Interesting read (excerpt follows) --
How a Burned-Out Lawyer Quit Her Job and Discovered Her Dream Career | Brazen Life: " . . . . Instead, a million Ideas for businesses I could start, products or services I could sell, websites I could create and more flooded my brain. For each idea I had, I bought the related Web address (domain name). Before I knew it, I owned more than a hundred domain names. One day, someone called me and wanted to buy one of my domains. That day changed my life, because I learned that domain names are like pieces of digital real estate on the Internet and can sometimes be extremely valuable. My domain addiction only grew from there. Hundreds of domains turned into thousands. And at an average renewal price of $10 a year, owning thousands of domain names came with a hefty price tag! It’s fair to say I had become a full-fledged Internet junky. I was working around the clock to learn how to sell and trade domain names, develop websites, blog, use Google Adwords and Adsense, write Web copy and more. . . ." (read more at link above)
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31 December 2013
29 December 2013
Finding a perfect, affordable domain name
5 steps to help you find a perfect, affordable domain name - The Next Web: " . . . If you are looking for an obvious and great domain name chances are that someone beat you to it. Too often great startups with bad names tell me they picked their name because the domain name was still available. That is a lousy excuse and very bad start for your multi-billion dollar company. My advice: see what awesome names you can pick up for a little more than you were initially planning to spend. Seriously, you can spend a week finding a domain name that sucks, or an hour to get an awesome one for a little more money – how much is your time worth? The saving you make in time hunting for a domain name could be spent investing more in a better one. . . ." (read more at link above)
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26 December 2013
ICANN and its express train to new gTLDs and litigation
Looking ahead -- more disputes and litigation over new gTLDs --
Retailers fail to derail ICANN’s ‘express’ train to more top-level domains - Lexology: " . . . . Indeed, the results in these cases may spur trademark owners to pressure ICANN to give more deference to trademarks. But at the least, these rulings reinforce the lesson of the mid-1990s that Internet domains can create seismic disruptions in the trademark world. They also reaffirm a timeless principle of trademarks: Descriptive and other weak trademarks are the most at risk for dilution from non-trademark use. As the new TLD process rolls out this fall, expect more trademark battles with a twist—including disputes over new complete domain names using the new TLDs. Many of those disputes will go through ICANN’S UDRP process, or its new Uniform Rapid Suspension process, after trademark owners become aware of potential problems through Trademark Clearinghouse procedures."
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Retailers fail to derail ICANN’s ‘express’ train to more top-level domains - Lexology: " . . . . Indeed, the results in these cases may spur trademark owners to pressure ICANN to give more deference to trademarks. But at the least, these rulings reinforce the lesson of the mid-1990s that Internet domains can create seismic disruptions in the trademark world. They also reaffirm a timeless principle of trademarks: Descriptive and other weak trademarks are the most at risk for dilution from non-trademark use. As the new TLD process rolls out this fall, expect more trademark battles with a twist—including disputes over new complete domain names using the new TLDs. Many of those disputes will go through ICANN’S UDRP process, or its new Uniform Rapid Suspension process, after trademark owners become aware of potential problems through Trademark Clearinghouse procedures."
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24 December 2013
Tips for Aspiring Domain Speculators
Many expert opinions out there -- this guy I trust --
Seven Expert Domain Name Sales Tips for Aspiring Domain Speculators - Sweetmantra: Domain Name Strategy: "In general, the kind of inventory that sells best in today’s world is one-word, two-word, and three-word English language .com domain names that directly relate to business products or services. If you are holding non .com inventory (e.g., .net, .org, .biz), or domains that consist of invented words, or are phrases, be prepared for the sad probability that this inventory will not move in your lifetime." (read more at the link above)
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Seven Expert Domain Name Sales Tips for Aspiring Domain Speculators - Sweetmantra: Domain Name Strategy: "In general, the kind of inventory that sells best in today’s world is one-word, two-word, and three-word English language .com domain names that directly relate to business products or services. If you are holding non .com inventory (e.g., .net, .org, .biz), or domains that consist of invented words, or are phrases, be prepared for the sad probability that this inventory will not move in your lifetime." (read more at the link above)
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22 December 2013
Report says Domain Name Sales To Flourish Through 2018
Research and Markets: New 2013 Report 'Web Domain Name Sales in the US' says The Industry is Set To Flourish Even Further Over the Five-Year Period To 2018 | SYS-CON MEDIA: "The Web Domain Name Sales industry has thrived over the five years to 2013, despite a spending slowdown during the recession. Businesses' mounting demand for internet presence, coupled with individuals' increasing desire for personal web space, has driven revenue growth over the period. With the recently announced expansion of web domain name suffixes, the industry is set to flourish even further over the five-year period to 2018. Coupled with mounting demand from internet publishing and broadcasting and growing demand for personal domain names, industry revenue is anticipated to grow at a strong average annual rate." (read more at link above)
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19 December 2013
Movies, Domain Names, Social Media Handles
This is interesting --
Flicks' Advertising Picks - FairWinds Goes to the Movies - FairWinds Partners: "FairWinds selected 12 blockbusters on the U.S. News and World Report 2013 Summer Blockbuster Movie Guide and looked at how production companies are digitally targeting moviegoers this summer. Some key results:
The majority - 42 percent - use the domain name structure "TitleMovie.com"
Seventeen percent use a catchy domain name: ItsBetterUpHere.com (Elysium); PutOnTheMask.com (The Lone Ranger). 58 percent of movies advertise social media handles in their trailers - with 24 percent choosing only to use social media handles . . . " (read more at link above)
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Flicks' Advertising Picks - FairWinds Goes to the Movies - FairWinds Partners: "FairWinds selected 12 blockbusters on the U.S. News and World Report 2013 Summer Blockbuster Movie Guide and looked at how production companies are digitally targeting moviegoers this summer. Some key results:
The majority - 42 percent - use the domain name structure "TitleMovie.com"
Seventeen percent use a catchy domain name: ItsBetterUpHere.com (Elysium); PutOnTheMask.com (The Lone Ranger). 58 percent of movies advertise social media handles in their trailers - with 24 percent choosing only to use social media handles . . . " (read more at link above)
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17 December 2013
Domain Names, Expired Registration Recovery Policy
The Expired Registration Recovery Policy (ERRP) regulates how domain name registrars handle expiring domain names. Expired Registration Recovery Policy | ICANN: Redemption Grace Period
3.1. With the exception of sponsored gTLD registries, all gTLD registries must offer a Redemption Grace Period ("RGP") of 30 days immediately following the deletion of a registration, during which time the deleted registration may be restored at the request of the RAE by the registrar that deleted it. Registrations deleted during a registry's add-grace period, if applicable, should not be subject to the RGP.
3.2. During the Redemption Grace Period, the registry must disable DNS resolution and prohibit attempted transfers of the registration. ICANN-approved bulk transfers and permitted partial bulk transfers are not subject to the prohibition of attempted transfers. The registry must also clearly indicate in its Whois result for the registration that it is in its Redemption Grace Period.
3.3. Registrars must permit the RAE to redeem a deleted registration during RGP (ifRGP is offered by the respective registry)." (read more at link above)
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3.1. With the exception of sponsored gTLD registries, all gTLD registries must offer a Redemption Grace Period ("RGP") of 30 days immediately following the deletion of a registration, during which time the deleted registration may be restored at the request of the RAE by the registrar that deleted it. Registrations deleted during a registry's add-grace period, if applicable, should not be subject to the RGP.
3.2. During the Redemption Grace Period, the registry must disable DNS resolution and prohibit attempted transfers of the registration. ICANN-approved bulk transfers and permitted partial bulk transfers are not subject to the prohibition of attempted transfers. The registry must also clearly indicate in its Whois result for the registration that it is in its Redemption Grace Period.
3.3. Registrars must permit the RAE to redeem a deleted registration during RGP (ifRGP is offered by the respective registry)." (read more at link above)
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15 December 2013
Expired Domain Name Rules
ICANN: "When a domain name expires, it enters the Auto-Renew Grace Period (for zero to 45 days). Registrars may delete domain names from their databases during this period (according to their deletion and auto-renewal policies). Before a registrar deletes an expired domain name, it must also interrupt the domain name's resolution path. This means that all the services associated with the domain (such as email addresses and websites) will stop working. This can alert you that a domain name has expired and must be renewed. Once you renew your domain name, the registrar must make the domain name work again (as soon as commercially reasonable). If you have a dispute with your registrar regarding payment of renewal fees, please visit ICANN's About Renewal Fee Paid But Domain Not Renewed page. If you successfully paid to renew your domain name and it still does not work, please submit a Domain Renewal Complaint Form." (read more at links above)
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12 December 2013
ICANN, self-interest, public interest
Well worth a second read --
Letter from Verisign's Chuck Gomes to ICANN's Fadi Chehadé
30 August 2013
Sender's Title: Vice President, Policy
Sender's Affiliation: VeriSign, Inc.
Issue: GNSO Discussion with ICANN CEO
File: gomes-to-chehade-30aug13-en [PDF, 3037kB]
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Letter from Verisign's Chuck Gomes to ICANN's Fadi Chehadé
30 August 2013
Sender's Title: Vice President, Policy
Sender's Affiliation: VeriSign, Inc.
Issue: GNSO Discussion with ICANN CEO
File: gomes-to-chehade-30aug13-en [PDF, 3037kB]
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10 December 2013
Google as Registrar, Charleston Road Registry, Domain Names
Google is a domain names owner and domain name registrar (like GoDaddy or Network Solutions). Google owns Charleston Road Registry (an ICANN approved Registry like Verisign). What exactly is Google planning? Who knows? -- follow the links below --
Google: "Here are some of the domains we are excited about launching. Most of them will be open for you to register and use however you like. Some have rules which specify how the domain may be used. . . . please check back regularly to see our updated offerings. . . ."
Charleston Road Registry – Google: "When will these domains be available for registration? ICANN has committed to delegating approximately 20 top level domains each week, starting later this year. Delegation order was determined by ICANN’s prioritization lottery. To check on CRR’s domains, please visit this page. We'll post a list of our registrar partners once our domains are open for registration, and be sure to update it regularly. . . . Please fill out this form if you're interested in becoming a registrar partner. . . . Charleston Road Registry (CRR) is a subsidiary of Google. Because ICANN requires that registrars and registries remain separate entities, and Google is already an ICANN-accredited registrar, CRR exists as a separate company from Google. We don't favor any registrar over any others in terms of pricing, awarding domains, or any other domain operations; we'll partner with any ICANN-accredited registrars that are interested in our domains."
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Google: "Here are some of the domains we are excited about launching. Most of them will be open for you to register and use however you like. Some have rules which specify how the domain may be used. . . . please check back regularly to see our updated offerings. . . ."
Charleston Road Registry – Google: "When will these domains be available for registration? ICANN has committed to delegating approximately 20 top level domains each week, starting later this year. Delegation order was determined by ICANN’s prioritization lottery. To check on CRR’s domains, please visit this page. We'll post a list of our registrar partners once our domains are open for registration, and be sure to update it regularly. . . . Please fill out this form if you're interested in becoming a registrar partner. . . . Charleston Road Registry (CRR) is a subsidiary of Google. Because ICANN requires that registrars and registries remain separate entities, and Google is already an ICANN-accredited registrar, CRR exists as a separate company from Google. We don't favor any registrar over any others in terms of pricing, awarding domains, or any other domain operations; we'll partner with any ICANN-accredited registrars that are interested in our domains."
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08 December 2013
The Wild, Wild West Is About To Get Wilder
I first heard of the Wild, Wild West internet back in the 1990s. Now we are back to that, only even more thanks to the new ICANN gTLDs --
First New gTLDs Get the Green Light for Delegation: " . . . These first new gTLDs, or strings, are:
شبكة (xn--ngbc5azd) – the Arabic word for “Web” or “Network”
Registry : International Domain Registry Pty. Ltd.
онлайн (xn--80asehdb) – Russian for “Online”
Registry: Core Association
сайт (xn--80aswg) – Russian for “Web site”
Registry: Core Association
游戏 (xn--unup4y) – Chinese for “Game”
Registry: Spring Fields, LLC
You’ll note that all four of these new strings are Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). IDNs are currently available as Second-Level Domains and country code Top-Level Domains, but this will be the first time non-Latin characters can be used in a generic TLD. Building on the addition of Internationalized country-code TLDs in 2010, the move is an effort to create a more inclusive Internet. . . ."
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First New gTLDs Get the Green Light for Delegation: " . . . These first new gTLDs, or strings, are:
شبكة (xn--ngbc5azd) – the Arabic word for “Web” or “Network”
Registry : International Domain Registry Pty. Ltd.
онлайн (xn--80asehdb) – Russian for “Online”
Registry: Core Association
сайт (xn--80aswg) – Russian for “Web site”
Registry: Core Association
游戏 (xn--unup4y) – Chinese for “Game”
Registry: Spring Fields, LLC
You’ll note that all four of these new strings are Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). IDNs are currently available as Second-Level Domains and country code Top-Level Domains, but this will be the first time non-Latin characters can be used in a generic TLD. Building on the addition of Internationalized country-code TLDs in 2010, the move is an effort to create a more inclusive Internet. . . ."
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05 December 2013
Mobile Computing, Domaining
Ramifications of mobile computing on domaining? It's not as much about "type-in traffic" anymore--
Mobile Computing Puts the Location Back in Retail | MIT Technology Review: ". . . the offline environment is actually more important when consumers connect through a mobile device. With colleagues including Sang Pil Han of the City University of Hong Kong, we studied 260 users of a South Korean microblogging service similar to Twitter. What we found was that behavior on the small mobile screen was different from behavior on the PC. Searching became harder to do, meaning that people clicked on the top links more often. The local environment was also more important. Ads for stores in close proximity to a user’s home were more likely to be viewed. For every mile closer a store was, smartphone users were 23 percent more likely to click on an ad. When they were on a PC, they were only 12 percent more likely to click close-by stores. . . ."
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Mobile Computing Puts the Location Back in Retail | MIT Technology Review: ". . . the offline environment is actually more important when consumers connect through a mobile device. With colleagues including Sang Pil Han of the City University of Hong Kong, we studied 260 users of a South Korean microblogging service similar to Twitter. What we found was that behavior on the small mobile screen was different from behavior on the PC. Searching became harder to do, meaning that people clicked on the top links more often. The local environment was also more important. Ads for stores in close proximity to a user’s home were more likely to be viewed. For every mile closer a store was, smartphone users were 23 percent more likely to click on an ad. When they were on a PC, they were only 12 percent more likely to click close-by stores. . . ."
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03 December 2013
Retail? Everything Is E-Commerce Now
“Retail has become a blur. And the blurring is 100 percent driven by technology,” says Tige Savage, a partner at AOL founder Steve Case’s investment company, Revolution, which is investing in new online retail startups. “Are you at the store? Or is the store at you? And then there’s mobile, the store is in your pocket. The game is to satisfy demand wherever and whenever it is.” (source infra)
How the Definition of E-Commerce Is Changing | MIT Technology Review: "With its thousands of engineers, Amazon is starting to look like a software company that just coincidentally sells things. But now it and other Internet companies, including eBay and Google, are investing in same-day delivery—getting goods to people just hours after they order them. With their drop boxes and fleets of delivery cars, they’re bidding to eliminate one of physical retailers’ main advantages: immediate gratification."
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How the Definition of E-Commerce Is Changing | MIT Technology Review: "With its thousands of engineers, Amazon is starting to look like a software company that just coincidentally sells things. But now it and other Internet companies, including eBay and Google, are investing in same-day delivery—getting goods to people just hours after they order them. With their drop boxes and fleets of delivery cars, they’re bidding to eliminate one of physical retailers’ main advantages: immediate gratification."
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01 December 2013
Online Retail, Amazon, Profitability
Online retail? -- better think niche markets, and consider using or associating with larger services like Amazon because it is cut-throat online --
Profits? Amazon Prefers Technology | MIT Technology Review: " . . . Even the most successful online retailer, Amazon.com, has a business model that leaves many people scratching their heads. Amazon is on track to ring up $75 billion in worldwide sales this year. Yet it often operates in the red; last quarter, Amazon posted a $41 million loss. Amazon’s founder and chief executive officer, Jeff Bezos, is indifferent to short-term earnings, having once quipped that when the company achieved profitability for a brief stretch in 1995, “it was probably a mistake.”. . ."
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Profits? Amazon Prefers Technology | MIT Technology Review: " . . . Even the most successful online retailer, Amazon.com, has a business model that leaves many people scratching their heads. Amazon is on track to ring up $75 billion in worldwide sales this year. Yet it often operates in the red; last quarter, Amazon posted a $41 million loss. Amazon’s founder and chief executive officer, Jeff Bezos, is indifferent to short-term earnings, having once quipped that when the company achieved profitability for a brief stretch in 1995, “it was probably a mistake.”. . ."
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