Chris Barton: Master of your own domain

There's something very satisfying about capturing a bit of cyberspace as your own - especially if it involves your own name.

There's the grandeur of it - being able to say: "Yes, I'm master of my domain." The uniqueness is nice too. Instead of being one of many in a phonebook, if you snare your name on the net, then there can be only one smith.co.nz or smith.com. It also makes for a great email address - john@smith.co.nz.

Your choice of suffix can also say something about how you see yourself. For a long time everyone wanted a dotcom name. But that feels so yesterday and so American. Dotcodotnz shows you're a New Zealander at heart. Other patriotic choices show even more about your identity such as .maori.nz and, if you must, .geek.nz

Another advantage is portability: you take your domain with you wherever you go, for life. So if you get fed up with your internet provider, you can switch to another without having to change you email address. Fantastic.

If only that were possible with phone numbers. Actually number portability is under consideration by the NZ Commerce Commission which should get around to making a decision sometime this century.

Despite opposition from both Telecom and Vodafone, it should be a no-brainer. Of course keeping your phone number gives consumers greater choice. And of course it promotes healthy competition. It's about to be introduced in the United States for mobile phones and surveys estimate 25 per cent of America's 150 million cell phone owners hope to switch carriers once they don't need to get a new number.

Anticipating the exodus, mobile phone companies have already upped their service and are offering consumers incentives to stay put. Great - more power to the consumer.

But while online consumers can already get domain name portability, it pays to shop around.

Prices vary enormously - from a high of $267.75 per year at Xtra to the lowest I could find of $33.69 per year at Discount Domains. Why the huge range? Beats the hell out of me, but the Xtra price looks too high.

Start your comparison shopping at the Domain Name Commissioner website where there's a list of who sells domains in New Zealand. As well as DiscountDomains, other good prices include Free Parking ($44.94) and iServe ($38).

With your domain now secured or "parked" the next step is how to use it.

Ultimately you'll want a website of your own, in which case you'll need someone to host it. The going rate is between $10 and $20 a month. But if you just want email, services range between $45 and $55 a year - usually including antivirus scanning and web-based access. The latter is essential if you want to be able to access your email from cybercafes or other computers when travelling.

The extra cost may seem high but if you want control of your cyber identity, it's a small price to pay.

* Thanks to those who sent email on the origin of Paul Holmes' "cheeky darkie" remarks.

Best leads came from Oliver who found 1905 All Black Billy Wallace's recollections at the team's 50th Jubilee (New Zealand Rugby Museum and click on "All Blacks - the Name"): " ... everybody was at the gate to see the All Blacks go past and they all thought we were a lot of, you know, blacks and when they saw us go past said 'Bejasus, they are as white as ourselves, as white as ourselves.'

"Just the name, when they changed to All Blacks they did think we were dinkum, you know, darkies."

And Chris who recalled this mad Monty Python game show skit "Spot the Braincell": " ... Ratbag: I don't like darkies.

Quizmaster: Ha ha ha (maniacal cackle). She doesn't like darkies. Ha ha ha. Who does? Ha ha ha! Well now, Mrs Scum, your second question for the blow on the head is: What is the main food eaten by penguins? What is the principal food that penguins eat? Ratbag: Pork luncheon meat."

* Email Chris Barton