discuss Does the world need fewer domains, or more?

[nicenic]

Some days it feels like the internet has too many domains, endless clutter, abandoned sites, forgotten projects, and millions of names parked forever.
Other days, it feels like new ideas still deserve new names, and creativity shouldn't be limited by what's already taken.

So here's the question:

Do we need fewer domains or more?

 

[Eric Lyon]

I think there's plenty of extensions out there already, they just need to be more consistent in competitive pricing. Going from a $8.99 standard reg to a $80,000 reg is a bit of long-stretch.

Other than that, with millions of new births happening across the planet, there's no need to put a cap on how many domains might be needed (junk, parked, developed, landed or otherwise).

 

[Vertibox]

As a society, there needs to be far less junk/stupid/silly and bullshit names being brought to life (ala Frankenstein's monster).
That being said, such names aren't really a problem because all that has happened is the registrant has spent their own money (bad for them but not bad for anyone else), the registrar is wealthier and those domains are rarely or never accessed. So no real harm done. Let them die as they should.
Same for all the abandoned projects. Parked names will all soon disappear as parking becomes a non starter.

There is no possibility that such names can ever be quantified because such names are a social assessment, not a technical one, and so no-one can't ask "the system", "Please calculate all the junk/stupid/silly and bullshit names that exist". Stupid ai can't do that either. So we don't know how many such names exist.

Also, there isn't really a limit to how many names can exist, as more servers, more bandwidth and more energy can always be provided. The only real limit I see is the reliance on unsustainable methods electricity supply.
If Mr Musk can find a way to harness the sun much more effectively than the lame solar panels we have now, then we can solve that problem. That surely is a better endeavour than the stupid and nonsensical voyages into outer space and that our species and other life on earth (plants, animals, etc) can live elsewhere - pure ridiculous fantasy.

 

[Eric Lyon]

That surely is a better endeavour than the stupid and nonsensical voyages into outer space and that our species and other life on earth (plants, animals, etc) can live elsewhere - pure ridiculous fantasy.

Off-topic/vertical comparison:
Some say that earth was originally populated from another (or other) planets and use the archeological findings of things like the baghdad battery to justify the theory.

The Baghdad Battery is an ancient artifact, a clay jar with a copper cylinder and iron rod, found near Baghdad and dated to the Parthian era (c. 200 BC), that functions as a simple galvanic cell when filled with an acidic liquid like vinegar, producing a small electrical current, possibly for electroplating or other purposes, though its exact use remains debated, with theories ranging from religious rituals to simple storage.

Source

17 out of place and time artifact finds: https://www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/out-place-artifacts-020544

On-Topic vertical comparison:
A conceptual parallel that might be drawn is a metaphorical one:

• An OOPart is considered "out of place" in a historical or archaeological context due to a perceived chronological or technological mismatch.
• A domain name can be considered an artifact within the field of digital archaeology and as a cultural indicator of the modern era. While not physical objects like ancient tools, they are human-made digital constructs that provide significant insight into human behavior, technology, and culture at a specific time.

Note: The above just reinforces that there is no cap or limit on a domain names potential registration and that moving forward, in 20 to 50+ years from now, many domains themselves may be considered digital artifacts.

Affordability for mom and pop start-ups is my primary focus on this topic, where newer TLDs are starting to treat domains like brick-n-mortar commercial real-estate, flushing out mom and pops trying to make a living and only welcoming the larger seed funded corporate start-ups.

That's the road it appears to be on anyway. Still lots of affordable domains today, without factoring in the super high premium options.

 

[nicenic]

I think there's plenty of extensions out there already, they just need to be more consistent in competitive pricing. Going from a $8.99 standard reg to a $80,000 reg is a bit of long-stretch.

Other than that, with millions of new births happening across the planet, there's no need to put a cap on how many domains might be needed (junk, parked, developed, landed or otherwise).

Yeah, consistent pricing helps for sure, and clearer value signals could also guide how extensions evolve.

As a society, there needs to be far less junk/stupid/silly and bullshit names being brought to life (ala Frankenstein's monster).
That being said, such names aren't really a problem because all that has happened is the registrant has spent their own money (bad for them but not bad for anyone else), the registrar is wealthier and those domains are rarely or never accessed. So no real harm done. Let them die as they should.
Same for all the abandoned projects. Parked names will all soon disappear as parking becomes a non starter.

There is no possibility that such names can ever be quantified because such names are a social assessment, not a technical one, and so no-one can't ask "the system", "Please calculate all the junk/stupid/silly and bullshit names that exist". Stupid ai can't do that either. So we don't know how many such names exist.

Also, there isn't really a limit to how many names can exist, as more servers, more bandwidth and more energy can always be provided. The only real limit I see is the reliance on unsustainable methods electricity supply.
If Mr Musk can find a way to harness the sun much more effectively than the lame solar panels we have now, then we can solve that problem. That surely is a better endeavour than the stupid and nonsensical voyages into outer space and that our species and other life on earth (plants, animals, etc) can live elsewhere - pure ridiculous fantasy.

The funny part is, no matter how many domains exist, people still want the same twenty good ones

Off-topic/vertical comparison:
Some say that earth was originally populated from another (or other) planets and use the archeological findings of things like the baghdad battery to justify the theory.

The Baghdad Battery is an ancient artifact, a clay jar with a copper cylinder and iron rod, found near Baghdad and dated to the Parthian era (c. 200 BC), that functions as a simple galvanic cell when filled with an acidic liquid like vinegar, producing a small electrical current, possibly for electroplating or other purposes, though its exact use remains debated, with theories ranging from religious rituals to simple storage.

Source

17 out of place and time artifact finds: https://www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/out-place-artifacts-020544

On-Topic vertical comparison:
A conceptual parallel that might be drawn is a metaphorical one:

• An OOPart is considered "out of place" in a historical or archaeological context due to a perceived chronological or technological mismatch.
• A domain name can be considered an artifact within the field of digital archaeology and as a cultural indicator of the modern era. While not physical objects like ancient tools, they are human-made digital constructs that provide significant insight into human behavior, technology, and culture at a specific time.

Note: The above just reinforces that there is no cap or limit on a domain names potential registration and that moving forward, in 20 to 50+ years from now, many domains themselves may be considered digital artifacts.

Affordability for mom and pop start-ups is my primary focus on this topic, where newer TLDs are starting to treat domains like brick-n-mortar commercial real-estate, flushing out mom and pops trying to make a living and only welcoming the larger seed funded corporate start-ups.

That's the road it appears to be on anyway. Still lots of affordable domains today, without factoring in the super high premium options.

Eric, you’re way too knowledgeable! Cant believe you even know that!
And really, who wouldn’t want to be a Kryptonian lol?

 

[katerleonid]

I would say even more. Because for example, even if you own the .com, you might still want the .ai. And if you own keywordinstitute.com, you might also want keyword.institute, I’ve seen this happen over and over again.

 

[Eric Lyon]

Eric, you’re way too knowledgeable! Cant believe you even know that!
And really, who wouldn’t want to be a Kryptonian lol?

I learned about the Baghdad Battery in elementary school back in the early 80's. (I'm a 1991 graduate). Schools in the U.S. seem to change the narrative of teaching every 5 to 10 years (Changing as frequently as the body style of cars). What they teach now is nothing like what they taught back then....

 

[nicenic]

I would say even more. Because for example, even if you own the .com, you might still want the .ai. And if you own keywordinstitute.com, you might also want keyword.institute, I’ve seen this happen over and over again.

I’ve noticed that too, especially as brands secure variants for different product lines.

I learned about the Baghdad Battery in elementary school back in the early 80's. (I'm a 1991 graduate). Schools in the U.S. seem to change the narrative of teaching every 5 to 10 years (Changing as frequently as the body style of cars). What they teach now is nothing like what they taught back then....

So should I be impressed by your memory right now, or did you just go down the rabbit hole because you’re genuinely into this stuff lol?

Either way, having a good memory is definitely a cheat code in this industry!