Bicycle Austin forum

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

austin.bike is taken

The "TLD" is the last part of a domain name.  The popular ones are .com, .net, and .org, and there are less-popular ones like .info that I use for this site.  Well, now there are hundreds more, and soon thousands, like .florist, .ninja, .repair,, and interesting to me, .bike.

So I tried to register austin.bike, thinking I might rename this website (and thus put some distance between myself and the unfortunately named "Bike Austin" group), but some guy in Arizona has already registered austin.bike for some reason.  (And no, there's no city in Arizona named "Austin".)

But maybe someday .bicycle will be an option...

dougmc

Administrator

Registered: 2008-06-01

Posts: 631

Re: austin.bike is taken

but some guy in Arizona has already registered austin.bike for some reason.

My guess is that his "reason" is that he'd like to sell the domain to you for a few thousand dollars now ...

longhorn93

Member

Registered: 2011-11-01

Posts: 17

Re: austin.bike is taken

Not really on topic, but sorta is..
You've mentioned many times the rub you have with the 'Bike Austin' name. Did Tom Wald not discuss the name change and the similarity before the official roll-out? Was there a discussion of your input or feelings or use of the name?
Just wondering.

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

Re: austin.bike is taken

Yeah, it might have been nice had I heard from anyone in Bike Austin before they chose that name.  But no, I didn't.  Then again, I'm not sure it would have helped anyway:  They wanted the name Bike Austin, and I would have been loathe to change the Bicycle Austin name I've used for many years.

dougmc, maybe the guy who registered austin.bike is a domain squatter, but I dunno.  There are precious few people besides me who might want that domain name, and I've never heard from owner.  And personally, I doubt I'd pay more than $100 for it, if that.  Most domain names aren't worth nearly as much as people think they are.

longhorn93

Member

Registered: 2011-11-01

Posts: 17

Re: austin.bike is taken

"Yeah, it might have been nice had I heard from anyone in Bike Austin before they chose that name.  But no, I didn't.  Then again, I'm not sure it would have helped anyway:  They wanted the name Bike Austin, and I would have been loathe to change the Bicycle Austin name I've used for many years."

In that case, I totally understand your anger and dislike. I always thought it was strange, knowing the history of this site, and was told that there was a discussion. But things aren't always as they are presented.. But, youre right, wouldn't have mattered.

:-/

Keep up the good work anyway. Love this site myself.

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

Re: austin.bike is taken

Well, it's definitely a lot closer to "dislike" than "anger".  I'm not mad, I'm more like WTF?!  Their new name doesn't really do either of us any favors, it just makes some people think them they're me and/or I'm them.  (Yes, I've run into such folk.)  Had they approached me with some ideas of other names (including available domain names) I could use, I might have gone for it if any of them were good.  As it is, I'm not inclined to make the non-trivial effort to brainstorm a new name and then port the site over, but "austin.bike" seemed like a good match so I checked it out, but I missed the boat.

This site is limping along anyway.  I don't have time to update the content any more, and only about 10 of us regularly participate in the discussions.  But it's still got content not available elsewhere, and if there's a more active forum about Austin transpo biking, I haven't heard of it.