Community new gTLD applications: wrong choice

This article was first published on CircleId.

Community new gTLD applications were one of the three options offered by version 1 one of ICANN new gTLD applicant guidebook. It was also possible submit a "generic" or a "geographic application". I dug on the ICANN website and found out that, in the end - and according to me only - it was a bed choice to submit such application.

The figures

• The ICANN website lists 84 applications submitted to the ICANN;
• 52 were delegated;
• 20 were withdrawn;
• 10 have/had objection(s);
• 9 receive a warning from a government (at least);
• 5 had a string contention;
• 4 are still "on hold" (.MUSIC - .KIDS - .MERCH - .HOTEL);
• 3 were not approved;
• none received an applicant support from the ICANN;
• the .BUGATTI new gTLD is a community application (...), not a .BRAND
• Many trademarks submitted community applications;
• some city names and territories are listed as community applications (.PARIS - .WIEN - .BZH ...);
• ICANN sometimes forgets to update its datas so some of the 84 applications mentioned could have changed.

"Volumes", "usage" or both?
I went through the 52 delegated applications to investigate which ones have lots of domain name registrations and which ones don't. Volumes of domain name creations are important because they are a good indicator if the new gTLD is a successful project or not. Now: are volumes an indicator of usage: it is up to you to decide and don't care what you think ;-) This is what I found:

• The .OVH new gTLD has 62,000+ domain name registrations;
• The .BERLIN new gTLD has 54,800+
• The .PARIS new gTLD has 20,900+
• The .SWISS new gTLD has 17,900+
• The .WIEN new gTLD has 15,400+
• The .HAMBURG new gTLD has 23,400+
• The .SCOT new gTLD has 11,500+

All other new gTLDs unlisted here have less than 10,000 registrations. This is surprising because we have very generic terms such as .ARCHI (for architecture), the .SKI and .NGO new gTLDs. The .ECO domain name extension has 3,8400+ domain names created.

Conclusion
We can easily see that none of these applications has passed the 100,000 registrations. If I perfectly understand that prices are not the same to register a domain name and "usage" matters; well, I also know how much it cost to maintain a registry and I would not want to operate a registry that has less than 10,000 registrations. In all of these cases, and no matter if a multiple registry lowers its cost operating multiple extensions, I am not sure that it is worth it to submit "another" community application in the next round of the ICANN new gTLD program...just because it limits domain name registrations to that specific community and also...because figures demonstrate that on a list of 52 TLDs, 7 only have more than 10,000 domain names on the market. Note that this does not even mean that they are used with a real website. We also know that restricting registrations to a so called community is just a line on the paper, anybody can pay to register a .SKI domain name (for example), it is absolutely not "restricted" in reality.

So: worth it for the next round? No...but that's just according to me.

New gTLDs "Today": a new communication channel

I recently noticed that 150 members are following the new gTLD info on the Google+ community that I created a few years ago. Basically, I post the exact same info as on the LinkedIn new gTLD group.

A different channel
I am reopening this communication channel because it is simple, efficient and some still use it. It is also quite fast for me to post an info there: it requires a link and a title (I often add a picture).

You should click here to be invited and note that it requires to join to be able to post. As usual, I try my best to moderate publications and do reject everything that has nothing to do with the subject of new gTLDs. And again: selling domain names there is not accepted, there are many other places to do that.

Which information channel?
Many exist but I created five of them:

1. A newsletter where I send 100% of the news found on Internet and related to new gTLDs (new gTLD domaining excluded);
2. A Blog: the gTLD Club (my blog);
3. My Twitter account;
4. The LinkedIn group about new gTLDs (2,700 subscribers);
5. The Google+ Community (100% of the news published in the Newsletter).

New gTLDs "today"

When desperately lost searching for the latest news about new gTLDs, I suggest to try this reminder:

gtld.today

Sponsors welcome

We have become quite efficient when it comes to ensuring that an information "about new gTLDs" is seen: we talk to/about new gTLD service providers but they are certainly not the majority to read what we write. Potential and existing applicants also read us. For example, this publication generated quite some buzz recently, this one too. We look for one single sponsor in each of the categories below:

• A Backend registry provider;
• A Registrar solution provider;
• A Corporate or Retail Registrar;
• An escrow service provider;
• Trademarks are also welcome to sponsor us;
• New gTLD and legacy Registries are also welcome.

Please contact us if you are interested.

New gTLD Community Priority Evaluation : where are we?

Please click to enlarge

Some applicants applied twice for the same TLD

I had noticed an applicant applied twice for the same domain name extension (new gTLD). Participating in this discussion, I learn there are more.

Why would someone apply twice for the same Top-Level Domain? When the cost of submitting an application is USD 185 000, it cannot be a mistake.

Two applications were submitted for:

• .MLS
• .SHOP
• .MERCK

I did not check for more (it is possible there are more) but it appears these 3 were submitted as Standard and Community applications. I believe the reason for this is to ensure the application would be won by the applicant.

Could there be another strategy behind?

New gTLDs Community is launched

Many of you already know about the "New generic Top-Level Domains" group on LinkedIn. I often received very good feed-backs about it and most of its members like to receive daily news i their emails about what is happening in the new gTLD world.

A few days ago, Google offered a new tool to create "Communities". I find Google is very efficient: when it launches a tool, it improves it with time.

I will be posting on this new community I just created. Guess how I named it: The new generic Top-Level Domains community.

Feel free to join.

Les nouvelles extensions Internet « Communautaires »

Le .PHYSIO, annoncé ce jeudi 7 juin 2012, souhaite représenter la communauté de la physiothérapie en proposant des noms de domaine qui se termineront en .physio (par exemple: www.internet.physio).

Un projet intéressant qui caractérise bien les nouvelles extensions Internet de type « Communautaires » à voir le jour à partir de 2013...

Lire la suite sur Le Journal Du Net