General
Information
What
is a domain name?
What is a top-level domain?
What is a second-level domain?
What is the domain name system?
What does it mean to register
a domain name?
What is a name server?
Domain
Name Extensions
Which
top-level domains are available?
What do .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info,
.ws, and .us represent?
What are the rules for registration of
.biz, .com, .info, .net, .org, and .ws names?
Who qualifies for a .us domain?
Which extensions are not available, and
why?
Registering
a Domain Name
How
do I register a new domain name?
How do I check if a domain name
is available?
What can I do if the requested domain is unavailable?
What do I enter as contact information
for my domain name?
How do I renew my domain-name registration?
Can I cancel a domain-name registration?
I just purchased a domain name. How long
until I can use it?
Transferring
a Domain Name
How
do I transfer a domain name from another registrar?
What do I do if I don't know the name
servers of the domain I am transferring?
How can I transfer my domain name for
more than one year?
My domain name is about to expire,
can I still transfer it?
Parking
and Unparking a Domain Name
What
does it mean to park a domain name?
How do I unpark my domain name?
Forwarding
a Domain Name
What
does it mean to forward a domain name?
What does it mean to forward with
masking?
Hosting
a Domain Name
What
does it mean to host a domain?
Managing
a Domain Name Account
How
do I manage my domain-name account?
How do I find my domain name's expiration
date?
Can I purchase a domain without
having a hosting provider yet?
What if I forgot my password?
How do I forward or redirect a domain name
to my current Web site?
How do I enter the name servers of the hosting
account I have with another provider?
The
Whois Function
Will
my name and account information be publicly available?
How do I find out who owns a domain name?
Miscellaneous
What
can I do if I have misspelled my domain name?
What is the uniform dispute resolution policy?
What if someone has my trademark registered?
General
Information
A domain name is a Web address. The domain name
is mapped to an IP address (which represents a physical point on
the Internet). Thus a domain name locates an organization or other
entity on the Internet. When someone types a domain name into a
Web browser, the requested Web page will open. For example, the
domain name www.yourdomain.com locates an Internet address for "yourdomain.com."
A domain name consists of a top-level and a second-level domain.
The "com" part of the domain name generally reflects the type or
purpose of the organization or entity and is called the top-level
domain (TLD) name. The part of the domain name located to the left
of the dot (" . ") — "yourdomain" in this case — is called the second-level
domain (SLD) name. The second-level domain name — being the "readable"
part of the address — refers to the organization or entity behind
the Internet address.
Second-level domain names must be unique on the Internet and registered
with an Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers- (ICANN-)accredited
registrar.
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A top-level domain is the part of the domain name
located to the right of the dot (" . "). The most common TLDs are
.com, .net and .org. Several new top-level domains have been added
to the menu recently, including, .biz, .info, .name, and .ws. The
top-level domains have certain guidelines attached, but are for
the most part available to any registrant, anywhere in the world.
Exceptions are the restricted TLDs (rTLDs) — which include .aero,
.biz, .edu, .mil, .museum, .name, and .pro — that require the registrant
to represent a certain type of entity, or to belong to a certain
community. The .name TLD is available strictly for individuals,
while .edu is reserved for educational entities, such as universities
or high schools. Where appropriate, a top-level domain name can
be of geographic significance and hence only available to registrants
in the locale defined by the TLD. These are called country-code
TLDs (ccTLDs) and include such top-level domains as .bz (Belize),.ca
(Canada), .dk (Denmark), .ec (Ecuador), ie (Republic of Ireland),
.uk (United Kingdom), .us (United States), and .zw (Zimbabwe).
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Located immediately to the left of the dot (" .
"), the second-level domain is the "readable" part of the domain
name. The second-level domain is entirely defined by the registrant,
and often refers to the organization or entity associated with the
IP address. For example: In www.cnn.com "cnn" (Cable News Network)
is a second-level domain.
Second-level domains can be divided into further domain levels.
For example: www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com. These sub domains sometimes
represent different computer servers within departments.
More than one second-level domain name can be used for the same
IP address.
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The domain name system (DNS) enables each machine
connected on the Internet to be recognized by a domain name. Every
computer on the Internet has a unique IP (Internet protocol) address
which consists of a string of numbers. Since the IP addresses can
be difficult to remember, the DNS allows a familiar string of letters
(the "domain name") to be used instead of the IP address. So instead
of typing the IP address' arcane string of numbers you can type,
for example, "www.espn.com."
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The Internet domain name system (DNS) consists of
a directory, organized hierarchically, of all the domain names and
their corresponding computers registered to particular companies
and persons using the Internet. When you register a domain name,
it will be associated with the computer on the Internet you designate
during the period the registration is in effect.
Note that the above description applies to domains that are registered
and hosted. If the registrant elects to, a domain can instead be
registered and
parked. A parked domain name does not need a DNS affiliation.
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A name server is a computer that contains a list
of domain names and the associated IP addresses. When a domain name
is typed in a Web browser's address bar, the name server associates
that with the IP address, and the correct Web site — barring any
unforeseen difficulties — opens in the Web browser window.
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Domain
Name Extensions
Which
domain extensions (top-level domains) are available?
The following top-level domains are available:
.com
.net
.org
.biz
.info
.ws
.us
.com — ("commercial") The most common extension for domain names.
Often represents companies or for-profit organizations. Most personal
Web sites also use this extension.
.net — Generally represents Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
.org — Usually represents non-profit organizations or groups.
.biz — ("business") Reserved for use by businesses.
.info — Made for both businesses and individuals. Usage is unrestricted,
but a .info TLD indicates that the Web site primarily is informative.
.ws — (Web site) An all-around, universally available top-level
domain.
.us — Country-code top-level domain available for registrants in
the United States.
The .com, .info, .net, .org, and .ws TLDs are globally
available and unrestricted. Traditionally, however, names in .net
have been used by organizations involved in Internet infrastructure
activities — typically ISPs (Internet Service Providers) — while
.org is frequently used by noncommercial organizations. .biz is
available to businesses only. Albeit unrestricted, usage of the
.info TLD implies that the site content is of a primarily informative
nature.
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To qualify for a .us domain name you must meet one
of the following Nexus Requirements. The U.S. Nexus Requirement
is intended to ensure that only those individuals or organizations
that have a substantive connection to the United States are permitted
to register for .us domain names.
To be in compliance with the U.S. Nexus Requirement, all registrants
for the .us domain must be either:
A natural person (i) who is a citizen or permanent resident of the
United States of America or any of its possessions or territories,
or (ii) whose primary place of domicile is in the United States
of America or any of its possessions,
or
An entity or organization that is (i) incorporated within one of
the fifty (50) U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or any of
the United States possessions or territories or (ii) organized or
otherwise constituted under the laws of a state of the United States
of America, the District of Columbia or any of its possessions or
territories,
or
An entity or organization (including a federal, state, or local
government of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof)
that has a bona fide presence in the United States.
The sponsored top-level domains .aero, .coop, .museum,
and .pro. require the registrant to be member of or affiliated with
specific communities, and are therefore not accessible to the general
public. The .aero TLD, for example, requires the registrant to prove
membership of the aviation community. Similarly, .gov and .mil are
reserved for the U.S. Government, and U.S. Military, respectively,
while .edu is restricted to educational entities.
Country-code TLDs outside the United States are also excluded.
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How
do I register a new domain name?
Please follow the below steps to register a domain
name.
Check
Availability
Type the desired domain name in the search box and select the preferred
extension from the drop-down list; then click "Check Availability"
to see if the requested name is available for you to register. If
the requested domain is available you may continue signing up the
domain by clicking "Continue." You will be presented with all available
variations of the desired domain name (i.e. .biz, .com, .info, .net,
org, .ws extensions). You can select any of the displayed variations.
If the domain is not available you will instead be presented with
any available alternate versions of the domain name. Typically,
this means that you'll be offered the same second-level domain name,
but with a different top-level domain. If you don't like any of
the suggestions, you can pick another domain name and check its
availability.
Log
In
If this is the first time you have signed up for a domain name,
you must first create an account. To do so, define your user name
and password, and submit a valid email address so that the registrar
can communicate with you. If you are a returning user, enter your
user name and password, and click "Continue."
Select
Length of Registration
Select the desired duration of your domain-name registration. In
most cases, you can register a domain name for 1-10 years. When
you sign up for a domain, you do not own that domain outright. You
are in essence renting the use of the domain name for a certain
period of time.
Enter
Contact Information
Enter your contact information. This information is used for administrative
purposes and must be kept current. You can have up to four different
contacts for your domain name:
Registrant — The person that registers a domain name.
Administrative — The person responsible for any administrative issues
pertaining to the account. Any administrative changes to the domain
must be approved by the administrative contact. The registrar will
use this contact for any non-technical questions regarding the domain
name.
Billing — The person responsible for all billing information relating
to the domain name. The billing contact will also receive invoices,
charges and billing questions.
Technical — The person responsible for providing technical data,
including name-server information. The registrar will contact this
person with any questions of a technical nature.
You must complete the Registrant
part of the contact information form. Completing the Administrative,
Billing
and
Technical fields is optional. If you wish to, you can
instead elect to apply the registrant information to the technical,
administrative and billing contacts as well. Multiple contacts are
often used for companies where more than one person is in charge
of the Web site.
Enter
DNS Data For Hosting Account
Select one of the following options for the desired domain name(s):
Park domain
Create "Domain for Sale" page
Use one-page Web site
Forward domain
Forward with masking
Host domain
Enter name server information from other ISP
If selecting the latter, your Web site host can
provide the name server information you need.
Confirm
Registration Details
Confirm and verify your order details, and read and accept the registration
agreement.
Shopping
Cart
Review your selections, submit the customer and credit card information
and click "Check Out." If you wish to add to or alter the contents
of your shopping cart, you may do so by selecting "Update Cart"
or "Shop More."
When you have completed the transaction, you will see a confirmation
page that displays your customer number and order number and provides
some general guidelines for account management. You will receive
an email notification confirming your order.
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To find out if a domain name is available, enter
the desired second-level domain in the domain name search box; then
select the preferred extension (top-level domain) from the drop-down
list. Click "Check Availability" to instantly find out if the requested
domain is available. If it is, you may proceed to the next steps
in the registration
procedure.
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If the domain name you requested is already taken
you will be presented with any available alternatives (i.e. same
second-level domain, but with a different extension). For example,
you may be able to select a .info or .ws top-level domain, rather
than the requested .com. Thus you would be registering www.whatever.info,
instead of www.whatever.com. If none of the suggested alternatives
are to your liking, you can start over again and search for a different
domain for your future Web site.
An alternative solution is to use DynaGen Advanced Search, which
will generate a list of variations of a desired domain name. You
may pick any of the available listings.
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Enter your name, address, phone number, email address,
company affiliation, etc. Be sure to include accurate and updated
information. The registrar relies on this contact information if
it needs to reach you with issues concerning your domain name.
You must complete the Registrant
part of the contact information form. If you wish to, you can elect
to apply the registrant information to the technical, administrative
and billing contacts as well.
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Follow the below steps to renew a domain name that
is currently registered with this registrar.
Select "Manage My Account" from the menu.
Click "Domain Names" and log in with your user name and password.
A list of your registered domains will be displayed.
From the list, select the domain name you wish to renew. You can
also search for domain names by using the domain search function.
Another option is Quick Search, which enables you to search for
a domain name by selecting a registration or expiration time frame
(e.g. "Past 7 Days" or "Next 30 Days).
Click "Renew Domains."
Select the desired renewal period from the drop-down list.
Click "Submit."
Finally, visit the shopping cart to review your order and submit
your billing information.
Yes, you can perform this function from the "Manage
My Account" section of this site. To do so, click "Domain Names,"
log in, and select from the list the domain you wish to cancel.
Next, click "Cancel Domains" and confirm the cancellation by clicking
"Yes, Cancel Domain(s) Now" button.
Note that canceling a domain-name registration is a permanent action
and you cannot undo this action. You may reregister this domain
later for a new registration fee.
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A certain amount of time will elapse before a domain
is fully registered and thus active on the Internet. Generally,
allow 24-48 hours between purchase and activation. In the interim,
you will not be able to publish or view your site, receive email
messages or make use of your domain name. Similarly, if you make
any changes to your domain name, such as modifying the DNS or name
servers attached to your domain name, it will take up to 48 hours
before the changes are implemented.
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Transferring
a Domain Name
Please follow the below steps to transfer a domain
name from an existing account:
Select
Menu Item
Select "Transfer Domains" from the program menu.
Type
Domain Name Type in the domain name you will be transferring
and the registrar from which the domain should be transferred; then
click "Transfer Domains." Please note that only domain names with
.com, .org, .net, and .info top-level domains can be transferred.
Log
In
If this is the first time you have signed up for a domain name,
you must first create an account. To do so, define your user name
and password, and submit a valid email address so that the registrar
can communicate with you. If you are a returning user, enter your
user name and password, and click "Continue."
Enter
Contact Information
This information is used for administrative purposes and must be
kept current. You can have up to four different contacts for your
domain name:
Registrant — The person that registers a domain name.
Administrative
— The person responsible for any administrative issues pertaining
to the account. Any administrative changes to the domain must be
approved by the administrative contact. The registrar will use this
contact for any non-technical questions regarding the domain name.
Billing — The person responsible for all billing information relating
to the domain name. The billing contact will also receive invoices,
charges and billing questions.
Technical — The person responsible for providing technical data,
including name-server information. The registrar will contact this
person with any questions of a technical nature.
You must complete the Registrant part of the contact information
form. Completing the Administrative, Billing and Technical fields
is optional. If you wish to, you can instead elect to apply the
registrant information to the technical, administrative and billing
contacts as well. Multiple contacts are often used for companies
where more than one person is in charge of the Web site.
Enter
Name Server Information
Enter the name server information for the domain you are transferring.
You may complete the domain-name transfer, even if you do not know
the existing name servers of the domain you wish to transfer. To
do so, select "Keep existing name servers," and we will retrieve
the required name-server information from the current registrar.
Select the desired duration of your domain-name registration. In
most cases, you can register a domain name for 1, 2, 3, 5, or 10
years. When you sign up for a domain, you do not own that domain
outright. You are in essence renting the use of the domain name
for a certain period of time.
Confirm
Registration Details
Review and verify your order details, and read and accept the registration
agreement.
Shopping
Cart
Review your selections, submit the customer and credit card information
and click "Check Out." If you wish to add to or alter the contents
of your shopping cart, you may do so by selecting "Update Cart"
or "Shop More." When you have completed the transaction, you will
see a confirmation page that displays your customer number and order
number and provides some general guidelines for account management.
You will receive an email notification confirming your order.
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You may complete the domain-name transfer, even
if you do not know the existing name servers of the domain you wish
to transfer. To do so, follow the
domain-transfer procedure. When prompted to enter the
name server information, select "Keep existing name servers," and
we will retrieve the required name-server information from the current
registrar.
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When you transfer a domain your registration is
automatically extended one year. Once the transfer is completed
you can renew your domain name registration for up to 10 years.
The transfer takes 5- 7 business days. Once your domain name transfer
is completed, please follow these directions to renew the domain-name
registration:
Select "Manage My Account" from the menu.
Click "Domain Names" and log in with your user name and password.
A list of your registered domains will be displayed.
From the list, select the domain name you wish to renew. You can
also search for domain names by using the domain search function.
Another option is Quick Search, which enables you to search for
a domain name by selecting a registration or expiration time frame
(e.g. "Past 7 Days" or "Next 30 Days).
Click "Renew Domains."
Select the desired renewal period from the drop-down list.
Click "Submit."
Finally, visit the shopping cart to review your order and submit
your billing information.
That depends on the current registration's expiration
date. Close to the expiration date, domain names cannot be transferred
between registrars. Specifically, this registrar cannot process
transfers within 10 days of a domain's expiration
date.
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Parking
and Unparking a Domain Name
Essentially, to park a domain name means to reserve
your registered domain until you have created the site content,
found a hosting provider, or sold the domain to a third party. When
you park your site, a temporary Web page will be displayed until
you have decided what to do with the domain. Domain name parking
is often used by registrants who do not yet have a hosting provider.
Parking options include a one-page Web site that'll inform the visitor
to the site that, for example, this page is "Under Construction,"
"Coming Soon," or "For Sale." You can also elect to have a customized
page displayed. To set up your parked domain, use the One-Page Web
Site Setup Wizard in the "Parked Pages" section of the account management
department.
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Once you have determined which hosting provider
you will use, you must change the name server information so that
the site is no longer parked.
To do so:
Select "Manage My Account" from the program menu.
Select "Domain Names."
Log in using your domain user name and password.
Select the domain from the list.
Click "Modify Name Servers."
Enter the name server information.
Click "Save Changes."
This change can take up to 48 hours to take effect.
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Forwarding
a Domain Name
Forwarding a domain name enables you to direct incoming
traffic from your domain to an already existing Web site. Thus,
when someone attempts to access your site, he or she is automatically
redirected. Typically, this option is selected by users who are
registering a new domain, but are already hosting their files elsewhere.
When the domain name is forwarded, the destination address, not
your domain name, is displayed in the browser's address bar. This
can be avoided by choosing to forward
with masking.
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If you decide to forward with masking, visitors
are effectively kept from knowing they have been redirected.
Forwarding with masking secures that your domain name remains in
a visitor's browser's address bar when the visitor is being redirected.
That way, the actual destination address is concealed from the user
who only sees the domain name from which he or she is being forwarded.
If you are using regular forwarding, the destination address, not
your domain name, is displayed when the visitor is redirected. So
if, for example, the destination Web page has the address http://members.geocities.com/users/username,
that address can be hidden and www.yourdomain.com can be shown instead.
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Hosting a Domain
Hosting (also known as Web site hosting and Web
hosting) is the business of housing, serving, and maintaining files
for one or more Web sites.
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Managing
a Domain Name Account
To manage your domain name account, select "Manage
My Account" from the program menu. The account management menu encompasses
the following items:
Domain Names — Displays a list of registered domain names. Select
from the list to modify contact information, modify name servers,
renew domain registrations, cancel domain registrations, and change
domain ownership.
Parked Pages — Enables setup of parked pages, including creation
of one-page Web site.
Domain Forwarding — Enables management of forwarded domain names.
Customer Information — Allows you to review and update your customer
profile, including name, address, etc.
Order History — Displays receipts from your prior purchases.
Payment Information — Enables you to update the credit card information
on file for your account.
You will need your user name, password and/or customer
number and email address in order to perform the above actions.
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If your domain is registered with another registrar:
Go to your registrar's Web site and do a "Whois" lookup on your
domain name.
If you do not remember who your registrar is, you can find the information
by doing a "Whois" lookup here. Just click the "Whois" link at bottom
of any page.
If your domain is registered with US:
Click the "Manage Your Account" link
Select "Domain Names."
Login with your domain name user name and password.
A complete list of your registered domain names and their expiration
dates will be displayed.
You can register and purchase as many domains names
as you'd like and choose to have them parked until you have found
a hosting provider. To do so, register a domain name and select
"Parking." If this option is chosen, a temporary Web page will be
displayed while you finish creating your site, sell the domain,
etc. The temporary site will inform anyone passing by that this
is the future location of your site. The temporary site will be
active 24-48 hours after you have completed the purchase.
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If you have forgotten your account password, click
"Forgot your login name or password" on the login screen. Enter
the domain name. The login information will then be emailed to your
domain's administrative contact.
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To forward or redirect visitors from your parked
domain to an already existing Web site, select domain
name forwarding. If you prefer to conceal the destination
for the address from the visitor and only display your domain name,
you can choose forwarding
with masking.
Please follow these directions to set up the domain name forwarding:
Select "Manage My Account" from the program menu.
Click "Domain Forwarding."
Log in using your customer number or email address, and password.
Select "Set Up Forwarding."
From the drop-down list, select the domain name you are forwarding.
Enter the URL you want your domain name to point to.
Click "Save Settings."
It will take approximately 15 minutes before updates
are implemented.
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Follow the directions below to enter the name server
information:
Select "Manage My Account" from the program menu.
Click "Domain Names."
Log in using your user name and password.
Select the domain name(s) for which you wish to enter the name server
information
Click "Modify Name Servers."
Enter the name servers.
Continue following the above directions until you
have added all name servers. Contact your current hosting provider
if you do not have the name-server information.
Click "Save Changes" when done.
Please note that it will take up 48 hours before
the updates are implemented.
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The
"Whois" Function
Information about who is responsible for domain
names is publicly available to allow rapid resolution of technical
problems and to permit enforcement of consumer protection, trademark,
and other laws. The registrar will make this information available
to the public on a "Whois" site. It is, however, possible to register
a domain in the name of a third party, as long as the third party
agrees to accept responsibility — consult your registrar for further
details.
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If you select a domain name that is already taken,
a link ("already taken, click here for info") to the "Whois" function
will appear. You will then be able to look up the contact details
of that domain's owner.
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Miscellaneous
Your domain-name registration is submitted as soon
as you complete the registration process. The registrar is required
to pay the registration fee at that time. Therefore, your domain
name cannot be changed after you complete the registration.
You will have to register the correct spelling if you want that
domain name. This registrar cannot offer any refunds for misspelled
domain names.
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ICANN's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
(UDRP) defines how disputes over domain-name registrations are resolved
in the global top-level domains (.biz, .com, .info, .name, .name,
.net, .org, .pro, and .ws, as well as .aero, .coop, and .museum).
In accordance with the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy,
you can dispute a claim to a domain name by following the dispute
process. The UDRP does not apply to country-code top-level domains,
except in a few cases where the local administrator has decided
to adopt it. Please see the dispute policy for more information.
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If you can prove that the trademark in question
is yours, you may be able to bring a dispute against the registrant.
For more information on how to bring a dispute against another party,
please see the dispute policy.
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