".com" domainers hate new gTLDs ;-)

I read a lot of "bla, bla" about new gTLDs and found this post on Facebook from @stahura (founder of Donuts). I admit that I don't read long posts but I see good examples of new domain names in this one. I went down the post to read some comments.

Something made me smile reading the comments. You've probably read - at least once - a domainer criticizing new gTLDs "because they will never work", "because .com domains are better", "because they are confusing"... I noticed that these comments often come from domainers and the only reason I see in these critics is that new gTLDs decrease the value of .com domain names (but this is just a personal opinion). The reason why I smile reading the comment from one of these domainers is the examples given why new gTLDs will fail:

"how many of these are scams? how many will be in business in a few years? how many are too confusing for customers? how many actually are adding value to the corresponding .com domain? what percentage of the live domains registered does this represent?"

All of the examples used concern more ".com" domain names rather than new domains:

1. "how many of these are scams?": due to the important volume of ".com" domain names registered, there are certainly much but much more ".com" scams than with new domain names.
2. "how many will be in business in a few years?": how many businesses using a ".com" fail everyday? Less than with new gTLDs? I seriously doubt it.
3. "how many are too confusing for customers?" : confusing because they are more descriptive? That cannot be true: new domain names offer something that ".com" will never be able to offer: precision.
4. "how many actually are adding value to the corresponding .com domain?". Here we are. Why would a new domain name have to add value to a ".com"? Because this would increase its price value? I bought a new domain name and now redirect the ".com" to it. New gTLDs are not just about domaining (selling domain names), some very serious companies use them for business.
5. "what percentage of the live domains registered does this represent?" (I didn't catch that one).

New domain name registration volumes:

• New gTLDs with a French sounding;
  (a certain number of TLDs were just removed from this list)
• New gTLDs related to CITIES;
  (does not often happen: see the .LONDON new gTLD)
• New gTLDs related to CATERING;
• New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY.
  (domains ending in ".cam" are launching)

Tonight's Newsletter:
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In last Thursday's Newsletter:

1. Majority of new gTLDs still aren’t generating enough revenue;
2. HOT - Could ICANN reject Verisign’s $135m .web bid?
3. The micro story about .手机 (mobile phone) in China;
4. FRENCH - Le .CLUB : les chiffres sont là;
5. HOT - .BRANDs and SEO;
6. Rightside® Opens .GAMES Domain for Gamers;
7. New TLD? Make Sure It's Secure;
8. COOL - Serious new gTLD communication;
9. The .cancerresearch TLD: Search for Cure Drives Digital Innovation;
10. .Kiwi turns to new CIRA platform for registry services;
11. People are forgetting .com exists — ICANN survey;
12. New consultancy firm focusing on gTLD registry needs;
13. .Games and .Shopping hit registrars this week;
14. Minds + Machines Group Earns corporate Rating from N+1 Singer (MMX);
15. .NYC to auction top domains on NameJet;
16. How to get into the Trademark Clearinghouse club;
17. Just delegated: the .FIDO & .ROGERS new gTLDs;
18. What’s Propelling Minds + Machines Group Ltd to Increase So Much?
19. SURPRISE COMING - Blizzard Doing Away With Battle.net Name.

Previous Campaigns can be viewed here.

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements

Are Domainers Concerned by New gTLDs?

I would be tempted to say that it is an obvious strategy for a domainer to criticize new gTLDs (in order to protect their existing investment), but if one of the most successful domainers of all time doesn’t talk about them in a negative fashion, you’d better listen. When you are confident that you can acquire a good domain name in such a vast and expanding market, why would you talk about it? Why on earth would you let anybody know about your plans?

Read more on : http://www.business2community.com/digital-marketing/domainers-concerned-new-gtlds-0736341

Domainers to provide examples why new gTLDs will be a success (or a failure)

Read best comments on Domaining.PRO

Interview of Frank Shilling (Uniregistry.com)

Check for more the list of applications on Uniregistry.com. Want to work abroad, check here then?

The Aggregated Registration Data Service (next Whois platform) is for sale

The debate starts to be around the next Whois, the Aggregated Registration Data Service, also known as ARDS. Basically, the ARDS is the name of a new central platform which should replace the actual Whois system with more security: Registrars and Registries would update this platform with information about their Registrants.
Many articles have been published already so I will let you read them to understand what the next Whois will be:

• http://lnkd.in/GMi6Ky;
• http://lnkd.in/qghZc3;
• http://www.numerama.com/magazine/26368-le-whois-des-noms-de-domaine-pourrait-disparaitre.html (in French).

For sale

When a 4 letters name is announced ("ards"), I like to search for its .COM* domain name and guess what: "ards.com" is for sale. Once you have submitted an offer (mine was $100), you are informed about a start price which is, most of the time, much higher than the offer submitted. That was expected.

But today, I received another email from the platform selling this domain name:

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Hello Jean, Thank you for your interest in ards.com. The seller has advised us he is seeking $50,000.00 USD for this domain name. If this is within your budget and you would like to proceed with the purchase of this domain name I'm happy to set up a transaction for you via Escrow.com. If not I'd be happy to help you find another name or weigh the merits of a counter offer. I hope to hear from you soon. XXX (name changed) Review & Respond Online

Sent using the DomainNameSales.com platform. A Trusted Marketplace for Premium Domains

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

It is possible the service provider to be selected by ICANN to manage the ARDS want to use that name. I seriously doubt anybody will pay that price but, who knows, maybe ICANN will (unless it is decided to use ards.icann, which I would love for less confusion, but since the service provider should be external to ICANN, I doubt it).

Remember when the Trademark Clearinghouse launched, a 2 words domain name (also difficult to protect), was chosen for this database: trademark-clearinghouse.com (not trademarkclearinghouse.com). Reading this name, I like it better than tmch.com (which must probably be for sale too by the way). I understand it better.

So, will the new service provider want to use aggregatedregistrationdataservice.com or aggregated-registration-data-service.com ? I personally find these names - still available for registration** - far too long. 

Let's see what happens with ards.com.

* I had done the same for rrdrp.com and pddrp.com

** I guess this is changing soon (today is 27 June 2013)

What is Domaining.pro ?

I was contacted by domainers recently about domaining.pro.

I don't have a clue about what I should do with this domain name.

Domainers' ideas are welcome. Scripts too.

Thank you.