Saturday, November 27, 2010

Launching a Top Level Domain is a complex task.

"W" is a voiced labial-velar approximant symbol : an optional IDN specific requirement would an applicant choose to provide his applied-for generic Top-Level Domain string notated according to the International Phonetic Alphabet (http://www.langsci.ucl.ac.uk/ipa/IPA_chart_(C)2005.pdf).

Complex you said ?

Note you'd also better read english because all versions of the applicant guidebook, almost all communications and public comments are, and have been, published in english and until you are provided a version in your language, you will have to go through the understanding of this complex program in english.

"Je sais, c'est en français que je devrais écrire."

The more I read the "proposed final new gTLD applicant guidebook", the more I think it is...

I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E

...to try the adventure of launching a community, a brand or any other TLD project on someone's own. Not only it requires a budget but another requirement is to understand the methodology to apply.

Filling in the ICANN's form alone would probably drive an application to be rejected.

And this is where I like to say : "chacun son métier". My knowledge is to decrypt the ICANN's applicant guidebook and explain interested parties the benefit they can have of developing their own domain name extension.

Having the budget is one thing but :
  • writing the rules of a project ;
  • filling in the ICANN form to apply ;
  • reporting to ICANN ;
  • connecting to partners ;
  • contracting with partners ;
  • collecting letters of endorsement ;
  • pricing domain names ;
  • building a technical platform ;
  • providing full description of a registry service provider (IDNs, EPP, DNSSEC, Escrow...) ;
  • imagining THE business model in a strong business plan ;
  • demonstrate you have enough funds ;
  • scoring and passing all tests...
...requires the specific knowledge of a team of experts.

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