Go Daddy Just Lost My Business

FROM: Cat [E-Mail]
DATE: Tuesday February 8, 2005 -- 1:32:37 am

I've been with Dotster for several years, and they've been nothing but good to me.

Glad I didn't see that ad. Yeesh.

FROM: Chris [E-Mail]
DATE: Tuesday February 8, 2005 -- 7:49:00 am

www.gkg.net - which I believe was recommended to me by Ryan. So, if you were to use them, it would be the official domain registrar of The Daily Ping.

Surely they will pay you and Ryan enormous sums of money for that privilege.

FROM: Paul
DATE: Tuesday February 8, 2005 -- 9:28:01 am

Funny thing is that I just moved from gkg to Go Daddy for the Ping's registrar. :P Yuck.

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Tuesday February 8, 2005 -- 9:58:31 am

What's the big deal? She was cute and had luscious breasts. Her characterisation was of a befuddled bimbo, and not some super-sexed vixen out to flash in an inappropriate venue--which is what Janet Jackson was all about. I thought the commercial was fun, and the woman actually didn't bare anything but maybe a couple of inches of cleavage. She was nowhere near showing nipple. She did cradle her soft parts nicely, though.

Ads like this never encourage me nor discourage me from buying something or not. They simply don't work for me. I'd rather have a commercial that communicates to me how their product is going to solve my important problem.

I would doubt that such an ad would draw business directly. Indirectly, perhaps. Being offended by it draws as much attention as responding to it. An illustration: I saw the ad played on "The Morning Show" on a segment hosted by the supreme idiot Matt Lauer. After the commercial ran, he chortled like a doofus and said, "I don't care what they're selling, I'll buy it. What was the company's name?" The other guests struggled, but did manage to come up with "Go Daddy" and that they sold web hosting.

That was it. I remembered Matt Lauer's embarassing wide-eyed saliva-filled exclamation more than I remembered the actual commercial.

If you hadn't brought up the topic again today to bash the company, I would have totally forgotten "Go Daddy," and probably the commercial.

Boobs don't offend me, even if used in ads. I'd be fine if women could go topless with the freedom that men have. But then, I pretty much grew up in New Orleans, and today is Mardi Gras and I'm a little sentima. Many people, male and female, who go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras find it surprising that they nearly instantly become innured to the sight of nude breasts. I really think that if we didn't make such a big puritanical (and sexist) deal about boobs, bare or covered, they'd be a nonissue.

Did the ad win me over? No. Am I offended by it? No. Do I think that the marketing company that ran the commercial is very clever? No. Do I think the ad reached its target audience? No. Do I think the ad was ultimately a failure? I can't say. If I hadn't been reminded of the ad by this Ping, I would have totally forgotten about it. Now, I'll never forget it. But I'm not in the market to buy web space, so ultimately, I'm not the target market anyway.

The fact that it had such an effect on someone I despise as an idiot (Matt Lauer) is probably the biggest reason why I would shun Go Daddy if I were in the market. I wouldn't want to associate myself with such a jackass.

FROM: Viren
DATE: Tuesday February 8, 2005 -- 11:40:00 am

So, of all the faults with commercials these days, and them stopping to pander to the lowest-common denominator, as well as targeting kids, etc., why is it that the GoDaddy ad made such an impact? Just feeling a little betrayed by a company whose product you liked?
At least this one didn't disguise itself (its one saving grace). There are so many worse ads on TV (blatantly false messages, targeting kids, etc) that I feel are worthy of contempt.

FROM: Edmund Burke
DATE: Tuesday February 8, 2005 -- 1:37:07 pm

Just goes to show what kind of values our generation is embracing. Let's make fun of decency and those who try to uphold it, it's sooo old fashioned.
Good for you taking a stand and transferring business. To some it may seem fruitless, you’re only one guy-what kind of difference could you possibly make? But, what is was it that Edmund Burke said - "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
So, let’s all sit back and let things continue to slide. Morals, we don’t need no stinkin’ morals!!

FROM: Paul
DATE: Tuesday February 8, 2005 -- 1:44:48 pm

Viren: why is it that the GoDaddy ad made such an impact?

Because, as you say, it was a product I liked. Resorting to T&A seemed pretty out of character.

FROM: Ryan [E-Mail]
DATE: Tuesday February 8, 2005 -- 3:49:43 pm

I wasn't terribly impressed by the ad, but I wasn't offended by it, either. It was just a standard T&A ad that semi-humorously played off of the Janet Jackson incident.

I'm more offended by the fact that they were forced to edit out the words "wardrobe malfunction" from the commercial.

FROM: Rob [E-Mail]
DATE: Tuesday February 8, 2005 -- 4:08:07 pm

I'm offended by the Ping all the time. Especially when you start picking on tow truck drivers. But I still keep coming back.

Now, Ryan and Paul, get up there and shake it. Aww yeah.

FROM: Dave Walls [E-Mail]
DATE: Wednesday February 9, 2005 -- 9:53:04 am

I'd respond to whatever Rob wrote, but my Ping filter went off. It deletes offensive phrases like "tow trucks" and "Raven Symone" automatically..

I thought that the GoDaddy ad was actually pretty funny, especially since there was a constant furor the past few weeks about censoring ads so no one would be offended..and this was on FOX, for goodness sakes.

The thing I'm left to ponder. GoDaddy had a *second* ad that was pulled at the last minute. Wonder what was in that one?

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Wednesday February 9, 2005 -- 3:56:55 pm

I didn't know that they were forced to edit out the words "wardrobe malfunction." Who did the forcing? It couldn't have been the FCC because there wouldn't be any of the usual grounds (not the the FCC has any Constitution based grounds to act as a censorship body anyway).

FROM: Hanna Karolyn
DATE: Wednesday February 9, 2005 -- 7:03:11 pm

Do the moralist prudes that honestly have "objections" to this sort of thing have any sense of perspective, let alone a sense of humor?

"Just goes to show what kind of values our generation is embracing" Oh my god! Please define "values," "our generation," and "embracing" mean without invoking Christianity and I MIGHT listen to whatever "arguments" you might have angainst such trivialities as this commercial.

Grow up, get a life and dedicate yourself to something other than Christian prudery!

FROM: Johnny Boy
DATE: Thursday February 10, 2005 -- 12:03:04 am

Well Hanna,

Christian Prudery is the only thing protecting this perverse world from complete judgement... But that is besides the point. Did any of you know what Bob Parsons did before he started GoDaddy? That's right, he sold bible software - ehem - Christian bible software. I use godaddy.com for my retgistrar but will be moving elsewhere.

He like so many in the world today have souled out (yeah that's spelled correctly) to their own fleshly desires just to have a little more of their god - money.

Where are all of the women's rights activist when this stuff is on? No, they'd rather attack the christian for treating them properly. The end is near folks - are you ready.

BTW - We have no sense of humor? Pahleez! Just because we don't like dirty or perverse humor doesn't mean we have no sense of humor.

Those of you that just have to oogle at womens breasts and slobber need to grow up, get a life and dedicate to nothing but Christian prudery.

FROM: Paul
DATE: Thursday February 10, 2005 -- 7:08:16 am

I like how the moment you think something is offensive on TV, you're a "moralist prude." Please. I identify myself as liberal - I won't go into total detail here, since that'd be a little off-topic for the Ping. But I bet that Go Daddy didn't figure on some watchers being so liberal that they would find, say, using a woman's body to sell something offensive.

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Thursday February 10, 2005 -- 12:20:17 pm

Paul; I think Hanna's comments were directed at Edmund Burke's value-based assessment. I don't see anything in your Ping that sounds like Christian prudery. Your objection was that is was crass and tasteless, which is a quality assessment.

Johnny Boy has some issues. "Those of you that [incorrect pronoun, should be "who"] just have to oogle [spelling] at womens [plural possessive apostrophe missing] breasts and slobber need to grow up, get a life and dedicate to [missing pronoun]nothing but Christian prudery."

As for his message, who it attacks, or what it addresses, I'm really not sure. It's really sort of gibberish, isn't it?

FROM: Greg
DATE: Thursday February 10, 2005 -- 12:26:51 pm

I liked the go daddy commerical. I will support them because they are not afraid of the fcc and these dumb religionish nuts who try to tell me what to watch. Good for them by not folding like the others. It's sad they could not run the other ad.

FROM: DON CAMERON
DATE: Thursday February 10, 2005 -- 2:29:01 pm

FROM: Johnny Boy
DATE: Thursday February 10, 2005 -- 3:23:27 pm

Joseph,

Funny...
The only thing you could attack me on is my grammar. LOL!

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Thursday February 10, 2005 -- 4:03:11 pm

The only thing you could attack me on is my grammar

The following sentences address the thrust of your message, not your use of grammar: As for his message, who it attacks, or what it addresses, I'm really not sure. It's really sort of gibberish, isn't it?

FROM: Ken
DATE: Thursday February 10, 2005 -- 5:13:04 pm

I dont see how someone would stop going somehwere that has great service and products becasue of an offending commercial. It isnt about the companies morals, if it has a godd outcome, shop there.

FROM: Ryan [E-Mail]
DATE: Friday February 11, 2005 -- 9:27:20 am

I dont see how someone would stop going somehwere that has great service and products becasue of an offending commercial.

I personally have a lot of places that I won't shop at because I don't like the what the company stands for or what they've done to the community in the name of building another store.

Likewise, I swore off Subway (not like I ate there that frequently anyway, but...) when they got in bed with Atkins and started pushing the stupid ass low-carb wraps and sandwiches.

It's not always what's about most convenient or least expensive for you as a consumer, it's about choosing to spend your money with companies that you believe in and support.

FROM: Paul
DATE: Saturday February 12, 2005 -- 8:05:06 am

Ken, you should read my Ten Companies I Don't Like Very Much Ping from 2001. Although, this list is longer now.

The beauty of our society is that you can vote with your cash... if you don't like what a company stands for, you can stop giving them money and shop elsewhere.

Subway is on my hit list too for the same reason. I didn't really like them all that much in the first place.

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Saturday February 12, 2005 -- 8:32:50 am

if you don't like what a company stands for, you can stop giving them money and shop elsewhere.

Perhaps that theory works in the domain name registry market where, apparently, there is still some competition out there.

But if there is so little competition for other products or services that you have few or no alternatives, and the few "alternatives" are just selling the same crap with a different label, then you're stuck.

If we were talking about phone companies, cable TV, cars, utilities and computers, just to name a few, you might not have the same opportunity to flex your consumer muscle.

Here in CT, we get one phone company to pick from for a land line. It's great. We can choose SBC, who just bought up AT&T. If you lived in a state in which you could choose between AT&T and SBC, you've just gotten on my bus.

FROM: William
DATE: Saturday February 12, 2005 -- 4:47:33 pm

Why is some closed minded opinion on the top of Goolgle search page? I am interested in the services of Go Daddy and the first thing I see is this nonsense. All this guy says is service and products are good, but we get to hear his opinion about an add. Well why don't you put the positive resposes first? There were a lot more of them.

FROM: Jack
DATE: Sunday February 13, 2005 -- 12:27:56 am

hehe, I can understand why you guys might find that commercial tasteless, I think having that commercial on the Superbowl is a little foolish considering the bout of indecency that has come upon the suprbowl in the last couple years, but come on! replying "yuck" to that commercial!? WHY? She was hot! Maybe not the best advertising strategy, but they sure got my attention.

FROM: Matt
DATE: Thursday February 17, 2005 -- 6:50:47 pm

Greg- you are a douchebag, plain and simple. You are sitting here talking about how the FCC and the Religionish nuts are trying to tell you what to watch, but it's really a bunch of viacom fuckers that are determining your daily intake of boob-tube programming. Now go grab your oil-and vinegar fancy boy.

FROM: Vance
DATE: Wednesday June 22, 2005 -- 8:34:46 am

Some of you men who were offended have serious "Man Problems".....

The American Breast are the DEVIL thing is so ridiculous I expect someday they will make satires based on your principles, just as they have in the past on the same groups of people yelling about women wearing jeans, or showing their knees. Get over it already, nothing to be afraid of.

FROM: Paul
DATE: Wednesday June 22, 2005 -- 9:05:46 am

Wow. That's a pretty incoherent rant, I must say. Good show.

The American Breast are the DEVIL thing is so ridiculous...

Number of occurrences of the word "devil" on this page: 3. Two from this comment and one from yours.

FROM: Paul
DATE: Saturday December 31, 2005 -- 10:32:56 am

I'd like to send another congratulations to Go Daddy: I've just transferred my last domain away from them. They'll get no more of my money.

Hooray!

FROM: Sammy Reed
DATE: Saturday December 31, 2005 -- 1:02:40 pm

Guess what I just noticed!

"Go Daddy has stopped to a selling technique..."

Ranks up there with "Opps!"

FROM: Paul
DATE: Saturday December 31, 2005 -- 3:00:10 pm

Given the age of the Ping, it's going to stay as is. Typos are my freindz!

FROM: Sammy Reed
DATE: Sunday January 1, 2006 -- 12:36:24 pm

What's worse is somebody actually replied with:

" ...and them stopping to pander to the lowest-common denominator..."

FROM: gian
DATE: Sunday January 22, 2006 -- 7:24:55 pm

Put your bible down. thata kind of thinking i was is driving this country into the ground. your bible shouldnt determine my politics.

FROM: andrea
DATE: Sunday February 5, 2006 -- 7:57:03 pm

hmm. i see what's going on here. bimbo guys are attracted to the bimbo ladies.
after seeing their ad during the superbowl this year i'm not even curious about their website. why would i want to give them money? gag.

FROM: Kaylono
DATE: Friday February 17, 2006 -- 7:42:31 pm

Go Daddy sucks big time.... but, I thought that ad was rather funny. It's a direct mockery of the idiocy of US censors and the prudish additudes we have toward sex. That's not to say i like retarded beer advertisements, only that the Janet Jackson debacle of 2004 was such a stupid joke, that these guys did exactly the right thing by having the bimbo ad air...

FROM: Mike L
DATE: Friday March 24, 2006 -- 3:19:53 pm

Way to go!!!

I'm also about to move my domains from GoDurddy after this years swanky Super Bore commercial.

Sleazy. That's what comes to mind when I think of GoDaddy, particularily Bob Parsons. Bob in general has the ability to torque off both liberals and conservatives. One minute listening to Radio GoHomeDaddy is one minute of your life wasted. HoDaddy celebrates and uplifts Candice Michelle like she was Mother Theresa or something, because due to her exposure from HoDaddy's commercials she was able to cash in by showing off her mammary glands to the populace via PlayBoy. Oh so noble a cause! And she has GoDaddy to thank!

What's even more annoying is that if you decide to submit a customer complaint, either from a liberal or conservative position to GoDaddy, Bob will single you out for ostracizing on either his blogg or Radio GoDirty... and basically tell you to take a hike. I realize not every customer is going to be happy all the time, there will always be policital, moral, and religious differences between the people who run a company, it's employees, and it's customers. But it's this vocally flippant attitude toward customers that is going to hurt GoDaddy in the long run. For the life of me, I just can't figure out why a company wouldn't want to appeal to the broadest possible audience.

Do I like how Candice looks? Heck yeah. Do I like T&A? Ask my wife... I can't get enough enough of them from her. I'm just tired of people (GoDaddy, Candice, TV in general) stooping to the lowest-common-denominator by appealing to man's basest instincts just to make a buck. I also have two young boys and a beautiful daughter who I don't want growing up in a society where showing off your body parts is celebrated, like it is the greatest possible good one could achieve. If you want to go wack your stick to commercials or images of Candice, given the stamp of approval by GoDaddy, you go right ahead. I've got better things to do. Like move my domains to another host.

Here are a couple low-cost alternatives to GoDaddy for those of you thinking a change is is order:

www.namecheap.com
www.registerfly.com

FROM: Mike
DATE: Tuesday March 28, 2006 -- 3:46:10 pm

Nevermind RegisterFly as a domain hosting alternative...

After doing a search for "reviews of registerfly" I get nothing but horror stories of people being fleeced by what sounds like a company that cares even less about customers than GoDaddy.

It's always a good idea to get other people's reviews and first-hand accounts of a company before committing any money to them. Unfortunately, I had committed money to GoDaddy back when they were simply in the business of domains, before they started going down hill.