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Comment by roosgit | Hacker News Reader

I never experienced this, but I did wait too long to buy a domain. After I checked if the domain was available(it was), I started building the website. A month later the domain was bought by someone who eventually made the same thing I wanted to make.

My current process for checking if a domain is available is pretty basic. I first check it in the browser. If Firefox can't find it, then I use the `whois` command. If there is no match for "example.com" then I decide if I want to buy it, before starting to build anything. If I do decide to get it, I go to Hover.com do a final check and press "Add to cart".

These days, for me it's better to spend $15 on a domain that might not get used, than to regret not buying it.

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I have a habit of collecting interesting yet vaguely generic domain names and holding onto them for future projects. (Which I almost never get around to.)

so do I. the other day I renewed a domain I got 5 years ago and I didn't even remember what I planned.

Then why did you renew? Domain squatters suck.

If it's a good domain it would be snatched by someone who wants to make a profit flipping domains. The domain business is broken.

Domains that are blocked by people not using them for years are just as bad.

Perhaps, but it's easier to deal with a user you can contact at [alias]@registrardotcom versus a corporation you can contact at spam@corporationdotcom

So does GoDaddy.

Likewise! My great domain got bought up. Now I register them before I start building. I do find it gives me a little motivation.

Hover.com is my goto. Good pricing, super easy to use, free DNS (which I use for non-production stuff), and built in email services if you want and don't want to bother setting that up separately.

Thanks! Glad you like the interface. We work hard to make it simple and also still powerful and easy to use.

That's good advice. If you want a domain, spend the $15 and get it. I can personally guarantee Hover doesn't do anything with domain search data (I'm the PM so I would know :P). GoDaddy likely doesn't either and it was probably a coincidence that it was registered around the same time.

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