Namecheap Blog

May 2013 Newsletter

Posted by Tamar, Namecheap Community Manager on 15th May 2013

May is here and it’s already a busy busy month here at Namecheap. We’ve launched new dedicated servers, are running a dedicated server promotion, have a new Namecheap Deals partner, and we’re always busy at work making sure we always put our customers first.

Domains for Less!

For the rest of May, get $1 off select country code top level domains (.com.au.net.au.org.au.co.uk.org.uk.me.uk.eu.us.ca.es.com.es.org.es.nom.es.de) registrations and transfers at Namecheap! Simply use coupon code GOLOCAL. The coupon code will be $1 off the minimum yearly commitment (1 or 2 years). Using a ccTLD is a great way to establish a local presence.

Dedicated Server Launch

We’ve been working behind the scenes for several months to refresh and expand our dedicated server configurations. We now offer a range of servers ranging from entry level dual core CPUs to 12 x core Xeons! To celebrate our new dedicated servers, we’re offering 50% off the first month on any dedicated server using coupon code SERVEROFFER. These servers are based in our fully redundant Phoenix datacenter and offer great network performance, the latest energy-efficient hardware and a range of software options to suit all needs. To find out more and to order visit our dedicated hosting page.

SERPs is Namecheap’s Newest Partner

On a daily basis, Namecheap staff is going out and building alliances with some amazing companies that can help your website soar to greater heights. The Namecheap Deals program continues to impress our customers and we hope you are truly taking advantage of all we have to offer. Our latest partner in the Namecheap Deals program is SERPs.com, an online tool that lets you see the effectiveness of your search engine optimization. It features a beautiful dashboard that needs no code to install. For those of you looking to improve your SEO results, SERPs.com is a great option. With Namecheap Deals, you can get up to a 75 day free trial of the service. Log inand cash out!

Spotlight on: Sveta, Billing Manager

I joined Namecheap in 2010 as a hosting billing support representative, given my background in billing and accounting. Today, as a billing manager, I manage and coordinate the billing team as well as work on improving of billing processes to help provide the most effective workflow. My main goal is ensuring the highest level of support with all billing related questions that exceeds our highest expectations. I also enjoy reading, cooking, travelling and doing exciting things that make me happy.
Name, Function

Retweet Deal Coming Soon

Interested in $0.98 com/net/org registrations and transfers? We thought so! Later this month, we’ll be having a retweet deal at Namecheap. You’ll find out more on Twitter and Facebook, so be sure to follow us!

Coupons for May

In May, our standard coupon codes are as follows:

  • MAYFLOWERS gives you standard discounts off com/net/org/biz registrations and com/net/org/info/biz transfers.
  • HOST247 will give you 20% off the first billing cycle of shared hosting.
  • XENOPENVZSALE will give you 10% off the first billing cycle of VPS servers.

Social Fun with Namecheap

Have fun with Namecheap on these social networks for fun, promotions, updates, customer service, and a whole lot more. Follow us on TwitterFacebookGoogle+, and Pinterest.

And that’s all, folks! Till next month…

Namecheap Newsletter: April 2013

Posted by Tamar, Namecheap Community Manager on 19th April 2013

It’s April! We’ve been really busy (as always) with some great new additions that we’d love to share with you.

Earth Day at Namecheap

Earth Day is April 22nd and Namecheap is doing something unprecedented this year: we’re letting you choose an organization to support.

We’ve narrowed down to two great earth-conscious organizations: the WWF and the Rainforest Alliance. $1 from each inbound transfer of com/net/org/info/biz domains to Namecheap and new web hosting plan sign-ups will be donated to one of these great organizations.

Simply use coupon code SAVETHEFOREST if you want to support Rainforest Alliance orDONATE2WWF if you want to support the WWF. We’ll take care of the rest.

Remember, these codes are only available on April 22nd, 2013 (Eastern Standard Time). Join us for Earth Day!

New .PW TLD Launched: Be Part of the Professional Web

We’re happy to announce that Namecheap now supports the new .PW TLD. Establish your online identity and get recognized as a professional all at the same time. Don’t wait! This recently introduced TLD is so new that many short combinations have yet to be registered. Yourfirstname.pw may still be available! On top of that we are offering a new registration special to help get you started. Try it today for only $3.98 for the first year.

Transfer Your Website to Namecheap Hosting Hassle-free

Want to try out our awesome hosting service but don’t want the hassle of a website migration? Our new TransferAssistance service means we will migrate your account from your old provider to us, with minimum fuss, hassle and downtime! Our team performs the migration and transfers your website files, emails, databases and more – at a time convenient to you. Right now, we’re offering this service for cPanel only but will be expanding this to cover other control panels shortly. To get started, just open a Helpdesk Ticket with the Hosting – TransferAssistance department.

Namecheap’s Response to Major WordPress Attack

As you may know, last week, WordPress installations were the target of a substantial and sophisticated attack originating from over 90,000 distributed IP addresses. This affected thousands of installations across the board, and as a result of the potential danger to our hosting customers, Namecheap sprang to action. We were the first hosting company that released a working fix that identified the difference between the attackers’ requests and regular ones, and we were the first to create an effective firewall that locked the attackers out, both of which were done without overloading or crashing our servers. Our fixes were then shared with online forums for webmasters and applied on servers worldwide.

We’re hugely thankful to our support staff for working around the clock to address this issue. It also shows the level of support and service we offer our hosting clients. If you have been hesitant to give it a try, we hope the above can convince you about how great our web hosting truly is.

Name, Function

Spotlight on: Milla S., QA Manager

I joined Namecheap in 2007 as a support representative, and I joined the in Risk Management and Quality Assurance teams in 2008.

At Namecheap, we know that to be good is not enough. We need to be the best to make our customers happy, and quality of customer support is one of our known advantages. As the manager of QA department, I aim to keep up and improve the progress and quality of Namecheap’s customer support. I enjoy working with such a client-oriented and talented team. I know that we will never stop on the way to perfection. :)

Coupons for April

Looking for a sale on TLDs? We have one! TLDSALE is our coupon code for standard discounts on com/net/org/biz registrations and com/net/org/info/biz transfers.

Looking to get a web server under the Namecheap roof? We like that idea! Get 20% off the first billing cycle of shared hosting with code SPEEDYSVR, and get 10% off the first billing cycle of VPS hosting with coupon code DIGITALSERVE.

We’re Online Too

We are constantly connected to the social space. If you’re willing to engage with our communities, you can find us on TwitterFacebookPinterest, and Google+.

Enjoy the rest of the month, and don’t forget about our Earth Day specials! We’d love for you to join us!

See you there!

Earth Day 2013 Special at Namecheap

Posted by Tamar, Namecheap Community Manager on 19th April 2013
At Namecheap, we are committed to protecting our environment. That’s why this year, we are supporting two excellent eco-conscious organizations, WWF and the Rainforest Alliance. For every domain name transferred to Namecheap on Monday, April 22nd (EST), you will not only save big (transfers are $5.99* for com/net/org/biz/info) but we will also be donating $1 on your behalf to the organization of your choice based on the coupon code you will use.

That’s right, we have two coupon codes. DONATE2WWF is the coupon to use if you want to donate to WWF. SAVETHEFOREST will support the Rainforest Alliance.

Not only that, these coupons are also valid on hosting plans too! Use the coupon codes to get 60% off your first billing cycle of web hosting — plus we’ll honor our commitment and donate $1 per plan to the organization of your choosing.

What is WWF?

WWF stands for World Wildlife Fund and has a goal to save our endangered species and to restore and conserve the environment. Their mantra is to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

What is Rainforest Alliance?

The Rainforest Alliance is a nonprofit organization that is committed to the conservation of tropical forests. They are dedicated to conserving biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices, and consumer behavior.

See you on Earth Day!

Update: Thanks for all of your support! You raised $895 for the Rainforest Alliance and $438 to WWF.

Limits:
* An additional $0.18 ICANN fee is charged to .com and .net transfers.
** Limit 10 domains per household or business entity across both coupons. Limit 1 hosting plan per household or business entity across both coupons.
*** Domains transferred out of Namecheap previously are ineligible to participate in this promotion.

The big WordPress attack and how Namecheap helped

Posted by matt on 15th April 2013

There’s been a large attack on worldwide WordPress installations over the past week. This has made news at the highest levels and was covered early on by ArsTechnica and even today made the BBC.

How Namecheap helped with the WordPress attack

We were initially rather silent on the attack itself. Others were quick to jump on the PR bandwagon but we were busying ourselves on the fix itself. It is important, though, that I write this blog post to highlight just what the Namecheap technical team achieved.

 

 

We were the first to release a working fix that:

    1. Identified the difference between the attacker’s requests and regular ones
    2. Created effective firewall (IP tables) rules that locked the attacker out
    3. Accomplished the above without overloading/crashing the server

We then shared our fix publicly with the hosting industry on WebHostingTalk here, as part of the much larger WordPress discussion thread.

A big thumps up to the Namecheap technical team behind the WordPress fix!

Matt

Namecheap Announces Their New Crystal Ball Technology: The Guesstimator™ (patent pending)!

Posted by Juliet, Director of Internal Operations on 31st March 2013

Everyone knows that finding the right products and services can be difficult and taxing on your brain. Namecheap has come up with a way to remove the need for you to think at all. Today they announced the most innovative solution to hit the market, yet – the Guesstimator™ (patent pending).

Like magic, the Guesstimator™ instinctively knows not only everything you want but everything you need both for your website and your life, in general. Need every domain extension known to man? We know you do. Need 20 random applications for your web hosting? You bet it’ll add them for you. Forgot your father’s birthday? The Guesstimator™ just knows and will automatically add that Chia® Pet, electronic shaving kit, and subscription to the fruit of the month club right to your cart. Who could ask for anything more?

No more worries about those missed opportunities. The Guesstimator™ has you covered. Don’t take our word for it, though. Try it today and experience the magic for yourself!

 

 

 

 

 

APRIL
FOOLS!
 

Thank you for playing along.

To learn more about the real Namecheap, check out the links below or return to our real homepage now.

About Us: Learn about Namecheap 

Fight Against CISPA: Join Namecheap and EFF in the fight to protect privacy & Learn more about how you can help


The Namecheap Team

 

CISPA Action Week – Sound the Alarm to Protect Privacy

Posted by Juliet, Director of Internal Operations on 21st March 2013

This week is CISPA Action Week! At Namecheap, we’re proud to be at the forefront of raising awareness with EFF about CISPA with the #CISPAAlert program.

This time, we feel that the Internet community is the only force that can stop this privacy-destroying legislation.

Why are “we the users” the only ones left?

It’s quite simple. SOPA threatened to cut corporations off at the knees, preventing them from collecting payments and advertising online if they didn’t police potential infringement of Intellectual Property by their users.

Naturally, this policing came with a cost, a cost that no one wanted to incur.

CISPA addressed this problem head-on, and instead of threatening corporations into enforcing IP violations, it recruited them into the plan to share information at will and make privacy obsolete.

Under CISPA, corporations aren’t threatened with being cut off from processing payments or advertising.  Instead, they are granted broad immunity from liability that may arise from sharing a broad range of personally identifiable information with the government, so the government can investigate further.

Our CEO, Richard Kirkendall, said:

“Ask yourself this…if a company is legally immune from the consequences of sharing your identifiable personal information with the government, what incentive do they have to protect your privacy?”

The earnest and frightening conclusion to this development is that the people, the users, are the only remaining force that can resist the removal of any semblance of privacy we still have.

This is why we at Namecheap are spreading the word and urging every user of the Internet to:

We, the users, are the only ones left who can protect our privacy!

 

Want to know more about domains? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted by Tamar, Namecheap Community Manager on 13th March 2013

Do you know everything there is to know about domain names? Perhaps you do, but perhaps you don’t. Our team has put together the most exhaustive domain name infographic ever, covering everything from the pros and cons of generic TLDs to the top gTLD registries to details on ccTLDs, to the traffic by TLD, and more.

Check it out. For the full sized graphic, click here.

Namecheap-Infograph-Final_ 12 03500

March 2013 Newsletter

Posted by Tamar, Namecheap Community Manager on 7th March 2013
Namecheap is gearing up for an amazing March. Here are just some of the things we have to share:

Namecheap now accepts Bitcoin

We’re ecstatic to announce that we now accept Bitcoin, the decentralized peer to peer currency. Namecheap is the first major domain registrar to accept this payment method. We’re also the fifth largest website in the world to use Bitcoin. We’re really excited to be on the cutting edge and hope those of you who use Bitcoin will try it out. Learn more about Namecheap and Bitcoin

$3.98 .BIZ Domains!

Looking for the perfect URL for your business or interested in protecting your company brand? This month only Namecheap is offering a limited number of .BIZ registrations for over 50% off the regular rate. Get your 1st year of registration for only $3.98. Don’t miss out. Start your search now. No coupon code required!

Check out our Funny Video

Have you already bought your domain? Check out our funny video. Watch it carefully as we have a coupon code within for a great deal on new domains!

API Support for WhoisGuard Added

For those of you who use Namecheap’s API, we’re happy to let you know that we have added API support for WhoisGuard. You now have the ability to enable, disable, discard WhoisGuard and change email addresses directly from our API. Learn more about Namecheap’s WhoisGuard API support

Spotlight on Igor, Level 2 Support

I joined Namecheap in 2011 as a hosting customer support operator and was promoted to the level 2 department when it was created. In August 2012, I successfully completed the cPanel Base Technical Certification. As a level 2 representative, my main goal is to provide unbelievable customer. I’m fond of active sports, P90x, and constant self improvement. I also like playing Go, watching movies, and singing.

Coupons for March 2013

Want to register or transfer a new domain this month? We’ve got you covered. Coupon code SPRINGY is valid on com/net/org/biz registrations and com/net/org/info/biz transfers. Limit 30 per account.

Also, get 20% off the first billing cycle of a shared hosting plan with coupon code DAFFODIL and 10% off the first billing cycle of a VPS hosting plan with coupon code RUNNINGVPS.

Hang Out with Us

Did you know that Namecheap is a social pioneer? We’re the friendly domain registrar at the forefront of social media. Find us on TwitterFacebookPinterest, and Google Plus and see for yourself.

Have a wonderful March :)

Namecheap Now Accepts Bitcoin

Posted by Tamar, Namecheap Community Manager on 5th March 2013

We’re pleased to announce that we are now accepting Bitcoin payment methods on Namecheap. We’re the first domain name registrar to do so and the fifth largest site in the world accepting Bitcoin, so we’re really proud of our innovative approach and this accomplishment.

Bitcoin is a peer to peer decentralized currency that enables instant payments to anyone anywhere in the world. Bitcoin has no central authority, so managing transactions and issuing money are carried out collectively by the P2P network. It was hugely demanded of Namecheap, so we’re happy to announce that it’s ready.

Learn more about Namecheap’s integration of Bitcoin here and add funds to your account.

Unite With Namecheap Against CISPA

Posted by Tamar, Namecheap Community Manager on 15th February 2013

We’ll be donating $0.10 $1.00 to the Electronic Frontier Foundation for every retweet and share of this post and for tweets mentioning the hashtag #CISPAalert. In addition, coupon code CISPAalert will save you a dollar on all com/net/org registrations and transfers and we’ll donate $0.10 $1.00 to EFF for every domain registered and transferred on top of that.


As many of you are aware, Namecheap has taken a stance against SOPA and related legislation. In 2012 and 2013, we donated over $100,000 to the Electronic Frontier Foundation to help ensure that the fight stays alive.

SOPA has died. But a more ominous threat, CISPA, which stands for the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, looms ahead.

CISPA, which emerged in 2012, has been rebirthed this week as an even bigger threat to online freedom. If CISPA is passed, the US government gains the power to ask your ISP about any/all of your online activities and personal information. Advocated under the premise of anti-terrorism legislation, this legislation is so broad that it threatens to endanger the privacy of every individual and ordinary and law abiding citizens. This act makes your private online activity now public, giving ISPs the right to share your personal information completely without your knowledge, due process, or authorization.

Namecheap continues its fight against all such legislation, and we stand tall to raise the alarm against any and all of the legislation that promotes censorship or threatens the privacy of the individual. We will continue to call out the need for due process, bring awareness to any such threat and donate to the cause.

Our CEO, Richard Kirkendall, says:

CISPA is just another re-hashed version of SOPA, which was vehemently opposed by the entire internet community. This is another attempt by congress to backdoor this anti-privacy and pro censorship legislation while everyone is sleeping. We want to sound the alarm and bring attention to this while we all can still take action.

Shari Steele, Executive Director, EFF, says:

EFF is pleased to stand with Namecheap in voicing strong opposition to the CISPA legislation recently re-introduced in the House.  We thank Namecheap users for their much-needed support and generosity.  With the support of the Namecheap community, EFF can continue the fight for digital rights on behalf of all Internet users.

We must unite to ensure that this threat to our liberties does not see the light of day.

Contact your elected officials via EFF’s tool and sign the petition against CISPA today.