Thank you for this post. I'm so sorry about the loss of your domain. I've had the same domain for more than 20 years, too, and I'd be devastated if I lost it. It's also a rusted out old filling station, but I hope to make it nice again sometime soon.
Gosh, I want to quit social media, too, but I'm afraid.
Fun trek through the history. Mine's a bit different (I remember floppy disks!) but still. But I will spend the evening wondering how they could have turned--what--Amy.letter.com into an Asian porn site. ah, life's mysteries.
I think it’s fairly automatic these days — expired domains get snapped up and turned into mirrors. I’m sure that’s why I never heard back — because it’s automated and so no one’s tending the inbox — because I’m also sure I’d have paid them more to get my website back than they’ll ever make off it! But, I have to move on. I can’t let my heart be held hostage by porn bots.
I deactivated my Twitter, the other morning. It will delete automatically after 30 days. Even some of my favourite Substack people were much less likeable on there - and I reverted to a scornful, acerbic vibe that I dislike.
Anyway, sorry about your old domain. As a mark of solidarity I will deprive them of revenue by avoiding Asian porn forever.
Lol - Thanks! And I’m glad you got off Twitter - nice one! - if I’m honest I’m just hoping the whole cesspit will implode (and ruin Musk’s life) and cease to be a thing anyone has to think about! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Correction: “Ruin his life” is too harsh, I just want him to kind of go away, which actually would probably make him a happier human being, so really I just wish him the best! 😁
Thank you for the sum up of the ever-shifting publishing hoops we’ve had to jump through since the days of the typewriter and floppy disk. Makes it glaring clear why AllThat never worked with Dain Bramage. 🤪
That just sucks about your domain! Well, if it’s any consolation, I just had the rosy colored glasses ripped off my face about that old myth of “if it’s your own website, you own it.” Ummmm…false. Not unless you also own the hosting company and website platform.
I’d been with mine since its second year of existence, back when they were the go-to option for the little guy. In December, they doubled my rates for a bunch of bells & whistles I won’t use, wouldn’t let me downgrade because the site was too big—fine. No problem. But then refused to give me the specs of what was supposedly “my own” website so I could adjust that on my end. Kicked me from chat when I asked to speak to somebody up the chain of command. Twice.
Because they could.
So yeah…even when it’s “our own” we’re not reeeeeally self-publishing. I hope you find a sweet spot replacement really soon! Here. Lemme add to that by clicking “share” for anybody in my list who has no clue how the word magic happens. 🤣🤓🤪
I hadn’t thought of that — well so there really are no “homes” or “parks” on the Internet, just corporate compounds, shopping malls, and surveillance cells. Man. We gotta get outta this trap.
Right?! It was a quite rude awakening. I felt like Threepio because I hadn’t either. *clinking cups with you through the bars* So I’m here now. Hoping for benevolent dictators. 😝
Thank you for this post. I'm so sorry about the loss of your domain. I've had the same domain for more than 20 years, too, and I'd be devastated if I lost it. It's also a rusted out old filling station, but I hope to make it nice again sometime soon.
Gosh, I want to quit social media, too, but I'm afraid.
Fun trek through the history. Mine's a bit different (I remember floppy disks!) but still. But I will spend the evening wondering how they could have turned--what--Amy.letter.com into an Asian porn site. ah, life's mysteries.
I think it’s fairly automatic these days — expired domains get snapped up and turned into mirrors. I’m sure that’s why I never heard back — because it’s automated and so no one’s tending the inbox — because I’m also sure I’d have paid them more to get my website back than they’ll ever make off it! But, I have to move on. I can’t let my heart be held hostage by porn bots.
I deactivated my Twitter, the other morning. It will delete automatically after 30 days. Even some of my favourite Substack people were much less likeable on there - and I reverted to a scornful, acerbic vibe that I dislike.
Anyway, sorry about your old domain. As a mark of solidarity I will deprive them of revenue by avoiding Asian porn forever.
Lol - Thanks! And I’m glad you got off Twitter - nice one! - if I’m honest I’m just hoping the whole cesspit will implode (and ruin Musk’s life) and cease to be a thing anyone has to think about! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Correction: “Ruin his life” is too harsh, I just want him to kind of go away, which actually would probably make him a happier human being, so really I just wish him the best! 😁
He's an interesting example of someone you'd think is too smart to be jerked around so much by his feelings.
Thank you for making me feel good about my decades-long procrastination on writing.
Thank you for the sum up of the ever-shifting publishing hoops we’ve had to jump through since the days of the typewriter and floppy disk. Makes it glaring clear why AllThat never worked with Dain Bramage. 🤪
That just sucks about your domain! Well, if it’s any consolation, I just had the rosy colored glasses ripped off my face about that old myth of “if it’s your own website, you own it.” Ummmm…false. Not unless you also own the hosting company and website platform.
I’d been with mine since its second year of existence, back when they were the go-to option for the little guy. In December, they doubled my rates for a bunch of bells & whistles I won’t use, wouldn’t let me downgrade because the site was too big—fine. No problem. But then refused to give me the specs of what was supposedly “my own” website so I could adjust that on my end. Kicked me from chat when I asked to speak to somebody up the chain of command. Twice.
Because they could.
So yeah…even when it’s “our own” we’re not reeeeeally self-publishing. I hope you find a sweet spot replacement really soon! Here. Lemme add to that by clicking “share” for anybody in my list who has no clue how the word magic happens. 🤣🤓🤪
I hadn’t thought of that — well so there really are no “homes” or “parks” on the Internet, just corporate compounds, shopping malls, and surveillance cells. Man. We gotta get outta this trap.
Right?! It was a quite rude awakening. I felt like Threepio because I hadn’t either. *clinking cups with you through the bars* So I’m here now. Hoping for benevolent dictators. 😝