Monthly Archives: September 2006

Fri 29th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
OpenDomain.org - OpenDomain.org says it provides free use of domains, but the devil is in the details. I saw a press release today for an organization called OpenDomain.org. The press release talks about how it provides free use of domain names to organizations. While most organizations are those that provide open source software, the OpenDomain site says you can use the domains for multiple purposes AND keep any profit. The idea of profiting from use of these “open” domains ... read more ...
Thu 28th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Ocean Tomo auction to embody domain names - Ocean Tomo, one of the world’s premier intellectual property (IP) firms, will feature domain names in its upcoming live IP auction. Ocean Tomo is famous for its live IP auctions, and this fall’s event in October will include several domain names and associated trademarks. The auction will take place in NYC on October 25-26. Here are some of the auction items: Lot 51: InternetCoach.com and Internet Coach trademark Lot 52: PaperlessApp.com, being sold by IBM Lot ... read more ...
Wed 27th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
GoDaddy goes to Washington - Domain registrar GoDaddy now has a full-time presence in Washington, D.C. GoDaddy showed up in the news last week when it testified in congress about ICANN in general and the VeriSign agreement. GoDaddy also recently testified to The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about protecting children online. Buried in a press release about the latest appearance of GoDaddy was news that GoDaddy now has a “full-time presence” in Washington. I assume this means ... read more ...
Tue 26th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Sedo Buyer Certification - Sedo introduces buyer certification to cut down on deadbeat buyers. Sedo recently created a buyer certification program to make sure bidders follow through with their purchase offers. I received the following email today: Dear Andrew: In the continued effort to maintain a successful and secure marketplace, Sedo recently initiated a Buyer Certification program. Your account has automatically been updated to certified buyer status since you have engaged in successful ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Why .mobi creates sense - The new .mobi domain extension will add value to the web. .mobi was officially opened to the public for registration today. Not everyone thinks this new TLD adds value to the web. Vmunet has an article titled “‘Pointless’ .mobi landrush launched”. The article quotes Rachel Lashford, senior analyst and research manager at Canalys saying “Having another top level domain is a completely pointless exercise.” Most of the time new TLDs are a pointless exercise. ... read more ...
Mon 25th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Afternic bulk upload tutorial - Here’s a quick guide to uploading all of your domains to Afternic. About a year ago I wrote about uploading your domains in bulk to Sedo and Afternic. Over the weekend I uploaded another 400 or so domains to Afternic and I documented the process. The results is a a quick tutorial on how to use Afternic’s upload system. The first thing you need to do is log in to your Afternic account. After you do this, go to www.afternic.com/pfupload.php. On this page you ... read more ...
Thu 21st September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Computer.com and Banks.com sell - Two large domain name companies are responsible for major transactions. Perhaps the two of the largest domain transactions of the year occurred recently. First, InterSearch Group, Inc. (OTCBB:IGPN) acquired Banks.com. Depending on the size of the transaction, InterSearch will likely disclose the purchase price in its next quarterly filing. One reader suggested this might be the $1.2M purchase Afternic recently coordinated, but I have know idea if this is true. ... read more ...
Wed 20th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Domain names are today’s subject on Capitol Hill - The US Senate is discussing domain names today. The US Senate discussed domain names today, including arguments against VeriSign’s ability to hike prices 7% per annum. A CNET article highlights the discussions: Sen. Gordon Smith, an Oregon Republican, questioned why VeriSign should have what critics have called a guaranteed perpetual income stream from .com domain registrations. The company currently receives $6 per domain, or about $323.4 million a year, from ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Oversee.net continues merger spree - DomainSponsor’s parent company has acquired 10 domain portfolios in the past two months. At the beginning of this month I wrote an entry titled Acquire or Die: the future of domain parking companies. I suggested that domain parking companies will cease to exist in the future if they merely park other peoples’ domains. They need to own the domains. Oversee.net, parent company of popular parking service DomainSponsor, is one of those companies that “gets it”. ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
NewYork.info sets another mark - NewYork.info has changed hands again, setting a new record for .info sales. According to DNJournal’s latest sales report, NewYork.info has sold for $46,392, setting a record for the highest reported .info sale ever. The domain made headlines when it sold in 2004 for $28,086. In just 32 months the domain appreciated 65%. .Info has seen an uptick lately. Just last week, Racing.info sold for $18,000 on Sedo. Other top .info sales this year include: Casino.info ... read more ...
Mon 18th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Saddam.com shows energy of Press Release - After selling on Afternic for $2,000 several months ago, Saddam.com is being auctioned on eBay with the help of a press release. Saddam.com sold on Afternic several months ago for around $2,000. The seller then tried to sell it on DNForum several times but buyers didn’t line up. Now, with the aid of a press release, an auction for Saddam.com is attracting bidders at eBay. (The domain may have traded hands after the initial Afternic sale.) I wouldn’t be surprised ... read more ...
Fri 15th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
.travel wants a DNS wildcard - .travel registry Tralliance Inc. wants to introduce a Site-Finder-esque service. Tralliance runs the .travel domain name, much like VeriSign manages .net and .com. According to Computer Business Review Online, Tralliance wants to start a DNS wildcard similar to VeriSign’s infamous “Site Finder Service”. Whenever someone typed in a .travel domain that didn’t exist, such as domainnamewire.travel, it would forward to a web site owned by Tralliance. In order ... read more ...
Thu 14th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Imitation is a sincerest form of flattery - Is the GoDaddy Girl selling domains? Dotster just announced the “Dot Girls”. Apparently selling domain names is a lot like selling beer. GoDaddy started the trend with the “GoDaddy Girl”, Candice Michelle, which the company prominently featured in its commercials. Now registrar Dotster is getting into the act, introducing the first “Dotster Dot”, Heather. The company is holding four open auditions for women to become Doster Dots. The auditions will ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Political domain hurdles on a uptick - With elections in the US quickly approaching, candidates are finding their domain names are already registered. Politicians aren’t always the most web-savvy individuals. (Just ask Alaska’s Ted Stevens how the internet operates.) As the next set of elections quickly approaching, many people running for office are finding their domains are taken by their opponents or squatters. Here’s another example from a small town race in Texas. The brother-in-law of ... read more ...
Wed 13th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
MovieTheaters.com attracts attention - MovieTheaters.com has been bid up to $12,500, but still has room to go. A listing for MovieTheaters.com has attracted 7 bids on Afternic since I placed an initial bid last month. The latest offer is $12,500, but the seller has not indicated a reserve price. I’ve seen a number of domains bid above $10,000 on Afternic that don’t end up selling. $12,500 a little high for you? Check out these other movie theater domains for sale on Afternic: MovieTheatersOnline.com ... read more ...
Tue 12th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Mid-tier domains gaining ground - Domains priced $1,000-$10,000 are picking up steam, as evidenced by recent sales at Afternic. Big, 6-figure domain sales get all of the press. But let’s face it, most of us can’t afford to play that game. I typically buy domains under $10,000 and find that there are a number of bargains to be had in this price range. I’ve noticed an uptick in 4-figure domain sales at Afternic over the past 10 days. A lot of the domains selling for over $1,000 seem like ... read more ...
Mon 11th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Sedo parking changes putting some-more income in the pockets - Sedo’s better-late-than-never parking changes are benefiting domainers. It took Sedo a while to upgrade its domain parking program, but domain owners are starting to see the results. On August 17 I wrote about some of the changes to Sedo’s program, which includes new layouts, rotating graphics, and a new advertising feed. Also, Sedo has increased its payout percentage. Long rumored to be about 50%, Sedo was known for offering a lower RPM than other domain parking ... read more ...
Fri 8th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
40 bids on Afternic - An auction for ThreePieceSuits.com shows the value of Afternic’s “Closing Soon” section. Have you received an offer on a domain listed at Afternic that isn’t quite as much as you’d like? One option is to lower the reserve for your domain to the offer price and it will automatically be added to the “closing soon” section of Afternic. This provides great exposure for your domain. Not only does it show up on the home page of the site, but visitors frequently ... read more ...
Thu 7th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN
Chicago.com interview - Associated Cities asks Chicago.com founder Josh Metnick about his flagship domain and the domain business in general. Associated Cities is an owners group made up of people that own location-based domains. They recently interview the founder of Chicago.com. Read the complete interview here. Metnick started and ISP in 1994 and that’s when he got involved with the internet. He incorporated Chicago.com, Inc in 2002 after offering a “rather significant” amount ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Wiki.com proves value in unregged domains - $2.86M for a domain registered this decade? Many domainers that got in early like to scoff at people who register freely available domain names. “If it’s available, it can’t be worth anything,” they say. Wiki.com is just once example of why that’s incorrect. The domain, first registered in 2001, sold for nearly $3M last month. When the first domain name gold rush occurred in the mid 90s, no one had even heard of a wiki. I don’t even think the term ... read more ...
Wed 6th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
TrafficClub RPM tops $70 - My results from Moniker’s TrafficClub hit another high in August. Last month I bragged about my RPM (revenue per thousand) on TrafficClub hitting $65.85 for July, a personal best. August saw another record with a $73.82 RPM. Part of this increase was due to an increase in traffic to one of my high RPM domains that pulls in almost $400 per thousand views. DomainSponsor continues to give good numbers. My optimized DomainSponsor hits brought in $111.10 per thousand ... read more ...
Tue 5th September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Cash(less) Parking - GoDaddy needs to retool its domain parking program. When GoDaddy released its domain parking program in June I scoffed at its terms. They want people to pay them to park domains with them? At the time they required you to pay $39.99 per month to get an 80% revenue share. The pricing has changed but still bucks the industry by requiring domainers to pay to park. The minimum fee is $3.99 per month and that affords you a 60% revenue share. For $9.99 per month you ... read more ...
 
Written by DomainNameWire in EN
Slow weekend for domainers - A U.S. holiday slows the pace of domain traffic over the weekend. This past Friday to Monday was a U.S. holiday – Labor Day – and web traffic slowed as people travelled and cooked barbecue. If you count on U.S. web surfers at work, this Monday was probably a no show for you. I find my domain income usually drops on weekends, and a three day weekend can have quite an impact. Of course that depends on the type of traffic you get. Labor Day is a major U.S. shopping ... read more ...
Sat 2nd September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Joomla! information, latest name monetization news - This month in the Name Monetizer newsletter we will take a look at Joomla! – a content management system for full-scale sites that have a lot of content. Joomla! (officially spelled sorta like “Yahoo!”) is free open source software. It runs on PHP and therefore is usually found on unix and linux hosting packages. Like other content management systems, the design of the site is completely separate from the content of the site. By applying a new “template” ... read more ...
Fri 1st September 2006
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Acquire or Die: a destiny of domain parking companies - Domain parking companies must start acquiring domain portfolios — or get out of the business. A little over two months ago Oversee.net, parent of domain parking goliath DomainSponsor, announced that it acquired a portfolio of 35,000 domains. The company said is was gearing up to acquire even more domain portfolios. Perhaps DomainSponsor has realized that it can’t stay in the business of servicing other peoples’ portfolios forever — it must own the domains ... read more ...