A tech-y question about domains and websites

[Sooz]

A cousin of my artistic friend (who is even MORE challenged than I am in terms of tech stuff!!!) set up a website for him a few years ago, with his artwork on it.  I tried to access it the other day but got a message instead that said "This domain is registered at Namecheap. This domain was recently registered at Namecheap. Please check back later."  A few months ago, the website was fine and accessible.

Does this mean that whoever bought the domain name can remove the website? (You can probably guess I have practically no idea how to do a website. )

Is there no way of getting back all his scanned art work to put somewhere else?
Is there any way to find out who bought it?

I'm attaching some screenshots in case they are helpful.
Thanks for any info!
Smiles,
Sooz

[Xairbusdriver]

First, make sure you are entering the site's name korektlie. Are you typing it in or do you have a link they sent or from a bookmark you saved?

Second, who is hosting the site? There should be an (saved?/printed?) email from whoever that is with important information and probably a temporary password. TS is hosted by CrocWeb.

Third, your friend should also have (saved?/printed?) an email that was sent when the domain was registered. That should also contain info as to how to access the domain registrar and how to verify ownership.

A 'detail' about "domain ownership"; most domains are not actually "owned", they are simply leased for one to three years. If the 'lessee' does not renew the lease before the expiration date, the lease is canceled and control returns to the registrar, Namecheap in this case.

Most registrars charge a very small fee (or even free) to "hide" the name, address, phone #, etc. of the leasing entity, it is usually reported as the registrars info "for privacy purposes" at places like Whois.

BTW, leasing a domain has nothing to do with "making" a web site. It is simply one of the details that must be attended to in order to be found on the interwebs. It simply creates a human memorable name for the site which is actually just a series of numbers (an Internet Protocol address): 123.456.789.098 for example. Most of us can remember a name (techsurvivor) much easier than its actual IP address.

[Sooz]

Hi, Jim, and thanks for the quick reply -- AND for simplifying it for me....I always appreciate that!   

When I try to go to the website, a page comes up saying "This site can't be reached.  www.paulkartwork.com refused to connect."

To answer your questions:
1.  Yuppers, I spelled the site's name korektlie. I have it bookmarked and also typed it in, one character at a time.

2. I have no idea who is hosting the site, nor do I have any email from anyone since my artist's cousin set this up a few years ago. The things I found on the "raw data" screenshot are (I found more on the raw data but am limiting this to four):
Registry Domain ID: 2574891238_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server:  whois.namecheap.com
Creation date 2020-11-27
Registrant Name: Withheld for Privacy Purposes ....    but the city is Reykjavik (huh?) and a bunch of other gobblygoop that anyone would expect me to understand.

3. I'll have to follow up with my artist friend so he can contact his cousin, as she set this up for him.

Since the creation date was 11-2020. I"m guessing maybe that's the case, that it was leased for (almost) a year.  Oh goodness gracious, can you imagine my trying to remember the IP address instead of words? LOLAM!!!

Thanks again, and I'll check back later ... it's a great day to finish the laundry and to hang the clothes up on the clothesline! Everything will smell so fresh and clean and like sunshine and air!

Smiles,
Sooz

[kimmer]

I googled "paul k art work" and followed the link at google. Sooz has it typed correctly, and I got the same error she is seeing. I'm not sure what is going on, but whoever actually "owned" the site name must have given it up.

I did find this cached site page:
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:2HeO-tfFUgsJ:https://www.paulkartwork.com/art.html+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

[kimmer]

Nothing to see here. Oh wait, why waste a post? Here's a plant I saw the other day. It's a Pink Siam Tulip, and I want to get a couple of bulbs to plant this next season.




comment and link removed at the request of Sooz.

[Sooz]

Hi, Kimmer, and thank you so much for your detective work & links. I'm fairly unfamiliar with the Wayback Machine, although I'm more familiar with Mr. Peabody and Sherman.

A quick visit to one of the links reminded me that his cousin's camera skills (focusing) weren't all that great for some of the paintings, & thanks for including the warning for NSFW in your reply. I had forgotten that some of those paintings were very "Hollywood" nudes.

Thank you again!!
Smiles,
Sooz

[Xairbusdriver]

I did see the "Expiration" date in November 2021 and assumed it was a one year purchase/lease. Still, that should mean your cousin would be getting a 'reminder' notice about October, 27.

However, after reading the remarks of Kimmer and you, the hosting company may have been a bit 'concerned' about some of the 'content' on the site. In that case, they may have shut the site down for legal reasons. Most reputable hosting services have "Terms of Service" that specifically address types of content.

As for any files he/she had uploaded, the originals should still be on local drives/backups. If the site was shut down, there may or may not have been more than a 24 hour notice. But most of us know we don't ever use the "cloud" as the only place to store anything. Electrons are so tiny and easily lost!!!

[Sooz]

Jim,  I called my artist friend tonight & brought him up to speed.  His cousin, who set up this website for him, hasn't followed up on anything so I think the site won't be resurrected.  In the past, if memory serves, the female subjects were appropriately garbed.

Kimmer, thanks again for the links-- perhaps you'd feel ok removing the link with the NSFW warning so no one stumbles upon it-- I know I would feel better if it was deleted.

Thanks again, to both of you!
Smiles,
Sooz

[kimmer]

Kimmer, thanks again for the links-- perhaps you'd feel ok removing the link with the NSFW warning so no one stumbles upon it-- I know I would feel better if it was deleted.

Taken care of, and I left a photo of a nice plant in it's place. 

[Sooz]

LOL!!! Thanks, Kimmer! Pretty plant!!