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get someone to release taken blog name

  1. subject957
    Member

    I was wondering if there is a way to request a blog name from someone who has 'registered' it, but isn't using it. There is a specific blog title I'd like to use (I've already designed a logo and theme for it) but it's already taken. When I go to the page (www.specificblogname.wordpress.com), it doens't have any content and hasn't been used or updated. It just has that "Hello world..." stuff that is there when you first start your blog. It was registered over a year and a half ago.

    Any suggestions or do I have to bite the bullet and go with a .net or .org address?

  2. xevolutionist
    Member

    subject957,

    You mention whether you would need to get a .net or .org address. It is possible that the .COM address is still available. Your WordPress.com address does not need to match your donaim name. Those are two independent things.More info here:

    http://en.support.wordpress.com/domain-mapping/

    X

  3. auxclass
    Member

    Best to just get your own domain and map it.

    You can leave a comment on the blog in question asking them if they would consider transferring the site to you, but that is a long shot. There are many reasons that a blog has no content, could be they are using the account for an API key on a .ORG install or maybe they just liked the name and have not yet decided what to do with the blog (a couple of my friends have done that).

  4. timethief
    Member

    I just blogged on this. Staff will not violate the privacy of the blogger who registered the unused blog by releasing their contact information. The blogger who registered the unused blog is free to return at any time and blog in it or not. The choice is theirs so if you cannot contact them or if you can and they do not wish to transfer the blog to you here are two options:.

    1. You can register another WordPress.com subdomain URL that's very close to the one you originally desired and use it.
    2. You can register another WordPress.com subdomain URL and purchase a domain name and domain mapping. If you do purchase your own domain and domain mapping then it won't matter what the root blog WordPress.com subdomain URL is.

  5. gracefulinfluence
    Member

    I ran into this a lot when I was looking for my domain. I know it may be hard to tell the difference, but to me, it kind of smelled like some folks were parking on anticipated domain names for the purposes of selling them or some other kind of shadiness.

    Perhaps I'm being a bit cynical, but.....

  6. timethief
    Member

    Yes, indeed there are many who make an income by domain name squatting and reselling domains.

  7. crashcourseinself
    Member

    @Timethief: Thanks for the answer -- I was just wondering this myself over the last few days. I had thought of a few great (imho) blog names only to see they were taken by empty blogs. Some have been empty for more than 18 months. I tried contacting but to no avail - but I didn't really expect an answer either. At least I know I did what I could and can move on!

  8. subject957
    Member

    how can they resell them if you can't get in touch with them?

    I agree though, I might must have to move on...thanks for the reality check!

  9. necrotichijinks
    Member

    You could also modify the name slightly. You might want to consider showing your current idea to a friend and ask how s/he would improve it. Or you could ask in this forum...

  10. painfullygenius
    Member

    Wondering if you got anywhere with this. I've also tried many time to register names on WP and found them being squatted on. One today was registered over 5 years ago without a single use.

  11. timethief
    Member

    I provided a full and correct response here and nothing has changed, nor do I expect it too. I suggest that you purchase a domain mapping upgrade as then what the root blog sub-domain address is will not matter.

  12. painfullygenius
    Member

    Thanks (again) but I think you're perhaps underestimating your fellow pressers, or you're missing the point.

    Of course we can all work around it, and probably all have been, as I have, for years.

    The question is not how to work 'around' it, nor how to invade someones privacy, but whether or not it is truly WP's intention to let freely provided domain names that the registrar has no intention to ever use personally just sit unused indefinitely.

    These are cases where good names have been registered and not touched ever again. Perhaps to squatters hoping to profit from WP's free service, or from people who have completely forgotten they even signed up!

    It seems reasonable to revoke a freely registered domain name if never used since inception for a period of time (certainly 5 years would be more than enough). I don't see this as an invasion of privacy or a revoking of rights. It appears in this situation they have no intention of using it.

    Thanks for sharing your insight and experience!

  13. auxclass
    Member

    The "unused" name might have been established to get an API number for a .ORG install or the name also might be used by someone to access a Private blog or Post on another blog.

    Many reasons a blog and name might look "unused" but not really be unused at all.

  14. timethief
    Member

    @painfullygenius
    I neither missed the point nor did I misunderstand you either. Blogs on sub-domains have less credibility than blogs on their own domains being mapped from WordPress.com sub-domains do. Bloggers who are committed to blogging over the long term tend to purchase domain names and domain mapping upgrades.When a blogger purchases a domain name and domain mapping it does not matter what the root blog WordPress.com sub-domain URL is. WordPress.com sells domain mapping upgrades.

  15. painfullygenius
    Member

    @auxclass, interesting, I'd never heard that before. I'll look for more info on that.

    @timethief, Credibility = irrelevant. Mapping = irrelevant. Commitment = irrelevant. Relevant to the overall picture, sure. Totally irrelevant to the question at hand. No, you're missing it alright.

    I see you're a big picture kinda person. That's great, but sometimes you miss the little things right in front of you that maybe other people care about. This is one of them. Thanks for taking the time to try to help.

  16. macmanx
    Happiness Engineer

    I’m sorry, but we do not reuse or reassign blog names on WordPress.com.

    If you like, you can attempt to contact the owner of that blog and ask them if they would like to transfer it to you. You can do this by either leaving them a message using a contact form if it exists, or leaving a comment on an existing page or post requesting they contact you.

    If you are able to reach the blog owner and they are willing to transfer the blog to you, here are the instructions they can use to do that.
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/moving-a-blog/#transferring-your-blog-to-another-user-or-account

    If they do not respond or refuse the transfer, you will need to select a different name for your WordPress.com blog.

    Keep in mind we also offer an upgrade for custom domain names and you can use any WordPress.com blog URL underneath a custom domain. For more details about how domain mapping works:
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/domain-mapping/

    Also, keep in mind that many blog names here are also usernames. Just because the blog itself appears to be unused, does not mean that the user itself is not using other services here or have other registered blogs.

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