Need help? Check out our Support site, then


WordPress.com Forums » Support

Domain Name Issue

  1. camartin1
    Member

    Today I attempted to login to my account and I received a message saying that my blog had been suspended. I have already sent an email to support to understand why, as I don't feel I have violated the terms of use.

    But, I also purchased a domain name through wordpress, and because my account is also inactivated, I cannot go in to redirect the domain name to a different blog.

    In addition, when I login to the domain control panel through automattic for this account, the option to forward and/or mask is not there. I did pay the $15 to have domain mapping.

    If I purchased a domain, shouldn't I be able to use it for forwarding to other sites and blogs regardless of what's going on with the actual blog? How do I access control for my domain name so I can redirect it to another site until the issue of the suspension is resolved?

    Any help would be appreciated.

  2. timethief
    Member

    WordPress.com blogs are non-commercial blogs. They cannot be used to drive traffic to third party sites http://wordpress.com/tos/ see section 2, 5th bullet. There is no blogger initiated advertising allowed on wordpress.com blogs http://faq.wordpress.com/2005/12/08/adsense/

    You have made a mistake by posting to the forum. Volunteers can offer you no assistance whatsoever and cannot debate corporate policy on the forums - that is what blogs are for ie. debate.

    Blogs are suspended when bloggers violate the ToS or wp.com policies. And any communication from this point on must be conducted with staff http://faq.wordpress.com/?s=suspended

  3. raincoaster
    Member

    In the terms of the domain upgrade you will see that you cannot use the domain upgrade to redirect to a non-Wordpress.com site.

    It is also very clear from the search engine cache that you were operating commercially and using your WP.com blog to drive hits to your non-wp site. These are specifically against the terms of service, and you can expect to address those issues in your discussion with staff.

  4. camartin1
    Member

    Hello and thanks for responding. As I said, I have already contacted support regarding the issue of suspension. I was just providing that information for background. My question, as in the heading, is regarding the domain.

    I am currently looking now to host a wordpress.org blog so that I won't run the risk of losing 3 months of blog posts and my domain access without notice because the staff have interpreted my posts as a violation. I have stated my concerns about the suspension to staff, which I believe is related to only one or two recent posts, have respectfully begged for forgiveness, and I'm just waiting to hear back.

    I just want to know how to go about getting access to my domain that I paid for so I can redirect it to a new wordpress.org blog.

    I don't understand how to redirect the domain I have that is legally registered in my name when my account login is disabled. I don't recall anywhere when I bought the domain that it could only be used for a wordpress blog.

    There should be a way for me to get an EPP code from wordpress to transfer the registration of my domain, right?

  5. camartin1
    Member

    I just posted a reply to your last post and then saw that you had reviewed my cache. If you look at the entire blog, it's "About", and the entire intention of the blog, you will see that this is a team blog that I use with my network marketing business. I provide training and tools to my team members about marketing. The last 2 posts to my blog were for training purposes and for demonstration - not to sell anything. But I can see how it would be interpreted that way. Other than those 2 posts, you can see that I do not use my blog for marketing. It is a forum for people in my team to be inspired, motivated, and informed.

    But again, I realize this needs to be discussed with staff, and that we don't need to continue to debate, but you did mention that you reviewed my site personally so I wanted to explain the nature of my blog. I feel horrible that I have "done something wrong" as I love my blog and the team environment I've been able to create with it. I guess I just got a little carried away and didn't fully understand that the posts would be seen as advertising in the blogosphere. They were really just to motivate my team.

    Thanks for your responses..

  6. camartin1
    Member

    One more thing - which page were you looking at specifically that shows I was directing traffic to my non-wordpress website?

  7. raincoaster
    Member

    Since I don't know the URL of the blog in question, I searched WordPress.com for your other site name...which come to think of it would indeed sift out only those posts where you referred to your other blog. There weren't that many, in fairness.

    If you're moving to offsite, you should probably be able to get the contents of your blog as an XML file or something and do a simple upload. The issue staff has is with content here; they have no reason not to allow you to post the content elsewhere. If you wish to continue here, you'll have to delete certain content which violates the ToS in the opinion of staff, and they can guide you on that. One way or another the content is not lost.

    As for the domain name issue, that's something you'll have to work out with staff.

    I appreciate your openness and apologize if I gave the impression you had deliberately violated the ToS.

  8. drmiketemp
    Member

    I know the domain:

    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Asynergyprosperity.com

    edit: And there's many links to a single specific site in there. Haven't found a page without them.

    But as Rain notes, it's pretty much up to staff as none of us here have any pull or power.

  9. camartin1
    Member

    Oh I see - so because I have a footer at the bottom of each page after my name that includes a link to my website, that is considered to be a violation of TOS? Even though I'm not directly selling anything in the posts themselves? Even though in your profile you are allowed to add your website address?

    Thanks for the clarification. As I have maintained, I was using this site for training purposes for a network marketing company. I coach people on how to market themselves. I can see that my site is not really suited for what I am trying to accomplish and this has been an extremely important learning for me that I will be sure to share with my team of over 2,000 members and growing. I was going to encourage everyone on my team to start using wordpress.com for their personal team blog sites, so I'm glad I've been the guinea pig here and see that wordpress doesn't want our participation.

    I will just have to move my site over to wordpress.org and rebuild and that's where I should have started to begin with. My biggest issue right now is that I have 2 domain names locked up in wordpress.com that I really need.

    I am trying to undersand legally how wordpress can act as a registrar and put my name in whois as the owner of the domain, and not release the domains to me given the situation.

    Also, the number that wordpress has for Automattic is bogus.. I've called a few times to the number provided for technical support regarding domains in the domain control panel and I keep being told that it is not the right number. They kept telling me they service different companies for domain registration, but wouldn't tell me what company they are. And, they said they couldn't help me understand why I don't have domain mapping set up in the control panel. It would be great if wordpress would give people looking to resolve domain issues, including registration, etc. an accurate tech support number.

  10. raincoaster
    Member

    Yes, it's a violation of the ToS. Many, many blogs have been deleted for that.

    As Mark mentioned in another thread, the law prevents them from allowing a redirect within 60 days of the domain purchase. Perhaps that's the issue?

    None of what you're putting here is anything we can help with. If you have questions, maybe we can answer them. If you just want to vent, a technical support forum staffed by volunteers is not the place for it. We don't get paid enough to listen. I paged down past most of your last post, because your emotional state and your relationship with Automattic are not things for which I'm willing to take on responsibility.

  11. atthe404
    Member

    I am not sure the domain name protocols prevents a redirect within sixty days. It certainly prohibits a registration transfer. But that (I think) is all. What is prohibited is registrars putting bogus contact details in. It should be reported.

  12. camartin1
    Member

    Let me get right to the point here - if wordpress staff will not work with me on re-establishing my blog, then so be it. I understand their position. Now I'm trying to understand my options for the domain I have purchased that is currently mapped to the blog, oh, and the other domain I bought yesterday in a panic when I realized the first domain was locked up.

    I have seen in other threads people migrating to wordpress.org and the instructions given to people asking for help about domain transfer are told that they can change the nameservers in the control panel and transfer the domain to a new registrar.

    I am looking for assistance in doing this. Thanks!!

  13. camartin1
    Member

    Here's a post from member babyrabies... It looks like she did transfer the domain, so I know it is possible. The only problem I have is that I can't login to export the content.

    Based on the advice I got the other day from some of you, I've decided to get my blog hosted on Blue Host and am trying to switch over to WordPress.org. However, I am so clueless on how do do the transfer of the content on my blog. Bluehost said I need to download a backup database of my content on here to my desktop and then upload it to .org, but I can't figure out how to get to that backup. Does anyone know, or know of any other ways to do that? My domain name has already been transfered (babyrabies.com), but all it's bringing up is a blank blog right now. Thanks for helping a clueless gal out!

  14. mark
    Staff

    I'll get back to your email that you will have sent me.

    And your domain is legally yours - we can't take that away.

    (I'll faq the transfer/dns stuff at some point)

  15. camartin1
    Member

    Thanks Mark. You mention "that you will have sent me". Do you mean the email I sent you, or are you asking me to send another email requesting help on this specific issue?

  16. camartin1
    Member

    Just a quick question for raincoaster, would the post:

    http://runningthroughrain.wordpress.com/2007/08/07/blogging-for-beginners-august-18-25th/ hosted on a wordpress.com blog be considered selling something? It sure looks like that to me..

    Also, I took a look at your raincoaster.com blog - and there is some pretty interesting posts in there that are VERY MATURE - such as contemplating a picture of someone masturbating on Jesus, and YouTube videos of women discussing the art of blowjobs... or the latest video you have posted with profanity all over it, or the tags you have for "fetishes" and "sex"...

    I wonder how it would feel for you to suddenly have your blog disappear after the following you've created because your posts are breaking TOS.

  17. thistimethisspace
    Member

    This forum is for answering and asking questions.
    It is clear that camartin1 must have staff help.
    It is clear that staff is willing to provide that help.
    IMHO this thread has become "personal" should be closed.

  18. camartin1
    Member

    Here's one of the posts I came across on your blog that seems to me to be mature and inappropriate for the wordpress.com domain...

    http://raincoaster.com/2007/05/01/dick-will-make-you-slap-somebody/

  19. thistimethisspace
    Member

    @camartin1
    If you wish to report a blog to staff then the process is to
    (1) use your report "Mature" content button;
    (2) use the contact form button on your admin page; or
    (3) email support [at] wordpress [dot] com

    Continuing to post here is inappropriate. Stop please.

    Setting that aside your wordpress.com username is still linked to a commercial blog and wordpress.com blogs are non-commercial blogs.

  20. camartin1
    Member

    Just wanting to get clarification is all.... When a volunteer offers advice in a forum, and clarifies information regarding breaking TOS, then I would expect to have the same rules apply to people offering such advice and be subject to the same "suspension" as anyone else.

    I will continue to wait for staff to assist me in getting access to my domain. Thanks for the info regarding reporting blogs.

  21. thistimethisspace
    Member

    Clarification must come from staff.
    And clearly - you know this.
    Tend to your own business with staff.

  22. katm
    Member

    Then you'll need it from staff. No one here in the forums sets policy (unless you see someone with "keymaster" next to their user name.

  23. drmiketemp
    Member

    Just to clarify:

    I am not sure the domain name protocols prevents a redirect within sixty days. It certainly prohibits a registration transfer.

    Mark's talking about a registration transfer between registars. (ie moving your domain from being registed with enom to tucows for example.) You can change your nameservers at any time.

    And your domain is legally yours - we can't take that away.

    Actually this is a gray area as GoDaddy does this all the time and is known for doing so.

  24. raincoaster
    Member

    Good heavens! You're very new to blogging if you don't know that you're supposed to pick fights on blogs, not in technical help forums.

    As I am a helpful volunteer who put, as everyone can see, some effort into answering your questions and actually apologized to you in this thread for giving the wrong impression, I will be happy to answer your questions.

    1) I submitted that post to staff and asked whether or not it would be alright to post, and they said it was fine.
    2) profanity and sex-specific terminology do not make a blog Mature
    3) I am glad you enjoyed watching so many of my videos
    4) I have been reported as Mature at least three times in the past and staff have looked over, and cleared, my blog each time.

    Enjoy your time at WordPress.com. I am sure we will run into each other again. Keep watching those videos!

  25. raincoaster
    Member

    Hits are up on those posts, and I've got two emails asking about the blogging course!

    Thanks for the publicity!

  26. atthe404
    Member

    All you folk are so busy dissing the guy and posting in the OT forum you do not seem to have either read or understood his issue. Which is AFAIK: the guy PAID for domain mapping and he says he hasnt got it.
    This whole forum is rapidly disintegrating into ego trips for small minded people and I wish to heck it would stop.

  27. camartin1
    Member

    Well raincoaster, it looks like wordpress gives preferential treatment to people who volunteer here. Advertising a blogging course that you are charging for is absolutely using a wordpress.com blog for commercial use. Your blog is really no different than mine. I teach people how to market themselves, and one of the most recent posts that had a description of a FREE teleconference I was offering. The fact that wordpress is approving the post, and yet suspending others for doing something similar, is frankly very disappointing.

    Yes - I am new to blogging. That is why I am in this forum to begin with seeking advice. I am just amazed that as an ambassador for wordpress you are doing things that are clearly breaking TOS, and being allowed to do it because you are a volunteer in wordpress. Not to mention that you obviously have direct ties to the staff that allow you to check in with staff before you post - which is an unfair advantage.

    So what is considered to be mature content? Please help me understand.

    Maybe if I could get someone from the staff to respond to my issue about domains, I wouldn't have time to be sitting here discussing the various ways in which people are being suspended for innocent mistakes, and how certain members are being given preferential treatment to "discreetly" break the rules.

  28. mark
    Staff

    Closed. Will be dealt with through support.

Topic Closed

This topic has been closed to new replies.

About this Topic

Tags