Mastodon instance Queer.af is shutting down because the country that provides the domain is now ruled by the Taliban.

When registering a country code domain, keep in mind where the domain is being registered. A shift in government or geopolitics can have serious consequences.

  • neutron@thelemmy.clubEnglish
    0·
    10 months ago

    Domain hacking is fun, but politics isn’t fun. Bit.ly got taken over by the Libyan government agency, FMHY.ml also had to start over after Malian government stopped Freenom from giving out free domains.

  • Blaze@discuss.onlineEnglish
    0·
    10 months ago

    That’s an old story, and if I remember correctly the title was misleading, it was more of a decision of the instance admins to not renew it rather than the Taliban having anything to do with it

    • foggy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      10 months ago

      It’s more like just because you can make a funny domain name out of a specific top level domain like .af Make sure some country doesn’t have dibs on it first.

      Like it wouldn’t be smart to start a business selling che Guevara merch at comra.de.

        • foggy@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          10 months ago

          1. Che Guevara’s Ideology: Che Guevara is known for his Marxist and revolutionary ideology. He was a key figure in the Cuban Revolution and is often associated with anti-capitalist and socialist movements.

          2. Germany’s Political System: Post-World War II Germany, particularly West Germany and the reunified Germany, has been a capitalist, democratic nation. East Germany (GDR) was a socialist state, but it no longer exists since Germany’s reunification in 1990. Modern Germany is part of the European Union and is considered a strong advocate of democratic values and a free-market economy.

          So, using a German country code top-level domain (like .de) for a website selling Che Guevara merchandise creates an amusing contrast. It’s the juxtaposition of a domain associated with a country known for its capitalist and democratic principles being used to sell merchandise symbolizing a figure who opposed those very principles. This contrast is what makes the joke humorous and pointed, highlighting the importance of being mindful of the historical and political connotations of country code top-level domains.

          There, I had chat GPT explain it for you.

          Edit, also: “comrade”, Germany. Idk, Google it?

    • spujb@lemmy.cafeEnglish
      0·
      10 months ago

      the misleading title you are remembering was closer to “queer.af is shutting down, killed by the taliban”

  • bdonvr@thelemmy.clubEnglish
    0·
    10 months ago

    Unfortunately in the fediverse changing your domain isn’t really possible. You basically have to start over.

  • Allero@lemmy.todayEnglish
    0·
    10 months ago

    Can we stop for a minute and appreciate the fact that to this day, a queer community uses domain of freaking AFGHANISTAN? :D

    That by itself is based, although yeah, registrar fees issues are real.