My domains are currently registered with GoDaddy, which seemed like a good idea at the time but given the company’s and their CEO Bob Parsons’ blatant disregard for customers, common decency, ethics and acceptable business practices I’m moving them en-masse to different registrars.
As for why? Let me count the reasons:
- GoDaddy Faces Boycott over SOPA support (Goodbye a free Internet, hello online feudalism. Don’t believe their attempts at backtracking, merely an ill-considered public relations move that’s fooling noone)
- CEO Shot Female Elephant, Not Bull (Bob Parsons, CEO – thinks it’s perfectly fine to hunt elephants for sport, fails to CYA. Welcome to the 18th century Bob)
- SOPA debate puts GoDaddy in hot water over domain transfers (GoDaddy limiting outbound domain transfers – either you simply don’t have the capacity or you’re outright dodgy dealing IMO)
- Need I say more about their cringe-worthy advertising and “Go Daddy Girls”?
As I host my own DNS services (Motto: “If you want it done right, do it yourself – including screwups”) I expect little to no downtime.
For folks unfamiliar with the proposed legislation (and if you’re a savvy user in the US and don’t – why not!) go and read about it right now! Do you want commercial enterprises and government flodging complaints and taking down lawful domains/content with impunity and no legal recourse? Stifling innovation and competition by allowing said bodies to simply muzzle online ideas that don’t suit their worldview?
Not I. So on the 29th (if not earlier) I’ll be participating in the great exodus from GoDaddy to a registrar that actually cares for the state of the global Internet.
For reference, here’s some info on the bills in question:
- SOPA (Wikipedia) (Thomas / Library of Congress)
- PIPA (Wikipedia) (Library of Congress)
Seriously – in comparison Steven “I’m not bought by the Australian Christian Lobby, really!” Conroy’s Australian internet filter is positively mild 🙁