Here's an idea I came up with but wasn't too sure if it would work. After playing around a bit, I found out it's possible for me to do this, and I'd like some feedback if possible. =)
In the next few days I'll be setting up a (subdomain) URL Forwarding service, you.yxy.us or you.xlr.us -- but I think I'm going to carry it a step further.
What I'll be able to do is, other domain owners can offer subdomain redirection using their domain name, but have me host it. You'll be able to offer your site's visitors http://them.yourdomain.com/ with signup/login forms on your site. The only thing that would be required, is for you to have your webhost add a wildcarded DNS entry that points to my IP, which all hosts are capable of doing. You won't have to move your existing site. Where www.yourdomain.com points to now, will still point there afterwards. Any subdomains already created on your account will still work. You don't give up any rights to your domain at all.
The main advantage to doing this, is that your domain name gets more exposure, and people do often visit the main site after seeing the URL (I've had lots of traffic to a domain just by offering free email @ that domain, without ads). The big drawback is that the script will only work with 2nd-level domains, meaning .co.uk, .or.jp, .com.mx, .uni.cc etc will not work.
Now before I go and spend 18 hours straight writing the code for this service, how many people would be interested in this? I'll set it up if enough people show an active interest. I have not yet seen a service that does this (though I haven't looked), so it would seem to me it would be something that could take off. =)
In the next few days I'll be setting up a (subdomain) URL Forwarding service, you.yxy.us or you.xlr.us -- but I think I'm going to carry it a step further.
What I'll be able to do is, other domain owners can offer subdomain redirection using their domain name, but have me host it. You'll be able to offer your site's visitors http://them.yourdomain.com/ with signup/login forms on your site. The only thing that would be required, is for you to have your webhost add a wildcarded DNS entry that points to my IP, which all hosts are capable of doing. You won't have to move your existing site. Where www.yourdomain.com points to now, will still point there afterwards. Any subdomains already created on your account will still work. You don't give up any rights to your domain at all.
The main advantage to doing this, is that your domain name gets more exposure, and people do often visit the main site after seeing the URL (I've had lots of traffic to a domain just by offering free email @ that domain, without ads). The big drawback is that the script will only work with 2nd-level domains, meaning .co.uk, .or.jp, .com.mx, .uni.cc etc will not work.
Now before I go and spend 18 hours straight writing the code for this service, how many people would be interested in this? I'll set it up if enough people show an active interest. I have not yet seen a service that does this (though I haven't looked), so it would seem to me it would be something that could take off. =)
