General:

In /etc/hosts I added this:
199.255.145.110 williamgibsonboard.com
199.255.145.110 www.williamgibsonboard.com


@-tweet @ian_ruotsala for suggestions, questions
bookmark this for future reference: http://wgbeeper.dns1.us/ (thanks, garage_rubin!)

Mac:

199.255.145.110 williamgibsonboard.com
199.255.145.110 www.williamgibsonboard.com

It should look something like this:
That should be it! You might still have to re-start your web browser to make sure it reads from updated host file. @-tweet me if that didn't work/you need further advice/assistance.

Windows:

Windows 7:

199.255.145.110 williamgibsonboard.com
199.255.145.110 www.williamgibsonboard.com That should be it! You might have to try re-starting your web browser to make sure it is reading from updated hosts file.
If Notepad++ doesn't allow you to save hosts file, it is likely because it is not in "Administrator" mode. @-Tweet me and I'll try to figure out how to get into admin mode.
@-Tweet me if you have any other comments/questions/concerns/suggestions.
And on Windows 7 it is apparently a pain in the ass. Try these instructions to edit it with Notepad.

Windows XP, Windows Vista:

I will momentarily test out instructions on my XP and Vista machines. For now, try using the instructions provided for Win7. @-Tweet me if the Win7 instructions work/do not work for you.

Windows 8:

I don't have a access to a Windows 8 machine, so I can't offer any first-hand knowledge. Try using the Windows 7 instructions for now. If those work or don't work for you, @-Tweet me to tell me.

Linux:

If you are using Linux, I tend to assume you already know how to modify /etc/hosts without me explaining. Nevertheless, if you happen to be a newbie, try this: 199.255.145.110 williamgibsonboard.com
199.255.145.110 www.williamgibsonboard.com That should be it! You might have to try re-starting your web browser to make sure it is reading from updated hosts file. I am assuming you are using Ubuntu specifically with vim installed--if these are not true for you, or you're having other troubles, @-tweet me for questions/advice.

What happens when the domain is finally renewed?

Probably you should disable the entries you made--in Mac, Windows, and Linux, just put a hash mark ("#") in front of the lines you entered. The next time we forget to renew the domain, just re-enable the lines, and change the IP address to whatever the WGBeeper has.




instructions current as of 8 December, 2013