Should have registered it years ago
So the A between my first and last name in my domain name — while a real initial — is a byproduct of the cybersquatter industry. Since I didn’t have a real need for people to be able to find and get in touch with me until after I gave up the “quiet life” and went to Engadget, I never thought to register the basic-most domain: ryanblock.com. Hence the A. Why’s this pertinent? Well, it’s not (and I’m sure you people are hella sick of me talking about vanity domain names), but each late-August I start running whois once every few days, and for the second year in a row since it was squatted in 2004 (roughly 3 months post-Engadget) ryanblock.com has been renewed. I’ve asked what it would take to pry loose my name from their clutches, and it’s $300. Even though that’s more than anyone should have to spend, I’m prepared to suck it up and pay the fee; still, I just can’t bring myself to put cash in cybersquatters’ hands. So: buy it and support them? Or stick with the lame A that just doesn’t belong? Or, hold out for the real deal (blo.ck, ry.an — never gonna happen)? Or stop obsessing? I have a feeling it’s “stop obsessing,” isn’t it?
Co-founder of 
Hell, at this point I’d be flattered to be cybersquatted. As it is, some English jerk with a really cool name who claims to be a web designer (yet has the world’s crappiest site design, Drudge Report and AICN not withstanding) is the owner and proprietor of Danstapleton.com. Thus I’m forced to live in .net land.
Just think of the “a” as a way of seperating yourself from another individual who also happens to have the name Ryan Block. There. I just saved you $300!
Hey if you ar looking for a .ck site go here http://www.oyster.net.ck/about/index.php?about=domain check the bottom for pricing you get one through these people (:
I’m with you on that. I definitely cannot stand cybersquatters. When are we going to consider the concept of eminent internet domain? We won’t have to worry about the government taking our .com or .net, but perhaps the internet governing bodies can seize unused domains and give it to people (like yourself) that will actually do something with it?
I don’t have a cyber squatter, but a legitimate company. However, my namehere+.com is taken by a company that I don’t understand the relation between my name and what it does (see email firstname+.com). It’s not even an asian company!
I say don’t do it; People know your name, it’s easy to spell, and they can google you easily enough. Giving in to the squatters would simply justify their underhanded techniques.
Agh, but that dreaded A, David! Guess I’ll just live with it… if I trade, it should be to trade up not (like to blo.ck or ry.an) and not to trade over. Bah.
It looks like ryanblock.net, .org and .tv are available… how attached are you to .com? ;)
Just go for it, as much as it sucks to have to give in to them, you will be happier. I paid for mine from a squatter, $400. but now I am happy that I have my name as a dot com.
If it’s not a .com then it’d better be a .ck or .an, that’s all I’m sayin’!
where can you register .an domains? (..er..if available)
http://www.una.an/an_domreg/
Netherlands Antilles
Ya, I agree with JYH. Too bad you can’t be kicked off the internet for poor, non-relavent content. That would also solve the problem of typsoquatters who try to profit off the error of human fingers.
[...] after I started at Engadget in 2004 a registrar took ryanblock.com. Ok, fine, that was my own stupid fault, I should have owned it anyway. Well, it’s a mistake [...]