BEACHFRONT LOTTERY: THE IDEA OF NEVER OWNING (WINNING)

[MAINNET]

If a quality .com domain is like a "beachfront property", let us consider.......

A mortgage on a house can eventually be paid off. The result: You OWN the house.

A loan can be paid in full. The result: You're debt-free.

A domain can be renewed for 5+ years. The result: You continue paying renewals and never own the name.

Wait, what?

At this point in domaining, the transactional logic must be addressed. It's a bit cringe to hear seasoned folks talk about the names they "own" when, in reality, they don't own a single one. Yes, it's a touchy subject and nobody vested in their portfolio beyond the point of delusion is expected to get it. Needless to say, ICANN, registries and registrars are the house in this casino of identity/language.

Honestly, there's no upside to renting a domain for life - other than the rare possibility it could generate you substantially more than what you pay in renewals AT SOME POINT. It's like a lottery ticket. For most domains, a win doesn't apply. Not because it can't. There's simply a systemic treadmill that keeps you renewing in one direction in hopes someone else will eventually take on the responsibility.

THE TRUTH: Domainers have no real equity in the names they register. The registry and registrar have the equity. ICANN/WIPO have the control. All the while, many domainers are delusional because they can update nameservers and decide what lander is on-display. There needs to be an end put to this domain ownership cosplay. Domaining is a game of wash, rinse and repeat for most. This is what makes it a travesty when arguably good names have been redirecting to landers for years and not sites that provide information.

Honestly, it sucks.

The internet tides are shifting and many domainers seem hellbent on seeing the waves as they existed in the 90s. As a result, Innovation in the domain space has suffered and now beachfront property risks being washed out to sea.

Insurance anyone?

 

[biggie]

If a quality .com domain is like a "beachfront property", let us consider.......

A mortgage on a house can eventually be paid off. The result: You OWN the house.

A loan can be paid in full. The result: You're debt-free.

A domain can be renewed for 5+ years. The result: You continue paying renewals and never own the name.

Wait, what?

At this point in domaining, the transactional logic must be addressed. It's a bit cringe to hear seasoned folks talk about the names they "own" when, in reality, they don't own a single one. Yes, it's a touchy subject and nobody vested in their portfolio beyond the point of delusion is expected to get it. Needless to say, ICANN, registries and registrars are the house in this casino of identity/language.

Honestly, there's no upside to renting a domain for life - other than the rare possibility it could generate you substantially more than what you pay in renewals AT SOME POINT. It's like a lottery ticket. For most domains, a win doesn't apply. Not because it can't. There's simply a systemic treadmill that keeps you renewing in one direction in hopes someone else will eventually take on the responsibility.

THE TRUTH: Domainers have no real equity in the names they register. The registry and registrar have the equity. ICANN/WIPO have the control. All the while, many domainers are delusional because they can update nameservers and decide what lander is on-display. There needs to be an end put to this domain ownership cosplay. Domaining is a game of wash, rinse and repeat for most. This is what makes it a travesty when arguably good names have been redirecting to landers for years and not sites that provide information.

Honestly, it sucks.

The internet tides are shifting and many domainers seem hellbent on seeing the waves as they existed in the 90s. As a result, Innovation in the domain space has suffered and now beachfront property risks being washed out to sea.

Insurance anyone?

Hi

even if you pay off the mortgage, you still have to pay property taxes every year.
and depending on location the tax rate could increase.

from what I’ve seen, a lot of domainers who got in early are still surfing those waves from the 90’s as they reap the rewards/equity/profits from their investments.

not owning, in comparison, is less expensive and since we can’t take either with us… then maybe it’s best to keep riding the waves while
they’re still rolling in.

I’ve been riding them more than 20 years now and my surf board still floats

imo…

 

[pb]

Just buy a "forever domain" at epik, what's the problem?

 

[MAINNET]

Hi

even if you pay off the mortgage, you still have to pay property taxes every year.
and depending on location the tax rate could increase.

from what I’ve seen, a lot of domainers who got in early are still surfing those waves from the 90’s as they reap the rewards/equity/profits from their investments.

not owning, in comparison, is less expensive and since we can’t take either with us… then maybe it’s best to keep riding the waves while
they’re still rolling in.

I’ve been riding them more than 20 years now and my surf board still floats

imo…

I see your point.

Renewal rates can increase just like taxes depending on the extension.

A handful of domainers who got in early might be well-positioned financially, but it hasn't done much for innovation and growth of the space overall.

Not owning simply means the rug can be snatched at any time. Should it be at the most inconvenient time, it can be costly and frustrating for an investor at any stage.

Kudos to riding the wave for 20 years. You obviously found a rhythm. As with any juncture at-ocean, folks need to make sure they're wearing a lifejacket because the tides can shift without notice.

Respectfully.

 

[HotKey]

This is a non-starter bro. Domain renewals are for solely for internet integrity. When a domain is sold is you the owner who gets paid.
Even on blockchain like Handshake where you own your TLD there is still a fee every couple of years it is for protection of the name itself.
Imagine an owner dies, and a domain dies with them never to be accessed again by anyone.

 

[MAINNET]

This is a non-starter bro. Domain renewals are for solely for internet integrity. When a domain is sold is you the owner who gets paid.
Even on blockchain like Handshake where you own your TLD there is still a fee every couple of years it is for protection of the name itself.
Imagine an owner dies, and a domain dies with them never to be accessed again by anyone.

"Solely for internet integrity". If only this was true by itself. This might be one of the benefits; but it's surely not the anchoring justification for centralized domain renewals. It's mainly about profit - even if those profits don't necessarily translate into innovation for the space. The fact centralized sales are isolated to a particular extension (.com) and a certain class of investors suggests that renewals and the internet's integrity don't run parallel here.

I'm not advocating against renewals. I'm merely saying they should be a means to an end IF we are to make sense of domain investment and ROI logic. Centralized domains are merely 365 day lottery tickets. The fact there are thousands of TLDs would suggest more people should win and more investments made in domain utility. This in itself could justify constant renewals. Sort of like the concept of the lottery giving to the local schools etc.

You mentioned Handshake (Right on!) which supports the idea of centralized domaining functioning like a casino. Folks pay renewals, rarely win and never own. That's casino-style. Casinos take big winners and publicize them to bring in folks with 0 chance of ever having that experience. In the domain space it's similar - publicize a mega sell from the 90's (maybe something recent) and convince people to renew more. Yeah, it's part of the game but....

Has it disadvantaged centralized domaining along with other things? Absolutely!

As for Handshake, that protocol supports a dynamic that allows the domainer to function in a true owner's capacity. The heartbeat renewal you're referencing is more than reasonable considering EVERY TLD minted can be used to spawn a profitable ecosystem if the owner has the desire to. This justifies there being some mechanism for verifying the owner is still operating. With centralized names, there's no need to do that. After all, ICANN, WIPO and registrars can claw back names even if a person is living. (Ex: UDRPs) So yeah, renewals don't ensure integrity.