Cnn Has Just Posted An Article About Domain Names On Its Web Site.

[alb770]

some of the article goes like this..

Anthony Malutta, a lawyer who specializes in trademark law at a San Francisco law firm, sees fewer trademark infringement cases thanks to improved laws.

-- he goes on for a while to discuss how trademark violations have decreased over the years, and then he adds this about domain names....

"How long will this model last?" Malutta asked. "It's definitely a temporal piece of real estate. As technology evolves, maybe direct navigation will fall off the charts and there goes your property."

You can view the complete article on cnn's web page...

I find it to be a little concerning...

I am wondering what you guys think about what he had to say...

Any and all opinions about Mr. Malutta's opinions and what he means by "temporal piece of real estate" would be appreciated.

I am also wondering what technologies could lead people away from direct navigation???

Thanks.

 

[DomainMayhem.com]

I read the same story. It's a legitimate concern, for sure. Temporal piece of real estate I took to mean as another way of saying virtual real estate, or real estate for the "mind" and not something that can physically inhabited.

 

[Spade]

I read the same story. It's a legitimate concern, for sure. Temporal piece of real estate I took to mean as another way of saying virtual real estate, or real estate for the "mind" and not something that can physically inhabited.

Im not sure you can classify domain names as non-inhabbitable real-estate. What is a domain name but a redirect to content? I think the issue that is being overlooked is that people are making vast assumptions about the future of technology (specifically related to the internet). I dont see domain names being something that will just go away when a new technology comes into existance. If anything, I believe that whatever new technology comes along to change the internet, will be built ontop of its existing platform.

You need direct navigation, plane and simple. How else would I just go to namepros? I dont want to type in a search bar and then locate it, and then get there, its silly. Domain names are as necessary as signage on a local business.

Justin

 

[DomainMayhem.com]

Ok, there are a few different meanings for temporal, one being "of the mind" another being "fleeting" or temporary. On further thought, it seems he's saying that this type of real estate will be fleeting. And I would absolutely call domains non-inhabitable. They are also being referred to as real estate, but you're not gonna be able to move in. lol

 

[Spade]

They are also being referred to as real estate, but you're not gonna be able to move in. lol

Would you call them Storage space?

 

[ilcesco]

In that context, I think "temporal piece of real estate" means "virtual", something not physical. Of course it's habitable, in the sense that it can be filled with information and content, but not in a traditional way.

The article is old and it's been here before:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/biztech/07/23/domain.name.dealing.ap/

 

[alb770]

I did a search on dictionary.com for Temporal... and this is what it means..


1. of or pertaining to time.
2. pertaining to or concerned with the present life or this world; worldly: temporal joys.
3. enduring for a time only; temporary; transitory (opposed to eternal).
4. Grammar.
a. of, pertaining to, or expressing time: a temporal adverb.
b. of or pertaining to the tenses of a verb.
5. secular, lay, or civil, as opposed to ecclesiastical.


I really kind of agree with what Justin had to say though... any new technologies are still going to need to offer navigation.. no matter what, people are still going to need to get to where we want to go... and that requires direct navigation... How that evolves, who knows??? but people are definitely still going to want and need to go where they want to go...

It shall be interesting, that is for sure...

 

[bigturnip]

In that context, I think "temporal piece of real estate" means "virtual", something not physical.

I think it's fairly obvious from the preceding question "How long will this model last?" that he is talking about domain names being temporary. It's fairly obvious domain names are only temporary, the only question is just how temporary?

"How long will this model last?" Malutta asked. "It's definitely a temporal piece of real estate. As technology evolves, maybe direct navigation will fall off the charts and there goes your property."

 

[Domagon]

Direct navigation is as important, if not more so than ever.

For awhile it seemed like perhaps "keywords" would dominate ... but the various keyword systems have come and gone ... even AOL's system has gone by the wayside - I see AOL keywords mentioned far less in advertisements, etc than I used to.

Many businesses rely on search engine placement, but even that's no longer a sure thing for various reasons, including one few businesses see coming...

Customized user results - as of now, for the most part, results are ordered roughly the same for all users in a particular country, but in the future search engines will order results based on the user's city, search history, etc.

In short, direct navigation will remain and become even more important as time goes on to get business and to retain customers; how else will they return.

Ron

 

[accent]

Telephone numbers are also temporal.

 

[Keynes]

Telephone numbers are also temporal.

And yet they've been there since the beginning when all the critics said they would become obsolete.

 

[ilcesco]

Imo, it's not only a matter of direct navigation. I't mostly about brandability, and I'm not afraid that in 10-20 years domains will not be used anymore, they will, because their use is too much radicated in the popular culture.
Domains hold an intrinsic value (or temporal, if you want to say that) that they are not going to lose anytime soon.

My only concern is the fact that the whole industry is in the hand of few entities and is bounded by their decisions. The only people who can really make a difference are the main browser producers (IE e FF) who can put limits, for istance not showing parked pages or such, and the main controllers of the namespace (Icann).
I've heard lot of non-domainer people claiming the illegitimacy of parked space, because the internet "should be free for anyone" and pretending that if somebody is not using a domain, he shouldn't be holding it. If those people, one day, will obtain anything, well, the industry would be phacked. but I don't see it happen, there are too many interests and money flowing already.

 

[nstalk]

Speaking of a temporal piece of real estate I believe all the ocean front properties are temporal as well. Maybe more so than domain names if the world doesn't get a handle on this global warming climate change soon. Your domain name might outlast your beachfront....if you're wealthy enough to own any.

Another way to look at that is when the mortgage companies quit making loans on water dangered properties their value will go to almost zero.

 

[alb770]

NSTalk that is sad, but still very funny.

Thanks everybody for all the insights... I really appreciate them...

 

[brotherZ]

Can you post the link to the article?

 

[alb770]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/biztech/07/23/domain.name.dealing.ap/index.html

 

[Marck]

By temporal he's saying the value is a fluke that is limited to a unique period in time.

 

[DnPresident]

That article has been out for longer than 24 hrs, I read it some time ago.

At the top beside the date it says last updated.