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About the Number Resource Organisation
The ICANN isn’t the only global entity to care about the IP address pool available for allocation anymore.
For the last few years, a growing initiative driven by powerful domain stakeholders is talking about a credible alternative for managing the bustling IP network future.
Back on October 24th, 2003, the four Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) – APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC and RIPE NCC – entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form the Number Resource Organization (NRO). The purpose of the NRO is to undertake joint activities of the RIRs, including joint technical projects, liaison activities and policy co-ordination.
The main aims of the NRO are to:
- protect the unallocated Number Resource pool
- to promote and protect the bottom-up policy development process
- to act as a focal point for Internet community input into the RIR system
On October 31, 2003, the RIRs delivered to ICANN an Open Letter advising of the formation of the NRO. This letter included a copy of the NRO MoU, and a proposed MoU for the formation of a new ICANN Address Supporting Organization (ASO), as required under the reformed ICANN structure. Under the latter document, the ASO would be formed by agreement of the NRO and ICANN.
The most prominent activity of the four Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) is the provision of global Internet resources and related services (IPv4, IPv6 and AS Number resources) and the management of reverse domain space.
It’s important to watch how this entity evolves in the coming months as ICANN’s current Memorandum of Understanding with the United States expires in September, 2006.
After that crucial date, everything the ICANN currently manages, including the IP allocation, is basically up for grabs if they can’t hold their act together.
CIRA’s TBR domain name registrations
If you’re based in Canada or have a company operating there, you already know the powerful statement a .ca makes for your web site.
Since 642,483 “Canadian” domain names are currently registered (as of today), it’s clear the aftermarket for dropped (or released) domains is significant. The TBR list, historically published daily by the CIRA was intrumental in foreseeing which names were going to become available. Hundreds of active domain traders have relied on the TBR to find valuable names… and getting them has usually been quite an ordeal since competition was so fierce.
Now things are changing at the CIRA has decided there would be new rules for Canadian domainers. It’s still unclear why the change happened by, in their own words, here’s what’s happening:
The “To Be Released” (TBR) domain name registration system has been unavailable since January 24, 2006. TBR domain name registrations will resume on March 15, 2006. Once TBR domain name registration sessions resume, they will be held once a week.
CIRA will resume publishing the list of TBR domain names for upcoming TBR registration sessions, on the CIRA public site, at no later than 14:00 (EST) on March 13, 2006. CIRA will publish the list here.
When the list becomes available, anyone who is interested in attempting to register a TBR domain name on the list should contact a CIRA Certified Registrar as soon as possible.
Part of the success for the .ca has been based on the open access everyone has to the precious TBR list. Domainers and the general public alike could follow the releases and hunt for domain gold.
The new TBR system should remain popular, even though the daily format has perviously been a major draw.
Google Page Creator is now in Beta
The famous Mountain View, CA search engine leader, Google, now offers an easy-to-use online web page creator and 100 MB of free storage space.
In Google’s own words:
Google Page Creator is a free online tool that makes it easy for anyone to create and publish useful, attractive web pages in just minutes.
Users have reported Google supports both Internet Explorer and Firefox as the browsers of choice for the service. If someone happens to use another browser, a funny message is presented:
Our programming wizards tried their darndest to get Google Page Creator to work with as many browsers as possible. But alas, even the most expert practitioners of web sorcery must sleep now and again, lest their JavaScript magic run dry.
Web sites created with the service are available through an address similar to http://username.googlepages.com and nobody knows yet if they’ll rank higher in the Google Search Engine for simply being hosted with Google Page Creator.
Images may be quickly uploaded via the “Uploaded stuff” option on the right side of the page. Once images have been uploaded, the user can select a page in the “Manager” to edit it directly.
Keep in mind this service is still in Beta and must be dealt with accordingly. Some users have reported small (minor) glitches but overall Google Page Creator provides a straightforward way for a user to create a web site that can be managed from any computer.
The coolness factor for this service is quite high but…
Before you rush to open up your account, you should know Google can’t handle the current flow of users who want in. This notice we got when trying to register resumes the situation:
Thank you for your interest in Google Page Creator! Google Page Creator has experienced extremely strong demand, and, as a result, we have temporarily limited the number of new signups as we increase capacity. In the meantime, please submit your email address and we will notify you as soon as we are ready to add new accounts. Thank you for your patience.
Perhaps the service will be available again soon but for the meantime, it’s most probably being tried by a large number of lucky users.
Starting your domain name portfolio today
More and more people are waking up to the domain channel as a profitable investment growth alternative.
Although most people understand the “domain name ownership” steps, many are still only watching the game, from the sidelines. Here’s how the process goes:
- Search for available names that hold value;
- Register those with the most value;
- Use them for PPC landing pages or develop them;
- Manage them over the years to profit from growth opportunities.
People who aren’t already active in the domain name community may ask if now is too late to start building up a portfolio. The answer is no, it’s NOT too late!
There are endless niches where specific knowledge held by experts will help find the most profitable domain names. Being creative with new domain extensions or country suffixes can yield significant profits.
Think about the scientists who bought everything related to “nanotechnology”, “photonics” and “nutraceuticals” before the words were broadcasted in the mainstream media. Future value is everywhere, if you care to look.
Experts agree the domain name business will continue enjoying a healthy growth for many years, especially for owners who develop fully blown web destinations associated with relevant domain names since that’s seen as the next big thing (as opposed to just putting PPC links on a landing page).
Successful strategies nowadays may not be the same as in the mid-90s when the web was starting out but it’s clear there’s a wealth of uncovered opportunities to be profited from. Keep in mind the innovation race going on in most markets and you’ll see where you can grab valuable patches of cyberspace.
If you’re not already a domain name portfolio owner, stop looking at the game from the sidelines and buy yourself a few names… and then some!
The value of good domain names
Small and not so small companies alike can benefit from a good domain name for many reasons.
Here are the most important three:
- A good domain can be easily passed on by word-of-mouth, which is important if a company does not have a big -ongoing- budget to promote its site and online activities;
- A good domain name is easy to promote on television, in radio commercials and in print advertising. In offline media such as these, it’s important for the name to be memorable. Why? Because the web site isn’t immediately clickable.
- A good domain name may give the site a greater chance at being found in some search engines, which is still the way many internet users find out about new sites. It’s always tricky to predict if and in what order a site will be categorized in the major search engines but having a good domain name that describes what the site does is an excellent start.
Develop great web destinations associated with your “good domain names” and you’re probably heading for a lasting success.
Selling your domain names for cash
If a total stranger writes you an e-mail message asking you how much you’d be willing to sell your domain for, what would you do?
Assuming the name sought by this stranger has value, you may want to evaluate the situation before you answer back.
It’s very likely the individual sending you the e-mail is a go-between which means you’re unable to know for sure who the “real” buyer is. Domain name go-betweens range from internet consultants to technology lawyers. They’re usually with a clear mandate to get your precious name for next to nothing and of course, as fast as possible.
These go-betweens may try the following in order to make you agree to sell your precious domain name… way below market value:
- They won’t offer you a specific price. They figure you’ll eventually settle for the amount of money you “need” and not the (usually much higher) price the name is worth;
- Whatever price you suggest, they’ll immediately answer it’s too high… or sometimes, they won’t answer at all;
- They’ll usually imply your domain name has little value. This is a basic manipulation strategy to psych you into lowering your expectations;
- They’ll make sure their identity can’t be fully traced. As such, any “prospective buyer” you can’t trace should be considered suspect and treated accordingly;
- They’ll eventually try to convince you to provide stats for the name. In most cases, the only goal is to use the numbers against you in the negotiation process (or gain free market intelligence);
- They’ll protect the identity of the “real” buyer at all costs. Common sense prevents them from telling you they have deeper pockets than yours.
As you can see, there’s nothing good for you in store when one of these go-betweens pops up in your inbox. If it’s an amateur trying to test your domain name management acumen, delete the message without answering. You deserve to discuss with serious people, only.
So who are these nice people who will negotiate in good faith?
- They -very clearly- tell you who they are and make sure you understand the importance of the talks before they start;
- They offer you a price upfront, it’s usually close to being on the money. You know these people did their homework;
- They’ll usually explain exactly what the domain name will be used for and why it’s important to them. They don’t want to get sued afterwards for holding back significant information;
- If you’re serious, consistent and straightforward, they prefer not to go through an escrow service and they’ll transfer the money directly to your bank account. It’s faster and there’s more money for you;
- If they feel it’s relevant, they’ll sometimes insist that you take a few days to think about your willingness to sell so when the time comes, you’ll be ready to depart from your precious name.
Whatever you choose to do with your domain name, make sure to insist on getting cash money (direct deposit or otherwise) for your transfer. Do not accept stocks of a company unless it’s very reputable! Credit card payments, even through PayPal can cause problems even after you received the funds so be careful.
Escrow services are usually intended for name changing hands for amounts ranging roughly from 250$ to 25k$. Under that, it’s better to use PayPal and over that, it’s the almost always through direct money transfer to your bank account.
Over and above all that’s been advised here, never undersell a domain name! Even if it hasn’t fully realized it’s potential, you name could be worth more than you think.
Major companies like General Electric, Procter and Gamble, Kraft and Johnson & Johnson all have domain name acquisition strategies. Make sure you ask the right amount before you let your gems go for a few k$.
Back when the web was just emerging, c|net snapped up huge names for very low prices, such as:
- SEARCH.COM for $7,000
- DOWNLOAD.COM for $20,000
- TV.COM for $15,000
In today’s market, these names are worth a fortune, litterally.
In tomorrows market, keep in mind your domain names are likely to gain in value. If you asked the previous owner of tv.com if he’d sell his name -today- for 15k$, he’d be very amused! I heard at the time, he was happy with the price, though… oh well.
Protect your best names and market them intelligently. Only when you lack inspiration should you consider money for good domains. At that point, don’t sell yourself short.
Hot spots on the rise
Apart from your upstair neighbor’s unsecured network, the general public’s access to hot spots is blooming all over the planet.
Is this a case for new domain suffixes? Is this kind of growth sufficient to show up on the ICANN’s radar screen? Perhaps it’s too soon for new suffixes but nevertheless, the Wi-Fi boom is real.
In fact, the number of worldwide Wi-Fi hot spots has passed the 100k mark, according to the latest numbers emanating from JiWire. The firm specializes in hot spot tracking.
Taking a look at the “Top 10″ page is pretty instructive.
Countrywise, the US tops the list with a whopping 37k hot spots, followed by the UK, South Korea, Germany and Japan in the top tier. In the lower tier, France, Italy, the Netherlans, Taiwan and Canada at 1.4k hotspots close the Top 10.
As far as cities are concerned, the Seoul metropolitan area is first with over 2k hot spots, followed closely by Tokyo and London while Paris, San Francisco, Daegu, New York, Singapore, Busan and Hong Kong at 605 hot spots end the Top 10 cities listing.
Interesting data also comes from the location type Top 10 where it’s obvious to see hotels and resorts, at over 26k hot spots are the prime internet connectivity destination. Next comes restaurants at 20k, followed respectively by cafes, stores & shopping malls, pubs, “others”, office buildings, gaz stations, airports and libraries at just over 1k hot spots.
These numbers are updated daily so it’s nice to see where the growth is coming from.
The overwhelming majority of these hot spots, over 92k of them, require a fee while just over 8k are free. JiWire defines a hot spot as a physical address where people can connect to a public wireless network. Again, your own unsecured 802.11g wireless router won’t count!
To know more about Wi-Fi, the Wi-Fi Alliance has some excellent documentation.
Are these growing numbers a justification for .wifi or .hotspot domain name suffixes that should be presented to the ICANN? I’d love to see something in the tune of http://soho.newyork.wifi/ if such a thing were possible.
Landing your visitors on lucrative pages
More domainers across the world are choosing to direct their visitors to pay-per-click landing pages, when natural domain name type-ins occur.
This strategy has proved to be a lucrative alternative for countless domain name owners and managers so could this also be good for you?
To make money with landing pages filled with PPC ads, you need the right partner. In most cases, DomainSponsor will deliver amazing monthly revenues for domains you don’t use and probably don’t suspect could convert such ongoing riches.
The monthly checks are always on time with DomainSponsor but they can also deposit your monthly revenue share in your PayPal account. The company is solid and very respectful of their partners (the domain name owners).
You need to be serious to get anywhere in this business. Your names need to pull a few visitors each day if you intend to see any revenue at all. This being said, some PPC ads pay you a few dollars per click so you might make good money with little known domains, as long as they’re targeted for those money making themes (casinos, mortgages, web hosting and so on).
If you haven’t already opened your account, now is the time to do it!
It’s 100% free and it can bring you a very serious monthly revenue stream from those domains in your portfolio which you don’t currently use.
About the New.net domain names alternative
Let’s start by saying the New.net domain name registry doesn’t work like the normal gTLDs or ccTLDs because the suffixes they offer aren’t officially recognized by the ICANN.
This post doesn’t intend to be overly critical but frankly, that’s a big deal.
Why?
In part because of this “little detail”, taken directly from the New.net’s web site’s FAQ:
Q: Are there differences between how New.net domain names and .COM/.NET/.ORG domain names work?
A: There are some differences, but in many ways the domain names work the same. One difference is that in order for people to use New.net domain names, they must either access the Internet through one of our many ISP partners or download and install our plug-in.
If either one of these requirements is met, then New.net domains will work just as you are used to .com and .net domains working.
People must download a plugin before they can view your web site? Ouch!
I hope you’re very patient because unless you’re offering something of very rare, most people won’t download anything on their already very sollicited computer system to view your web site.
Furthermore, what happens if the visitor’s computer can’t open up the downloadable .exe file? Mac, Unix and Linux platforms all seem excluded… unless those computers get their web access from a network partner.
The FAQ holds at least another gem and here it goes:
Q: What will happen if ICANN releases a domain name extension that is identical to a New.net domain name?
A: We are working very hard to achieve universal resolvability of New.net domain names through a combination of ISP relationships and plug-in downloads. At the same time, we are reaching out to ICANN and its supporters to get them to understand the viability of our names and our approach and to get ICANN to add our names to the “root” servers that they operate.
Should ICANN decide to introduce a domain name extension in conflict with one of our extensions and assign it to another registry, they will in fact introduce a “collision” in the name space, something they have professed wanting to avoid.
If that were to happen, individual consumers and ISPs would have to choose between the ICANN version and the New.net version of the name.
It is our intention to demonstrate a massive market acceptance of our names that will prevent such collisions from being introduced.
In other words, if the ICANN decides it wants to market a suffix New.net already offers, they’ll probably find it’s unfortunate but they’ll surely go ahead with their plan nevertheless. Don’t count on the world’s largest network providers to choose New.net if that means getting frisky with the almighty ICANN.
Still, it’s unlikely the ICANN would move ahead with similar domain suffixes because they’re not known for being troublemakers.
Perhaps the last point you’ll want to know, from their FAQ, is this one:
Q: How much does it cost to register a domain name?
A: Registering a domain at New.net is $35 for the first year for each domain.
You read that right: 35$ to get your .agent, .chat or .love compared to under 10$ for a powerful .com that 100% of your visitors can access. The .com comes out victorious in all cases except when a New.net suffix is an absolute must. Fortuntely, some of their partners appear to have more realistic prices.
On the positive side, New.net appear to be interested in helping their customers get identities which more closely match their industry or interests. For that alone, they should get a good note for the effort.
Is it a good thing to have competition to ICANN’s sometimes decried monopoly on domain name attribution? Perhaps it is but the New.net position on the matter appears confrontational and the spirit of the internet doesn’t like that kind of negative kung fu. It’s unclear how they’ll react when faced with ICANN challenges.
To the average Joe surfing the web, stability and availability are king.
The ICANN is the cornerstone of that stability so New.net should probably get on with the “regular” program and market their domain suffixes to the ICANN through the usual channels. If they’re as lucky as the people at .jobs, .travel and .eu, they might get some of their names made globally available… and officially recognized.
Let’s hope New.net continues to innovate in such a way that they can peacefully coexist with the ICANN so to expand their offerings without any risk of disruption for those who trust their registration services.
Seeing how far they’ve come with their project of alternative domain names, New.net, amid the many challenges they may face, might just be able to evolve their business to an even higher level. Best of luck in doing so.
Abundant domain names choices VS value
In mathematical terms, the number of available domain names is simply amazing.
Consider the billions of letter, number and hyphen combinations before the dot followed by any of the hundreds of domain suffixes.
You get the picture.
Domain names are all naturally and equally unique. So why do some of them end up abandoned by their previous owners while others spearhead e-marketing initiatives for multibillion transnational corporations? Even more so, why do so many domains now change hands for prices ranging in the 5 to 7 digits?
This is where the concept of domain name value must be carefully evaluated.
It’s not just about the value of the domain name, in and of itself alone, but the value of what it stands for.
Here’s how to do it (rough guide to a better “value” picture):
- Make a list of what your domain name are related to;
- Add metrics to those “related themes” by using free or paid tools, like Google’s search hits or Alexa’s ranking;
- Follow the evolution of those metrics over time.
This way, whichever domain name in your portfolio goes up, the more you tend to keep it.
Most domain name owners do this on their gut feeling for a given name but it can be useful to a have hard look at the metrics, once in a while, since it adds perspective.
Over and above this very “straight line approach” to assessing the value of a given domain name, remember you can always create value from scratch by associating that domain to valuable offerings. The online world has a way of rewarding the “destinations” that offer valuable content, whatever it may be. Perhaps that’s part of “the magic of the internet”!
Buying new domains on the basis of their “natural” appeal remains a good way of choosing them out. Adding metrics is usually quite informative but in the case of bleeding edge technologies, it can be lead to largely irrelevant information because in this case, the best for that “theme” is yet to come. Add common sense to the process and you’re fully covered.
If you can’t figure out a good name in the gTLDs, try the ccTLDs in the countries where you do business. Think of .co.uk, .de, .be and so on. Those names can become popular destinations for local customers.
Remember to pick names that hold value partly on the merit of the themes they refer to and you’ll inevitably add muscle to your domain name portfolio.
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