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07/26/2006: "Today's Lesson From the Webmaster's Handbook"

I consider myself a web professional. I've spent a long time building and maintaining sites, and like to think I've learned all the needed lessons of life on the web, most the hard way.

Add one more to the list.

Around 9:45 this morning, I take a break from my busy day at the satellite factory and go to check out the site. See if anyone has made any new postings at the Marlin Club, added a new report to the Trip Reporter, or - God forbid - put a comment on one of the blog entries. But rather than the beloved teal and blue of SCMO, I get a Network Solutions splash page adorned with the following:

Yikes! What the hell is going on!!

Even worse than the statement above, there another that asks if visitors would be interested in signing up for this domain name - and a button to make it easy! Damn - that's how I lost sharkin.com years ago ... I'll be damned if I let that happen again.

Fortuntely, there was a second button for the registered owner - me - to pull his head out of his ass and renew the domain. It's now mine for another 5 years, and they even pulled the splash page down (although it did take a pleading phone call to waive the normal 24 hour period).

So the lesson of the day is understand when your domains expire and lock 'em up early!!!