I typically like to keep the registration of the domain itself in the customer's own registrar account (even if I have to set it up for them). I provide them with that information (or they provide it to me, if they have already registered it).
Then depending on the registrar, there may be features that help to facilitate this type of management. Porkbun, for example, has "subaccounts" and also "authorized users" where you can then set yourself up to be able to admin those domains on behalf of your client. Godaddy, as another example, has a feature called "Delegate Access", where you can set yourself up under your client's account to be able to make changes, perform renewals, etc. on their behalf.
I would imagine that other registrars might have similar features.
Thats a good idea. The current domain name registrar I currently use for my customers is iwantmyname (Recommended by fastmail). I asked them about this a few years back but they said they didn't have any kind of delegation system, but maybe I should check with them again.
Did you every have a problem where a customer got confused about the billing for the domain name? I'm pretty good a documenting the things I do regarding email and what needs to happen to keep there email system going, but I often get customers that have no idea about the billing when the domain name bill comes though to their email. They don't seem to remember that it has to do with there email account. Then they ignore the bill, their email goes down, they call me, I remind them that there email depends on a working domain name, they get there bill sorted out and the email gets restored. Some times this process gets repeated with customers that keep forgetting.
I looked at the site and can say that I am someone who might be interested in your service.
This is not a criticism, but rather intended as (hopefully) constructive feedback.
As a technical dev who just doesn't have the time to spend on my own projects, I have general questions about your services. However, from the site it appears that the only way I can communicate with you is to schedule a phone call.
I understand why you might want that initial contact to be via a phone call, but for me a scheduled call is just too much friction when I just want to fire off an email or a chat to ask a couple of questions and see if we might be a good fit.
That may sound silly, but I suspect I am not alone.
Not sure about underrated, but if you mean lesser-known, here is some of the most memorable, possibly lesser-known science fiction I've read over the past few years. These are the ones that stick in my brain and continue to generate thought, even though I read them months (or even years) ago:
"Chocky" by John Wyndham
"This is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (a new all-time fave for me)
"The Book of Strange new Things: A Novel" by Michel Faber
"The City and the City" by China Miéville
"The Fifth Science" by Exurb1a
"The Initial Fold" series by Nick Adams
"Peacemaker's Code" by Deepak Malhotra (still not sure why this is not more well-known)
"Eifelheim" by Michael Flynn (a most unusual premise and a gob of seemingly inane stuff to get through at about the 2/3 point, but IMHO worth it)
"Providence" by Max Barry (heart pounding)
"Hench" by Natalie Zina Walschots
"Orange World" by Karen Russell (short stories but many qualify as sci-fi, very memorable to me)
And here are some definitely well-known examples that also stick in my head:
"Infernum" by Jayson Adams
"The Fourth Wing" and "Iron Flame" by Rebecca Yarros (more fantasy than sci-fi, but very well done if you can handle two or three extended and explicit sex scenes)
"Rabbits" by Terry Miles (book includes some hidden hints and puzzles that lead you to things outside the book
"We are Legion (We are Bob)" series by Dennis Taylor
Thank you for your response. I don't see how they would have been able to, but the first email I received from the app vendor was a quarterly statement notification, and includes the person's screen name on the app. I checked all of the email headers and they seem legit (match emails I receive for my own account from the app vendor)
Whether you lease or buy, don't settle for anything less than a full complement of planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, meteors, and comets. You should also have it inspected first. You want to be sure it will last and won't get sucked into a supermassive blackhole.
Your situation sounds very similar to my own (including the "old and crusty web developer" and "I made a word puzzle game").
And I have been facing the same difficulties, not just legal red tape but also the seemingly endless steps to making sure that everything's working for all scenarios, then finally having it ready to launch, only to find out that some new rules have just been created which force a restart of that whole QA cycle.
It's not about the programming. It's never been about the programming. It's about the surrounding "slog of obtuse processes" that suck the life out of what should have been a joyful project.
Like you I am searching for an alternative. I'll be watching this post for ideas and discussion, but also feel free to contact via email (see profile) if you want to brainstorm.
In case you didn't see it, this may be of interest:
Then depending on the registrar, there may be features that help to facilitate this type of management. Porkbun, for example, has "subaccounts" and also "authorized users" where you can then set yourself up to be able to admin those domains on behalf of your client. Godaddy, as another example, has a feature called "Delegate Access", where you can set yourself up under your client's account to be able to make changes, perform renewals, etc. on their behalf.
I would imagine that other registrars might have similar features.