PLEASE HELP! Can anybody advise me about registering domain names?

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[lucyblue]

I need a quick education about registering a domain name.

I have no experience with this, but have a .com name that I want to secure - even though I'm not ready to put up the site just yet.

Is there a way to secure a domain name without using companies like godaddy.com or register.com?

Are any of these registering services any better / more reputable than another?

How does the "back-order" thing work? (Can your domain be 'stolen'?)

[Alia]

bookmark

[lucyblue]

Thanks to everybody for your responses!

[Rakkasan1]

can't help you,but here's an interesting idea...
Blogger grabs DFL-friendly domain names
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1354735/posts

[solitas]

I use http://www.directnic.com

[evilC]

Most providers allow you to register your domain name and "park it" (i.e. hold it without a website). Once you are ready to put up your web site you can "point" the domain to the correct address (your webspace provider will give you the address). You usually do not have to register and host with the same people.

You should be able to register for about $8 or $9. Unless you expect very high traffic, you should be able to host for less than $10 and possibly less than $5 per month.

[ThePythonicCow]

Is there a way to secure a domain name without using companies like godaddy.com or register.com?

There are three separate steps here:

1. Register the domain name ($5 to $10 per year).
2. Setup a website (on your own computers, with your ISP, perhaps some free websites with limitations, or $5 to $$$$ per month).
3. Point ("forward") the name to your website (free - normal part of domain registration service).

To 'secure' a domain name you will need to register it. I use GoDaddy.com for all my registrations. I recommend them.

I recommend registering your names at a site that makes a major business of registering names, not at your local ISP, and not at the first place you happen to have a website at. The sites you will choose for your websites will change over time, and it is more convenient to have a separate, long term, registrant with whom you work, independent of where you happen to have websites at the moment.

[HAL9000]

Is there a way to secure a domain name without using companies like godaddy.com or register.com?

They're all about the same. Do you have some specific reason not to use godaddy.com or register.com?

If you're trying to avoid having your real name on the domain registration, some of those registrars have proxy ownership products to accomplish that.