Web sites die quick

Web desing guru Jakob Nielsen (both spellings are due to him being Danish) says that your addresses/pages on your web site must live forever, because every time you change them, you disconnect from all the sites which may have linked to them.

But it seems most don't follow that advice. And worse: even domain names don't live forever. For various reasons I've checked up on domains I've found on old links pages and on old graphics I have lying around. And I'm shocked, shocked I tell ya, to note that better than half of those randomly selected domains are simply gone. Defunct.

Even big commercial ventures like for example StanLee.net, which was an attempt by comics legend Stan Lee at making web comics commercially viable, is just gone. No site, not even a single page. It's just stupid, because keeping a domain and small site on a server will only cost you like twenty dollars a year. And you can put links on the page to whatever new things you would like your old fans to look at now. I've only let one of my domains expire, and that was because it was a .dk domain, and the Danish registrar authority was a pain in the ass to deal with, so I just gave up.

A similar point: I am also shocked, shocked I tell ya, to notice how many artists and celebrities don't even have their own web sites. Even as a very, very minor artist myself, I find it inconceivable to not have my personal site. Apart from anything else, it's just fun. And people can find you. But better than half of the actors, artists, writers etc that I look up don't have their own site. They let it be up to others to project their image on the web. Such a pity. I mean, even a discussion board for the fans on your own site must be an invaluable resource for keeping the finger on the pulse, for any well known person.