[BALUG-Admin] So, joker.com, then?

[Michael Paoli]

I'd still highly recommend Gandi.net.
Alas, acquired by Total Webhosting Solutions B.V. (TWS) (https://your.online/),
but at least thus far they seem to know enough not to f*sck it up,
and thus far everything I've seen still functions and behaves very much like
Gandi.net, including solid support, documentation, etc.  I think there are
probably some minor changes in offerings, and probably also some few other
details like that, but at least thus far it highly functions as it did before.

Such is not the case for many that have been through other registar
transitions, e.g.
domains.google --> Squarespace, or at least some of the transitions you've
been through via acquisitions or the like.

AWS would even be a sane choice.  They've got a fsck ton of other stuff too,
but at least they're generally quite competent, and certainly well documented,
solid APIs, etc.  Interfaces might be a bit funky and/or overwhelming for
one who only wants registrar ... but it's still not too difficult to
navigate that
(Hint: Route 53: domains - that's probably 90 to 95% of all one needs to know
to figure out how to do registrar services on AWS).  Not sure where
they are with
GDPR and privacy and such - but whatever it is it's likely well
documented.  If you
need more info. on that and can't otherwise find it easily enough, let
me know - have
$work AWS goop, so I could probably peek in some more detail in those
interfaces and
see what options it offers ... though I think $work is mostly not
using AWS for registrar
(and not on account of any deficiencies there, but rather for other
reasons).  And have
dealt with AWS as registrar fair amount before (at least with some
former employer(s),
if not also including current) ... never had any issues with it.
Anyway, if AWS might be
a serious consideration, check out their documentation - it's pretty
solid and likely answers
(most?) all the relevant questions.

And ... given the number of registrars out there, there are probably
other perfectly
sane choices too ... it's just most of 'em I've got no direct
experience and often don't even
have 2nd hand highly credible reports/information on most of 'em ...
at least considering
most of the criteria that you and I typically care about (alas, many
customers don't care
about those things).

On Fri, May 31, 2024 at 10:30 PM Rick Moen <rick@linuxmafia.com> wrote:
>
> Quoting Michael Paoli via BALUG-Admin (balug-admin@lists.balug.org):
>
> > Uhm, no, I wouldn't put Joker.com at the top of the list.
> > In fact I'd rank 'em below competent.
> > https://www.wiki.balug.org/wiki/doku.php?id=system:registrars#jokercom
>
> _Cannot_ opt out of private registration?  Deal-breaker for me.
> Not acceptable.  (But wait...)  I see this was officially proclaimed in
> 2019, as described here -- and revealed by... me.
> http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/sf-lug/2019q2/013971.html
>
> Back in 2019, that policy was proclaimed on
> https://joker.com/index.joker#gdpr , but, not a shocker, that URL no
> longer reveals fsck-all.  And their FAQs are useless on this matter.
>
> _2018_ page:
> https://www.ote.joker.com/faq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=5&id=476&artlang=en
>
> Some of their documentation suggests that the price list will reveal
> domain pricing with vs. without WHOIS privacy.  The current price list
> is unrevealing (https://joker.com/domain/prices), except, e.g., for
> .com, it _does_ suggest that the Registrant can opt either for WHOIS
> privacy or not.
>
> I was irked by, and aware of, the "unable to repoint glue records"
> annoyance, but would have been willing to live with that -- if it's
> still the same, long decades after I ceased using their services.
>
> Unfortunately, none of the others you catalogue appear to appeal at all,
> with the possible exception fo the ex-Google Domains Squarespace
> registrar -- which you portray as as question mark.