I now have a custom domain! novov.neocities.org now redirects to the much terser novov.me. The .me TLD technically belongs to the small Slavic nation of Montenegro, bordering the Adriatic Sea. So now I have to bear alliegance to the Montenegrin government, I suppose...

I've been thinking of having a custom domain for a while. And by "a while", I mean ever since other cool people started doing it. Truly, I am a beacon of originality. As for the why, I had a few reasons:

• Easier to remember and more unique.
• More resilient. I can switch to a new host if Neocities ever goes down or pulls one over on me.
• Makes my website look more professional and is just generally cool to have.

Initially, I wanted novov.net,¹ but it turns out that is occupied by a Chinese online entertainment company. My next-best option was novov.xyz, but that doesn't really roll off the tongue, and is a bit too random for my taste. Therefore, I decided to go with the .me TLD. I have exactly zero Montenegrin ancestry², but according to Montenegro's .me website...

You are one step away from getting the domain name of your dreams. Personalize your blog, business or website. Get creative!

I just couldn't say no to the domain of my dreams, I guess. After all, I definitely want to get creative, especially since an overexcited looking bearded dude is pointing to the text for some reason.³ And I guess Montenegro seems like a decent enough place. At the very least, I can't say it isn't any more, or who knows what will happen to my precious domain?

Oh, bright dawn of May.
Our mother Montenegro.
We are sons of your rocks
And keepers of your honesty
We love you, the rocky hills
And your awesome gorges
That never came to know
The chains of shameful slavery.⁴
Our mother Montenegro!

Oh, bright dawn of May.
Our mother Montenegro.
While our unity gives wings
to our Lovchenian⁵ cause,
Proud shall be, celebrated will be
Our dear homeland.
A river of our waves,
Jumping into two seas,
Will bear voice to the ocean,
May eternal be our Montenegro!
Will bear voice to the ocean,
May eternal be our Montenegro!

• 1

  I didn't want to get a .nz TLD as that doesn't really offer the level of privacy that I desire.

• 2

  Unless there's some family relation I don't know about.

• 3

  He's probably not even Montenegrin. Who knows where they got that stock photo from?

• 4

  Not really true. Montenegro was under Ottoman rule for some 400 years.

• 5

  Referencing Montenegro's namesake, Mount Lovćen.