TL;DR
A Hacker News user is assembling a community-maintained directory of personal websites at https://hnpwd.github.io/ and is asking people to post links or submit PRs. A separate top comment warns that an AWS registrar account closure led to immediate domain deregistration, resulting in the loss of multiple long-held domains and email routing.
What happened
The Ask HN thread invites readers to share links to personal websites for inclusion in a community-curated directory hosted at https://hnpwd.github.io/. The project’s README (https://github.com/hnpwd/hnpwd.github.io#readme) lists submission criteria: sites should be under the submitter’s control and have previously been well received on Hacker News. The maintainer requests links in the comments and offers a path to join the project as a maintainer via the repository and README. An update notes that adding entries will take time and encourages contributors to send pull requests directly. A prominent comment on the thread recounts a separate, detailed experience with AWS as a domain registrar. The commenter says they consolidated domains at AWS, missed automatic payments when a credit card lacked funds, and had their AWS account suspended which disabled DNS routing via Route 53. Because two-factor authentication and loss of email access prevented logging in, resolving the issue required creating a new account, support tickets and notarized identity paperwork over roughly two months. The commenter reports that once the old account moved from "suspended" to "closed," AWS deregistered and released multiple domains (including russellbeattie.com and six others), which were then purchased by others and used for scams, and that email tied to those domains was compromised.
Why it matters
- Community directories make personal sites discoverable, but rely on contributors and maintainers to scale.
- Registrar and DNS policies can have immediate, real-world consequences for domain ownership and email routing.
- Account recovery workflows that depend on access to tied email addresses can lock users out of payment and support channels.
- Centralized control of domains and DNS in one provider increases convenience but also concentrates risk.
Key facts
- The directory is hosted at https://hnpwd.github.io/ and maintained via a GitHub repository.
- Submission criteria: site must be hosted in a space where you control design and content, and have been well received in past HN discussions.
- Project README: https://github.com/hnpwd/hnpwd.github.io#readme — maintainers are solicited and contributors may submit PRs.
- A commenter reports owning a personal website for 25+ years before losing the domain.
- The commenter says AWS deregistered domains after an account was closed; they attribute the chain of events to a missed automatic payment (monthly cost cited as $18) and a $36 impact referenced in the anecdote.
- When the account was suspended, DNS routing managed via Route 53 was turned off, which also stopped email routing to Gmail.
- Two-factor authentication tied to the original account prevented login after email access was lost, complicating payment and support access.
- Resolving the issue required creating a new AWS account, submitting support tickets, and providing notarized identity documentation over roughly two months, but the domains had already been released.
- Specific domain named in the comment: russellbeattie.com; commenter says six other domains were also affected.
- The commenter reports that someone used an "add/drop" service to quickly acquire the released domain and that the new owner now runs a scam site and has access to email addresses tied to that domain.
What to watch next
- Whether the hnpwd project attracts enough maintainers and PRs to accelerate additions to the directory (not confirmed in the source).
- If other users report similar domain-deregistration experiences with AWS or other registrars in the thread (not confirmed in the source).
- Any changes to the hnpwd repository workflow or contribution guidelines as the maintainer processes submissions (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Domain registrar: A company authorized to sell and manage internet domain registrations on behalf of registrants.
- DNS (Domain Name System): A system that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses that computers use to locate services on the internet.
- Route 53: Amazon Web Services' DNS and domain name registration service (generic definition; used in the source to describe managed DNS routing).
- Two-factor authentication (2FA): A security method requiring two different forms of verification to access an account, typically something you know (password) and something you have (code or device).
- Add/drop service: A third-party service that monitors dropped or released domain names and attempts to register them quickly when they become available.
Reader FAQ
How do I submit my site to the directory?
The maintainer asks commenters to drop links in the thread and suggests submitting a pull request directly to the GitHub repo: https://github.com/hnpwd/hnpwd.github.io/.
Can I opt out if I don't want my site included?
Yes — the maintainer requests that you indicate in the comments if you do not want your website included.
What happened to the commenter’s domains on AWS?
According to the comment, missed payments led to account suspension and loss of DNS, two-factor authentication blocked login, and after a prolonged recovery process the domains were deregistered and released; one named domain was said to be repurposed as a scam site.
Will the maintainer add submissions quickly?
The maintainer notes it will take a while to go through submissions and encourages contributors to send PRs directly.
Has AWS responded or changed policy in this case?
not confirmed in the source
Sorry for the long post, but it may be relevant to you. I would share my personal website which I owned for 25+ years, but AWS deregistered it because of…
Sources
- Ask HN: Share your personal website
- All | Search powered by Algolia
- BlogScroll – An open directory of personal sites and blogs
- Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (Nov 2025) – Hacker News
Related posts
- Fast CLI and MCP Server for Managing Lambda Cloud GPU Instances
- Widespread Verizon outage disrupts basic connectivity for millions in US
- Major Verizon Outage Disrupts U.S. Mobile Service and Some 911 Calls