Comcast Finally Launches DNS RedirectionAn additional revenue stream thanks to your butterfingers... 12:59PM Thursday Jul 09 2009 by Karl Bodetags: business · alternatives · networking · consumers · ComcastOver the last few years most ISPs have implemented DNS redirection services, which deliver customers to an ad-laden search portal instead of a 404 when they mistype URLs. The services have been traditional despised by 'Net purists who rely on a clean net connection, particularly early on when ISPs weren't offering a functional opt-out option. While ISPs enjoy painting the services as ultra-helpful consumer-centered affairs, their primary purpose is to deliver a new revenue stream to ISPs driven by your crappy typing skills. Over at the Comcast blog, the carrier says they're joining the fun, launching a new "domain helper service" as a trial in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington. Comcast says the service is designed to "get where they want to go online even faster and easier than before." Luckily for those who don't like this stuff, they'll offer an opt-out ability: We also understand that sometimes customers want to surf their own way, without the assistance of services like Domain Helper, so we offer an easy way to opt-out right on the Domain Helper search page. This is a feature we feel is a best practice and is a key part of a white paper we submitted to the Internet Engineering Task Force, an open international community of experts concerned with the evolution, architecture and operation of the Internet, for comment and review. Those users who switched to OpenDNS long ago during Comcast DNS outages shouldn't notice a thing, and Comcast won't prevent third-party DNS use. Apparently aware that this is a touchy subject among some more technical users (you'll recall DSLExtreme was forced to back off such a service after complaints), a Comcast representative has stopped by our forums to talk about the service in a little more detail, noting which customers are opted in or out by default. The rep also notes that when Comcast looked around at other implementations of DNS redirection services, they saw a lot of inconsistencies in how they were implemented and the user opt-out process (no kidding). To that end, Comcast says they've filed this IETF draft to help solidify best practices for the implementation of DNS redirection services. It seems like only yesterday Earthlink was deriding the dislike of such services as the folly of " ISP geeks."
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 geonap
lolatidiots
join:2005-12-14
Glendale, CA | nice respectable that they offer an easy removal | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | Re: nice TWC offers removal as well.... you just have to do some searching for it.
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
| | dsless
join:2001-05-16
Pittsburgh, PA | Why not just default 404. If you actually want the service you can opt-in!  | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | Re: nice Personally - I WISH that it was the case, however, since ALL of these companies get money for ads, there's no incentive.
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
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digitalfreak
join:2005-12-09
49533
| said by dsless  :Why not just default 404. If you actually want the service you can opt-in! For the same reason that nearly everything in the advertising market is opt-out. Very few people would actually want to opt-in to this garbage, so they hope that you forget about opting out. | |
| | | 
John Anon
@comcast.net
| 404 is an HTTP response from a server you've already found, not a DNS response saying DNS can't find the server. (That's an NXDOMAIN response.) And no, I don't want Comcast intercepting and replacing 404 responses, either!
Now, if Comcast wants to stick an option in their Comcast toolbar browser plugin thingy that performs the same function, fine. It's opt-in by default, and it's code that only affects the browser, which makes perfect sense because the browser is the only consumer application to have problems with unresolvable names. | |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| said by dsless :Why not just default 404. If you actually want the service you can opt-in! But but but... theres no $$$money$$$ in opt in!
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When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee | |
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S_engineer
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL | Comcraptic it will be easy to switch DNS servers, this shouldn't be that big a deal. However, it follows a trend being set by ISPs to advertise you to death.
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BF69~~~Please stop suffocating gerbils! | |
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GOLFnSUN
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
3 edits |  Re: Comcraptic
OpenDNS, which many use as an alternative to ISP DNS servers, also provides that same functionality by default. It can also be opted out of easily.
And the browsers now used by most (IE & FF) also redirect as part of their toolbar functions. And if you use the Google Toolbar in either of those browsers, they also, by default, do this as well.
As for me, I just point my router to OpenDNS servers and I use all the security features that service provides. And for the rare times I mistype a domain name, the error page that OpenDNS provides is more handy than a 404 msg.
The extra features supplied by these DNS helpers can actually be very useful. And by pointing to them in a router, you can actually protect device like smartphones, Wii's, Playstations, etc from dangerous web sites.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page | |
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davidu
join:2006-12-28
San Francisco, CA | Re: Comcraptic Thanks for the nice post and screenshots Liam! | |
| | | | | | | | | MiloMindbend
join:2001-01-18
Jeannette, PA
| said by GOLFnSUN :There is nothing wrong with these services and for most users it is actually a help. There's _plenty_ wrong with these services. They're not a clean design, they're a kludge with all kinds of side-effects.
DNS requests are a lower level "utility function" of the network than anything web browsers do. An application (including, but not limited to, your web browser) asks the system resolver library to fetch it the address of a name, and if the resolver doesn't already have one, it goes off and tries to get one from the configured DNS servers. Your application (again, might be a web browser, might be something else) then tries to connect to that address on some specified port and tries to talk some protocol like HTTP. Or SSH. Or SMTP. Or jabber. Or rsync. Or... See why it's a bad idea to think of futzing with DNS responses as a way of serving ads^W^Woffering helpful advice to web browsers? DNS is used to plumb connections for nearly every protocol on the net, not just for interactive web browsing.
This DNS redirection crap is a bad idea implemented with a lack of understanding of _how_things_work_. It breaks the contract of how DNS is supposed to behave, and applications and protocols that these advertising guys have probably never even heard of have been built against those contracts. The "Internet" is more than just web browsers talking to web servers.  | |
| | | | openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
 ·AT&T Southeast
| Re: Comcraptic said by MiloMindbend :The "Internet" is more than just web browsers talking to web servers. And if you need more and this redirection interferes with your use, then opt-out or utilize alternate DNS servers. It's really not that difficult. | |
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DrStrange
Technically feasible
Premium
join:2001-07-23
West Hartford, CT | Thanks for posting the info about OpenDNS' TLD blocking. | |
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GOLFnSUN
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
| Re: Comcraptic said by DrStrange :Thanks for posting the info about OpenDNS' TLD blocking. Yes. That works well. Doing some research on security sites I found that the following TLDs were the most likely to serve up malware:
bg
cc
cn
gs
info
kr
nu
ro
ru
st
tc
tk
vg
ws
By blocking these, it makes it easier to filter out some dangers - especially when visitors to the house use the computer system and are less than cautious when web browsing.
The only domain in that list that can be sometimes annoying is the "info" TLD. There are many legit sites there, but it is also one of the worst at serving up malware.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page | |
| | | | | fenix_jn
join:2006-12-28
Miami, FL | Re: Comcraptic Thank you, added to blocked domains! | |
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verolom
join:2002-03-23
Eagleville, PA | Re: Comcraptic how racist of you two! | |
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jlivingood
Premium,VIP
join:2007-10-28
Philadelphia, PA
| If you statically-configured our DNS IPs, you are OPTED OUT Important to also take note of this, since some readers may have statically-configured our DNS IPs.
Since a number of our expert customers have statically-configured the IP addresses of our DNS servers, we have added this DNS redirect functionality to NEW DNS IP addresses. As a result, customers who have statically-configured their DNS IP addresses to our DNS servers are by default OPTED-OUT.
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JL
Comcast | |
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Matt
Gone playing Dragon Age Origins
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
| Re: If you statically-configured our DNS IPs, you are OPTED OUT said by jlivingood :Important to also take note of this, since some readers may have statically-configured our DNS IPs. Since a number of our expert customers have statically-configured the IP addresses of our DNS servers, we have added this DNS redirect functionality to NEW DNS IP addresses. As a result, customers who have statically-configured their DNS IP addresses to our DNS servers are by default OPTED-OUT. I'm not in a Comcast area, but as a technology professional, please accept my kudos for publicly announcing this, making it easy to opt out, and taking the effort to file an IETF draft to standardize this. | |
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davidu
join:2006-12-28
San Francisco, CA | Re: If you statically-configured our DNS IPs, you are OPTED OUT Well said. | |
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sturmvogel
Obama '08
join:2008-02-07
Houston, TX | Re: If you statically-configured our DNS IPs, you are OPTED OUT seconded. | |
| bsoft
join:2004-03-28
Boulder, CO
·Comcast
| Cheesy Well, it's nice that you can opt out of the service, and that it's right on the ad ("search") page. But I'm still going to change my DNS servers.
I have to say, this is pretty cheesy. I know it brings in additional revenue, but come on. One reason I don't have the Comcast DVR is that it has ads in the guide (of course, so does the TiVo I do use, but they are less annoying).
Unfortunately I'm pretty sure that Qwest does this to, as do many other ISPs. | |
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cheeseball
@comcast.net
 from:
dadkins
| Re: Cheesy You just cant please some people... | |
| | | bsoft
join:2004-03-28
Boulder, CO | Re: Cheesy So, it's unreasonable to expect that my DNS service performs to the specification by default?
Having proper DNS was one of the ways that Comcast was better than, say, Cox. | |
| ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL
| Opting out I read the Comcast blog, but I see no explanation of the opt-out process. How does it work? If you choose it, does it ensure that you are never again assigned a broken DNS server, or does it simply add a cookie to your browser that does nothing to address the issue of broken DNS?
And yes, you can statically assign DNS to Comcast servers, and that's fine for a desktop user, but laptop users may change the networks they connect to frequently, and they might want to use a DNS server that's on the local network, since it will often respond faster.
And I'm wondering if Comcast will allow you to choose whether you want this crap when you set up service. They ask you what you want your e-mail address to be, they ask for the MAC address of your cable modem, so it would seem logical that they ought to ask about this as well. After all, if I'm the person paying them, shouldn't they give me the option to set up the service the way I want it from the outset? | |
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jlivingood
Premium,VIP
join:2007-10-28
Philadelphia, PA
| said by ISurfTooMuch :I read the Comcast blog, but I see no explanation of the opt-out process. How does it work? If you choose it, does it ensure that you are never again assigned a broken DNS server, or does it simply add a cookie to your browser that does nothing to address the issue of broken DNS? And I'm wondering if Comcast will allow you to choose whether you want this crap when you set up service. They ask you what you want your e-mail address to be, they ask for the MAC address of your cable modem, so it would seem logical that they ought to ask about this as well. After all, if I'm the person paying them, shouldn't they give me the option to set up the service the way I want it from the outset? One of the things a new sub does is uses the account management system to do stuff like setup email addresses and the like. The opt-out function will eventually be in that system.
In the meantime, here is how opt-out works:
- The link at the top of the search results page goes to the opt-out site, or you can visit it directly now, at »https://dns-opt-out.comcast.net/.
- You enter your email address and MAC address. The MAC addr is used so that we apply the opt-out for the entire household and not just a computer. The email address is used to have a user validate the request and for us to send you an email confirming that it was completed.
- The current promised opt-out turnaround time is 2 business days, but that's just to give us some padding. In most cases, the turnaround is same day or one business day at most.
- Once you have been opted out, your DHCP assignment changes. You can then either wait for your DHCP lease to renew automatically (generally a few days) or power cycle your cable modem to see the change immediately.
- When the temporary opt-out system is replaced with the one in the account management system, the opt-out is essentially immediate or within 5 - 10 mins at most (you could opt-out and restart your modem and see the change).
Jason
--
JL
Comcast | |
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Morgauxo
@bghost.com
| And yes, you can statically assign DNS to Comcast servers, and that's fine for a desktop user, but laptop users may change the networks they connect to frequently, and they might want to use a DNS server that's on the local network, since it will often respond faster.Don't set the DNS on your laptop. Set the DNS on your router. Better yet, set up a caching DNS server on your own network, have it connect to OpenDNS and set your router to it.
Of course, that's a solution to a non-problem so long as they keep their opt-out promise. | |
| bsoft
join:2004-03-28
Boulder, CO | Options for Denver FYI, for those of you in Denver, Level3's nameservers seem to be a good option (I consistently see 10ms, which is as good if not better than Comcast):
4.2.2.1
4.2.2.2 | |
| | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO | Re: Options for Denver 4.2.2.1-4.2.2.6 in fact. I think I use 4.2.2.4-6 | |
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jerrcs
@verizon.net | Level3 actually uses anycast on these nameservers, so even European users can use them, and at the same time, anyone in the United States can get a nameserver close to them. | |
| | cornelius785
join:2006-10-26
Worcester, MA | That's I've been doing for a long time with verizon. I put 4.2.2.1-4.2.2.3 into my dhcpd.conf file. Eventually I'll setup a local dns server that'll refer to level 3 stuff. | |
| | Corydon
Cultivant son jardin
Premium
join:2008-02-18
Denver, CO
clubs: | I use Level3 as well. I tried OpenDNS for a bit, but I wasn't impressed with the performance. So now I stick with DNS that just does DNS. | |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| said by bsoft :FYI, for those of you in Denver, Level3's nameservers seem to be a good option (I consistently see 10ms, which is as good if not better than Comcast): 4.2.2.1 4.2.2.2 which are clean by default unlike opendns!
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When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee | |
| | 
espaeth
Digital Plumber
Premium,MVM
join:2001-04-21
Minneapolis, MN
 ·voip.ms
·Vitelity VOIP
·Callcentric
·VoiceStick
·ViaTalk
·Comcast
·Embarq
1 edit | said by bsoft :FYI, for those of you in Denver, Level3's nameservers seem to be a good option (I consistently see 10ms, which is as good if not better than Comcast): 4.2.2.1 4.2.2.2 The only gotcha to using options like Level(3)'s resolvers or OpenDNS is that it may affect the performance of geodisbursed services (ie, Google/Youtube, Akamai) .
The problem is that global load balancers will return DNS responses based on the IP of the server doing the query. If you use Level(3)'s servers, it will return a content engine that has the best path / bandwidth to Level(3)'s network. If you use Qwest's DNS servers, it will return the IP of a content engine that has the best route / bandwidth to Qwest.
For example, using Level(3)'s nearest server in Chicago:
My traffic ends up going to Google in Seattle:
If I perform the same query on my local Comcast DNS servers:
I get directed to a closer Chicago Google server:
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See 10 replies to this post | |
| corbeze
join:2009-10-01
American Canyon, CA | show me an IETF article backing up your statements. | |
|
DJSHosting
@cavtel.net | ISP DNS Redirect solution The best thing to do for home users is config your home router to use »www.opendns.com/ They are free and offer filtering which really help if you have children. | |
| | PapaMidnight
join:2009-01-13
Baltimore, MD
| Re: ISP DNS Redirect solution said by DJSHosting :The best thing to do for home users is config your home router to use » www.opendns.com/ They are free and offer filtering which really help if you have children. Been personally using OpenDNS myself for the past year. Haven't looked back. | |
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swhx7
Premium
join:2006-07-23
Elbonia
·RoadRunner Cable
1 edit | Re: ISP DNS Redirect solution Posts like the two above appear every time this topic comes up - like a knee-jerk reflex. Often the "openDNS" fans make the first posts.
Well it always needs to be pointed out that "Open DNS" by default does the same thing as these ISP redirection services: requests for nonexistent domains get redirected to a commercial search page.
You can opt out of that, but only by registering. This means you cannot get non-falsified results on an anonymous basis - openDns offers one or the other but not both. This should always be disclosed, but never is disclosed, by posters touting their service.
(edit to use correct terms) | |
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swhx7
Premium
join:2006-07-23
Elbonia
1 edit | Re: ISP DNS Redirect solution Now I do! The definition is not what I thought it was, thanks for the correction.
I corrected in my post above; the quotation can remain in yours so this reply will make sense. | |
| | | | | Mele20
Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
| And why do you link to a page that has porn links and other paid links?? There are better dictionaries out there...I wouldn't believe any definition that awful site gave.
What's wrong with swhx7's use of the word of "shill"? I think he used it correctly in that sentence. Open DNS users are among the most nauseating shills out there. Open DNS is a terrible service and requires your identity if you don't want to get their shitty redirection! They are just as despicable as Comcast and Time Warner.
This "service" should be opt IN not opt OUT. The fact that it is opt OUT shows you exactly what Comcast and my crappy ISP really think of their users. And because it is opt OUT for Open DNS also it shows what they think of their users. How anyone can defend them as "saints" is beyond me.
If you want decent DNS servers without the shit use Level 3's. That is what I do. I used Oceanic's until TW pulled the crap with redirection breaking everything and sticking ads in my face and it wasn't easy to opt out. These ISPs are breaking the internet just so they can stick ads in the faces of those too ignorant to know how to get away from that.
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"The same ferocity that our founders devoted to protect the freedom and independence of the press is now appropriate for our defense of the freedom of the internet. The stakes are the same: the survival of our Republic". Al Gore, The Assault on Reason | |
| 
funchords
Hello
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Washington, DC
·Verizon Online DSL
·Skype
| We are the net purists here... I expect that reaction from DSLReports readers is going to be nearly universally bad. My guess is that the other 99.8% of Comcastdom won't care.
Although I hate the idea, I appreciate the thoughtfulness in this particular implementation and in getting the conversation into the IETF. Great job, guys.
--
Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- District of Columbia -- KJ7RL
Evil does seek to maintain power by suppressing the truth, or by misleading the innocent. --Spock and McCoy stardate 5029.5 | |
| 
maartena
Stacked.
Premium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA | OpenDNS FTW I have my router configured for OpenDNS. Not looking back.
--
"I reject your reality and substitute my own!" | |
| majortom1029
join:2006-10-19
Lindenhurst, NY | hmm Why is it when opendns does it its a good thing but when an isp does it its bad even though they are doing the same thing? | |
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funchords
Hello
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Washington, DC
·Verizon Online DSL
·Skype
| Re: hmm said by majortom1029 :Why is it when opendns does it its a good thing but when an isp does it its bad even though they are doing the same thing? Because you opt in to OpenDNS. You take an assertive action that changes the way that DNS works. You, therefore, know how to turn if off when things go wrong or if you want change it to something else.
And this does break the way things work. Your browser acts differently when it gets an NXDOMAIN response (it probably doesn't store the page in its history, for example).
--
Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- District of Columbia -- KJ7RL
Evil does seek to maintain power by suppressing the truth, or by misleading the innocent. --Spock and McCoy stardate 5029.5 | |
| | | openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
·AT&T Southeast
| Re: hmm So if ISPs didn't dish out DNS server info in the DHCP offers and instead required user configuration, then redirection is acceptable? I would think that if the redirection is really causing a problem for a customer, the customer will figure out a way around it. Or else they'll call customer support and work through a resolution. Like you, I don't believe DNS redirection is a good thing for the net at large, whether it's done by Comcast or OpenDNS, but it's not the end of the world. | |
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funchords
Hello
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Washington, DC
·Verizon Online DSL
·Skype
| Re: hmm said by openbox9 :Like you, I don't believe DNS redirection is a good thing for the net at large, whether it's done by Comcast or OpenDNS, but it's not the end of the world. Yeah, I don't think it's the end of the world. In fact my view is that if you're going to do DNS redirection (boooooo!), at least do it like Comcast is doing it.
--
Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- District of Columbia -- KJ7RL
Evil does seek to maintain power by suppressing the truth, or by misleading the innocent. --Spock and McCoy stardate 5029.5 | |
| lordofwhee
join:2007-10-21
Everett, WA | Level3 DNS I've been using Level3's DNS servers for over a year now (4.2.2.1-6). I got tired of Comcast's DNS servers going down or just being generally slow, and now I have yet another reason. | |
| 
jjoshua
Premium
join:2001-06-01
Scotch Plains, NJ | Fios Verizon provides alternate DNS servers that don't redirect. Very simple solution. | |
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jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Fios said by jjoshua :Verizon provides alternate DNS servers that don't redirect. Very simple solution. It may seem to be a simple solution for some, but few of the frequent FiOS forum members might manage to access an ActionTec and adjust the address of their DNS servers from xxx.xxx.xxx.12 (redirected) or xxx.xxx.xxx.14 (normal) with Verizon's vague DNS directions. | |
| | | 
Opticwonders
Premium
join:2009-03-31
united state | Yuck! Go away... I'd rather to have manually opt-in, not opt-out. This seems like garbage. Oh well, I'm using 3rd party DNS servers anyway :P | |
| AVonGauss
Premium,MVM
join:2007-11-01
Boynton Beach, FL
1 edit | Openness... I am not really a fan of DNS redirection for many of the reasons already stated here and in the forum comments, but I do want to commend the process in which this system is being rolled out. Its good to see the trend of Comcast being more open and forthcoming about changes continuing.
The burden definitely is not all Comcast's, but what I would be much more interested in seeing from any IETF efforts is a plan to correct what is broken by DNS redirection. Marketing spins aside, DNS redirection by ISPs is really about additional ad revenue and name branding which means it is primarily (if not solely) targeting the user and more specifically browser related services such as http, https, ftp, ftps - gopher? 
If DNS redirection is going to be implemented by ISPs as an opt-out system, there really should be efforts to address the issues caused at the browser level (caching, history, etc) and mechanisms established that allow other services such as SSH, POP, IMAP, SMTP and VPNs to continue to receive the NXDOMAIN responses as originally intended and currently specified in the standards. This is also something needed by networks such as WiFi hot spots or other semi-public networks that require a login and use DNS redirection to provide the user a login page. In this case, its not so much of the NXDOMAIN response as it is selectively redirecting browser requests vs all requests from all types of services.
Not trying to be preachy, but something I think all ISPs should remember; your customers are paying you for a service. They are not signing up to be an audience for ads that you are selling or reselling and while they will tolerate it to a point, there is definitely a threshold to that tolerance at which the customer will start to devalue your service no matter how well that service performs.
Now, Karl, about my crapping typing skills.... | |
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See 6 replies to this post | |
jsloan
join:2005-05-11
Kearny, NJ | re: comcast dns why doen't comcast buy / license opendns. i love to be able to tweak and filter my like opendns allows. i bet a lot of other people would too and it could help comcast's image... | |
| AstroBoy
join:2008-08-08
Parkville, MD
| Sounds like a net neutrality issue to me Sounds like a net neutrality issue to me. The response is false and/or forged. I am glad I have my own DNS server.
It really screws up software that is expecting a real 404 error.
I am glad there is an opt-out, but it would be better if it required an opt-in. | |
| | raythompsontn
join:2001-01-11
Oliver Springs, TN
| Re: Sounds like a net neutrality issue to me said by AstroBoy :It really screws up software that is expecting a real 404 error. Please provide the name of a software package that relies on a 404. | |
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jlivingood
Premium,VIP
join:2007-10-28
Philadelphia, PA
| Re: Sounds like a net neutrality issue to me said by raythompsontn :said by AstroBoy :It really screws up software that is expecting a real 404 error. Please provide the name of a software package that relies on a 404. And if there are issues with apps, please let us know all the issues. That's what a trial is intended to help with -- we'll figure out how to adapt the service to work around any problems if we can...
--
JL
Comcast | |
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morgauxo
@bghost.com | Re: Sounds like a net neutrality issue to me what does that have to do with anything, this only changes the response if you type a domain which DOES NOT EXIST | |
| | | | | AVonGauss
Premium,MVM
join:2007-11-01
Boynton Beach, FL
1 edit | Re: Sounds like a net neutrality issue to me Nevermind. | |
| kxrm
join:2002-07-18
Fort Worth, TX | I wish people... would stop using the term 404 error for services like this. It doesn't have anything to do with HTTP 404 errors. That is an application level error. This service would not stop 404 errors unless they sniff http packets now? | |
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morgauxo
@bghost.com | Re: I wish people... Which is exactly why this will not harm programs which depend on a real 404 error. The result is exactly like when you mean to type one domain which exists and you accidentally type a second one which also exists. | |
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Tamarisk
@impulse.net |  Have this crap...
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aybaybay
@comcast.net | 4.2.2.1-4.2.2.6 that reminded me that i forgot to set level3 dns when i installed windows 7 | |
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morgauxo
@bghost.com
| The sucky part Two valid sucky parts of this...
1 - Your browser will waste a little time loading their ad page when it could just be telling you you typed it wrong. Unless they go nuts with images, Flash, etc... this should be negligible.
2 - Trying to explain to the parents each time you visit them which part of the page is paid advertising sorted by who paid the most money (often sucky links) and which part is the search result, sorted by relevancy.
Exactly what already happens every time they type their result into a search engine, or the Yahoo/MSN/Google or other random bloatware toolbar that they always type into instead of the URL bar that keeps coming back despite your best efforts to permanently disable it.
Pretty much business as usual.
Any of these other reasons to hate it really don't make sense because it only applies to NON EXISTANT DOMAIN NAMES. Your ssh,smtp,pop,blah blah etc etc should continue to work as before. | |
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