analysis .aarp - gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain)

[Eric Lyon]

Just like the .aaa domain extension, this .aarp gTLD is restricted to internal use ONLY and not available for public registration. With that in mind I'll publish this, just to have a reference point for the .aarp extension.

.aarp is a delegated Brand gTLD in ICANN's New gTLD Program. American Association of Retired Persons, a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization dedicated to advocating for and helping Americans over the age of 50, manages the TLD. AARP's goal in applying for the delegation of the domain name string in the root zone in the Internet's domain name system and to manage its registry operations is to protect its brand and to use it as a "trusted, hierarchical, and intuitive" domain name space for AARP, its affiliates, subsidiaries, members and Internet users. If approved by ICANN, the organization plans to implement a four-stage roll-out to ensure the success of its transition from delegation to operation. Verisign will serve as its back-end registry service provider.[1]

The extension successfully passed all application requirements and was delegated to the Root Zone 03 November 2015. [2]

Source

Note: Unfortunately, the .aarp ccTLD is not available for public registration and remains an internal domain extension for AARP official use. That means that the .aarp extension is off the table for domain investors and no-bueno!

 

[Future Sensors]

Unfortunately

Why is it unfortunate?

 

[Eric Lyon]

Why is it unfortunate?

Mainly because I was hoping to deep-dive into it and so far, the first 5 in the list are internal use only with no public registrations.

I think I'll just skip over all those moving forward and just jump into the ones open to the public

Note: Though, as an AARP member that takes advantage of all the great discounts (E.g.15% off at Denny's with AARP + paying with one of my 5% CachBack for dining CC's = roughly 20% off every meal), It might be neat to have .aarp become available to members like myself in the future.

Time will tell

 

[bmugford]

This is a great example of what should be a closed extension.

Someone could do serious damage with this extension, scamming old people off the AARP brand awareness.

Brad

 

[Eric Lyon]

This is a great example of what should be a closed extension.

Someone could do serious damage with this extension, scamming old people off the AARP brand awareness.

Brad

Great point!

 

[Future Sensors]

Note: Though, as an AARP member that takes advantage of all the great discounts (E.g.15% off at Denny's with AARP + paying with one of my 5% CachBack for dining CC's = roughly 20% off every meal), It might be neat to have .aarp become available to members like myself in the future.

I was not aware of this, living on the other side of the pond. I still consider it a useless extension that can be retired, as far as I am concerned.

 

[Eric Lyon]

I was not aware of this, living on the other side of the pond. I still consider it a useless extension that can be retired, as far as I am concerned.

Even on this side of the pond, most people think AARP membership is only available to people 55+ in age. I'll be 52 this year and have had AARP for its discounts 3+ years already. (Save an average of $500 to $1100 per year depending on my spending categories each year)

What is not common knowledge is that you technically only have to be 18 years of age or older to get an AARP membership to receive most the benefits. There are some benefits reserved for 55+ or that nobody might even need until they reach that age group.

Added note: at $15 to $20 per yr membership, my savings (referenced above) makes it a good investment for me (even if not domain related, or until registrars start giving an AARP discount, too, which they should... hint, hint).

 

[bmugford]

I was not aware of this, living on the other side of the pond. I still consider it a useless extension that can be retired, as far as I am concerned.

That's pretty much my view as well.

They own the .com. It redirects to .org.

The extension is kind of pointless in my view.

I doubt the vast majority of people would even recognize it as an extension.

Brad

 

[Future Sensors]

I think it's a tongue-in-cheek wink at .arpa. Someone older must have come up with this. Or maybe they made a typo and none of the others noticed.

 

[Eric Lyon]

I think it's a tongue-in-cheek wink at .arpa. Someone older must have come up with this. Or maybe they made a typo and none of the others noticed.

That one's not publicly available either. It appears to be a Legacy extension... The first, actually.