Choosing a Domain Name

June 21, 2004 10:25 AM

I want to get a new domain name that is cool but also sensible enough to go on CV's. However my imaginative skills aren't too great so I thought about using an expired domains list. However I am having difficulty finding a useful one [more inside...]

Although I already own one domain, it's pretty boring, inherited and not something that is particulary cool. Since I'm not very imaginative, I thought about perusing the expired domains list yet a search on Google either wants me to part with money or register. So I tried one which didn't look too dodgy, DirectNIC, and although their filtering isn't too bad, I get a useless list of rubbish domains such as "aaaaaaaasex.com" which i obviously don't want. Does anyone have any suggestions on tools I can use to find out expired domains that might be good to buy? My criteria is

1. Ideally a .com although i'll consider a .org, .net or .co.uk
2. Can't be too long (say less than 15 characters?)
3. Doesn't contain any numbers, dashes or words that could be a number (so I don't have to spell the email address out to someone on the phone) and shouldn't have more than three of the same characters in a row (to avoid the example quoted above)
4. My own. I want full ownership so I can point it at a machine, set up email aliases, virtual hosts and all the usual stuff without having some company "manage" it on my behalf.
5. I don't want to pay a special premium for it just because it's expired.

posted by ralawrence to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

You could garner some inspiration through splorp's Available Domain Name of the Week. Can't say they're all work-sensible, but they get the imagination in the right gear.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 10:45 AM on June 21, 2004

My first question before seeking alternatives would be, do you already own your name as a domain name? I would personally use yourname.com on CVs, and consider an ancillary domain for all your blogging/photos/junk.
posted by hijinx at 10:48 AM on June 21, 2004

I second hijinx's advice. Since the price of registering .com domains is down to about US$8 you might as well register your name if you can. I'm have my gmail addy as my CV/professional email and use a variant of my first name in social situations. And for my birdherding side business, I use the birdherder account. My host allows me an insane number of domains to be hosted so I might as well get my money's worth.

I've been trying to come up with clever words that end in .us or other country TLD like del.icio.us or bit.ch but every one I think of has already been taken.
posted by birdherder at 1:02 PM on June 21, 2004

or ca.lcul.us *ahem*
posted by bob sarabia at 7:25 PM on June 21, 2004