Oolite.org down?

[timer]

That's the thing - the server at the bare IP is (apparently) fine, it's just the domain name that's gone/down/suspended/missing/whatever you want to call an ex-parrot.

The long-term solution (or at least longer-term) would be to replace the name with the IP address in all the places where the name appears, so that this cannot happen again.

it's not so simple, if you try to go to the site by ip, that site simply will not open. Different proxies or balancers can stand in front of the site - they work with a domain name.
IMHO in real life, a change of server/ip/hosting is a much more likely event. Transferring/share access/rights to a domain is much easier than "owning" an IP that bind to certain hosting/service.


I did not wait and wrote myself.
Got answer from Ascio:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thanks for your message!

Unfortunately, you are not one of our direct customers. Ascio is a Wholesale Domain Provider, thus the domain mentioned is registered via one of our resellers. For all requests and questions regarding your domain, kindly contact the provider where you registered the domain and whom you are paying for the domain (Loopia).

Then got answer from Loopia:

Hi,

I can see that the invoice was paid in time, but have been terminated from your account. Do you wish to get the domain back on the account?
We just need an accept from the accounts administrative email adress a******@me.com.

Any ideas?

[Damocles Edge]

Doing a check on GoDaddy (see link below) revealed that the domain has not yet lapsed if it lapses then potentially anyone can register the domain.

https://uk.godaddy.com/domainsearch/fin ... olite.org#

Would it be possible for the current owner of the domain to either transfer for free or maybe sell the domain for a nominal cost?

[Cholmondely]

Doing a check on GoDaddy (see link below) revealed that the domain has not yet lapsed if it lapses then potentially anyone can register the domain.

https://uk.godaddy.com/domainsearch/fin ... olite.org#

Would it be possible for the current owner of the domain to either transfer for free or maybe sell the domain for a nominal cost?

I would guess that attempts to do so have failed dismally (is it Ahruman in Sweden?). If somebody can step in when the domain comes up for sale, I will happily contribute (or maybe we can pre-empt and pay without transferring ownership, hopefully keeping the current content).

[arquebus]

it's not so simple, if you try to go to the site by ip, that site simply will not open. Different proxies or balancers can stand in front of the site - they work with a domain name.

It's already been determined, hasn't it, that we can get to the expansion manager if we add the IP explicitly to our hosts file? That's what I was referring to.

[Damocles Edge]

I would guess that attempts to do so have failed dismally (is it Ahruman in Sweden?).

Think it's Denmark, but that's is just who the domain is registered through - not who the domain is currently owned by, also geography of the owners or register of the domain should have no effect on the transfer of a domain.

or maybe we can pre-empt and pay without transferring ownership, hopefully keeping the current content.

The 2 are totally separate, a domain is just a means for people to connect to your server(s) via a DNS lookup rather than an IP address, provided that server(s) are suitably configured to permit public access.

Think of a domain as an electronic equivalent to a post office post box that holds your mail - when you hire a post box, you don't get all the previous users mail.
The only way you could keep content is to back up / transfer from which ever server is currently hosting the content, assuming that it is the same person that owns the domain, that also owns the server - they may well be owned by different people / organisations.

[hiran]

I would guess that attempts to do so have failed dismally (is it Ahruman in Sweden?). If somebody can step in when the domain comes up for sale, I will happily contribute (or maybe we can pre-empt and pay without transferring ownership, hopefully keeping the current content).

Whoever booked that domain, that person owns it. You cannot just pull the domain away without that person's consent.

But what you can do is to raise a registration request for that domain with a provider of your choice. At that moment the provider should notice the domain is already registered and trigger a transfer process. During that process the owner gets notified and may approve the move. if that happens, you get the domain and are the authorized person. If no approval occurs within a given time (or the request is denied), the attempt fails and the original owner stays.

During this transfer the domain is always owned by someone, so it is not on the open market for anyone to capture. To improve the chances for an approval it might be reasonable to notify the current owner about this plan. We already spoke about it in SSL certificates.

Wasn't it that we already knew who owns the webserver when we spoke about about it here? And boy, the original discussion at viewtopic.php?p=166942#p166942 was so sophisticated - yet it seems nothing happened. I guess the webserver and it's IP and the domain name are all part of the same hosting contract. So the mission is to contact Ahruman.

[timer]

...
So the mission is to contact Ahruman.

I think this is the best idea right now.

[hiran]

And now where did aegidian.org go for half a day?

So even for this forum we do not know whether it is safe. Better evacuate now.

I suggest someone open a new location where discussions can move on and use the remaining time to tell all the users about it.
For example it would be small effort to simply activate wiki and discussion functionality on the Github project https://github.com/OoliteProject/oolite

It seems there is also the alternative of using IRC: viewtopic.php?p=85935#p85935

[hiran]

...
So the mission is to contact Ahruman.

I think this is the best idea right now.

...and it seems Jens Ayton used to be the owner and was open to handover years ago: viewtopic.php?p=168131#p168131
So where did this go in the meantime? Easy if you read https://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/User:Ahruman

[timer]

thanks, hiran, for link

[cut]
That said, I’m semi-retired. I could get behind the idea of handing over the keys to someone else – the keys meaning editorial control, control of the oolite.org domain and responsibility for hosting, in one package. But it would have to be an Oolite developer or long-term forum member who I feel I know.

post was 08 Apr 2012 22:26
there is actually no continuation in that thread ... maybe discussion ends in another thread? Is it really so that no one on this forum was given the right to manage the domain?

[timer]

so, seems something strangely...
I asked support

Please, contact the Jens Aytons if the customer's clientHold state was not a direct consequence of his action.

and answer was

It's a direct consequence of his action. If he want the domain to continue, he need to contact us.

[hiran]

so, seems something strangely...
I asked support

Please, contact the Jens Aytons if the customer's clientHold state was not a direct consequence of his action.

and answer was

It's a direct consequence of his action. If he want the domain to continue, he need to contact us.

Maybe we should opt for taking over the contract and thus express the need not to wait until his contract expires? Perhaps then support would have a better interest in contacting him?

Somehow I hope it was Jens taking the action - not someone on his behalf...

[Cholmondely]

What would happen if somebody just paid the annual subscription on Jens' behalf without attempting to transfer ownership?

Might this work? Would it keep the current content?

[hiran]

What would happen if somebody just paid the annual subscription on Jens' behalf without attempting to transfer ownership?

Might this work? Would it keep the current content?

It should - if money were the only outstanding thing. But you would need to know which account to transfer the data to, and the customer id/contract id. In addition, if things go wrong you'd have zero chance to correct them, as you might be the sponsor but not the owner.

And from the above messages I read the invoice was paid, yet the owner triggered an action so the domain is in this limbo state.
This could mean the contract has been terminated and is still in expiry period. We just do not know.
But assume the contract is terminated and you start offering money. I do not think that would keep the offering.

[timer]

well... I just read this thread (thanks hiran again)
very very interesting... what was feared - came true :(

This could mean the contract has been terminated and is still in expiry period. We just do not know.

strange answer from support - "...have been terminated from your account".
In the past, I worked for a large domain registrar for several years, I’ll try to ask the guys what this can mean, and how the clientHold status is obtained.

Might this work? Would it keep the current content?

content of site still safe - we have git source + DB backup (thanks a LOT phkb)