Web Building at UMW
Step 1 of 7
So, you want a Domain of One’s Own (DoOO) account? We are glad you are here! Before you get started, we wanted to tell you a little bit about the platform.
Yes, we know the name might seem unusual, but simply stated:
Domain of One’s Own provides everyone in the UMW community with a free domain (a web address that YOU choose, like “www.yourname.com”) and web hosting (a place to store the files and data for your domain).
Once you claim a domain through Domain of One’s Own, it is yours. You can do whatever you want with it, and even take it with you when you leave UMW.
At other schools, you might find locked-down e-portfolio systems or other publishing platforms that limit your control. Here at UMW we love giving people agency over their digital identity. A Domain of One’s Own is one way we do that.
If you aren’t familiar with how domains and web hosting work, we recommend reading “Getting to Know Your Webspace” to learn a little bit more about how it all works.
Tell us a about who you are so we can tell you a bit more about how you might want to use Domain of One’s Own:
Whether you are starting this account for a class assignment or for your own project here are some examples of what you can do:
Whether you are starting this account to document your own scholarship or because you want to use it in the classroom here are some examples of what you can do:
Before you create your account, we wanted to let you know where you can get support for Domain of One’s Own as a student.
Here at UMW we have the Digital Knowledge Center (DKC) to support you in a variety of digital projects, including Domain of One’s Own, which makes this the best place to go if you want help getting started or get stuck along the way. You can book a consultation with a student consultant on the Digital Knowledge Center website.
Sometimes you want to read through a few guides before you reach out for help (or it is 2am and all the consultants are asleep). In our guides section of the site you’ll find a series of of articles around different aspects of using Domain of One’s Own including getting started with WordPress. Check it out to see if you can find your answer there!
Before you we get in to the details we wanted to let you know where you can get support for Domain of One’s Own as faculty or staff member.
If you want to talk through the pedagogical uses for Domain of One’s Own in your class and the support the DKC can provide for your students, or you are interested in starting a domain to document your scholarly life, contact Digital Learning Support (DLS) by e-mailing dls@umw.edu and we can set up a consultation.
Choosing your domain name is the first step in getting started on Domain of One’s Own. Your domain name is a unique web address that can be used to build out your own digital presence. As you make your choice, keep in mind that you cannot change your domain name once you sign up, so choose carefully!
Here are a few considerations to keep in mind:
Choose a domain name that you feel you can live with during your time at UMW. We encourage you to make it personal to you rather than related to a class. You never know what you might use it for!
If you would like further guidance on some best practices when selecting a domain you can review our Best Practices for Choosing a Domain Name guide.
For faculty and staff who have a project or class that would benefit from a unique web address we will pay for one additional domain. Please contact DLS to discuss options.
You’ll have to agree to a Terms of Service when you go through the check-out process but we wanted to give you a brief overview of key things you’ll see.
All the details are on our TOS page.
After you’ve registered a domain through Domain of One’s Own you are required to verify it with ICANN within 14 days or it will be suspended.
If your account gets suspended, all the sites and content you’ve created still exist, but they are not available publicly online until you complete the verification process.
Click the link in the IMMEDIATE VERIFICATION e-mail. Ideally, the verification email should show up in your UMW email inbox shortly after you complete your domain registration, but it could take up to 30 minutes. If the message is not in your inbox, then open your Junk Email folder.
The verification email message will be clearly marked with a subject line similar to “IMMEDIATE VERIFICATION required.”
Click on the link in the message to verify your email. A web page will appear notifying you that your email has been verified.
If for any reason the e-mail does not appear in your inbox after 30 minutes please feel free to contact us via the UMW Domains support form.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) mandates that all new domains must be verified within 14 days of registration by the owner. Our Domain Registrar (a company called eNom) enforces this policy as part of registering your domain with them.
Thirty days after you are no longer an active student at UMW we delete your DoOO account, domain, and content. However, if you want to take your domain and content with you, we do allow you to do this!
You can find out how to do this in our migration guide. You can an also book a Web Project appointment with the DKC and a consultant can walk you through the steps of how to take your website with you when you go.
As a faculty or staff member at UMW you can have your Domain of One’s Own account while you are employed by UMW. However, if you want to take your domain and content with you, we do allow you to do this!
You can find out how to do this in our migration guide. DLS can walk you through the steps of how to take your website with you when you go. You can book an appointment to get assistance with this process.
If you are ready to create your account right now, click the link below to start the process!
If you would like assistance setting up Domain of One’s Own, including installing and get started with WordPress, we encourage you to book an appointment with a DKC consultant.
Book an Appointment
We also recommend reviewing the “I Set Up My Account, Now What?” guide to help you get started with building your site using WordPress.
If you are ready to start your account right now click the link below to start the account creation process!
If you would like assistance with Domain of One’s Own, including how to install and get started with WordPress. Reach out to us a dkc@umw.edu and we can arrange a consultation.
Δ