Domain Dojo - Brand Selection Poll

[Rob Monster]

Last weekend, I introduced the idea of a "Domain Dojo" or a Domainer-friendly co-working space. Since then we received a number of domain submissions for possible use as brand names for this innovative concept that is currently in the planning stage as part of a larger expansion plan that centers on co-creation.

The basic premise here is that full-time domainers can live almost anywhere. The inherent nature of the industry is that in many ways it can be highly liberating in terms of work location. And yet most domainers are probably living in the same city or town they were living in before they became a domain investor.

In the meantime, there are places in the world where Digital Nomads have become highly productive. You can find entire directories but here is a typical Dojo in a beach community in Indonesia:

There are a growing number of so-called Dojos, that combine community, lodging, dining, and co-working, often strategically placed near beaches and typically with low operating costs.

There are a staggering number of beautiful places in the world with great Internet service, so why be tied down if you don't need to be. I am personally quite fond of Las Palmas in Gran Canarias, in North Africa, a popular destination for Digital Nomads. Others are fond of places like Ubud, Seychelles, Mauritius, Gozo, etc.

For those of us who regularly attend domain conferences like NamesCon, there is clearly a vibrant domain community. However, this is just once per year. So the thinking of this project is to establish a network of Dojos, where domainers can meet, cooperate, learn from each other, and co-create abundance.

As I know a growing number of people in the industry, and know their respective strengths and capabilities, I see opportunities every day to connect dots and help make things happen that might otherwise not happen. Given the right environment, we could all be doing a lot more of that, online and offline. That's the idea.

With that as context, please help select a domain that would fit the Domainer Dojo Lifestyle!

 

[Dave]

Any other views on below two domains ?

FreshCowork.com

CoworkLiving.com

Yeah my view is don't spam someone else's thread multiple times with your domains.

 

[Eric Lyon]

The basic premise here is that full-time domainers can live almost anywhere. The inherent nature of the industry is that in many ways it can be highly liberating in terms of work location. And yet most domainers are probably living in the same city or town they were living in before they became a domain investor.

In the meantime, there are places in the world where Digital Nomads have become highly productive.

Digital nomads and domain name investors have been working remotely for well over a decade already. The attraction to working from anywhere in the world, or even, anywhere within your country is steadily growing in popularity (I broke free from the chains over 2 decades ago). With more robots/AI/Machines taking jobs each year (E.g. self service/checkout/order/etc.), the online workforce is only going to expand, into new job opportunities and markets that allow for remote work and living to become more of a commonality than before.

As you mentioned, there are hubs or co-work spaces all over the world now providing high speed internet access to nomads passing through. Some, even provide physical office space addresses to receive mail, license a business, and more!

Your Dojo idea isn't new, by any means, however, it caters to a specific niche market (Domain investors), which most the pre-existing co-work spaces are very generalized and cater to anyone in need of a space to work out of.

If we couple your traditional co-work spaces and turn them into a hybrid co-work space + bed & breakfast (wrapped into one burrito), it changes things even more. Over night, short-term, and long-term opportunities and revenue streams emerge that help all different types of digital nomads accomplish what they need for their unique lifestyle.

At the end of the day, with the saturation of co-work spaces already out there, it really boils down to what makes you different from all the rest. The unique traits, branding, services, features, etc. that have you standing out in the crowd and everyone talking about it.

Have you compiled a list of things yet that would accomplish the above?

 

[Rob Monster]

Well, folks, here comes the curveball. The winner is:

TokiVille.com

Yes, it is a dark horse and one I registered after the poll started. You deserve an explanation, and also the folks who had submitted one or candidates also deserve a reward.

So, why TokiVille?

As many of you know, Epik has been incubating a decentralized search engine called Toki.com. Some of you know that we have been developing a Toki Server. What is a Toki server? It is a decentralized internet hub -- basically a locally hosted internet access point that powers content, community and commerce at a local level, while also providing power-efficient and bandwidth-efficient internet access.

Concurrent with developing the Toki.com search engine and the Toki Server technology, we have also started the process of recruiting local Mayors to work as Digital Empowerment champions in local communities under the direction of Country Managers and Brand Ambassadors where each major region has 1 Brand Ambassador and who helps onboard and empower Mayors.

So, why will Mayors do this work? For one thing there is some prestige because the Mayor is basically empowered to turn off people's internet access. Of course people can also boycott the Mayor's Toki. So, this is the check and balance needed for local accountability. The Mayors have an incentive to provide power, bandwidth, storage and uplink because doing so earns them .... TOKI, a proprietary crypto.

What can you do with Toki? Well, right now, nothing. However, if a Toki Server has 10 or more active users, who agree to transact in Toki, they can become a TokiVille. And now you have a pop-up community that can advertise its amenities on Tokiville.com so that people who want community and other amenities with their free bandwidth, they can find a Tokiville that fits their needs.

It is a bit ironic that we were calling these Toki server owners "Mayors" long before we conceived the name TokiVille. You can call that coincidence. I call it providence. There was an underlying vision for decentralized local governance with network-wide interoperability. When Masterbucks 2.0 comes online in early 2020, it will let you redeem Toki.

Right now, although the servers still look a little rough, they are tiny powerhouses, a little bigger than a deck of cards, and can serve 500 people with Internet concurrently while they run a suite of local applications, and capable of enduring extreme heat of summer in equatorial climates. We are still working on the software for WiFi mesh and bandwidth-efficient data communication.

The other thing that has started is the recruitment of Digital Librarians. The first one will likely start next month in Nigeria, responsible for compiling the master directory of knowledge that can be stored on a local Toki server on a 32 GB SD card as a sort of knowledge base that Toki searches even if there is no uplink. The Toki server can optionally connect to an external Network Attached Storage via USB 3.0.

As for the TokiVille.com site, the design work has begun. The concept there is to create a sort of CouchSurfing user experience for Mayors to promote their venues as destinations. The technology to do is also designed to be decentralized based on the so-called Fediverse.

If we do this right, then at a TokiVille, you will be able to buy and sell products and services. You will have the option of settling a bill in Toki instantly -- no waiting 6 confirmations for your transaction to clear as with BTC. You can also take your Toki with you, or deposit it at Masterbucks.com as a cloud wallet and cloud exchange.

Does Toki sound crazy? It might be. We are working on it anyway. It is good news for domainers, because we'll mostly use standard domains across a private Quantum-resistant VPN that runs over our own BGP, ASN, DNS with DNSSEC, SSL from DNEncrypt, and our CDN and DDoS mitigation. The $60 servers can run for more than 24 hours at full tilt using a $20 on-board battery array.

What about our poll contestants? I have good news. If you were a finalist in our poll, PM me your Epik email address to collect $100 to your Epik account balance as a thank you for co-creating. It was this poll that inspired the decision to tinker around the edges of the Dojo concept and connect the dot to the Toki project that is intended as a decentralized network that empowers massive co-creating abundance.

Feedback welcome!

@Taylor Ervin
@Miao
@epik

 

[Rob Monster]

Also, thanks to @Lox who had the brand Domunity.com which got a lot of votes in our poll. He donated his $100 to Nigerian eRise fund. Those funds were deposited today @domainexpert77 @Abdullah Abdullah

 

[Josh R]

If Domunity, I would need to have Dommunity as well.

 

[Ategy]

I really hoped you would have put some choices with "Brand" in there. As I previously mentioned, I really think the concept could have gone a lot further in being a location not just for domainers to chill, but for entrepreneurs and end-users looking for help in branding their new/upcoming businesses. Would be great for them to be able to brainstorm with domainers .. and hopefully end up with an end-user sale .. or at the very least end with the entrepreneur leaving with a bit more education on the value of a domain and respect for the industry.

In the same light, I really think the name of these locations should be understandable to people not currently familiar with domains or branding, but who might be curious walking by. While there are some decent names there (Grandia is a nice one), the only ones that make sense for what I'm talking about are the "Name_" domains (since there are no "Domain" domains, nor what would have been my first choice with "Brand" domains). These satellite locations are just full of opportunity to grow the end-user domain business .. would be a shame to waste such a golden opportunity because they just pass it by because it has a sign outside that doesn't invite them in for the reasons we'd want.

PS .. I also really don't get how you have Name/Dojos, but not DomainDojos? lol

Alliteration = 10x memorability

 

[Ategy]

Ya know....that's a very astute observation. I get what you mean. It just didn't occur to me before. Interesting that it occurred to you so quickly.

ADDED: 90% of the submissions AND votes are based on not really fully thinking or knowing who the actually intended end user is going to be .. it's like people don't even understand the purposed of getting a good domain/brand is to attract your target audience ... if you don't know your target audience then coming up with a proper name/brand is like throwing a dart off the Empire State Building with your target in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

I said it before in some of the other contests .. "DN" has ZERO relevance to anybody but people ALREADY established in the industry .. picking a DN+ name is a really nice way to add a ton of confusion to your brand and alienate almost all walk-in traffic and lower your online click-through rate.

It's not so bad when it comes to being very industry centric where your intended audience is only existing domainers. Again .. this is why I asked for clarity above. It makes a HUGE difference whether you want to invite non-experienced domains or not. Neither choice is necessarily wrong depending on what you want .. although for the reasons I've mentioned many times now, I think it would be a shame to make this limited ONLY to existing domainers. Not only that .. but I'm not even sure such hubs could even be finacially viable without having a bit of a wider scope.

ADDED: Domainers would be VASTLY more willing to go and pay for the lodging knowing there was a regular stream of potential start-up entrepreneurs (aka END USERS $$$) coming for help with branding and domains!

Not only that .. but even if an experienced domainer walks down the street and see DN+ .. they almost definitely will not make the very unexpected link to domain names unless there is further information available. They'll simply think it's a place named after Don Notts!
(I know it's Don Knotts with a K, but I can't think of a DN celebrity at the moment .. lol)

 

[Ategy]

FYI for those a little taken aback from the change in direction along the way .. I had several discussions with Rob on this topic over the last few weeks .. and I can tell you his vision evolved significantly.

I had some great ones that I think would have been far superior brands *IF* the focus was to be on branding (BrandingCampus) or a location focused for Domainers (DomainerCampus).

But in the end the goal of these locations is to be multifaceted and not uniquely dedicated for domainers. If anything, the primary function is to be distribution hubs for the Toki machines.

In my last email I actually recommended that focusing uniquely on "Dojos" at remote beach locations would be a mistake if Toki distribution were the most important aspect as the local "Toki Mayors" likely would never go to such places on a regular basis. While a beach "dojo" would be fun and might be logistically workable in some locations, for the most part it would in fact be wiser to maybe have cafe type settings in locations where regulars actually do go from time to time as opposed to some remote resort location.


So as all that evolved, that effectively eliminated everything related to Names/Domains, and even things that included "dojo".

I'm not sure about the inclusion of "Toki" in the brand, as it probably might not be relevant to anyone but the mayors and people in the more remote regions where the Toki machines are mostly used, but I do think "ville" is definitely something that works, and more importantly is flexible enough to be used for multiple types of venues (both beach dojo's and more smartly located central cafe's).


I'll agree it's a bit frustrating for things to change so much and/or not to be clear from the start .. but that's the way @Rob Monster works .. lol .. I'm encouraging him to slow down a bit .. but I wouldn't bet too much on that!

It should also be noted that some people run similar polls and don't offer prizes .. we don't really ever see anyone ever challenging those threads ...

All that to say, in my opinion, this wasn't just some publicity thing .. and I think it's cool that Rob's paying out prizes anyways. If this was his only contest, then I could understand the scepticism, but give the information visible in these threads, combined with my private exchanges with him, I can safely say that while this definitely could have been better organised and communicated, (my opinion is that) this poll and contest were not just some publicity stunt.

 

[kandyan]

The purpose is well written in the poll question...

Frankly this clarity is not given in previous thread and lot of explanation of the lifestyle was highlighted...

I think this is the contest with entries most of them are made up and trying hard to be relevant to the project...

-

Last weekend, I introduced the idea of a "Domain Dojo" or a Domainer-friendly co-working space.

The basic premise here is that full-time domainers can live almost anywhere.

I got little confused with the initial post too.. This is mainly about - Co/Remote work, in that case I think Rob should Re Create this poll with New submissions to find a better/fitting name - IMO.

 

[Sumeeth]

Guys, what do you think of DojoMeet.com ?

Thanks,

 

[Rob Monster]

Your project and Rob's might converge in certain areas and in certain aspects and as such might be able to complement each other. You both might be able to benefit from each other's advice and assistance. I wish you both good luck and success.

IMO

Thanks - that is actually a conversation I look forward to having.

As context, earlier this year, Epik hired 2 ridiculously talented engineers in a remote part of rural Mississippi, who happen to be cousins, but each with some unique talents.

One of them, Jon, lives in a trailer. He has been building stereo amplifiers since he was 8 years old and has a smart home powered by a solar energy system that he designed and built himself for about $500 all-in.

Suffice it to say, I harbor no baggage when it comes to who might reside in RV communities. I know for sure that there is untapped talent in a whole lot of places -- much of it just waiting to be unleashed.

 

[Laguna]

Any other views on below two domains ?

FreshCowork.com

CoworkLiving.com

I guess your waiting for someone to tell you how wonderful they are, so here goes. Those two names your mentioned are the best I've ever seen and are valued around 1M each. Feel better now ?

 

[Josh R]

Ok - I gift to @Ategy for all the great lists he puts together at NameCult.

 

[Rahul Sinha]

I have few submissions so I won't comment on any names . But overall looks like few great nominations .

 

[vravis9]

The purpose is well written in the poll question...

Frankly this clarity is not given in previous thread and lot of explanation of the lifestyle was highlighted...

I think this is the contest with entries most of them are made up and trying hard to be relevant to the project...

I liked only one...and voted to..

Collab.org

I think the core concept is to staying together and working together... don't know why there is need of DN/domain/name words in the name for this project...that is like something else...
I see some are using same mantra of DN at the start to get attention...

And Dojo is described to say about lifestyle but again it in the name doesn't look cool and definitely not needed.

Just my opinions.

Good luck to all and @Rob Monster

I don't have my names in this list.

Thanks,
Ravi

 

[Silentptnr]

Just noticed this thread...

Perhaps consider Connyct.com. Its one I hand registered some time ago. Might be an appropriate brandable.

Some decent names available for hand reg could work too...

universaldojo.com
dnremote.com
dnhotspot.com
domainermobile.com
domainerconnect.com
dnmgmt.com

Just thought I would add a comment.

 

[urlurl]

not a fan of 'dojo' names - kind of old school and reminds me of a Karate studio

'Hub' is the modern term used now, surprised I didn't see any hub names

 

[bmugford]

Dojo = Martial arts to me, and I am sure many others.

I don't really like that in branding personally.

Collab.org is the best domain on the list, though I am not sure this is the best use for it.

Brad

 

[Blitzpotz]

It is surprising that they were looking for a .com, people invested time to build their .com submission lists and an .org seems to win.

Collab.org is the best domain in the field but is it the best for the purpose? This name may be confusing in practice as the .com and the .net are in use with IT content.

I voted for DNcollab.com, I like the DN prefix which already stands for a few other Epik projects. If I were Rob I would buy both names. The DN....com for active use and the .org as an investment, perhaps to be activated later or to be sold with a nice profit.

Note: I do not know the registrants of both domains.

 

[Rob Monster]

Digital nomads and domain name investors have been working remotely for well over a decade already. The attraction to working from anywhere in the world, or even, anywhere within your country is steadily growing in popularity (I broke free from the chains over 2 decades ago). With more robots/AI/Machines taking jobs each year (E.g. self service/checkout/order/etc.), the online workforce is only going to expand, into new job opportunities and markets that allow for remote work and living to become more of a commonality than before.

As you mentioned, there are hubs or co-work spaces all over the world now providing high speed internet access to nomads passing through. Some, even provide physical office space addresses to receive mail, license a business, and more!

Your Dojo idea isn't new, by any means, however, it caters to a specific niche market (Domain investors), which most the pre-existing co-work spaces are very generalized and cater to anyone in need of a space to work out of.

If we couple your traditional co-work spaces and turn them into a hybrid co-work space + bed & breakfast (wrapped into one burrito), it changes things even more. Over night, short-term, and long-term opportunities and revenue streams emerge that help all different types of digital nomads accomplish what they need for their unique lifestyle.

At the end of the day, with the saturation of co-work spaces already out there, it really boils down to what makes you different from all the rest. The unique traits, branding, services, features, etc. that have you standing out in the crowd and everyone talking about it.

Have you compiled a list of things yet that would accomplish the above?

Thanks Eric.

As you might imagine, I have barely begun to think through the logistics of a network of Dojos. That said, I can see it coming into view and trust that the right people with the right talents will come together to test the hypothesis, and then scale it if it works.

Operationally, because I don't come from the lodging/hospitality world, my plan would be to partner with people who are good at standing up and operating Dojos and could help create a brand around a set of user experiences and workflows that would make it easy to navigate across a network of Dojos in a way that is frictionless, e.g. unified payment systems, booking engines, messaging, etc. This actually aligns with the planned rollout of Toki servers around the world which also has a unified but decentralized framework for identity and payment.

Funny enough, the domain name Dojoville.com, which is polling well, was actually my own hand registration. Why? I was thinking that if Jimmy Buffet can create a brand around Margaritaville, then I should be able to create a brand around a network of Dojos. The "ville" part was about extending the user experience to being some kind of community experience where there is some sense of being part of something larger than yourself without losing yourself. This is also why I talk a lot about co-creating, where you can contribute to an idea, or advance an agenda, without sacrificing personal sovereignty.

As you can probably sense, we are moving at blazing speed, and are very happy to work with anyone who wants to help. It helps to be the kind of guy who wants to lift people up without worrying too much about who makes money or who gets credit. And since you have apparently stepped down as Moderator of NamePros this week, I assume that you are in the process of fully answering some calling. If so, good for you, even though you leave big shoes to fill at NP. PM me if you want details or want to synch a call.

 

[oldtimer]

Funny enough, the domain name Dojoville.com, which is polling well, was actually my own hand registration.

Rob, Dojoville.com is a great choice, perhaps you can make it your main brand and still use a few of the other domains as sub brands for targeting specific groups.

IMO

 

[Randolph]

@Randolph .. I don't necessarily disagree with you .. but if the goal here isn't to ultimately end up with something for domainers and help them grow, and instead just be a part of something bigger that includes one small part domains .. then what are we doing here as domainers? I mean .. just go to an existing dojo?

I totally agree with the numbers concern .. which is why I thought best to not even start with hard/set locations.

Anyhow .. what you talk about sounds great .. but again .. then no need for us to really do anything here .. let's just all go to something a place that already exists .. talk to the owner about maybe adding a bit about domains.

I'm not even saying that in a bad way .. it's a choice (and in all honesty .. it makes sense) .. but that choice pretty much ends our project here. In all honesty .. a domainer probably would have more success being surrounded by non-domainers, and instead more start-up focused entrepreneurs. Less domainer competition .. more potential buyers.

The way I meant to portray it was to intermingle domainers with others. Networking on a horizontal scale to benefit all industries.

Domainers don't only sell domains. They market, brand, design, deploy. Marketers, salespersons, graphic designers, software developers may not know the value of domains — but we can all surely learn and benefit from each other.

Weave domaining and it's benefits into all industries.

 

[wakguano]

With "domain" in a name u will attract domainers only AND scare off end users

U should have a cool name from a buyers perspective, not from domainers/investors

"Brand" is more suitable

Thats i s just my newbie opinion

 

[oldtimer]

Guys, what do you think of DojoMeet.com ?

Thanks,

Dojo meet sounds good

IMO