NetIdentity aren’t smart

A Tech article with 8 comments posted 28 March 2007.
Tags: dreamhost, netidentity

Up until recently, I was a customer of NetIdentity for my old email address (ted@carnahan.com). I left their service, because for $60 a year I was getting a 1G email inbox and really lousy webhosting. Contrast that with Dreamhost, which offers 20G of storage, unlimited domains, IMAP access, and a bunch of other features for a little over $100 per year. Here’s their business model:

1. buy a bunch of name-based domains (like carnahan.com)
2. sell (expensive!) email addresses and subdomains
3. profit until people wise up and get their own domains
4. send threatening-sounding emails when they cancel their accounts

Keep in mind that I was a loyal customer, for values of loyal that include being with the same email provider for 9 years. On the Internet’s timescale, that’s geologic.

It all came to an end when I got fed up paying good money for a mere subdomain lacking even PHP. So I left them. We’re seeing other people. I’m seeing a webhost that stinks less, they’re seeing the gullible people who still don’t know any better. I didn’t let things linger – I told them it was the end. But now, the relationship takes a sinister twist – they’re stalking me! I’ve received several emails entitled “Your NetIdentity account will be locked!”

Hi folks! I know that my account expired last month. I know that you’re going to turn off access to my accounts. I told you to do it. Stop sending me email acting like I just made an oversight or a mistake. We’re finished.