As many as you have heard, Monte Cahn the founder of Moniker.com and most recently an Exec with Oversee.net, has joining myself, in a new venture called RIGHT OF THE DOT.
RIGHT OF THE DOT can be broadly defined as a consulting company which advises registries on how best to roll out their extensions, including marketing and selling of domains; increase the number of registration of domains; identifying and positioning their premium inventory into the market through various channels, getting new registries shelve space on the retail channel otherwise known as registrars.
Basically we will help to make a registry much more successful and profitable and that at the end of the day what business is about, maximizing profits.
While the new gTLD’s process is getting ironed out we expect to help some existing registries position there existing extensions in the market to take advantage of the time until the new gTLD’s actually launch.
We also plan on advising some other companies and players in the domain space that aren’t registrars or registries, by doing some board advisements. We look forward to working with other non-domain high tech companies that want to built and protect their online brand.
Why RIGHT OF THE DOT?
Because since the first .com was registered some 25 years ago, domains have pretty much been about the keyword(s) to the left of the dot.
With of hundreds and eventually thousands of new gTLD’s on the horizon a lot of attention will now be focused on everything on the Right Of The Dot.
Monte was of course one of the founders of Moniker.com which he built out of his home into a top 10 registrar.
Through that process, Monte knows all the players in the registry/registrar space.
Monte also has sold over the year hundreds of millions of dollars in domains, probably more than anyone on earth.
Monte through Moniker.com pretty much created the live domain auction space a concept that did not exist before the live TRAFFIC Moniker auctions.
I have been in the business of domaining since 1999 when I founded MostWantedDomains.com and have lived and breathed in the domain business since then as a full time domainer. As a frequent reader you probably know that we own around 75,000 domains and sell annually into the seven figures worth of our own domains.
I do think its a different dynamic when you sell your own inventory and broker someone else’s. One is not better or worse than the other, its just different.
In the process of full time domaining you look at tens of millions of domains in your life and whether you realize it as you’re looking at domain lists your doing an immediate appraisal of each domain.
Moreover I have been involved in over tens of thousands of online domain auctions over the years.
So I think we think we bring a unique combination together, Monte from the registry, registrar, and brokerage side and myself from the domainer side, which can be extremely beneficial to anyone wanting to start their own new extension (gTLD) or want to increase the presence of current extensions.
So enough for the commercial, lets chat about new gTLD’s and the domain business.
The fact show that since the 25 years have past since the 1st .Com was registered, there is a total of 21 TLD (Top Level Domains).
You know some of them quite well.
.Com; .Net; .Org; .info; .Biz to name a few.
Some others as domains you may know but regard them as failures like .tel, .mobi and .travel.
I’ll get this out of the way first:
There will be never be a new gTLD or extension that will surpass .com.
Let me say it again.
Now new gTLD or ccTLD will displace .com in our (or at least my lifetime).
End of story.
.Com is king and will be king for a very long time, probably forever, although forever is a VERY long time.
No one is trying to be the new .Com, replace or beat .Com
They don’t have to.
A registry is a different business model from domainers.
A registrar is a different business model from domainers and from operating a registry.
Although both domainers, registrars and registries all are involved in the business of domains, they are quite different.
As domainers we have a certain way of looking at a domain and extensions.
Domainers are look at a domain and an extension from the investment point of view.
If a domainer invests in a domain and thereby an extension, the main concern is whether that domain will be worth more, next week, next year or in five years (depending on each domainers time frame for resale) than it is today.
Many domainers will be concerned with how the extension get ranked by the search engines for SEO purposes and will value domains accordingly.
So basically a domainer perception of a domain extension is based on resale value, traffic value and SEO value.
Domainers want to invest in domains and extension that will grow in value and/or will make money while those domains are held.
If there is a lot of activity in the aftermarket and we see domains selling consistently for higher prices we think the extension is successful.
If domainers see low sales activity on an extension or flat or falling prices they consider the extension a failure.
However, operating a registry a different business model from domaining.
So operating a registry can be extremely profitable at the registry level even though domainers considers the domain extension a failure.
Because once again at the end of the day they are different businesses and different net profit models.
These two an exist together, a profitable registry and a failed extension by domainer standards.
Take .Travel for example.
Most domainers probably don’t own a .travel domain, and most would regard the domain to be a failure.
However the .Travel registry is profitable.
The .Pro registry is profitable with over 100,000 registrations but most domainers do not own a .pro and wouldn’t even consider investing in one.
The .biz registry has over 2,000,000 domains registered and is profitable although on the domainer resale market .biz domain have not in large part been a good investment.
So while most domainers do not regard these extensions as successful from the domainer side, from the registry side they are making plenty of money.
Once you get get your head onto the other side of the business, then its an entirely different perspective and that’s the point of the post.
My friend Rick Schwartz often says that all domainers are “looking for the second coming” of .com.
And he is right.
Domainers are always looking for that next extension to invest in especially if they missed the .com boom.
Domainers are looking for something they can invest small dollars in that will be worth big money in the future.
All new gTLD’s registries are also looking for “the second coming” but in their case they are not looking for the second coming of .com, they are all looking for the second coming of .Co
Why .Co?
Because the .Co registry, as Juan Calle recently stated, has already grossed $20 Million dollars and expects to gross $30 Million in its first year.
Think about that for a second.
Zero revenue to $30 Million in one year, during what still is a horrible recession for most of people all around the world.
How many businesses can go from $0 to $30 Million in one year?
Not many.
So that’s the attraction of the new gTLD’s.
So for new gTLD’s operators that’s what they are going to try emulate, that is there second coming.
Let’s face it.
It doesn’t take a huge investment to operate a registry.
You hire a company to operates the back end of the registry (something that almost all new registries will do) to Neustar, Afilias, Verisign, Tucows, openregistry, or one of the other many competitors that will provide this service.
All of these back end providers charge a per domain fee for the registry services.
So besides the application fees , lawyer fees, consulting fees, the only other major cost to operating a registry is marketing.
That is in large part why ICANN is estimating 500 new extension application in the 1st round alone. (its in ICANN budget).
So 500 application at $185K is $100 Million.
If you talk those in the new gTLD space they will tell you that you will need at least $500K to get an uncontested, no nonsense application thought ICANN and added to the root, before marketing
Now we are up to $250 Million.
Figure at least $500K for marketing and your at $1M for an extension or $500 Million coming into the space.
But every generic extension is going to have competition.
That means there will be mulitple applications for extensions such as .law, .insurance, .health, .eco., music, .sports just to name a few.
There maybe hundreds of domain strings that will be highly contested and once there are muliple applications for the same extension the winner is determined by auction.
Prices for some of the most valuable gTLD’s may very well go into the millions or even tens of millions.
I can tell you this:
At the .Nxt show in San Francisco I met with people who are ready, willing and able to write checks for millions, even tens of millions to control a generic extension.
You may think they are crazy but I can tell you with 100% certainly these guys are there, checkbook in hand waiting for the green light from ICANN.
By in large the players are very smart, successful people so while you may want to immediately think they are all wrong and crazy for investing that kind of money into a new gTLD and are throwing their money away, remember they have been Right in the past so discount their opinion so quickly.
As I see it there is over $1 Billion dollars coming into the new gTLD space and that is just in the 1st round of many rounds to come.
But lets get real.
I expect that a majority of the new gTLDs will fail.
Probably 80%-90% of all new gTLD will fail.
I think Juan Calle said it best at the .Nxt show in San Francisco a few weeks ago when he said about new gTLD’s:
“There will be some spectacular successes and some spectacular failures”.”
Well said.
I would go further and say there will be many more speculator failures than speculator successes but again in what other business can you gross $20-$30 Million dollars in your first year out of thin air?
And after all why should operating a new TLD be any different than any other business which according to the the Small Business Administration, one-third of new businesses fail withing 2 years and 56% fail within 4 years.
So if you thinking of opening up any new business, there is a 56% chance it will fail within first 4 years.
However how many business have the potential to gross $30 Million in the 1st year?
Not many.
Now I know many of you do not have the $185K application fee or the $1M it will take to realistically launch an uncontested new extension with proper marketing and framework around it.
So if you see the amount of money coming into the space like I do and want to get a financial interest in the new gTLD’s, there are several ways of getting a share.
One way to have an interest in the new gTLD’s is to invest in some of the public companies that are involved in the new gTLD space like Top Level Holdings, otherwise known as Minds + Machines which is publicly traded over in London or in some of the back end companies like Neustar, Verisign, Tucows which will make $$ for each domain registered.
There are other companies like Demand Media which have at least indicated they might go after some extensions.
A registry is like a money printing machine.
Low cost.
Low overhead.
Huge profit.
Of course you can play if from the domainer side as new extensions get released, you can grab some either through registering domains or the land rushes or the reserved domains auctions that will surely come.
Or you can choose to ignore the whole thing and concentrate on existing extensions.
There are many ways to be involved in the domain industry.
As Internet usage grows and more and more business shift to the Internet, the number of domain registrations will have to grow along with.
There is no one right way.
Keep your eyes opened and look for opportunity where you find it.
There is change coming and no matter how smart you are, and no matter how long you have been in the domain business, there is no one on earth that really knows (including me) what the economic consequences will be when 21 TLD expands to 521 TLD’s in one year and maybe into the thousands of TLD’s in the future.
Just for argument, let’s say that someone applies for .insurance knowing that Quinstreet bought Insurance.com, carinsurance.com and insured.com, in a 12 month period for over $110 Million dollars.
So lets say a company applies for .insurance, not to make money selling domains off the extension, but wants to keep all of the domains for themselves (perfectly legal under the rules).
They create domains like car.insurance; health.insurance; life.insurance; newyork.insurance and so on and so on, puts up sites to get lead generation.
Who can say they won’t get ranked by Google and Bing and ranked ahead of insurance.com?
NO ONE KNOWS
We can all opine on whether that will happen but lets assume for a minute it does happen.
What would .insurance be worth if its was ranked on SEO ahead of all insurance .com domains?
Probably not $100 Million
Probably in hundreds of millions.
Just one example of how the new gTLD’s can be a not only a disruptive force in the Internet industry but a game changer.
Yet the new gTLD’s may not rank at all.
Risk Vs. Reward.
Understand the business models and you can make an intelligent decision on how to play in the game.
Ignore the whole new gTLD process and you may do so at your peril.
(disclaimer this post premature published unfinished for a short time a couple of weeks ago, sorry if you caught the unfinished version)
Mike, that about says it all.
Fair and Balanced.
Great post!
Hello Mike,
Although the second coming came and went multiple times already, I wish you well.
Sorry for the strictly business stand on all other extensions other than .com. Hopefully you will concentrate on other aspects of the business that will bring you both Success.
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)
Mike, which of the new possible gTLD’s do you feel have the most potential?
I realize…”potential” is relative to who you are and where you are looking from.
I saw where you mentioned that .travel might have a chance at a comeback if redone.
“At the .Nxt show in San Francisco I met with people who are ready, willing and able to write checks for millions, even tens of millions to control a generic extension.
You may think they are crazy but I can tell you with 100% certainly these guys are there, checkbook in hand waiting for the green light from ICANN.”
=====
Anyone with that kind of money may want to spend ONE DAY with an expert to find out the true reality of new Top Level Domains, and DNS in general.
Depending on what Obama does with the IANA Contract in the next 6 months could make or break those players. If The.Clinton(s) continue to run the show you can bet the 2012 Election will become the target date.
People with the ability to deploy software to change the industry will not be waiting any longer. ICANN has run out of time, stalling. As predicted (planned) in 1998, the domain industry at the Top Level is now competitive. The Internet Industry at the Platform Level (Protocols, etc.) is also now competitive.
People with “checkbooks” better be prepared to write about 6 checks, not one.
Great article, Michael.
Yes, no TLD will ever touch dotCom (which has evolved into a universal brand). Furthermore, none of the upcoming new TLDs will be as successful as dotCo.
Besides that, there’s plenty of money to be made with the new TLDs, but the mortality rate will be brutal. There’s only so many speculators to go around 🙂
I saw this article last week. Why did you take it down at that time?
PS: If someone launches dotInsurance, the owner of Insurance.com will be the happiest guy on the planet.
“Keep your eyes opened and look for opportunity where you find it.”
That about sums it all up.
P.S. NVM my prev post. Just saw the disclaimer at the end which answered my question.
How much of Insurance.com’s lunch would dotInsurance need to eat before the point of
happiest turns to somthing else?
@CM
For Insurance.com, dotInsurance would be the gift that keeps on giving and I can only hope it happens to one of our generics.
Why stop at one DOT? How about Insurance..com and dave..insurance. Then we can go with two dots, then three, then *, then #, then !, then ^, then :.
Although not likely, does anyone see how fuc*ing stupid this could all get if left unchecked?
No thank you.
Oh, yes.
Interesting post
Many domainers will be concerned with how the extension get ranked by the search engines for SEO purposes and will value domains accordingly.
This won’t apply it’s too crude it’s like saying all orange people are bad or all green people are better than orange people.
after all why should operating a new TLD be any different than any other business which according to the the Small Business Administration, one-third of new businesses fail withing 2 years and 56% fail within 4 years.
I expect that a majority of the new gTLDs will fail.
Probably 80%-90% of all new gTLD will fail.
TLDs are not like most companies – they are more akin to infrastructure companies. Other people need to build their businesses around stable infrastructure. Even a 56% failure rate will be wholly unacceptable business model for ICANN correction Governments.
Thanks David,
nice bit of information
insurance.com would enjoy the “seemingly” competition from .insurance because .insurance would actually be their ally.
Know of any other industries “not online” where a company would welcome more competition to gain more profit?
Tony
“I saw this article last week. Why did you take it down at that time?”
I explained it on the bottom of the post, the article was not suppose to publish until the ICANN meeting, it was unfinished in draft form.
I think it got published by accident when an upgrade on WP was done by accident so as soon as I saw it I pulled it down (was up around 1 hour)
Anyway the post is now finished so its not the identical post as you saw last week.
David
“”If someone launches dotInsurance, the owner of Insurance.com will be the happiest guy on the planet.””
Not if the company that gets .insurance kept the extension “in-house” and winds up outranking insurance.com in the search engines for all major insurance keywords.
“Besides that, there’s plenty of money to be made with the new TLDs, but the mortality rate will be brutal. There’s only so many speculators to go around ”
Aside from the expensive and lengthy legal battles many of these new gTLD’s (and owners of) will have to face the above is going to be the major problem for them. “Only so many speculators to go around”.
If they manage to pump them out as quick as they hope to then they might be lucky enough to snag more speculators before history repeats itself en masse.
I really can’t see how the western economy can ever be the same as it has been in the last 20 years so overall I think its just another pump & dump style cash machine for the elites.
Are all these new gTLD’s really needed to improve or secure the Internet ….No
ps) I heard Beckstroms saving up to buy a 3 bedroom luxury condo underground Denver Airport. A dodgy handshake plus a big fat wad of cash and he’s in 😉
youtube.com/watch?v=B9EpqBf0oCY&feature=related
I think it may be more of a boon to two word generics than single word.
The billboard says “Save 80% on car insurance at car.insurance!”.
Get home and most will forget the period in middle. Directnav to carinsurance for the URL…browser autocorrects to carinsurance.com.
If I type it without the period into the search box, Google autocorrects to “Did you mean ‘car insurance’?” At that point car.insurance had better be godlike at SEO to beat out years of established anchors to the exact match .com.
Btw, what happens when someone sends an email to quotes@car.insurance.com, instinctively putting the .com at the end? Free leads for insurance.com if they catchall the subdomain?
Or Joe Average sends an email to quotes@carinsurance and can’t figure out the bounce message? Let me try .com on the end…
SL
Google of course is going to auto correct it now since .insurance does not exist.
There is going to be a BIG learning curve for users but if 500 new gTLD’s get launched in a year all will be promoting their extensions, people will learn much quicker that they have to pay as much attention to to what they type in to the RIGHT OF THE DOT as they do on the leftside
“You may think they are crazy but I can tell you with 100% certainly these guys are there, checkbook in hand waiting for the green light from ICANN.”
===
By the way, it will be interesting to see what ICANN is “Selling”.
NOTE: In previous court documents, ICANN has testified that they do not sell anything. Keep in mind, ICANN also claims they are NON-PROFIT.
At least one past ICANN Director (and schooled attorney) seems very concerned that ICANN is now deep into Root Server Operations. That makes ICANN a direct party in [[[ Franchising ]]]. The U.S. Franchise test of the FTC requires documents. It is not clear ICANN can “Sell” Franchises… even to people with flapping checkbooks.
The Loop.Hole.LAW is likely gearing up, as THE.Clinton(s) take the Stage.
A One Million Dollar Donation to the right Non-Profit may get a better “seat”.
“Yes, no TLD will ever touch dotCom (which has evolved into a universal brand). Furthermore, none of the upcoming new TLDs will be as successful as dotCo.”
====
If everything continues on the current ICANNt Path, the .COM Registry will become a “Back Office” to more modern Registry Infrastructure. Every domain would have a .COM back there someplace, as a base to keep software & Uncle Sam happy. People would generally not see it.
A Sub-One-Dollar .COM Registry is the next demand to place on Obama.
://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-4240.htm
15 Cents per year would likely be the winning bid for the new .COM Registry Operator
If everything continues on the current ICANNt Path…the .CO will be the first new Proof-of-Concept Top Level Domain on the New Platform (or is that NEU Platform?)
ICANN or ICANNt will watch Obama from California and be told to “Stifle” in the words of Archie Bunker to Edith.
@MHB
Only if you believe search engines are God 🙂
Why stop at one DOT, and why use JUST dots? We may end up with Insurance.com, dave.insurance, fred..insurance, insurance….com, com*insurance, insurance#net, and on to infinity.
Where does it stop, and who get to decide when enough is enough?
Nice post Michael. This all assuming new TLD will ever become real. Still too sceptical about them. Give them now 20% that we see .anythingelse in five years or less.
Start a domain blog and wait for the TLD advertisers to come rolling in.
Tommy
Correct
I would expect all major domain blogs that have an established audience to be over sold out, meaning that rates can rise as well.
David
I think there are tens of thousands of people that have jobs based on the believe that search engines are god like.
“I think there are tens of thousands of people that have jobs based on the believe that search engines are god like.”
====
With all due respect, there seem to be many Industry-Wide Cult-Like Delusions about [ How the Internet really works ].
The truth is…DNS is not required. SEOs are not required. TCP is not required. IP is handy…the list goes on and on.
ICANN seems to attract more and more people who are absolutely certain they know how the Vegas Slots Pay Off. They keep putting the coins in and pulling the handles. Computer geeks laugh and take their money.
All these Yakking is giving me a big headache
Just Take it as the way it is and enjoy the show.
Gtg–time for my smoke
No comment is good comment.
@ bigliesociety….
I am liking you very much . You are right!!!
i olso think that 90% of the new gTLD will fail.
I think .music will be a success
.insurance will be bought by Quinstreet ,they got the money
.co was a success making 30 mil in 1st yr.because of it’s global meaning,timing.
Personaly,as a domain investor i would only invest in .com and .co
“Fair and Balanced”
From someone with a venture called right of the dot?
Sure – what’s next? Juan Calle actually admits .co is a typo .com?
No one with a brain would ever want the TLD insurance. It buys you absolutely nothing – for f*cks sake, people save nothing because they believe a damn animated Gecko.
0-$30… but what’s next? Where to go? You’ve sold off the best real estate. All you have left is contractual obligations to everyone. The thinktank walks away happy and fat with cash…. what’s left over? A vast wasteland of .co space.
Dot Insurance? No thanks, I want Dot Insure… no, wait Dot Insurers… no, err, Dot Insurance!… or maybe… DOT in-sewer-ance.
I could explain why some new TLDs will work but it will upset the domainers. They already get upset that they’re not in control enough as it is.
Agree, some names will surely make. We have seen quite few stars in the past 10 years. Considering long run, next 10-25 years – many things are possible.
The question is whether ICANN will give it a try in the end of the day, or first question to ask, whether there will be ICANN in 10-25 years from now.
Just in, today’s Tea Leaves from the ICANN Meeting in San Francisco
The IANA RE-BID “Process” is becoming the Focal Point
The IPv4 Address Space Gold Mines now want to be on their own, WITHOUT ICANN
://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-4240.htm
A Sub-One-Dollar .COM Registry is the next demand to place on Obama and/or Hillary.
Will Bill Clinton be announcing Hillary’s Campaign for 2012 this week ?
Good Luck to you and Monte,
Your stellar input info the Industry is appreciated MORE
then most of us know, and are willing to admit!
Being a Guiding light sometime leads to blind stumbles ,
but your personall obsession and application of the truth
at all costs,is admirable and will never steer you wrong
“Will Bill Clinton be announcing Hillary’s Campaign for 2012 this week ?”
—————————————————————————————
It’s look like Hilary wants .HILL and not .BILL
://icannwiki.com
“If someone launches dotInsurance, the owner of Insurance.com will be the happiest guy on the planet.”
.coms that monetize well should do better for a while at least. But uncertainties are now considerable. Depending on the plan, a .com risks competing with a heavily backed tld to which people may feel greater loyalty.
A .com of interest to me may become a tld, and what I’m willing to pay for it has dropped by 1/3rd. Because risks have risen, and possible extra traffic from confused or curious surfers wouldn’t make much difference to the success of the site. Perhaps insurance.com is another matter though.
The initiative is great, but in my opinion there are HUGE flaws to gTLD’s that are being ignored ….
****** 1) Languages. .COM/.NET/.ORG etc., work for ALL languages with the Latin alphabet (A-Z) . Cars.com, Coches.com, Voitures.com, etc….. but while .shopping works for Americans, it doesn’t for Mexicans, or French, or Brazilians, etc. Every language will need its own gTLD, so global reach is greatly limited ……..
2) do you really think Google, whose entire billion dollar business is based on it’s search algorithm, is going to let “.randomextension” take over it’s territory ? Presumably, IF these are successful across the board (and I mean ACROSS THE BOARD, such that anyone can reliably type in a random keyword and extension and get quality content), people won’t have to use a search engine because they can just type what they are looking for with the extension (ex: car.insurance). With this in mind, will Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. really buy into this any time in the near future ……. ?
Also, I think the whole decentralized concept is a big deal. How is Google, Yahoo, etc. going to monitor every single registry/extension for quality? What happens when many registries, and many surely will, heavily limit registration and raise registration requirements. The push for an “open” internet is getting larger and larger every day, if too many of these gTLD’s “do their own thing” (or hold onto the premium names for themselves), then the integrity of the whole gTLD system is jeopardy. People need to have faith in the basic concept itself. Also, if just .music, .insurance, .games, etc. work, but other extensions fail miserably, are people really going to continue relying on that method (typing in keyword.extension to find what they are looking for)?
What happens if a site on .shopping gets hacked, CC’s leaked, etc., does all of .shopping get a bad rep now ? Since they are smaller, independent operations, exclusive to particular countries and industries, it will be pretty easy to be stereotyped ….
Some registries will be successful because certain people will buy into them. RIGHT OF THE DOT as a consulting service I’m sure will be successful because tons of money, like you said, will be flowing into this with extensions being created. But I think overall it’s really an uphill battle. Fun for the entrepreneur who can afford to create an extension. But really, really, difficult for anyone else….
Just some food for thought.
@Pete
You raise some excellent points. I’m currently in Paris and dotFr has formidable presence here. However, I see more dotCom, especially with the larger companies.
DotEnglishWord will have little appeal here and the same will hold true for most non-English speaking countries.
Anyway, I look forward to the release of the new TLDs. I agree with MHB that the vast majority will tank, but it will also introduce millions of people to our industry.
Be careful what you wish for.
At this point, the only rational way to “release….new IPv* Address Space” without another major ICANN (ISOC) fiasco is via new DNS software, which is largely ready.
That new DNS software will make the vast majority of IPv* Address Space FREE.
The Address Space Leasing “industry” may cease to exist.
NRO, ARIN, ICANN, ISOC, RIPE, APNIC…funding will vanish
@TheBigLieSociety
You’re leaving out that little thing called branding and personal identity. Telephone numbers were introduced over 100 years ago. Since then, technological advancements have long made them obsolete. Regardless, there are billions still in use today.
“You’re leaving out that little thing called branding and personal identity”
==================
Agree 100% BUT Branding has not been the goal of the ICANN (ISOC) Clerics
The ICANN (ISOC) Clerics actually eschew all forms of Profit-Making that does not FIRST go into their pockets via their cozy societies
Their “Brands” are of course the first names protected: ICANN ARIN NRO RIPE APNIC ISOC IETF and the infamous IANA
@TheBigLieSociety
Agreed, but my point is that businesses worth trillions have now branded themselves. Watch what happens if anyone tries to screw with that.
“Agreed, but my point is that businesses worth trillions have now branded themselves. Watch what happens if anyone tries to screw with that.”
===============
Agree 100% That is partly why Google, Neustar (.CO) and others are all over the new Obama FCC ICANN replacement.
ICANN meetings are largely a charade. Social Savants spend hours droning on and on about irrelevant processes and policies.
In an ironic twist, Microsoft may become the company that helps level the playing field to help For.Profit companies protect themselves from the Self.Righteous Non.Profit ISOC Clerics (think TV Evangelists)
To me it seems obvious that this whole thing will be a big .FAIL.
In fact, I don’t see how anyone can think otherwise!
As a reminder to the newbies, .TRAVEl, .MUSEUM, .AERO, .JOBS, .BIZ, .PRO, .MOBI and .COOP were not introduced as random words, but as extensions which represented the areas identified by ICANN to be industries with the largest need for domain expansion. Millions were spent in the research and identification of these “in-demand” TLD’s. They assured us at the time that the need for these additional extensions was great, certain and unmistakable.
Well, we know how that story ended.
What makes anyone feel that a new gTLD will fare any better? I respectfully submit to you that it will be more of the same – except this time, a lot more money will be lost.
Yes, there is a need for more names and the 30 second video on http://www.OceanfrontDomains.com humorously illustrates this need, but the present expansion proposal will not fill the need. To the contrary, it is an IP nightmare and recipe for trademark disaster. Those who invest will lose all of their money. My friends, please don’t say you weren’t warned.
The only thing you should want to the right of your dot is a .COM.
@BigLie: I’d like to download the new DNS software you said is almost ready. Could you please post a link?
New DNS Software Links
Google for “Let Me Google That For You” LMGTFY
LMGTFY – Microsoft Peer Name Resolution Protocol
LMGTFY – IPv6
LMGTFY – BitCoin
LMGTFY – DWOLLA
New DNS Software Links
LMGTFY – DNSMASQ
@BigLie: Thanks, got everything installed. Now what?
New DNS Software Links
Google for “Let Me Google That For You” LMGTFY
LMGTFY – Microsoft Peer Name Resolution Protocol
LMGTFY – IPv6
LMGTFY – BitCoin
LMGTFY – DWOLLA
LMGTFY – DNSMASQ (and the New DNSMASQ not yet released)
LMGTFY – OpenDNS
LMGTFY – ://www.TK FREE
LMGTFY – LLLL.COM all 4-Letter Anchor Tenants
People have to wait for Microsoft and Uncle Sam to decide if .0 (zero) will be the Top Level Domain with the FREE domains – That is what seems to appear in the Patent Applications.
MARCH 31st Comments Due
The IANA RE-BID “Process” is becoming the Focal Point
://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-4240.htm
A Sub-One-Dollar .COM Registry is the next demand to place on Obama
If that does not happen soon, then June 8, 2011 will be IPv6-Only New DNS Day
@BigLie: What patent applications? Could you please post the app numbers? Thanks.
Interesting article. On a general note, the .COM extension will remain the market leader. The only extensions that will be successful are the ones that become Industry Standards. This is the approach by .music. Only verified Music Industry members can register via their respective accredited community. If you are educational insitution in the US, it is imperative you have .EDU. It is the only option if you want credibility. Which raises the question. Are new extensions about volumes and selling to domainers in auctions or is it about targeted trusted entities and quality?
Serve your real community and you will be a success. Problem is most new TLD applicants have not realistically done their homework, nor have adequately reached out to the groups that can create shared value. A TLD is a risky business especially with no strategy that differentiates you. Holding auctions and relying on speculative domainers is a strategy that all can emulate. Creating scarcity value beyond a vanity name is where the real opportunity is. Relying on the traditional approach of a TLD launch is a strategy with minimal differentiation or a difference that really matters. Usage rate will be critical. Only industry standards will have a chance.
80/20 rule will run supreme. Successes will be a few. I am excited about those.
Constantine Roussos
.MUSIC
@Constantine,
“Interesting article. On a general note, the .COM extension will remain the market leader. The only extensions that will be successful are the ones that become Industry Standards. This is the approach by .music. Only verified Music Industry members can register via their respective accredited community.”
Dude, .music will never happen. Right of the dot isn’t coming – hope you aren’t spending too much time and money on this never-to-be project.
Both Monte and yourself Michael make a great team! Both have given so much to the domain community!!!
@MHB
Great article, as always.
LMGTFY – Microsoft Peer Name Resolution Protocol
Peer-to-peer name resolution protocol (PNRP) security infrastructure and method
United States Patent 7299351
Inventors:
Huitema, Christian (Clyde Hill, WA, US)
Miller, John L. (Bellevue, WA, US)
Gavrilescu, Alexandru (Redmond, WA, US)
Application Number:
09/956260
Publication Date:
11/20/2007
Filing Date:
09/19/2001
6134658 Multi-server location-independent authentication certificate management system October, 2000 Multerer et al. 713/175
6128740 Computer security system and method with on demand publishing of certificate revocation lists October, 2000 Curry et al. 713/158
6097811 Tree-based certificate revocation system August, 2000 Micali 713/186
6088805 Systems, methods and computer program products for authenticating client requests with client certificate information July, 2000 Davis et al. 713/202
6085320 Client/server protocol for proving authenticity July, 2000 Kaliski, Jr. 713/168
6044350 Certificate meter with selectable indemnification provisions March, 2000 Weiant et al. 705/1
5987376 System and method for the distribution and synchronization of data and state information between clients in a distributed processing system November, 1999 Olson et al.
5982898 Certification process November, 1999 Hsu et al. 713/156
5922074 Method of and apparatus for providing secure distributed directory services and public key infrastructure July, 1999 Richard et al. 726/21
5901227 Method and apparatus for implementing partial and complete optional key escrow May, 1999 Perlman 713/157
5371794 Method and apparatus for privacy and authentication in wireless networks December, 1994 Diffie et al. 713/156
There are more recent applications relating to the .0 (Dot Zero) Top Level Domain
Needless to say DNSSEC is likely Finished like ICANN
://www.circleid.com/posts/20110315_dnssec_lets_stay_the_course/
“Last year this manifested itself as a prediction that DNSSEC would actually make the DNS system LESS stable than before. Now that sounds strange, doesn’t it?”
MARCH 31st Comments Due
The IANA RE-BID “Process” is becoming the Focal Point
://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-4240.htm
A Sub-One-Dollar .COM Registry is the next demand to place on Obama
If that does not happen soon, then June 8, 2011 will be IPv6-Only New DNS Day
@BigLie: Thanks. I went to microsoft.com and searched for their new DNS software but no results were returned. So it’s just another piece of vaporware, not surprising from Microsoft.
By the way, if you have 75,000 .COM domains and ICANN tells you they hired 10 more Staff at $500,000 each to dunce around with DNSSEC and that RAISES your per domain .COM cost from $10/year to $50/year you might be concerned.
75,000 times $40 more per year is $3,000,000 more per year
Do you have ANY Voice in the DNSSEC travesty ?
LMGTFY – Microsoft Peer Name Resolution Protocol
Peer-to-peer name resolution protocol (PNRP) security infrastructure and method
United States Patent 7299351
====
Also note, Microsoft uses Marketing Terms for OLD technology.
Example: ACTIVE DIRECTORY is [DNS+Kerberos+LDAP]
@BigLie: Thanks for asking. No, I don’t have any voice in the DNS travesty.
Btw, I still can’t find any info when Microsoft will be releasing their new DNS software. Can you post a link to the press release announcing it?
Thanks.
MARCH 31st Comments Due
The IANA RE-BID “Process” is becoming the Focal Point
://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-4240.htm
A Sub-One-Dollar .COM Registry is the next demand to place on Obama
Do you want to pay ICANN Directors (and their companies) to PROFIT from DNSSEC ?
Getting to the Bottom Line…
://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-4240.htm
Can you imagine what a Whitehouse-Appointed Executive on a GSA $189,000 per year salary must feel like dealing with an ICANN Clerk making $500,000 per year?
I thought the unfinished post was brilliant, the completed one is even better.
A billion dollars to come into the industry in the next two years, how many people even know of an opportunity like this in any stream?
Add to that the opportunity to be there when things do get going, with knowledge beforehand, if you miss this opportunity, you only have yourself to blame.
The only voice I’ve seen that properly understands how a TLD can be used is .music
It’s not about domaining, ladies and gentleman, it’s about platforms.
.music will be a success
.xxx will be a failure
I believe .music is the single biggest industry that will benefit and will be huge. Not for domainer but for music.
I for one would love for music to get its voice back.
The only voice I’ve seen that properly understands how a TLD can be used is .music
Under the current proposal their isn’t any way of guaranteeing any individual, company or group will be awarded any new gTLD. If any of the big music companies like Universal or Time Warner etc. want .music other applicants will need very very deep pockets.
gpmgroup
Doesn’t change my feeling that Constantine seems to be more aware, knowledgeable and prepared than most. He’s enough on the ball that just mention new TLDs and he’s there … of course, .music would be huge imho.
The only main concern is the control levied from the top. Not sure what happens if someone wants:
.♩
.♪
.♫
.♬
.♭
or even
.♮
Interesting to see.
Mike’s article spells out the basics and just some of the opportunities in what is being touted by many as the next expansion of the internet. With billions of NEW dollars coming into our industry….which is a VERY GOOD thing for all of us, there will be great opportunities. Having any of these new TLDs fail will NOT be good for our industry, even if you are relying on your .com names for income. The opportunity lies in many areas and having some experienced people help those with good ideas and good new strings with good business plans, will be of benefit for many reasons. For one, it will add credibility to our industry, it will also link communities in new ways. It invites new commerce channels, new ideas, new social and networking platforms, it will help open new markets, it will also provide opportunity to those not even on the internet yet – such as third world countries, Entrepreneurs, the young, the old, and the less fortunate. It will force professionalism, standardization, and structure to our industry as a whole.
One of our goals and focus will be to have professional credibility applied to a handful of these new strings/TLDs that have the potential to win. Winning may not be measured in dollars or even the number of new registrations. Winning may be laying the foundation and groundwork for reaching new markets or even bringing attention to our industry which may benefit us all.
This is certainly not about us running out of domains available on existing TLDs’ so we need new ones. There is not a business case or a supply and demand analysis that indicates we need more supply or new TLD’s. This is about opening up entirely new channels and opportunities for a bunch of people, organizations, Geo’s, etc already committed to play and PAY in our industry. As Mike states, we met MANY with millions of dollars, backing and some good ideas. Why not have a couple of experts ensure that they spend their money wisely and have a chance to succeed.
The next few months should provide us some indication on how and when this will happen…..if at all 😉
Monte
“As Mike states, we met MANY with millions of dollars, backing and some good ideas.”
============
The people you may not have seen are the I* insiders and Clerics who expect THEIR CUT (Under the table?) or they will lobby against your business plans.
Some of them will be headed to Puerto Rico for some needed R&R and CASINO action. They do not like to flaunt their “millions of dollars” from their numerous NON-Profit Shell Companies in front of the world.
Unfortunately, the Clerics have “gamed” the systems via .EDU .GOV .US and other obscure TLDs like .ARPA. It is NOT a level playing field.
This is all BS. There is no second coming, registrars and investors are imposing this belief so they can profit, you are the loser, there’s only speculation. The only winners here are the Registrars – get real people, don’t give your money away to these companies. They think they own you, you own them – don’t waste your life-earned money on these heartless thieves.
Are you all retarded? Why do you think they are enforcing this idea of ‘the-second-coming’? These registrars STEAL domains, you can’t compete with these people. Why fund their investments? YOU are the one that affects this market, .COM is here to stay and I am making it that way.
://NEW.NET
has .XXX
…not sure why it is not showcased here…
://www.idealab.com
…
Twitter.com/Bill_Gross
Most of them are sold already, have a look: http://brief.ly/3hb/
London is gone, Sex is gone… Surprising Love is left untouch. Not so much love in xxx 😉
You have to understand that .co is not a gTLD. It is classified as a ccTLD, regardless of the rumors you hear about how Google classifies them. At the end of the day .co stands for Colombia. If it didn’t, ICANN would not have allowed .co to operate.
“You have to understand that .co is not a gTLD. It is classified as a ccTLD”
=====
You may want to note that USA NTIA is taking comments for the IANA RE-BID.
The Jon Postel Cult DNS will not likely be appreciated by the 50 Senators including 2 from .COlorado
Those Senators will RE-Purpose .CO .CA .ME .MS .LA etc with the stroke of a .PEN not a .COOP
Same ole BS …
No body pays for Porn anymore, .XXX will ahv eso much Cant sell your .Mobi or .Co?
wait till you try and sell your failed .XXX
=
IF YOU FALL
“For it Again’
you have no one to blme but your gullible self
RIGHT OF THE DOT.com, My Take On The New gTLD’s
====
://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-4240.htm
The way to make a small fortune? Start with a big one. Seems very obvious that the people who invest in this new gTLD venture will all lose their money.
Anybody out there wanna buy some .MOBI domains?
People like .COM. They want .COM. They will continue to support .COM.
Those who invest in anything other than that are wasting their hard earned .MONEY!
I agree with the guy above. No, I’m not a .COMmunist, but I’m a realist.
.COM is where the action is now at and where it will continue to be. I agree that those who dive in headfirst into the new gTLD’s will get absolutely clobbered, including Monty and Mike.
Think I’m wrong? Well, I have a large portfolio of .TEL, .NET, .BIZ and .MOBI telling me otherwise. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!
This is how one phone call set the pace in 1998. http://brief.ly/3kq/ US government is no joke.
“The .Pro registry is profitable with over 100,000 registrations but most domainers do not own a .pro and wouldn’t even consider investing in one.”
Ok, I understand the basis for your comment as a .pro domainer, there are certainly fewer more concentrated investors in this space. However, consider the following in regard to .pro’s
1. The extension applies to a broad demographic of left of the dot keywords. It will be difficult to find many successful new extensions that will.
2. It is proven that .pro’s can rank in google and achieve top page results.
3. There is a growing list of aftermarket sales of 1K+ for premium .pro’s and many are still available to be hand registered.
4. .Pro is an established ‘profitable’ extension as you mentioned that offers a certain trust and reliability to consumers that it will be around for more years.
5. .Pro has already experienced a sell of of initial registrants and current registrants that just passed 100K mark are sitting tight in general.
6. .Pro has been steadily growing in its registrant base for the last 12 months.
7. .Pro presents a solid value compared with even the next close alternate extension. It can be bought for less at this point.
8. Adding .pro to a keyword works toward enhancing a brand.
9. .Pro is heavily invested in internationally as .pro is also professional in a multitude of other languages. Russia, France and Spain they are popular.
10. Registry prices are now 9.99 and competitive with any other available domain.
Overall, I’m not surprised by your comments in regard to .pros as its a fact that many domainers will shy away from the extension. Also, part of me hopes that the registry would hire .right of the dot company to work towards more commercial branding and marketing.
Ok, no doubt the registry would benefit huge from a company like right of the dot to guide them in a marketing plan. Currently to date there has been no significant marketing or brand approach with the extension and it is still doing well.
Please send .pro registry a letter to employ your services as I think with a little marketing heat it could ignite a fire.
I wish you well, but won’t congratulate Right of the Dot on your partnership with Verisign. I have commented on theDomains and other major blogs that Verisign is crooked. Verisign is to be congratulated because of partnering with you, with Right of the Dot with Mike Berkens at its helm, because the advantage is all Verisign’s. Verisign will exploit Mike Berkens’/MostWantedDomains/RightoftheDot reputation you have spent a lifetime building to the limit! I am glad you seem sophisticated and have legal representation to figure out a way out if you discover disadvantages.
Here are a couple links so this comment won’t be published.
Sincerely, Louise
Verisign’s Application for Bulk Transfer After Partial Portfolio Acquisition
http://www.icann.org/en/registries/rsep/verisign-btappa-request-29jul09-en.pdf
Comments Unanimous Against
http://forum.icann.org/lists/vrsn-btappa-amendment
Louise
I think if you do some research you will find that posting comments on blogs that a public company is “crooked” can get you into a lot of trouble unless you can prove that your statement is correct.
Now the 2 site you posted to one deals with the bulk transfer of a domain from a registrars to another registrars in case one is sold to the other, rather than making the selling registrar.
The second link is to a post on the proposal.
As for Right of the Dot, we are quite happy to be in “partnership” with VeriSign and look forward to working with them on many new TLD’s