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!

 

[Eric Lyon]

Eric, isn't what you are doing and what Rob is doing a little different in the way that you are providing an opportunity for people to work on camps while being nomad and Rob is trying to get successful domainers who are already well off to go enjoy some of the nicer destinations while still being able to carry on with their domaining and perhaps exchange ideas with other successful domainers at their Dojo.

Both are good projects, but perhaps a little different in nature, for most domsiners who are having a hard time selling any domains they might have to come to your camp unless Rob lets them work in his blueberry farm so that they can pay for their renewals.

IMO

For WorkCamped, sure, it's more static in context, with hops in-between camps, however, OfficeDrift, is more nomadic and constantly on the move.

And yes, my ventures do go in a different direction and cater to all tax brackets as well as multiple niches and nomadic lifestyles.

Rob should definately go with something he feels expresses his dream and branding direction the best.

 

[Rob Monster]

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

The intent is to appeal to a much broader audience -- an audience that wants to practice their professional competency in an environment where their presence as non-locals is welcome and in fact a positive.

Contrast the typical label that a foreigner gets in Indonesia, which is "Bule". This guy is a mark, a rich guy to be fleeced but not genuinely be-friended. That seems a rather sad co-existence to me.

I think in the ideal scenario, a bunch of folks from around the world drop into a "Dojo" in Lagos, where cost of living is very cheap, and the beaches are nice and are immediately among trusted persons.

To visit, there should be vetting, similar to couchsurfing, i.e. people don't just get to show up. You get checked out a bit, since the guest is among persons with digital wealth, e.g. domains, crypto, etc.

In other words, you shouldn't have to say to someone else, hey "watch my stuff, I am going for a swim". It is implied. The culture of having each other's back in the context of community is desirable.

The other thing that fascinates me is learning about tools. This weekend @Pat8 this figured out tools for Dashboarding and social media management. I imagine him hanging out in a Dojo him for a month.

Stay tuned, but I think this idea will happen and it will be cool.

 

[oldtimer]

For WorkCamped, sure, it's more static in context, with hops in-between camps, however, OfficeDrift, is more nomadic and constantly on the move.

And yes, my ventures do go in a different direction and cater to all tax brackets as well as multiple niches and nomadic lifestyles.

Rob should definately go with something he feels expresses his dream and branding direction the best.

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

 

[Josh R]

Although .org can be used for any purpose now, but most people still associate it with non commercial organizations, as I said perhaps @Rob Monster can clarify the route he wants to take with the Dojo project, but if it was up to me I would rather go with a .com domain in this case.

Collab .org can make a great domain for some organization, but I don't think that Dojo is the right use for it, although others might think differently.

IMO

For sure.. It's potentially not the right fit. I think Dojo is related to co-working and collaboration which is probably why it's on the list.

I've personally never heard of the word "Dojo" until seeing this, but in today's world you don't typically call your virtual reality company VirtualRealityVille or VRVille... People use names like Jaguar, Strata, Revolve, Leap, etc.

Of course, it's a matter of opinion but I like to base my opinions on current branding and marketing trends.

 

[oldtimer]

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

TokiVille.com

Congrats, TokiVille is a great name for this project,

For those who follow your threads it's easy to see how things evolved from Toki to DojoVille and finally to TokiVille

Perhaps you can continue with the Toki theme for future projects.

IMO

 

[Rob Monster]

And here are our finalists that have collected $100 bounties:

@SuperBrander for ePurpose.com
@oldtimer for Dojoster.com.
Alex Chung (non-member) for Zenternet.com
@NicTraders for NameNirvana.com
@bulkdomainz for DojoVille.com
@Rahul Sinha for DNCollab.com, DNtogether.com, DNBeach.com, Dojoers.com

I have not heard from others but we'll take care of them as they come forward.

Thanks again for all the great input and helping me to connect some dots that needed to be connected.

 

[domainexpert77]

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

Confirmed Here.

Special thanks to @Lox. We really appreciate your benevolence

 

[Rob Monster]

If buyer have decided to use his own reg name he have to pay 100s of dollars???
i would suggest rob to not open threads in future like this..
these threads are good for us as we have chance to sell our names to him but if we claim here rob to pay 100s of usd to everyone we are not doing right..
if some guys reg names to win contest they can claim only names they regged in time frame and they should get only reg amount...

Thats my personal opinion..

here we are pressurizing someone to pay 100s and 100s of dollars and he is paying to save his reputation..

Sorry but i am not agree on this..

@Riz M. - All good here. It is Epik account credit. The total spend for getting some great advice will be under $1500. It was worth it. Appreciate the concern, and am not setting any precedent here where poll contestants should expect to be compensated. I was returning a favor, because I benefited from the banter.

 

[Sumeeth]

If buyer have decided to use his own reg name he have to pay 100s of dollars???
i would suggest rob to not open threads in future like this..
these threads are good for us as we have chance to sell our names to him but if we claim here rob to pay 100s of usd to everyone we are not doing right..
if some guys reg names to win contest they can claim only names they regged in time frame and they should get only reg amount...

Thats my personal opinion..

here we are pressurizing someone to pay 100s and 100s of dollars and he is paying to save his reputation..

Sorry but i am not agree on this..

Rob is people's person and we all know he is taking opinions of different domainers around the world by involving them for choosing a brand name.. may be this is called as crowd sourced domaining.. this involves effort of people may be brain storming and discussion on pros and cons of brand name. Finally he is getting the brand name which he thinks the best considering opinions from people all over the world.. Coming to gift , he had probably big heart and he is paying for suggesting few brand names for his project and nobody demanding 100$ credit.. Basic principle what he might be following is giving back something to society from what he gets...

Thanks,
Sumeeth

 

[BradWilson]

Congrats on the selection and even though I was initially taken aback I realized Rob is fully in his rights to decide the outcome.

The goal has always been to get the very best fit and even though I was late submitting my picks which I thought were pretty good, I respect the outcome.

For me I need more discipline when I submit names and will need to force myself to send my list to Rob for the bounty instead of registering all of them.

And lastly, Rob is displaying great integrity and IMO is a classy guy to be offering $100 to those in the poll. Well done.

 

[Michael Ehrhardt]

DD Domain Dojo

 

[Pedro Santos]

I'm scratching my head at my DnDojos.com not making this list

 

[karmaco]

OptWork is a very ideal brand name for co-working solutions.
(Opt = Ideal, Optimum, Select etc.)
Also, only 7-Letter, 2-Syllable; very short, descriptive and memorable.

All the best!

Actually that is not what Opt means. Opt is an actual word.


opt
/äpt/
verb

1. make a choice from a range of possibilities.

 

[Lox]

Isn’t that one letter off from the Tesla registration of cybrtrk?

Nope

 

[Lox]

Think outside the box ... about people who want to finally meet domainers to help them find / create brand name / rebrand, the name that make a difference, and not just to get a sunny beach view or a 10oz of mountain oxygen. You can always host the Domain / Brand Name event, workshop (sponsored by local business or registry, registrar or hosting company ... whatever suit’s t local people). Live online streaming. ... “We've got your back” attitude. (Reserve your free or $xx tickets @ Fullvenue (?) . IMO

 

[branding]

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.

Dnhotspot has potential. Nice find.

 

[Rob Monster]

I'm scratching my head at my DnDojos.com not making this list

That was my oversight. It should have been on the list. -- my copy-paste edit late at night while trying to get the poll out the door on Friday. I asked a Mod to edit it.

Also, just FYI, poll responses can be updated. The poll will remain open for 7 days.

Rob

 

[Dave]

DNCollab is also a strong contender. It may actually fit better with your recent DN+word services like DNProtect.

 

[Ategy]

I'm scratching my head at my DnDojos.com not making this list

That was my oversight. It should have been on the list. -- my copy-paste edit late at night while trying to get the poll out the door on Friday. I asked a Mod to edit it.

Or DomainDojos.com for that matter ??? lol


@Rob Monster .. could you checklist what requirements you're looking for that you've mentioned? It might help people understand what you're looking for and actually end up with votes based on what you're actually looking for as opposed to what they think you're looking for and/or simply the best sounding generic random brand.

I've put my assumptions strictly based on what I've read as well as based on some of the candidates you've accepted .. but please copy/edit and correct based on exactly what you want at this point.


Domain Dojos Brand should represent:

(1) The locations?
1 - Not necessarily, but preferred
(1b) Are you looking for a brand for the network, or individual locations? (Singular v Plural)
1b - Network (plural could be acceptable)

(2) General concept of working remotely?
2 - If possible

(3) Implying the co-workspace concept/lifestyle?
3 - Yes (PRIMARY FOCUS)

(4) People getting together (not necessarily just at those locations)?
4 - If possible +

(5) keeping domains in focus?
5 - Not necessarily ??? <--- This needs to be clear

(6) Have all the other elements of a good domain name (Radio test, correct grammar, good/strong wordflow, have meaning to majority of intended target audience, etc)?
6 - Yes-ish .. lol (No offence to C / y / b / r / t / r / k / s .. but is that really a choice?)

(7) Brand needs to be understandable by people other than existing domainers?
7 - No (because you included DN names that only domainers would get at first)

(8) Will the project be for profit (Cafe/Hotel/etc)?
8 - Maybe (given the inclusion of a .org, although .org's don't always need to be not for profit)

(9 | My Extra .. lol) Brand encourages invitation for entrepreneurs and potential end users to come and work with domainers on helping brand their start-ups (and hopefully encourage sales)?
E - No (this is the one I wished would be yes, but most names don't fit)


I'm not saying what should or shouldn't be requirements .. I'm just saying what the requirements appear to be given the information at this point. The final requirements should really be up to you, even if I and others think differently.

Obviously there are also different levels of relevance .. like a one-word domain scores signficantly higher in #6 that indeed it could merit overlooking the other requirements. The guidelines don't need to be absolutes, but it certainly would help clarify a lot for a lot of the people confused above.


I really think all these parameters should have been discussed, debated and hammered out before inviting submissions .. but it is what it is .. also a lot of people have voted blindly without really knowing the actual preferred parameters .. kinda skews the results .. but that actually doesn't matter so much now because you've thankfully established that winner isn't necessarily the one with the most votes (a very good thing in general), but the vote at least would have had some meaning and be a little more helpful if the parameters were clear from the start.


PS .. I really do wish you'd reconsider including #9 above and include what @Lox and I have mentioned .. I really think that if this takes off that it would be a great idea. Everyone always complains that there's not much tangible we can do as a community to grow and encourage end user demand .. this really has the opportunity to be one of the very few tangible projects to actually do that!

 

[bmugford]

Just for Everyone Info , Collab has an active trademark .

There are many trademarks for popular terms.

At the end of the day collab is a generic term, with a generic use.

Any trademark would have to be an obvious secondary meaning to have any chance of being enforceable.

Brad

 

[Ategy]

@Rahul Sinha .. almost every word and abbreviated word is going to have a trademark .. the question is if the trademark is actually relevant ... in this case I highly doubt it. I'd actually be more concerned with checking for Co-Lab or Co-Labs (with or without the hyphens).

Remember that marks need to be infringing on far more than just the term/mark .. it also needs to impede on the specific trademark classes and territories. One of the ones you linked is a business involved with Cannabis .. so exactly zero relevance.

 

[sharastar]

I Loved Domunity.com and Collab.org and so voted it.

Love the name as it is clear with the meaning for Domain Community and also Domain Unity (Team of Domainers).

If you want to expand to other areas other than Domaining then collab.org would be good but still collab.com would even be great.

 

[Ategy]

Also think about the logistics of it, what if a thousand End Users showed up to the Dojo, it won't be a Dojo anymore. Although it would be great if you could get a thousand End Users who want to buy domains in one place with domainers, but you have to call it something else.

I had added another paragraph to my post above which is about the logistics of getting the End Users involved in Domainer's Dojo, so your ideas make sense, but it's a whole different ball game, perhaps you can start a new thread and let people come up with suggestions as far as how to get Domainers and End Users in one place.

WOAH !!! lol .. In what world are there thousands of potential new end-users coming out of the woodworks looking for help? I want to be on that planet!

No .. first of all .. these locations are likely going to start very small .. so having them open to people looking for help would actually make them more viable to begin with.

My thoughts were more along the lines that there's be a small handful of domainers there each day and hopefully more than one or two people (end-user) walking in a day asking for advice or help or suggestions!

In fact .. the demand will likely be so small at the start that most of these location will likely be virtual in that they be part of existing similar co-work locations, as I'm not sure how viable it would be to simply build new ones all over when growth will likely be slow and progressive over time .. remember that only about 1,000 domainer made the trip to Vegas each year for the biggest event in the industry. The domain industry doesn't have enough people to justify tons of huge locations.

I like the thought of having them in touristy enough places good for "travelling domainers" to lodge long term, as well as being accessible in the day to the local people involved in Rob's/Epik's growing domainer empowerment ecosystem.

But one end user a day buying a $1000 domain divided by let's say 5 domainers = $200 .. A DAY per domainer = $73,000 per domainer per year per location! PLUS It also equals more liquidity for all domainers and the industry as a whole. In time that could and would potentially be significantly more.

The scale I see this at really doesn't involve making any logistical changes in any way ... the domainers in question will likely be lodging there .. there will be communal areas, maybe a cafe .. that's where I see people coming in and looking for advice.

Heck .. at the start there likely won't even be any end-users walking in for a while.

But all I'm saying is that simply by choosing a name/domain that is inclusive and understandable to potential end users, then at least there's a significantly increased chance they will come ... more importantly .. the only cost is maybe starting a new thread/contest with a clearer focus, more refined requested attributes, or adding some relevant names to the above list. No bulldozers or engineers necessary!

 

[Randolph]

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

I think DojoVille is the only viable name on this list. Don't second guess yourself, Rob.

 

[Leopard]

NamePros.com by itself is a cool Domain Dojo

It is the people, interaction, knowledge sharing and collaborative opportunities that makes it special.

Domaining, I feel is part-time activity for most people. Most domaining activities - domain search, auctions, outbound, inquiries, sales and transactions happen online. For a physical domain dojo to be successful and sustainable over a period of time, it needs to bring in some real value addition and reason for people to hangout in physical presence. Now that's what probably needs to be brainstormed first. What is the pain
point ? What is the problem we are addressing ? What are we trying to achieve in a Domain Dojo. How is a physical DomainDojo solving the problem ?

I am sure there may be some real use-cases. The key is to figure them out.

- Leopard