on.
How would a large registrar keep track, and manually check to see if the domain is worth registering, considering the volume they go through?
it makes sense i guess, but who is behind the registering of the names? the register company?
do they sell lists of searches or something (that would be lucrative i would assume, especially multiple ones)
who do they sell them to? or does some hack program allow a person to 'see' searches or collect stats from these searches
is this possible?
