.mobi .mobi potentially 2nd to .com

worldstar said:

in the future: net>com>mobi

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Do you mean dropping rate? (joking)

If "Mobi" just plays second fiddle to DOTCOM, that will be sweet music to many of the "Mobis' ears -- will MOBI ever take the baton from DOTCOM? Not a chance --- but I can see it surpass net, biz, info and org by the end of 2008, if the extension gains enormous momentum and wider development and adoption rate? Of course, that's a big IF

IF actual end users start buying premium names and develop them. So far, all premium names (barring a couple) are in the hands of domainers and mTLD

sashas said:

IF actual end users start buying premium names and develop them. So far, all premium names (barring a couple) are in the hands of domainers and mTLD

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IF that is true Sashas (and coming from you in such a categorical statement I have to assume it's an established fact) then it sounds like there is a lot of potential there.

Which is what most of us are saying: No guarantees, but big potential.
:imho:

sashas said:

So far, all premium names (barring a couple) are in the hands of domainers and mTLD

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Yes that may be true for generic names. But we must not forget that a huge number of companies own .mobi names registered as trademarks before landrush.

So when time comes (in 2008?) to join the mobile web will they choose

mobile.companyname.com
m.companyname.com
or
companyname.mobi (the shortest one!)

Then of course, some people say that they might go for auto detection instead. The problem with that, I believe, is that all mobile devices are different. Some have rather large screens while others must have a tiny screen size to fit into a shirt pocket. But with auto detection the user of the device can't choose if he wants to visit the full site with all bells and whistles or browse a slim and fast-loading mobile site. Instead the site somehow decides that for him!

Isn't it then much better to let the owner of the device (who knows its specifications and knows what information he is searching for) select what version of the site he wants to see by either going to companyname.com or companyname.mobi?

PolarBear said:

Then of course, some people say that they might go for auto detection instead. The problem with that, I believe, is that all mobile devices are different.

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Absolutely. And the distinction between fixed and mobile devices has already blurred.
Basically the mobi guidelines can be summed up in two critical points:
- develop pages that will fit in tiny screens
- develop pages that are lightweight to save loading time and bandwidth

PS: I use the mod_gzip/mod_deflate extensions on my servers so that my pages typically weigh just a few Kb... so everyone benefits, not just mobile users :]

PolarBear said:

Isn't it then much better to let the owner of the device (who knows its specifications and knows what information he is searching for) select what version of the site he wants to see by either going to companyname.com or companyname.mobi?

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The best would be to redirect the user to mobile (trimmed-down site) or PC (standard site) based on browser detection results. But add a link somewhere in your navigation menu to switch between mobile/standard versions.
It's always best to suggest but let the user decide :imho:

The best would be to redirect the user to mobile (trimmed-down site) or PC (standard site) based on browser detection results. But add a link somewhere in your navigation menu to switch between mobile/standard versions.
It's always best to suggest but let the user decide

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absolutely right! I want to decide if I want to see an ugly, watered down site, or a full fledged, pc like website. I might be using an iphone one time, an entry level nokia the other.

Ok-

We have had the same old arguments.
Autodetection. Sags' inspired preview of Google's world dominance via mobi.
Echosystem (sic) and .Mobi's sleeping (dead?) "backers".

Lets look at this another way, wearing rose colored glasses and perhaps with an aroma of smoke in the air. Don't throw anything heavy, this is a "what if", not a prediction.

I was impressed with (at least the appearance of) the man who won Music.mobi in the first round of Sedo 3, who signs himself here as Musicdotmobi. He seems to be deeply passionate about music and has spent three years developing a new approach to selling music on the internet. Music.mobi was to be the cornerstone of his enterprise.
"Connections" also seems to have passion, vision, and a bit of capital. I am sure there are others.

Say he gets Music.mobi.
Say his vision is successful and in two years he has a booming website at Music.mobi - not Amazon yet, but Amazon is starting to worry.

Then say there are twenty more passionate entrepreneurs that do the same on .Mobi names. Why .Mobi? Because .com is for PC's. Because .com is so '90s. Because .Com is filled up. Because you can start-up along with the new extension. Because they can get noticed on .Mobi. Whatever reason, say these guys with vision and a bit of money choose .Mobi. And they connect. They hit that undefinable something that becomes a phenomenon.

Twenty Facebooks, Myspaces, even Google and Amazons. Fifty of them. Things can change so rapidly on the internet. The mobile web is a different medium.

Before cable there was no MTV, there were no music videos.

Mainstream mobile promoters are calling it the "third screen" - or the fifth or whatever - mobile is a different medium, some of the old rules will apply, some will not.

Maybe .Mobi will apply, maybe it will fizzle. But yes, it does have the potential to hit very very big.

accentnepal said:

Before cable there was no MTV, there were no music videos.

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how prolific and true ... things can change swiftly and become universally adapted

I couldn't agree more accentnepal. I launched Bestswimwear.com in 1996 and many people didn't understand back then. Today, we are a leader in our field.

Bestswimwear.mobi was one of the first mobi sites to go up. It is a bit rough around the edges, but I will soon be updating Bestswimwear.mobi for 2008. I am hoping to create or source a robust ordering system which I can incorporate into Bestswimwear.mobi.

Easy ordering from our mobi devices is essential to the growth of .mobi. Easy ordering will change everything. A .mobi shopping cart, which complies with the existing standards, will bring a wave of entrepreneurs into the picture. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Happy holidays,

Claude

claudedauman said:

Easy ordering from our mobi devices is essential to the growth of .mobi. Easy ordering will change everything. A .mobi shopping cart...Claude

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Well said, Claude.

I'm looking for just such a thing for my Beauty.mobi & Camera.mobi, too...for that matter, Spa.mobi, as well.

If anyone creates this - or finds it...Love to hear about it...

sdsinc said:

PS: I use the mod_gzip/mod_deflate extensions on my servers so that my pages typically weigh just a few Kb... so everyone benefits, not just mobile users

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I'm not a techo, myself...But this sounds really interesting, sdsinc...


I'm looking to do a bit more with my .mobi sites than just text & links...I want to make a good user experience...I'd like them to look great, if possible (graphics, flash etc) - but, they need to load smoothly and fast...

Does this device help overcome that? So, that the pages 'load lite', as it were - yet still look great?

.

"Because .com is so '90s."

-hilarious

I agree with the shopping cart thing. I think dotmobi should have a role in tools such as this. Maybe not be the lead, but work with an expert shopping cart company, throw them a bone w/ some of the funds from the auctions, and get a branded mobi shopping cart system out on the market.

What other tools are critical that should have mobile specific (ideally following .mobi guidelines) versions? Commerce and advertising should come first.

meegwell

i also hope that mobi should be next to .com or at least the .com alternative for all mobile users, if .com is set as the default extension in PC's then .mobi should be set as the default extension in Mobile Phone Browsers !

Thank you for the nice words Chris.

So I have started on my mobi shopping cart project for Bestswimwear.mobi. I have started with one product which we currently offer for sale.

Using the KISS principal, I have coded it using straight html with a simple paypal checkout. It worked for me on my new iphone.

Please see for yourself at Bestswimwear.mobi

I would be so grateful if someone could advise on how I would need to tweak the code to comply with the .mobi standards.

I would like to build this mobi site up and promote the relaunch, offering customers the ability to shop a .mobi website from their iphones.

Thank you,

Claude

claudedauman said:

Please see for yourself at Bestswimwear.mobi

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Did it...bookmarked the site (just because of the girl on the left :hehe: )

Nice work on the shop btw !!

Martin

sdsinc said:

The best would be to redirect the user to mobile (trimmed-down site) or PC (standard site) based on browser detection results.

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Won't happen...

Check this: http://wurfl.sourceforge.net/vodafonerant/index.htm

And if vodafone does this..I can't see why other carriers won't. .mobi is the real answer for these kind of problems...

Martin

Lalo said:

i also hope that mobi should be next to .com or at least the .com alternative for all mobile users, if .com is set as the default extension in PC's then .mobi should be set as the default extension in Mobile Phone Browsers !

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The only thing is that .com is not set as the default for your pc. But with only one true mobile ext., .mobi has a shot at being the default on your cell!

GijsZePa said:

Won't happen...

Check this: http://wurfl.sourceforge.net/vodafonerant/index.htm

And if vodafone does this..I can't see why other carriers won't. .mobi is the real answer for these kind of problems...

Martin

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It's an artifical 'problem' created by vodafone in the first place.
If companies decide to disregard web standards then we end up with a non-functioning web. In the end it's inconvenience for vodafone clients. Maybe it's all part of a ploy, first they degrade your browsing experience, then the come up with 'the' 'solution' for the problem they created in the first place
Beware of companies with an agenda, their interests and yours do not always match...

sdsinc said:

It's an artifical 'problem' created by vodafone in the first place..

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Oh sure...but they did it..and didn't solved it yet.

So just follow the .mobi rules and you won't have a problem....

Martin

You have to compare apples to apples not oranges.

If .net registry kept the top 1000 keywords and auctioned them off you can be guaranteed that the domains would sell for millions.

The disgusting part of all this celebrating imho is that mTLD is the only real profiter from the extension. I don't see how this helps regular domainers that are speculating in mobi that have rather mediocre names.

The usual suspects are buying most of these names which means they will either be parked or minimally developed into ad heavy sites like flowers.mobi.

hi!

Labrocca <-- Who is this guy?!?! :hehe:


Kind Regards,

Yelo