Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Trying to figure out whether to allow my Geocities account to lapse. I realized I mainly use it for an image source/storage thing anyway, but I do like having "doctorlizardo.com."

The story is not only complicated, but dumb. I have been trying to get rid of my original Geocities site for 2 years (ever since I developed a stalker and created Doctorlizardo.com as a second site).

However, Yahoo has me all sewn up, because whenever I try to access my account information, it tells me there is some damn error. The same damn (unspecified) error every time, in fact. So unless I allow the entire account to lapse, including Doctorlizardo, I am pretty much stuck with the unwanted account, too.

So. They recently sent me a notice that the Doctorlizardo.com domain was about to expire, so I paid up. Weird thing is, they then sent a completely different type of notice, from a different Yahoo [Yahpoo] division, about the original (unwanted) domain name, saying they were about to charge me automatically and renew it if the "wallet" info was correct.

But I don't want it!

So I thought I might just try changing my "wallet" information so the site couldn't renew itself against my will, but...more Yahpoo errors now say I don't have the right kind of (expensive-er) account to access my own information, that I can see plainly there right on the screen. What a rip-off. In order to edit my "wallet" information so I can spend less money, I have to sign up for more expensive service!

11 comments:

argotnaut said...

The problem is that there are no longer any humans at Yahoo! It's really annoying.

Wait . . . which things do you want to keep, and which do you want to get rid of?

liz said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
liz said...

Yes, no humans--I have been sending "help" messages to them for the past TWO YEARS and there has never been answer.

Well, wait--a couple of times there was an automated reply that insisted I use the help FAQ, which of course has always been the very first thing I try. If those instructions were applicable or worked, then I wouldn't have to write for help, now, would I?

liz said...

Keep 2nd site: doctorlizardo.com
Destroy 1st site: li*ili*i1.com

I think I am going to try another way to edit the wallet and make there be no $$ in it.

(Which in a real sense there *isn't* but do they care about my mounting credit debt? Noooo...)

*******

(Forgot when I posted this at first that somewhere, someone unknown is still using that asterisked name above as a search term. As late as June 2. Creeps me out, and I don't want it to lead specifically to this site!)

Mark said...

Woohoo! I'm not the only one with ISP problems... err... I mean... My condolences.

It does help if you can get someone on the phone to moan at. I had a problem with a graphics card that was suposed to be delivered to me ages ago. The site that I bought it from only published their email address as a contact number which can be a bit frustrating. They've promised to deliver it to my work address tomorrow though (fingers crossed). I'm sure I could have sorted out the problem sooner if I would have managed to get them on the phone.

argotnaut said...

Do you want to just keep the domain name and take your files with you? Or you want to keep it all on GeoCities?

liz said...

I did find a phone number...but might try withholding $$ first. I realized the card number they have is one that my bank cancelled group-wsie when a bunch of fraud was being perpetrated recently. HA!

I did want to use Geocities, since I like using their clumsy site builder thingy. I guess I am imagining that I can let the account lapse, then get another one, and only sign up for the doctorlizardo.com site.

Of course, it could be complicated if I own the domain name already (as I do) and so they won't let me have a new *service* account with it...>sigh<

I just picture getting the new account and having the sign-up algorithm thing ask what site name I want, then telling me someone already owns it. Even though that someone is me, dammit.

argotnaut said...

FWIW -- you *can* keep your domain name and use it anywhere you want. Theoretically.

liz said...

You mean *you* can--whereas I'm all unwitting about how to get into it once I own it, without the Geocities entrance/ builder!

argotnaut said...

Well, the domain name itself is not something you "get into."

The domain name is kind of like a name sign (or what do you call it?) on your desk. You can rent a desk (storage space) from any host you like, and then put your name sign there so everyone can find your desk.

You (or your Sis Admin ;) would need to carry the files from the old desk and put them into the new one, though.

Many hosting providers now offer site-building tools, although probably not exactly like GeoCities. I'll have a look and see what's on my server.

liz said...

Could that be interpreted as being short for "sister-administrator"?

>snicker<