Many Bloggers are considering the pros and cons of the Blogger eternal blog policy
If you setup a Custom Domain, things are a bit more complicated. If you don't pay the periodic DNS hosting, or the name registration, fees, the domain will expire, and eventually go out of service. Google for "Black Viper", if you want an example of what the readers go through, when that happens.
Your blog will continue on BlogSpot, but won't be accessible. Both "www.yourblog.blogspot.com" and "www.yourblog.blogspot.com" will be forwarded to "yourdomain.com". With no DNS entry to forward "yourdomain.com" to "ghs.google.com", all 4 aliases ("www.yourblog.blogspot.com", "yourblog.blogspot.com", "www.yourdomain.com", and "yourdomain.com"), will be discontinued.
You'll need to have your blog switched back to publishing to BlogSpot, when DNS service is discontinued. Many Bloggers will do this, for one reason or another. Maybe you can give a friend backup administrative authority over the blog, so it can be switched back to BlogSpot, when you are gone. At least with that strategy, "yourblog.blogspot.com" can continue forever.
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Blogger accounts and Blog*Spot addresses do not expire.
If you setup a Custom Domain, things are a bit more complicated. If you don't pay the periodic DNS hosting, or the name registration, fees, the domain will expire, and eventually go out of service. Google for "Black Viper", if you want an example of what the readers go through, when that happens.
Your blog will continue on BlogSpot, but won't be accessible. Both "www.yourblog.blogspot.com" and "www.yourblog.blogspot.com" will be forwarded to "yourdomain.com". With no DNS entry to forward "yourdomain.com" to "ghs.google.com", all 4 aliases ("www.yourblog.blogspot.com", "yourblog.blogspot.com", "www.yourdomain.com", and "yourdomain.com"), will be discontinued.
You'll need to have your blog switched back to publishing to BlogSpot, when DNS service is discontinued. Many Bloggers will do this, for one reason or another. Maybe you can give a friend backup administrative authority over the blog, so it can be switched back to BlogSpot, when you are gone. At least with that strategy, "yourblog.blogspot.com" can continue forever.
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Comments
As far as the domain, you can register the domain for 10 years without having to worry about renewal (for 10 years.) It costs about $9/year (with GoDaddy, etc.)
Or another option is to use a 3rd level domain name which has no fees at all.
And somehow I would not put blind faith in Blogger that they will keep a Blog up and running forever, despite their current policy.
That's interesting. Paying GoDaddy for 10 years in advance. Would you trust GoDaddy more than Google? I'm not really sure that I'd trust either, blindly.
At least Google you don't have to pay.
And examine the GoDaddy invoice / receipt carefully - I think you'll find 2 charges in there.
GoDaddy provides both registration and DNS hosting, when you pay for it. Not every registrar provides both services, and many Bloggers discover that the hard way.
True I wouldn't trust either blindly. But if I pay for 10 years, I would trust I would get what I pay for. Perhaps misplaced trust, but I would at least have a certain level of confidence. (BTW when you pay GoDaddy for 10 years, your 10 year registration is actually with the registry [GoDaddy is just the registrar]. VeriSign is the registry for .com and .net)
Also, you only see one charge with GoDaddy (for the registration.) The DNS hosting is not billed separately, it is included in the same price ($9/year.)
And with Custom Domain that $9/year (if you choose GoDaddy) is the only cost you will incur.
It's a package deal. Registration + DNS Hosting. Not a bad deal, if you know that you can trust them.
Not all companies offer this. Some only register the name, others only do DNS hosting. They are two different services, with two different technical requirements.
My suspicion is that, as Bloggers (and other web site operators) get older, this will become an issue. Somebody will start a bonded, legally responsible web site trust, similar to a financial trust.
Maybe the financial trust organisations will do this as a side line. Maybe religious organisations, who knows?
Perpetual care of "intellectual property" will become as important as cemetery remains.