The Skull Cinema

This blog needs an e-mail: well it doesn't really, but I want it to have one. E-mail addresses can be set up via most domain registrars' control panels (presumably as the cost of supplying an e-mail service is minimal) and Google Domains is not an exception in this. Two options are provided: a full suite of apps aimed at business users called Google Workspace , provided on a monthly subscription basis, or basic e-mail forwarding , which is free. The free option is all that I require at the moment, so let's follow the steps in that last link. First sign in to Google Domains : this will be automatic if you're already logged in to Google, otherwise log in to Google and follow the link to your Domains control panel. Next click on the domain name that you want to set up e-mail forwarding on, and select Email in the command list that comes up. If the menu options are not visible then click on Main menu ( ☰ at top left-hand side). Under Email forwarding , s...

So this was supposed to be the part where I buy the domain from a cheap domain registrar and then transfer it to GoogleDomains . Well, not quite… I went to tld-list.com and domcomp.com and identified that 1&1 were offering domains at $1.19 (paying in USD is no problem these days) with free WHOIS privacy, unlike GoDaddy who wanted a further £5.99 for it. OK, I haven't tried moving a domain from 1&1 to Google Domains but I got it to work with GoDaddy and there would be a year to organise it. So off to the 1&1 website. Huh? $16.34? Oh, I only want one year as I am going to move afterwards, let's change that. Ahh, there's the catch, you have to buy two years with one at full price. OK, let's try the UK website, as the exchange fees will jack that price up. Now even more, at £13.32 a year. Ho hum, may as well just go directly to GoogleDomains. Quick search for skullcinema and slap it in the cart. All present and correct. ...

As mentioned , I have decided to confirm that a discounted domain bought from another provider ( ie GoDaddy ) can be transferred over to Google Domains without issue before going ahead, proving the process by transferring over an existing domain. I have never done this before so I am putting up a complete blow-by-blow how-to on the switching process [as of Mar 2018]. The first task is to navigate to the Google Domains website ( https://domains.google/#/ ) From there you can either click on MANAGE MY DOMAINS (top right corner) or hit I'D LIKE TO TRANSFER, INSTEAD. The first will log you in to your active Google account (and who doesn't have one of these??) and bring up your Domains list. Hitting the link in ' transfer a domain that you already own' will take you to the same page that you would have reached with the ' I'd like to transfer ' link under the search box of the Google Domains landing page. Next, off to GoDaddy to si...

Thinking cap on then; what is a suitable name for the blog? Not much point using my own name if I'm going to protect my address, and anyhow it has already gone to a photographer in Georgia. The next choice is whether to use a generic or specific name. As the blog is going to be a selection of random thoughts ( aka drivel) non-specific is a given. All good so far, but at this point the horror of writing stories in English lessons looms up from the past as I am presented with a blank sheet of paper. Hmm, back to the internet for inspiration. It appears that there are several ways to approach this , making a word up, jamming two words together to make a domain name, or adding a suffix, prefix or preposition to a name to make it registerable when the base word has already been nabbed. I t would be preferable if the name could have some significance even if only for aesthetic reasons so I think nonsense is out (apologies to Lear ). More staring at blank page and pencil sharpeni...

Buying a domain name is pretty straightforward these days, choosing a domain name less so. But first things first. For my purposes, at least initially, there are no requirements other than registration, which makes things much simpler. There are a few big names in the business ( 1&1 , GoDaddy , etc ) and they are all able provide many more value-added services than simple domain registration. But, as I won't be requiring these, there is a short list of features I need from a domain registrar beyond the actual registration. Firstly, the ability to transfer a domain in or out of the provider if I need to. Secondly, my need for customer support should be limited as the service is only going to be used for domain forwarding to Blogger so no real need for bells and whistle there. Thirdly, domain privacy may be of use, not necessarily for protection of my name but shielding of my address might be useful depending on where my interests take me in the noosphere . E-mail forwardin...

What do I need out of a service? Moving past the straightforward stuff that they will all have, such as ease of use (high), scalability (great!), choice of templates (wide!!), etc ., there are a few features that I would like in order to future proof what I am doing. First, the service must allow me to use my own domain for the off-chance that the provider suddenly decides to cease business (it has happened before ) or jacks up their prices. Secondly, and continuing in the same vein, it should be possible to extract or back up the blog. Thirdly, it would be useful, but perhaps not essential if the first two are given, to be able to host some code or extensions on the site. Fourthly, ideally the software service should be open source or be able to be run independently of the service provider if required. Finally, free is good. Let's see how the two services stack up Service Blogger Wordpress.com Wordpress.org Can use...