More professionals to be allowed .pro domains

WhoNet · 05-18-2008, 06:05 PM

Quote:

The organisation behind .pro has received approval to make the top-level domain available to a wider range of users.

On Tuesday, RegistryPro, the exclusive operator of the top-level domain (TLD), said it had achieved ICANN approval for its plan to make .pro available to "any professional or professional entity holding credentials from a certifying governmental authority anywhere in the world". The TLD has until now only been available to accountants, engineers, lawyers and medical professionals in Canada, Germany, the UK and the US.

"This is a significant milestone for .pro," said RegistryPro general manager Catherine Sigmar. "By approving these changes, ICANN has given us the opportunity to open up .pro to tens of millions of licensed and credentialed professionals and entities across the globe."

RegistryPro has also changed its registration process for .pro domains. Whereas applicants previously had to submit written documentation of their credentials, they now only need to say what type of certification they hold, who they work for and what their licence number is. The organisation will monitor new and renewed registrations, and registrants will need to annually reaffirm that they are "using the registration for the professional purpose as intended".

ReigstryPro plans to officially "relaunch" the .pro TLD on 14 July.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1...9417170,00.htm

netzilla · 05-18-2008, 08:29 PM

Thats good news for the .pro extension. Thanks for sharing.

akcampbell · 05-19-2008, 05:41 AM

It will be interesting to see how the "official relaunch" pans out. If I was managing it, it would include;
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/industry-news/470934-more-professionals-to-allowed-pro-domains.html

1) An 80%-90% reduction in reg fees. This would make the extension attractive to domainers which is critical for developing awareness, perceived value, and acceptance.

2) Deals with at least 2 big registrars so .pro gets sold on main extension panels. This would build awareness, massively increase total .pros registered and encourage defensive registrations by .com registrants which is where .net, .org and .info get alot of their registrations from.

3) Annual prizes for the best .pro sites developed, eg a $100,000 first prize, two $50,000 prizes, and four $25,000 prizes. This would encourage the development of .pro sites by small businesses and professionally qualified individuals.

4) All qualified professionals would be entitled to one free year of .pro registration. This would raise awareness of .pro in its target market.

My fear is that Registry.pro will go about the relaunch as cluelessly as they have managed the extension to date so it will consist of;

5) A stream of pointless press releases with grandiose statements of intent.

6) A couple of shindigs to trumpet that .pro can now be registered by all professionals.

7) 2-3 lunches with journalists for Caroline Sigmar in return for a few snippets about .pro in the domain Press.

Ben42 · 05-19-2008, 06:46 AM

Quote:

The organisation will monitor new and renewed registrations, and registrants will need to annually reaffirm that they are "using the registration for the professional purpose as intended".

As a developer and certified DNOA professional, I believe that these credentials will be more than enough to hold any .pro name and develop it as I see fit.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

But then again, you never know.

Diabro · 05-19-2008, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by akcampbell

1) An 80%-90% reduction in reg fees. This would make the extension attractive to domainers which is critical for developing awareness, perceived value, and acceptance.

I am not sure that they want domainers.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

I think they want professionals registering the site for professional use.

It will be interesting to see how the legalized prostitution industry uses these names.

jido · 05-19-2008, 09:46 AM

Actually, point #4 is something they should really think about.
I agree the prospects look dim for the previous points though

akcampbell · 05-19-2008, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by Diabro

I am not sure that they want domainers.

Developing an alternative extension is incredibly difficult with domainers on side and completely impossible without them.

Domainers perform various functions;

1) They bid up the price of domains. Higher perceived value makes an extension more attractive to business. The higher the value of a domain asset the more a business is willing to spend on development.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

2) Domainers provide free advertising whether it be through reported sales, direct marketing efforts to other businesses, conversations with friends and acquaintances, ad listings, and parked sites resolving and getting visited by other Internet users.

3) They boost total registrations and that provides registries with cash to spend on infrastructure and marketing. If a domainer doesn't register a .pro they will register a .info or a .mobi and that means competing registries will have more to spend on promotion.

4) Domainers often develop sites. My motivation for regging and buying .pros was to provide a stream of development opportunities for the future. I focus on .coms at the moment because that's what other Internet users are comfortable with.

5) Domainers tend to be entrepreneurial and are more likely to start businesses and develop sites than non-domainers whether they do it themselves or pay somebody to do it.

To make .Pro work Registry.pro either have to spend tens of millions of dollars promoting it or use the free resource domainers provide. To date, they have done neither and that's why there are only 6,500 .pro registrations. Pride comes before a fall.

Originally Posted by Diabro

I think they want professionals registering the site for professional use.

They've wanted that since 2004 and haven't got it, my guess is unless they change direction they will never get it.

Surely it's preferable to have 1m .Pros registered with 25,000 being developed and used by professionals in strict accordance with the original remit than 6,500 .pros registered and only about 100 developed which is where we are at the moment.

Diabro · 05-19-2008, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Developing an alternative extension is incredibly difficult with domainers on side and completely impossible without them.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

Domainers perform various functions;

1) They bid up the price of domains. Higher perceived value makes an extension more attractive to business. The higher the value of a domain asset the more a business is willing to spend on development.

2) Domainers provide free advertising whether it be through reported sales, direct marketing efforts to other businesses, conversations with friends and acquaintances, ad listings, and parked sites resolving and getting visited by other Internet users.

3) They boost total registrations and that provides registries with cash to spend on infrastructure and marketing. If a domainer doesn't register a .pro they will register a .info or a .mobi and that means competing registries will have more to spend on promotion.

4) Domainers often develop sites. My motivation for regging and buying .pros was to provide a stream of development opportunities for the future. I focus on .coms at the moment because that's what other Internet users are comfortable with.

5) Domainers tend to be entrepreneurial and are more likely to start businesses and develop sites than non-domainers whether they do it themselves or pay somebody to do it.

To make .Pro work Registry.pro either have to spend tens of millions of dollars promoting it or use the free resource domainers provide. To date, they have done neither and that's why there are only 6,500 .pro registrations. Pride comes before a fall.

They've wanted that since 2004 and haven't got it, my guess is unless they change direction they will never get it.

Surely it's preferable to have 1m .Pros registered with 25,000 being developed and used by professionals in strict accordance with the original remit than 6,500 .pros registered and only about 100 developed which is where we are at the moment.

I disagree with you. Domainers kill a lot of the value because they speculate and buy everything they think is good so that people who may have great ideas and want to develop get turned off and you get a lot of blank pages.

Sure it may add value and make money in the short term but I see no proof other than wishful thinking that what you are saying is true.

jido · 05-19-2008, 05:47 PM

FWIW I agree 100% with akcampbell that domainers onboard add to the value of the extension.

Diabro · 05-19-2008, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by jido

FWIW I agree 100% with akcampbell that domainers onboard add to the value of the extension.

To who? Domainers.

akcampbell · 05-20-2008, 12:58 AM

Diabro, name me one extension where premium keywords aren't owned by domainers and are still available to register that gets developed?

If gold wasn't hoarded and scarce, people wouldn't make jewellery out of it and cherish it.

If your view was correct, .Pro would have been developed on a grand scale since June 2004 because in the scheme of things there has been little speculation and there are only 6,500 keywords registered. .info gets speculated on, there are are 5m of them, but it also gets developed and brings in alot of money for Afilias. The politics of envy doesn't get alternative extensions developed.

Registry.pro has failed miserably because it has been anti-domainer. Being mean spirited and jealous in life or business gets you nowhere. Afilias has been the most domainer friendly alternative extension and it has paid dividends, alot of .info sites are used for the provision of information and people accept its remit.

zuriko · 05-20-2008, 02:15 AM

Registry PRO is like 50 years old beauty, who do not want to have a sex with normal guys( domainers) and Looking For A Prince On A White Horse (professionals) and deaing VIRGIN!!!((

Diabro · 05-20-2008, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Diabro, name me one extension where premium keywords aren't owned by domainers and are still available to register that gets developed?

This is pointless and circular. If they were getting developed and worth something domainers would be there.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

If gold wasn't hoarded and scarce, people wouldn't make jewellery out of it and cherish it.

What do domains have to do with jewelry again?
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

Originally Posted by akcampbell

If your view was correct, .Pro would have been developed on a grand scale since June 2004

That is untrue. You are projecting what you wish to believe because it is beneficial to you on the way things are.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

because in the scheme of things there has been little speculation and there are only 6,500 keywords registered. .info gets speculated on, there are are 5m of them, but it also gets developed and brings in alot of money for Afilias. The politics of envy doesn't get alternative extensions developed.

Maybe in the long run without speculators hoarding all the names it will make headway. Of course it is no .com but I am sure that .com domain names would still have value and sell without speculators. Not as many but there is a possibility that the web would be a batter place and people would not be as jaded and skeptical about it.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Registry.pro has failed miserably because it has been anti-domainer.

Proof please.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Being mean spirited and jealous in life or business gets you nowhere.

Why is it mean spirited?

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Afilias has been the most domainer friendly alternative extension and it has paid dividends, alot of .info sites are used for the provision of information and people accept its remit.

I disagree with that. I may not have seen them but I have not seen many useful or good .info domains. Especially considering the amount that are registered.

akcampbell · 05-20-2008, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Diabro

This is pointless and circular. If they were getting developed and worth something domainers would be there.

It's definitely not pointless. I'll give you an example. .Jobs is completely protected from the evil clutches of domainers but 99.9999% of recruitment agents use .com or some other extension even though they are pretty much guaranteed to get their name .Jobs if they wanted it. There are no .Jobs hoarders but it's not making any progress. How come? This doesn't tally with your view. .Travel was the same until it loosened up its rules

Originally Posted by Diabro

What do domains have to do with jewelry again?

Gold is valuable because it's hoarded and in short supply, once you have acquired a little block of it, it's worth hiring a goldsmith and making something out of it. The same applies to domains.

Originally Posted by Diabro

That is untrue. You are projecting what you wish to believe because it is beneficial to you on the way things are.

Professionals have been protected from 99.99% of domainers since June 2004 in .Pro, but have they rushed in and snapped up .pro domains to develop? No, they haven't. Of the 6,500 .pros registered, I'd estimate 100 are developed by qualified professionals. There are 80m .coms registered, so that's alot of .Pro hanging from trees waiting to be picked.

Originally Posted by Diabro

Maybe in the long run without speculators hoarding all the names it will make headway.

I don't understand this comment. Compared to .Com there is virtually no .pro hoarding. 6,500 domains "hoarded" maximum compared to tens of millions of brilliant company name .Pro possibilities. It's all there if people want it. I very much doubt there is anybody out there thinking, Casino.pro is already registered, I won't open an online casino in that case.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

Originally Posted by Diabro

Of course it is no .com but I am sure that .com domain names would still have value and sell without speculators. Not as many but there is a possibility that the web would be a batter place and people would not be as jaded and skeptical about it.

Sure, but on a much smaller scale. If I could register any currently parked .com I would be more likely to find something I liked to register without having to pay a premium on the aftermarket.

I don't think there are many people on this site who are jaded and skeptical Most people are enthusiastic about their chosen alternative extensions, LLLL.coms, IDN's or whatever. Would I be wrong to suggest that you are jaded and skeptical because you don't have any good domains?

Originally Posted by Diabro

Proof please.

If we agreed that registration restrictions and high reg fees were anti-domainer policies, then established an index across gTLD registries as to how anti-domainer each had been, then ran a linear regression between the anti-domainer behaviour index and total domains registered or total domains developed you would have a very strong correlation between low total domains registered and developed and domainer unfriendly policies. It's not a coincidence that Afilias has the most friendly domainer policies or very low reg fees, promotions, and no restrictions and 5m domains registered. Whether you like it or not, there are tens of thousands of .infos developed.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

Originally Posted by Diabro

Why is it mean spirited?

It's mean spirited because Registry.pro have tried to cut domainers out of their own industry. Biting the hand that feeds is impractical, uncommercial, and naive. Domainers in .pro have contributed 10 times more in reg fees than professionally qualified lawyers, doctors, medics and engineers in the UK, France, the US and Canada, they have paid Catherine Sigmar's salary when nobody, especially the audience it was intended for, cared about the extension and deserve recognition and inclusion.

I'm a UK ACA qualified accountant, I can develop web sites, I don't need to make money from parking or domain sales, and I can afford high reg fees and legal action against Registry.pro so I'm pretty safe.

However, I'd rather everybody could register a .Pro because the more domains that get registered, the more sites get developed and the more people will recognise the extension so I can develop and make money out of it. Again, sheer self interest but that outcome is in Registry.pro's interests too so I'm hoping they will loosen up.

Originally Posted by Diabro

I disagree with that. I may not have seen them but I have not seen many useful or good .info domains. Especially considering the amount that are registered.

You can say that about pretty much every alternative extension. I've never seen a useful .tv, .mobi, .biz etc. Developing an alternative extension is nightmarishly tricky which is why Registry.pro's domainer-phobia is so misplaced and foolish.

Ben42 · 05-20-2008, 01:47 PM

Well put Campbell. I agree 100%. Nice post.

PWA · 05-20-2008, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by Diabro

It will be interesting to see how the legalized prostitution industry uses these names.

Hoe.pro
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

It's catchy.

I wonder if that will be allowed.

Diabro · 05-20-2008, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by akcampbell

It's definitely not pointless. I'll give you an example. .Jobs is completely protected from the evil clutches of domainers but 99.9999% of recruitment agents use .com or some other extension even though they are pretty much guaranteed to get their name .Jobs if they wanted it. There are no .Jobs hoarders but it's not making any progress. How come? This doesn't tally with your view. .Travel was the same until it loosened up its rules

OK, then show me a TLD that is not .com that is opened up to domainers that is doing better than .com.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Gold is valuable because it's hoarded and in short supply, once you have acquired a little block of it, it's worth hiring a goldsmith and making something out of it. The same applies to domains.

Uhhh…no. Domains are not similar to gold.

Gold is actually not THAT rare and is certainly not hoarded by an elite few. It is a very useful metal so it is used in lots of things. It is even used in foods.

I would also like to point out that you seem to have a vested interest in .pro, so you may be a little biased. Look at http://www.company.pro/ , go to it. It is hardly gold. Do you have any domains that you think would be gold standard?

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Professionals have been protected from 99.99% of domainers since June 2004 in .Pro, but have they rushed in and snapped up .pro domains to develop? No, they haven't. Of the 6,500 .pros registered, I'd estimate 100 are developed by qualified professionals. There are 80m .coms registered, so that's alot of .Pro hanging from trees waiting to be picked.

The more you keep trying to situationally try to compare .pro to .com the more apparent it is how little you know about domains.

How would .pro be any better if the domains were cheaper and all of the “good” names were regged by domainers?

Originally Posted by akcampbell

I don't understand this comment. Compared to .Com there is virtually no .pro hoarding. 6,500 domains "hoarded" maximum compared to tens of millions of brilliant company name .Pro possibilities. It's all there if people want it. I very much doubt there is anybody out there thinking, Casino.pro is already registered, I won't open an online casino in that case.

Sure, but on a much smaller scale. If I could register any currently parked .com I would be more likely to find something I liked to register without having to pay a premium on the aftermarket.

Yes, which turns a lot of valid users off.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

I don't think there are many people on this site who are jaded and skeptical Most people are enthusiastic about their chosen alternative extensions, LLLL.coms, IDN's or whatever. Would I be wrong to suggest that you are jaded and skeptical because you don't have any good domains?

Sure Suzie, what are your good domains? .info’s and .pro’s? LOL!

Originally Posted by akcampbell

If we agreed that registration restrictions and high reg fees were anti-domainer policies, then established an index across gTLD registries as to how anti-domainer each had been, then ran a linear regression between the anti-domainer behaviour index and total domains registered or total domains developed you would have a very strong correlation between low total domains registered and developed and domainer unfriendly policies. It's not a coincidence that Afilias has the most friendly domainer policies or very low reg fees, promotions, and no restrictions and 5m domains registered. Whether you like it or not, there are tens of thousands of .infos developed.

You mean like http://www.rates.info/ and http://www.prices.info/ LOL!

Originally Posted by akcampbell

It's mean spirited because Registry.pro have tried to cut domainers out of their own industry.

How is that mean spirited? Many people may think this is actually the opposite as it keeps squatters out.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Biting the hand that feeds is impractical, uncommercial, and naive. Domainers in .pro have contributed 10 times more in reg fees than professionally qualified lawyers, doctors, medics and engineers in the UK, France, the US and Canada, they have paid Catherine Sigmar's salary when nobody, especially the audience it was intended for, cared about the extension and deserve recognition and inclusion.

That does not mean they like it.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

Originally Posted by akcampbell

I'm a UK ACA qualified accountant, I can develop web sites, I don't need to make money from parking or domain sales, and I can afford high reg fees and legal action against Registry.pro so I'm pretty safe.

However, I'd rather everybody could register a .Pro because the more domains that get registered, the more sites get developed and the more people will recognise the extension so I can develop and make money out of it. Again, sheer self interest but that outcome is in Registry.pro's interests too so I'm hoping they will loosen up.

Not surprisingly your whole “argument” is self interested.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

You can say that about pretty much every alternative extension. I've never seen a useful .tv, .mobi, .biz etc. Developing an alternative extension is nightmarishly tricky which is why Registry's domainer-phobia is so misplaced and foolish.

I disagree that it misplaced or foolish. It is their business. Just because you do not like something dos not mean it is misplaced or foolish.

zuriko · 05-20-2008, 10:50 PM

Good post akcampbell!!!

akcampbell · 05-21-2008, 12:48 AM

Diabro, gold is hoarded by an elite few, governments of rich developed countries. Britain sold half it's gold holding in 1999, 415m tonnes for $8bn. Note the comment in the article below that this left Britain with less gold than any other major country.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlConte...08/ngol08.html

My use of gold is an analogy, I think it's a good one because gold and domains are an old economy and new economy store of value, both get hoarded, both are coveted because they are scarce and look pretty, both can be "developed" ie into jewellery or web sites or held in raw form, parked or in bullion.

Your question about .com is nonsensical. .com is top dog so no extension is "better" than .com. I gave you the option of hundreds of alternative extensions, alot of which are lightly regged by domainers, all you had to do was come up with one that was heavily developed because of the availability of premium keywords.

I think you have to make a distinction between squatting which implies illegality, for example regging a non-generic trademark and trying to extract money from the intellectual property owner, divert business, or dilute their brand and genuine domain investors who buy generic keywords. Virtually all .Pro domains registered are generic, the owners are investors in the extension, not squatters. They may hoard on a small scale but accumulation is the essence of capitalism, if you don't like it you should move to North Korea or Cuba.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

There are no prizes for guessing I have a vested interest in .Pro, I paste it in my signature. It wouldn't make sense to spend so much time writing about .Pro if I didn't have a vested interest. I enjoy promoting .Pro, if people like you help me promote my .info's as well, that's a bonus.

I think the fact Registry.pro went cap in hand to ICANN to amend their registry contract and plan to "relaunch" the extension on 14 July suggests they acknowledge making a pig's ear of launching .Pro first time around.

Instead, of getting put out by "squatters" and "hoarders" you should reg some .Pros while you still can. It's a gTLD, extremely brandable, and you'll kick yourself 10 years from now if you miss out.

Diabro · 05-21-2008, 05:28 AM

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Diabro, gold is hoarded by an elite few, governments of rich developed countries. Britain sold half it's gold holding in 1999, 415m tonnes for $8bn. Note the comment in the article below that this left Britain with less gold than any other major country.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlConte...08/ngol08.html

Really, it is hoarded by governments and SOLD by governments? It is rare yet many multitudes more people own gold than domain names?

Gold is hoarded by an elite few yet common enough to be used in airbag systems, computers and even alcohol.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

Originally Posted by akcampbell

My use of gold is an analogy, I think it's a good one because gold and domains are an old economy and new economy store of value, both get hoarded, both are coveted because they are scarce and look pretty, both can be "developed" ie into jewellery or web sites or held in raw form, parked or in bullion.

I think it is a poor analogy. Gold even if it was not more scarce than lead or zinc would still have value because of its many uses. It is highly conducive and easy to work with. All gold of the same quality is worth the same when presented in the same manner. A ring may be worth more than its weight in gold because of the craftsmanship but melt the ring down and it still holds a base value of any other gold in a similar format.

Not all domain names are worth the same. The 3 character domain name SEX has more value than the 3 character domain name ZXK.

Domain names only have worth in limited circumstances and markets as well. You could invest money in gold and be fairly sure that in 20 years that your investment will still have some value. You could “invest” the same amount in domain names and in 20 years they could have no value. None whatsoever.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Your question about .com is nonsensical. .com is top dog so no extension is "better" than .com. I gave you the option of hundreds of alternative extensions, alot of which are lightly regged by domainers, all you had to do was come up with one that was heavily developed because of the availability of premium keywords.

You are the one that keeps brining up .com and comparing .pro to .com.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

I think you have to make a distinction between squatting which implies illegality, for example regging a non-generic trademark and trying to extract money from the intellectual property owner, divert business, or dilute their brand and genuine domain investors who buy generic keywords. Virtually all .Pro domains registered are generic, the owners are investors in the extension, not squatters. They may hoard on a small scale but accumulation is the essence of capitalism, if you don't like it you should move to North Korea or Cuba.

Some say investor, some say squatter. At this point I think the general population sees little difference. It is like the word hacker got hijacked and is now associated with people who crack systems.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

Originally Posted by akcampbell

There are no prizes for guessing I have a vested interest in .Pro, I paste it in my signature. It wouldn't make sense to spend so much time writing about .Pro if I didn't have a vested interest. I enjoy promoting .Pro, if people like you help me promote my .info's as well, that's a bonus.

I honestly like .info but had one or two names in .info and let most lapse. I have no interest in .pro but applaud them for trying to do something different.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

I think the fact Registry.pro went cap in hand to ICANN to amend their registry contract and plan to "relaunch" the extension on 14 July suggests they acknowledge making a pig's ear of launching .Pro first time around.

Instead, of getting put out by "squatters" and "hoarders" you should reg some .Pros while you still can. It's a gTLD, extremely brandable, and you'll kick yourself 10 years from now if you miss out.

I would rather invest in .us. Just my personal preference. Frankly I have all the .com’s I need for personal development and maybe a couple of extra to sell. There are still come good .com’s left as well.

Good luck with your domains.

labrocca · 05-21-2008, 09:20 AM

Great post Campbell and I think Diabro you should give up. You have dug a hole for yourself with a flawed logic argument from this statement.

Quote:

Domainers kill a lot of the value because they speculate and buy everything they think is good so that people who may have great ideas and want to develop get turned off and you get a lot of blank pages.

I don't need to rehash what Campbell has eloquently stated. While I am not a fan of parking by any means...one has to realize that quantity of registration does equal exposure. Success and exposure go hand in hand. I am not sure how you think domainers don't add value while you are a member of a domainers forum. You might want to totally rethink your position.

Diabro · 05-21-2008, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by labrocca

Great post Campbell and I think Diabro you should give up. You have dug a hole for yourself with a flawed logic argument from this statement.

I don't need to rehash what Campbell has eloquently stated. While I am not a fan of parking by any means...one has to realize that quantity of registration does equal exposure. Success and exposure go hand in hand. I am not sure how you think domainers don't add value while you are a member of a domainers forum. You might want to totally rethink your position.

Aren't you the guy who thinks CitizenHawk is the good guys?

Really, I could care less what they do with .pro. I think it is a sucky TLD and if you guys want to go buying it up thinking it is the same as gold go ahead.

I do not see any value that Campbell has added to .pro. Have you added anything to it more than just a parked page?

Basically I see the argument as very self centered. It seems that Campbell has little to nothing in the way of .com names and grabbed some good .pro's so wants that opened up. Sure it may increase the value of his domains a LITTLE but what does the registrar get from it?

Also, labrocca and Campbell do you have ANY good .com's? I would be interested to know if you guys have anything nice in the .com arena.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

I see people who missed out on that seems to be the ones pushing the other TLD's the most, to a point of desperation. They also compare those TLD's to .com a lot and those TLD's are not .com.

I would say .DE is the closest but I may certainly be wrong? I would put .pro and .info pretty darn far down on the list IMHO.

Diabro · 05-22-2008, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Developing an alternative extension is incredibly difficult with domainers on side and completely impossible without them.

OK, Since you say this and Labroca agrees with this in what alternative extension was developed BECAUSE of domainers on its side?

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Domainers perform various functions;

1) They bid up the price of domains. Higher perceived value makes an extension more attractive to business. The higher the value of a domain asset the more a business is willing to spend on development.

2) Domainers provide free advertising whether it be through reported sales, direct marketing efforts to other businesses, conversations with friends and acquaintances, ad listings, and parked sites resolving and getting visited by other Internet users.

So you and Labroca think parked sites add value? Parking is GOOD for the industry. Do you and Labroca think typo parking adds to the value as well?

Originally Posted by akcampbell

3) They boost total registrations and that provides registries with cash to spend on infrastructure and marketing. If a domainer doesn't register a .pro they will register a .info or a .mobi and that means competing registries will have more to spend on promotion.

I do not necessarily take that as fact. They could spend it on the king, .com.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

4) Domainers often develop sites. My motivation for regging and buying .pros was to provide a stream of development opportunities for the future. I focus on .coms at the moment because that's what other Internet users are comfortable with.

I looked through a couple of your sites and they do not seem developed at all. They seem to resolve to parked pages. A lot of my domains either do not resolve or resolve to parked pages but I am not making the above statement.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

I believe Labroca at least has a developed site.

But in contrast to your wishful statement that people who want to believe you take as fact I think the vast majority of sites owned by domainers are NOT developed.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

In this thread: http://www.namepros.com/industry-new...s-new-may.html

-db- makes a great point on Kevin Ham NOT developing names:

Originally Posted by -db-

Religion.com - Hmmm... no, just a bunch of sponsored links.

Heaven.com - Nope. Just a parking page.

Baptism.com - Afraid not. Another parking page.

Jew.com - Anybody interested in some paid links?

Christians.com - Sorry, just a parking lot.

Muslims.com - No real content here, just another parker.

So akcampbell and Labroca where is the information to back up your assertion?

Originally Posted by akcampbell

5) Domainers tend to be entrepreneurial and are more likely to start businesses and develop sites than non-domainers whether they do it themselves or pay somebody to do it.

This is absolute nonsense! akcampbell and or Labroca show me some proof of this statement you are making or rubber stamping with agreement on.

This is just MORE wishful thinking and fairy tales. I would say that most of the businesses in the world are owned by NON-Domainers. Also please see the above linked post about Kevin Ham.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

To make .Pro work Registry.pro either have to spend tens of millions of dollars promoting it or use the free resource domainers provide. To date, they have done neither and that's why there are only 6,500 .pro registrations. Pride comes before a fall.

WHAT resources do domainers provide? You listed a bunch of wishful thinking and fantasies but they seem to hold no water when looked at from an objective source.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

They've wanted that since 2004 and haven't got it, my guess is unless they change direction they will never get it.

Sure if they open it up to domainers and lower the price they will sell more domains. That may make them more money but it certainly does not mean that it will be successful.

Originally Posted by akcampbell

Surely it's preferable to have 1m .Pros registered with 25,000 being developed and used by professionals in strict accordance with the original remit than 6,500 .pros registered and only about 100 developed which is where we are at the moment.

Preferable to you but then at that point what separates .pro from .biz, .info or .cc? Really.

Well upon further review your post is much like your sites, undeveloped and lacking in content.

Ben42 · 05-22-2008, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by Diabro

Preferable to you but then at that point what separates .pro from .biz, .info or .cc? Really.

It's interesting that non-domainers that I've talk to about other tld's do not trust them at all. I've even heard one guy call them hacker websites and avoids anything that is not a .com at all costs.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

What seperates .pro from .biz or .cc and many others is that it's an extension with meaning. Just about everone in the english speaking world knows what a Pro is. As .com stands for Commercial people know they will find goods or services. Same with .pro and Professional goods and services.

Do those other extensions say that? To me no.

.biz = Bizness?
You might trust this ext if your a really bad speller like me.

.info = Information
This is great when looking for content, but to buy and sell or for professional services? Nah.

.net = Network
Been around a long time and makes perfect sense for hosting companies and some others. But again, for general goods and services? Not really.

This is why, imho, I think that after .com, .pro may someday convey to the internet community that this is the place to be for professional goods and services. And perhaps someday, may be even more trusted than .com.

lol

Diabro · 05-22-2008, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by Ben42

It's interesting that non-domainers that I've talk to about other tld's do not trust them at all. I've even heard one guy call them hacker websites and avoids anything that is not a .com at all costs.

What seperates .pro from .biz or .cc and many others is that it's an extension with meaning. Just about everone in the english speaking world knows what a Pro is. As .com stands for Commercial people know they will find goods or services. Same with .pro and Professional goods and services.

Do those other extensions say that? To me no.

.biz = Bizness?
You might trust this ext if your a really bad speller like me.

.info = Information
This is great when looking for content, but to buy and sell or for professional services? Nah.

.net = Network
Been around a long time and makes perfect sense for hosting companies and some others. But again, for general goods and services? Not really.

This is why, imho, I think that after .com, .pro may someday convey to the internet community that this is the place to be for professional goods and services. And perhaps someday, may be even more trusted than .com.

lol

Ben, I pretty much agree with you. I purchased a .us for a friend of mine that owns a restaurant. They have a domain name that is restaurantnamerestaurant.com. I purchased restaurantname.us and they have no interest in it. It is shorter but I cannot explain to them clearly enough that a 3 letter .us is better than their .com and just as useful.

So I will forward it to the site and try again. I mean I am trying to GIVE this domain to them and they do not know what it is so they do not want it.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934

05-19-2008, 05:41 AM	#3 (permalink)
akcampbell .Pro Regular Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,360	It will be interesting to see how the "official relaunch" pans out. If I was managing it, it would include; ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/industry-news/470934-more-professionals-to-allowed-pro-domains.html 1) An 80%-90% reduction in reg fees. This would make the extension attractive to domainers which is critical for developing awareness, perceived value, and acceptance. 2) Deals with at least 2 big registrars so .pro gets sold on main extension panels. This would build awareness, massively increase total .pros registered and encourage defensive registrations by .com registrants which is where .net, .org and .info get alot of their registrations from. 3) Annual prizes for the best .pro sites developed, eg a $100,000 first prize, two $50,000 prizes, and four $25,000 prizes. This would encourage the development of .pro sites by small businesses and professionally qualified individuals. 4) All qualified professionals would be entitled to one free year of .pro registration. This would raise awareness of .pro in its target market. My fear is that Registry.pro will go about the relaunch as cluelessly as they have managed the extension to date so it will consist of; 5) A stream of pointless press releases with grandiose statements of intent. 6) A couple of shindigs to trumpet that .pro can now be registered by all professionals. 7) 2-3 lunches with journalists for Caroline Sigmar in return for a few snippets about .pro in the domain Press. __________________ Rates.info and Prices.info currently at Sedo auction. No reserve price. Ends 24 May 2012.

05-19-2008, 09:46 AM	#6 (permalink)
jido Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 2,153	Actually, point #4 is something they should really think about. I agree the prospects look dim for the previous points though __________________ ______________________________________ Help with crosswords http://lettercombination.com Pitfalls of Java http://javasyntax.com _______________ f o r . s a l e ______________

05-19-2008, 05:47 PM	#9 (permalink)
jido Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 2,153	FWIW I agree 100% with akcampbell that domainers onboard add to the value of the extension. __________________ ______________________________________ Help with crosswords http://lettercombination.com Pitfalls of Java http://javasyntax.com _______________ f o r . s a l e ______________

05-20-2008, 12:58 AM	#11 (permalink)
akcampbell .Pro Regular Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,360	Diabro, name me one extension where premium keywords aren't owned by domainers and are still available to register that gets developed? If gold wasn't hoarded and scarce, people wouldn't make jewellery out of it and cherish it. If your view was correct, .Pro would have been developed on a grand scale since June 2004 because in the scheme of things there has been little speculation and there are only 6,500 keywords registered. .info gets speculated on, there are are 5m of them, but it also gets developed and brings in alot of money for Afilias. The politics of envy doesn't get alternative extensions developed. Registry.pro has failed miserably because it has been anti-domainer. Being mean spirited and jealous in life or business gets you nowhere. Afilias has been the most domainer friendly alternative extension and it has paid dividends, alot of .info sites are used for the provision of information and people accept its remit. __________________ Rates.info and Prices.info currently at Sedo auction. No reserve price. Ends 24 May 2012.

05-20-2008, 01:47 PM	#15 (permalink)
Ben42 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Chi-Town Posts: 2,115	Well put Campbell. I agree 100%. Nice post. __________________ KG to Pounds Conversion Calculator

05-18-2008, 08:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
netzilla Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,716	Thats good news for the .pro extension. Thanks for sharing.

05-20-2008, 02:15 AM	#12 (permalink)
zuriko Account Suspended Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London UK Posts: 571	Registry PRO is like 50 years old beauty, who do not want to have a sex with normal guys( domainers) and Looking For A Prince On A White Horse (professionals) and deaing VIRGIN!!!((

05-20-2008, 10:50 PM	#18 (permalink)
zuriko Account Suspended Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London UK Posts: 571	Good post akcampbell!!!

05-21-2008, 12:48 AM	#19 (permalink)
akcampbell .Pro Regular Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,360	Diabro, gold is hoarded by an elite few, governments of rich developed countries. Britain sold half it's gold holding in 1999, 415m tonnes for $8bn. Note the comment in the article below that this left Britain with less gold than any other major country. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlConte...08/ngol08.html My use of gold is an analogy, I think it's a good one because gold and domains are an old economy and new economy store of value, both get hoarded, both are coveted because they are scarce and look pretty, both can be "developed" ie into jewellery or web sites or held in raw form, parked or in bullion. Your question about .com is nonsensical. .com is top dog so no extension is "better" than .com. I gave you the option of hundreds of alternative extensions, alot of which are lightly regged by domainers, all you had to do was come up with one that was heavily developed because of the availability of premium keywords. I think you have to make a distinction between squatting which implies illegality, for example regging a non-generic trademark and trying to extract money from the intellectual property owner, divert business, or dilute their brand and genuine domain investors who buy generic keywords. Virtually all .Pro domains registered are generic, the owners are investors in the extension, not squatters. They may hoard on a small scale but accumulation is the essence of capitalism, if you don't like it you should move to North Korea or Cuba. ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=470934 There are no prizes for guessing I have a vested interest in .Pro, I paste it in my signature. It wouldn't make sense to spend so much time writing about .Pro if I didn't have a vested interest. I enjoy promoting .Pro, if people like you help me promote my .info's as well, that's a bonus. I think the fact Registry.pro went cap in hand to ICANN to amend their registry contract and plan to "relaunch" the extension on 14 July suggests they acknowledge making a pig's ear of launching .Pro first time around. Instead, of getting put out by "squatters" and "hoarders" you should reg some .Pros while you still can. It's a gTLD, extremely brandable, and you'll kick yourself 10 years from now if you miss out. __________________ Rates.info and Prices.info currently at Sedo auction. No reserve price. Ends 24 May 2012. Last edited by akcampbell; 05-21-2008 at 04:30 AM.

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