If you have been following my blog throughout all these years, you would know that last year i transited from my old blog link - youthinkicarewhatyousay.blogspot to what you guys are reading right now. I've been using my old link ever since my blogging "career" started during my poly days in 2007, and last year, i finally decided to move on and get a proper domain. It was quite a hard decision as there is this "sentimental value" since it's quite catchy and people do remember my blog because of the link. (Don't ask me, I have seriously no idea how i came up with it in the first place. LOL) There were always occasions when i met PRs, fellow bloggers, media etc during events and these people knowing that i'm a blogger, often like to start a conversation by asking - "So where do you blog at and what do you blog about?"
I always hesitated answering.
Because i know that i would have to answer - "I blog at youthinkicarewhatyousay.blogspot.com and it's a lifestyle blog blah blah blah" Most people will forget the "what do you blog about" part and focus on the blog link. They will be like...
I know right.
That's when i decided. It's time to move on and get a proper domain. I wanted just a simple andystorm.com but it was taken (even till today) so i decided on imandystorm.com. At that time, blogger offered this "domain integration" thing meaning all you have to do is just pay for the domain and blogger will just settle everything for you. Super duper easy.
Unknowingly, one year has passed since i last changed to imandystorm.com and i never once looked back. I even did name cards with my new link printed on it and when people ask about my blog link, i would just casually reply - "Oh, it's imandystorm.com" Easy to remember and no weird stares from anyone. Just recently in Jan, i got a mail from google:
*play dramatic music*
Me being me did not bother much about the email since i still had some time left before it expires. Even on the day itself i totally forgot about the email. On February 15, it suddenly struck my mind that my domain should expired so i immediately went to check my blog. Nothing happened, still there ley. Guess i don't have to do anything about it, wee!
On 23rd of Feb, i woke up with a few whatsapp messages:
*play dramatic music*
This time i knew it was too late. Some advert took over my site and based on initial assessment, i couldn't get it back.
Had to rant on twitter because there was nowhere else. Even if i did a blog post on this issue that day and to tell everyone to use my old link for the time being till i resolve the issue, no one would have read it because everyone would be trying to access imandystorm.com. FML I was trying all kinds of ways to get my domain back, emailing google, emailing the domain host, ICANN (suggested by Angie but they revert with some lawsuit thing. Not helping at all.) Got Jayne from Nuffnang to help me get their technical team to take a look. I tried everything i can but still no solution :(
In the meantime, i thought of the worst case scenario and decided to buy "imandystorm.net"
Just in case. Yea, congrats. FML
Switched everything to .net and announced on twitter. That's all i could do. Throughout the whole week or so, there were still people asking me why they can't access my blog (because they weren't following me on twitter obviously...) I told them to either access my blog via the old link or use the .net for the time being while i try to resolve the issue...
The replies i got from the domain host was to go through google since i bought the domain from blogger. Google then replied asking me login to my google app account and renew my domain within 19 days from expiry. If not it will be gone forever, meaning i had till 2nd of Feb. The silly thing is, i don't even remember having a google app account -_-
Remember earlier in the post i mentioned all i had to do was to pay for the domain via blogger? Well, that's what i did and i don't remember having to create an account specially for it! It was all so called "integrated" what! Tried to log in to google app using my original blogger user and password but it failed. Create new account also no use, they even ask me to buy a new domain -__- I felt damn lost and almost to the point of giving up and just continue using the .net that i purchased just in case, hoping everything will be back to normal as i move on. Readership dropped drastically for that week, kinda expected since no one could access my site and probably no one would think of using back the old link, LOL
Remember earlier in the post i mentioned all i had to do was to pay for the domain via blogger? Well, that's what i did and i don't remember having to create an account specially for it! It was all so called "integrated" what! Tried to log in to google app using my original blogger user and password but it failed. Create new account also no use, they even ask me to buy a new domain -__- I felt damn lost and almost to the point of giving up and just continue using the .net that i purchased just in case, hoping everything will be back to normal as i move on. Readership dropped drastically for that week, kinda expected since no one could access my site and probably no one would think of using back the old link, LOL
Last Friday, i decided to research online to see if there's anyone facing the same issue as me and i spent 3 whole hours reading up on domains, google, blogger, forums, threads and all sorts of related topics and...
Thank you guan yin ma.
My domain is now on auto renew meaning on 14th of Feb every year (coincidentally it's Valentines' Day, lol) google will auto deduct the renewal fee from my card until the day i decided to stop it. Felt really lucky to get it back all thanks to my perseverance and because of that, you are reading this blog post now. *flicks hair*