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!

 

[Leopard]

Cool Rob. Seem they can cater to multiple Epik initiatives. Fun to create a decentralized organization across geographies.

Wish you and Epik success with these ventures.

Regards
Leopard

 

[Ategy]

@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.


@Crypto2020 .. as far as I know submissions are closed .. @Rob Monster .. care to clarify?


@urlurl .. DodoVille would still be cool .. possibly even cooler!


@Leopard .. The #1 pain-point of most domainers is not selling enough domains! lol ... And i'll have to disagree with you on "Not just meet some end-users, who already have a ton of resources online" ... many people can't be bothered jumping through the hoops of all those services .. they want basic information given by a human and then the ability to ask questions or get quick individualised help. Agreed though .. there is no denying those others things also have a market .. but one does not exclude the other .. in fact .. I'd say personalised in person communications is vastly more meaningful and helpful than anything anyone could get at BB or SH.

It most certainly does not just have to be about that .. the only reason I kept bringing up that as point was to try to make sure the brand name kept that aspect incorporated. It in no way precluded finding/doing tons of other things for domainers.

A few end-users walking in to interact with domainers is not sustainable for Epik or domainers to keep hanging out.

It's not about sustainability .. in theory these travelling domainers already quit their local/home jobs .. they're on the road to be travelling domainers .. they will be paying for their room and board (as far as I know) ... NOBODY should embark on such a journey/adventure unless they are ALREADY profitable domainers! Otherwise those that are newer and not profitable yet most certainly could benefit from learning from others in that environment while on a short vacation .. but I strongly advise no one pack up and leave their current settings/jobs, unless they have an established record of domain sales with enough consistency to ensure being able to pay for their adventure in the long term.

That said .. I think another point of these locations is to include and help local domainers. Being around successful domainers would definitely be beneficial to them (and in turn Epik if they become more active domainers with growing portfolios)

What I'm talking about in terms of getting end users to come is not about helping domainers survive .. it's about helping them make MORE money above what they should already be making.

I'm just saying the domainers are going to be there .. simply have an open door policy to anyone curious about domains .. particularly entrepreneurs who are looking for one on one advice/help in getting a domain for their next big idea. Better yet .. have a name over the door that makes doing so inviting to them. The alternative is simply keeping the door closed to outsiders as mentioned by @oldtimer .. which I just don't get?

And again .. definitely do as you're saying and identify other potential pain-points as you say. I'm just talking about one thing that could help bring domainers more money as well as enhances awareness to the value of good domains .. it in no way means everything else everyone is suggesting can't be done as well. Seriously .. let's do as much as possible!

 

[oldtimer]

@Rob Monster , looks like you are on your way to make domaining history,

 

[Sumeeth]

In my opinion, DojoVille. is not bad, I think ville is french word meaning for city or town.. so it's something Dojo + city or town etc..

Also pronouncing 'ville' may not be easily understandable to all section of world when we pronounce in the air ville.. when we pronounce ville it can be heard as Villa or vile etc..

 

[Rob Monster]

BTW, this is the other reason we need Toki-powered Dojos:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/New...-internet-shutdown-amid-ongoing-protests.html

Imagine you lived in Iran right now. Call me crazy but if I were in Iran, I would be getting out of dodge and going and working in some Toki-powered beach Dojo

Like it or not, there are about to be a heck of a lot more Digital Nomads.

 

[falez]

the same pretty lonely feeling ..on day 1 voted for cybrtrks.com and finally 1 more by @falez . Thanks @falez

if Elon Musk likes it, it must be good lol

 

[Ategy]

In my opinion, DojoVille. is not bad, I think ville is french word meaning for city or town.. so it's something Dojo + city or town etc..
Also pronouncing 'ville' may not be easily understandable to all section of world when we pronounce in the air ville.. when we pronounce ville it can be heard as Villa or vile etc..

but dojo and Ville are describing 2 paces, and not what the places are for - its like saying
TownCity, or HouseHome, etc.

I live in the relatively bilingual city of Montreal, so while I may be biased, the term "ville" is pretty familliar to me (it is indeed a French word). It's fairly broad in usability in terms of town-city sizes. Montreal is really "La Ville de Montreal" or "The City of Montreal". But "Ville" is also used as a suffix for tiny rinky-dink towns of 800 people.

That said .. there are some words that can go beyond the scope of their dictionary definition when it comes to branding. There are restaurants here known as Poutineville (google Poutine if you don't know what that is and want to gain 25 pounds overnight .. lol).

So yes .. ville should still always represent a place, but in certain branding situations, it doesn't necessarily have to mean "city" or "town".

Wasn't there a game called Farmville not too long ago that became very popular for a while? Although I don't know if that makes using "ville" a pro or a con? lol

What I don't know is how familiar the word is outside my own personal setting of Montreal. But there are cases where it's used in that general sense.

My personal preference again was for it to be related to branding .. but if it's not going to be such a name, then Dojoville is a good one that most of the others fall short of.

 

[Ategy]

Well if you consider Dojo as lifestyle more than a place, Dojo stands well at first place and venue describes a place for it .

Yes .. in this case I would say the meaning of "Dojo" in DojoVille goes beyond just a physical location. If that were not the case then you'd probably be right in that Place(dojo)+Place(ville) wouldn't work. On top of that .. in this case, I feel even ville goes beyond just "physical place" (see below which I already wrote)

Doesn't DojoVenue.com look suitable rather than ville ?

I know what you're trying to say, but English and branding can be very really weird sometimes. In this case, "Venue" isn't really a word that brings a lifestyle/essence feeling .. in this context (for no reason logical reason other than "that's the way it is") the words are very similar on paper (in the dictionary), but the context of "ville" here goes beyond a specific place, whereas "venue" doesn't really have that flexibility.

I know what I'm saying doesn't make much sense ... which is exactly why I always caution people to get into domains in lauguages they are not extremely proficient in. The difference is more cultural than technical.

That being said .. Dojoville is the better brand, and is better than most of the above (NameNirvana has grown on me though .. lol) .. my biggest issue with Dojoville is not that it isn't a good brandname, it's just that for this project I'd like to have seen something more relevant to branding or even domaining .. because otherwise Dojoville is a great name for the same sort of thing without a larger focus on branding/domaining. I think Rob should keep it and sell it .. it certainly is not a worthless domain .. and in all fairness .. it wouldn't be the end of the world if it's used in the end, I just felt that having a brand with "branding" or "domains" could attract a few more people looking for more information .. and that maybe one or two of those people could turn into sales (even if not right away, then maybe in the future because someone at the dojo taught them how buying a $x,xxx domain is a better investment than a handreg).

why even "dojo" in the first place...

It doesn't need to be "Dojo" .. it's just the word @Rob Monster originally chose to describe what he wanted to build .. and co-workingplaceonthebeach.com is a bit too long! lol

But feel free to suggest non "dojo" brands .. I'm going stop talking the talk and try to find one or two that I like .. in the middle of doing about 5 things at the moment!

well in that case here are some additional suggestions:
C o m i n d e d . com (a play on 'likeminded' people)

I don't mind this one .. it doesn't jump out at me, but it's significantly better for this than most of the ones in the poll, with a couple of exceptions.

Frankly, the names are ok. But the best suited name is not listed here.
Dwella.com

This one isn't bad either .. maybe a little too abstract a brandable for something like this .. for this specific project I think a brand that gives at least a bit of a clue as to what it is would be helpful. To me Dwella sounds like a brand for a Real Estate company or something link to the word "Dwelling" in that sense.

Guys, what do you think of NameDojos from the list for this project? Appreciate your comments and discussion?
Thanks,

That's a great brand for the network. I actually offered DomainDojos to Rob, which is significantly better because of the alliteration, but if you're referring to an individual location, the context calls for a singular. So in theory it could be either depending on how you want to market them (individually vs the network). I asked @Rob Monster a few pages ago if he was looking for singular or plural .. he hasn't said yet .. I'm thinking on purpose because the plan is still in the pre-brainstorm stages .. lol.

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

I felt very strongly about that originally .. now .. still think it would be best .. but at least with "Domain/Domaining/Domainer", people do know what you're talking about, and could stick their head in the door all the same.

Ya, when you look at the scope, limitations, and desire to scale, dojox/xdojo does seem a bit out of sorts. For co-working. My OfiiceDrift.com and WorkCamped.com might fit better for co-working spaces (static or nomadic). Unfortunately, they are already active ventures in a different direction and not available. Maybe someone can suggest similar domains more relative to co working for consideration?

I agree .. but Dojoville is technically a good brand (wordflow, imagery, phonetic strength, etc etc), so simply on that basis it's better than 80% of the rest on the list because those others aren't as strong technically and as such are non-starters for me that should not even have been on the list in the first place.

 

[Rahul Sinha]

I think we have two routes now .

Going by Dojo word, DojoVille,DojoVenue,Dojo whatever keywords .

Going by domain route DNCollab and NameDojos got attention a lot .

 

[Rob Monster]

why even "dojo" in the first place...

Fair question.

I was referencing a trend -- there are these co-working places opening all over the place where there is convergence of co-working with co-operation.

The word obviously has its origin in martial arts, implying that while you are practicing with your colleagues you are also preparing to take on some external challenge.

The reference might be relevant, but again, I am not wedded to that, other than thinking about Digital Nomads as being logical early adopters and knowing that the word carries weight in those circles.

There has been been continued great input in this thread for which I am appreciative. I am leaning heavily toward having the first one in Nigeria, led by @Joshua Mayowa who leads Toki in Nigeria.

 

[vikki88]

Domain Dojo

I really like this domain, domaindojo.com, @Rob Monster see if you could get this domain. It really fits your idea as well.

 

[Chris Hydrick]

Since when does .org have to be non-profit?

Apparently, according to Wikipedia, .ORG was originally intended for non-profit entities, but this restriction was not enforced, and has been removed...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.org

... Just curious, does anyone have an official date, or can refer me to official documentation, that would support an official removal of this restriction?

[P.S.] Any Wikipedia updater's on here want to update the article to include the new acquisition or more recent number of .org registrations post June 2013? Have at it!

 

[Chris Hydrick]

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.

To me, the .org brings a strong community based feel, whereas the .com, brings more of a capitalistic approach; each has its own market and target customer base. I think the .org, if the goal is to be more globally inclusive, rather than financially exclusive, is the better fit.

Similar to craigslist.org, although a private company, and coupled with the fact of redirecting the exact .com to their .org, Craigslist brands on a .org.

Craigslist.org was registered [9/11/97] 13 days before Craigslist.com [9/24/97]

----------------------------

Don't believe everything you read on Wikipedia. Even their sources might be wrong? Or am I missing something.

An exert from the sourced Gizmodo article:

Ever growing in popularity, community members demanded a web interface and thus the now super popular website, Craigslist.org went live. It was 1996.

However, WHOIS shows a 1997 creation date.



So is Wikipedia / Gizmodo wrong? ... or maybe Craigslist.org was regged in 1996, then maybe dropped, and re-regged thus explaining the '97 creation date.

 

[Laguna]

Look no one asking your feedback . It an opinion poll and people will obviously ask multiple people opinions on it, if you have problem please ignore .

Thankd

Lol, you kept asking for people's views on your two names. That's what your getting. Simple

 

[Arfy]

@Rob Monster Rob you may buy any of below domains from marketplace which are available with Bin options .

DojoLife.com
DojoLounge.com
DojoSuite.com .


Thanks

This is starting to get irritating, stop posting names.

 

[Rob Monster]

Nice idea @Rob Monster
I spent one full month two years ago in Ubud, Bali, in a coworking space called Hubud, and also a couple of weeks last year in Sanur area, also in Bali, in another coworking space (I had the chance to meet @franka46 there)

It's a great experience to work in these places with likeminded people that are also working remotely and, at the same time, enjoying life in a different country.

You got the right idea. Ubud is what inspired me with this concept. I don't know about the ETA, but I know that as we get the cashflow engines firing at full power, we'll be investing back in projects that make the pie bigger and teach more people to be successful participants in the Digital Economy. We have a free eBook out now. I can't link to it, because that would be promotional so you will have to find the free eBook. It is just an example of how we can efficiently give back. Sponsored Dojos are a more complicated undertaking but I see it on the horizon which is why I wanted to secure a domain for it.

 

[Sumeeth]

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 2000, 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.

Show attachment 137087

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

Congratulation Rob, Great name & hope Tokiville project becomes huge success!

All the Best!

Thanks,
Sumeeth

 

[bulkdomainz]

Anyone reading your final decision for the poll will come to the same conclusion as I did. All your posts have an ulterior motive just like this one did. You take everyone for fools but we are not. Coincidence my a**

Final domain choice is up to the buyer at the end of day, and you know that Laguna. Lots of choices are available on on and off-thread on this hunt.

-----
$100 bounty received thankfully and being utilised. ☺ ☺

 

[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

As a side note on national eRise funds, these are funds managed by country managers or volunteers from that country who are experienced domainers. They are allowed to use the proceeds to buy domains. Proceeds from domain sales are allocated to local empowerment projects that the fund managers identify and agree upon by consensus. We'll see what comes of it. The idea seemed cool and several Nigerians stepped up when I offered to seed it using proceeds from the sale of a previously donated domain. You can email them at [email protected] to ask them how they are doing. Domains can also be pushed to that Epik account. I expect this will be the first of several country funds. As they get momentum, we'll set up a structured way to report impact by country/fund and give the fund managers a chance to be acknowledged for their work. The idea is very scalable and replicable.

 

[NicTraders]

I think it's cool that Rob's paying out prizes anyways.

Absolutely! Not many people would do that.
And for sure, this project - like most of Rob's - seems to have changed a number of times since it was first envisaged. I'm like you Ategy - I'd like more structure too, but it's hard to imagine that happening with Rob! At the end of the day he's getting more done in this industry than most so it's hard to be critical.

 

[Rob Monster]

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.

Thanks for the feedback.

Over the years, I have observed many entrepreneurs in action. If you ask veteran entrepreneurs about their list of traits that allow entrepreneurs to be success, you often get a list like this:

#6 is Adaptability. I think it is under-estimated.

This is not to say that it is good to be a flake. Rather, it is good to be able to assimilate varying data points in real-time and make spot calls.

It is like a quarterback calling an audible at the line of scrimmage after detecting that a blitz is coming which creates an opening that was not obvious from the sideline or during the huddle.

All that said, the overarching rule still applies: Do unto others. So, if someone does participate in a poll, I will try my best to make sure it is not a waste of their time.

 

[Rob Monster]

If you can donate my $100 to Wish.org or Cancer.org that would be great.

I don't really understand the eRise charity. Not much info on eRise.org, but any charity donation is fine if you can't do either of the two mentioned above.

We do these as Epik account credit, but you can gift it to another if you don't want to use that.

s As for eRise.org, @Abdullah Abdullah is hard at work with @Ala Dadan to bring the full version of the site online. The main projects are:

1. National and local empowerment funds: Buying and selling domains using allocated funds with proceeds going towards programs and initiatives agreed on by consensus by the local fund managers.

2. Empowerment grants: Microfinance grants to domainers in emerging markets, typically to people who don't have access to funds but have studied how to be a domainer. Hence DomainGradute.com

3. Local digital access infrastructure: The first one and by far the biggest is Toki Servers, covered previously in this thread.

4. Digital Librarians: The Toki servers will be pre-loaded with reference content so that even if there is no internet connection, the Toki server has a locally searchable reference source in the local language.

 

[Rob Monster]

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

Done. That is paid out to @Ategy. Classy move.

Also, just now paid out for NameDojos.com to @Sumeeth

 

[Rob Monster]

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

Thanks Sumeeth.

Also, more winners claiming their bounties today:

@NameFather for Optiwork.com

Another naming project coming soon.

 

[Samer]

First, I want to congratulate all of you making this far, you all got free exposure. Win or lose

— My favorite: only one, I voted for initially

ePurpose

Best name for this purpose (digital= “e” prefix)

if wanna further align DN theme. (DN umbrella)

DNCollab but also sounds epik music label

DNtogether names promote unity, w/ purpose