Dot Pro Names?

[TLDnetworks]

Anybody pick up a .pro name with the promotion?

I'm taking a chance on two;
Portfolio.pro
and
Data.pro

Might just keep Portfolio.pro...

 

[armstrong]

When its the registrar vs. a handful of domainers/speculators, my guess is the registrar will prevail. But if it were the registrar vs. 10,000 end-users with developed websites, then there's a good chance that we all get to keep our second level names. Sort of like the .org fait accompli, a point can be reached where its simply not feasible to turn back the clock.

 

[William9]

… fait accompli, a point can be reached where its simply not feasible to turn back the clock.

Thank you.

 

[SteveO]

I have not seen anyone discuss any issues with selling your .pros now. Has anyone tested the waters yet?

 

[William9]

Sold!

I will kick it to your account immediately. Please PM me with the domain name I sold you and how much I sold it to you for. :D

At this time, you would have to change the handle at Encirca. So it appears, the buyer would have to open an Encirca account. Nobody sold any .PROs yet because Afternic and SEDO don’t even accept them. Also, we just tickled they resolve so quickly just registering them today.

 

[GhostWriter]

that's a good question steve o

 

[The_Desertfox]

Nah, it's too soon IMO to start selling .PRO names. Either I develop a site myself for the one .PRO I registered or wait out the whole legal limbo situation.

I am not in for a quick flip, the payoff could be huge.

 

[-db-]

I have not seen anyone discuss any issues with selling your .pros now. Has anyone tested the waters yet?

We received a $100 offer for one of ours from somebody at the forum. Only twice the reg fee, but nice to see somebody else liked the name/extension combination enough to at least offer that. We politely declined the offer.

As for the transfer of ownership, and using the encirca interface to push names, myself and NP member "prosperous" have done this twice between ourselves, and there are a couple things that were odd, and not explained well. We got the tricks worked out though, and I think he posted all the info somewhere. I will look for the post.....

 

[GhostWriter]

thanks db, that would be helpful

 

[RJ]

The Story of .PRO

Year 2000:

The original proposal is made by RegistryPro to create and manage the dot Pro TLD. It is made clear in the propsal and answers to ICANN's questions that the .PRO namespace is for specific professions.

From the Executive Summary of the dot Pro application:

RegistryPro will provide professionals and consumers with a new, more accurate and ordered system by which they might define and find services on the Internet.

The .pro TLD will establish secondary domain names tailored to specific professions, which will increase the volume of available domain names and enable the consumer to distinguish among professionals.

Application information is on file at ICANN along with Q&A's from ICANN where RP further clarifies that the .PRO TLD will be restricted to qualified professionals only.

Year 2001-2002:

ICANN approves RegistryPro's application for .PRO

RegistryPro was initially to be backed with $10 million by three publicly-traded high-tech
companies including Register.com. One investor drops out, but the other two investors commit to funding the full $10m.

2002-2004:

Registry Pro offers .cpa.pro, .law.pro, and .med.pro registrations to qualified, certified professionals per their agreement with ICANN. A few hundred defensive registrations are reported.

Here is RegistryPro's agreement with ICANN from March 2002, limiting registrations to professionals only.
http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/pro/registry-agmt-appl-03mar02.htm

If you read info included with RegistryPro's original application, you may note they estimate a 26% market penetration among the professional industries they will be targeting. Actual registrations turned out to be far, far less. The .PRO TLD proves to be one of the biggest flops in domain history.

Check out even today, how few .PRO domains were ever developed. It's embarassing low. Google results--
.law.pro http://www.google.com/search?q=site:.law.pro
.cpa.pro http://www.google.com/search?q=site:.cpa.pro
.med.pro http://www.google.com/search?q=site:.med.pro

February 2004 :

Hostway agrees with Register.com to purchase RegistryPro and take control of the .PRO registry by second quarter '04. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

August 2004: Now under Hostway's control, .PRO opens up registration of second level domains to doctors, lawyers and accountants who qualify and own third level .pro domains.

September 2004: .PRO adds more 15 new qualifying professions (including public relations, educators, and nutritionists). .PRO expands offerings to Canada, UK and Germany professionals.

October 2004: Engineers, architects and dentists may no register second level .PRO domains.


March 2005 :

Encira offers second level .PRO names to the general public, under the terms that they remain the original registrant, since they qualify as a professional under the .PRO registration agreement.

I'm just speculating that the total number .PRO registrations will at least double within a month of Encica's offering to register second level .PRO on behalf of anyone.

Remember, RegistryPro (aka Hostway now) is still bound by their registry agreement with ICANN to restrict registrtions to professionals only. Encirca is technically abiding by that restriction.

We, as registrants of .PRO names through Encirca, are wondering if our registrations are valid and what position the registry will take on this new practice by Encirca.

I guess the purpose of my chronicling the above events is to pose this question:

Could the registry be aware of this and have no plans to stop this?

Afterall, RegistryPro, aka Hostway, is in business to make money. They must have purchased the .PRO registry with the intention to turn a profit. Unfortunately for them, they inherited an agreement with ICANN that severly limits their business model to one that is already a proven failure. Nobody in interested is the .PRO extension as a "professionals-only" extension. Keeping that business model and ICANN agreement guarantees the extension will remain in relative obscurity. Enter Encirca.

This new offering by Encirca and inevidably other registrars only serves to greatly increase, if not explode, the number of new .PRO registrations. Before this, how relevant was the .PRO extension? (not very) How many developed .PRO sites were there? (not many) Who had even heard of dot PRO? (again, not many!)

I'm looking forward to hearing the registry's opinion on Encirca's offer, though I wouldn't be surpised if there was none.

-RJ-

 

[LeeRyder]

I really hope you guys score on this.. I'm gonna site this one out.
1) To many open variables at play here
2) A virtually Unknown company
3) Non-binding arbitration clause
4) Non-binding ownership
5) more loop holes than a 3 ring circus
6) company changes policy AFTER eading this forum's feedback. (perhaps to leson the discomfort of risking it? the purchase policy/TOS is still unchanged as to ownership matters)
7) ICANN ( 'nuff said there)
8) Fair trade and competition (no one else is able to secure these names. Icann won't be happy)
9) Pro's Like RJ and Duke are still (it seems) scratching their heads on this (though they are apparently taking the plunge/risk)
10) Has only 18 WhoIs records stored. Been online since 2001. Compair to GoDaddy.com: online since 1999 has 668 records on whois. Whats up with that?
11) Hosted by Rackspace.com. Why do they need an independant host? That seems odd to me, though it may be my skepticism whining.

My instincts are screaming at me here, something is amiss. I am most likely missing a boat here, but still.. it just doesnt feel right.

I learned my burn lesson with DirectI two weeks ago.

The only official name I can associatte with Encirca is a man named Thomas Barrett. After a thorough google, he seems legit... so what gives..if anything I have no clue.

Again though, this nagging feeling something is not write...

Perhaps they are trying to stave off bankruptcy?
A lawsuit?
A private settlement?
Perhaps, unbeknownest to us ICANN is shutting them down and they are collecting to pay past debts...

I just dont know but these are just a few of the possibilities.

 

[TLDnetworks]

We received a $100 offer for one of ours from somebody at the forum. Only twice the reg fee, but nice to see somebody else liked the name/extension combination enough to at least offer that. We politely declined the offer.

Received a $200 offer, but also declined. Figure I'll plan to loose $50 or make alot more than $150...

 

[acronym007]

I have domaintrader.pro. I'm liking this TLD.

 

[jberryhill]

Even though the "oldest profession" is said to be prostitution,

sexual.pro is taken.

Maybe I am wrong, but hasn’t Encirca violated the .PRO ICANN agreement

Encirca is not a party to the .pro icann agreement.

I still don't understand the registrant issue, and how this is supposed to work. A few months ago, I had been contacted by someone who needed a lawyer to provide credentials for a .pro SLD, and so I became the lawyer responsible for a .pro SLD.

Now, it looks like Encirca is permitting direct registrations of any SLD, but do I understand correctly that this is being done on the basis of some lawyer/accountant at Encirca having appropriate credentials?

Does it mean that since I am a lawyer, then I can register anything I want in .pro?

 

[armstrong]

As I understand it, Encirca provides the required 3rd-level .pro domains associated with the 2nd level ones. They don't even tell you which 3rd-level ones were registered. And yes, this probably means that they have accredited professionals who "register" the 3rd-level domains for them.

They can do this probably thru what I assume is a preferential pricing arrangement with the registry. If you were to do the same, you would need one more cohort in a different profession to partner with you, and then you'd pay an arm & a leg for the 3rd-level domains.

 

[~~]

Make at least 100 to 1,000 times your investment

That seems a bit optimistic. Can't think of many companies that would shell out $5k for a domain they wouldn't own and couldn't be absolutely certain they were using it correctly. And even if they could not many alt tld domains fetch $5k.

However $50 is not a lot to gamble and I'm very annoyed that I didn't register more. Was bemused about why most domain speculators were disinterested, plus was feeling tired at the time, and only registered a few.

But on the basis that reg fees might not remain at $100, restrictions might be lifted etc. it had to be worth registering more.

The only person to have bought a decent number is Vincent liao, who registered over 100 and ensured that most of the worthwhile domains I passed by were gone by the next day.

 

[acronym007]

Do you know the 100 domains he reg'd? I am very optimistic that .pro could have a bright future.

 

[~~]

Do you know the 100 domains he reg'd? I am very optimistic that .pro could have a bright future.

lottery, space, cyber, family, furniture, holiday, discount are some of his better domains. Others include style, venture, diamond, coffee. Place names france, germany.pro etc. look good but what would they be used for? Still, $50 is not much downside for someone who can afford it.

 

[acronym007]

see, place name like France, Germany, etc fit better in olther TLD's in my opinion. I think this is what we will see more of eventually, more TLD's fitting the keyword of the domain name. I think some domain names fit better with .pro than .com, like a sport star or sport. How about a professional person with a .pro? I think a better fit than .com. Having said that I understand all the traffic pros will say no way but I am telling you the pendulum will swing and the landscape will change. What I am talking about is more on the development end, for traffic nothing beats .com or a country TLD. Cheers.

That guy did alot of good names but again, do they fit the TLD? I don't think all key words fit a TLD.

 

[TLDnetworks]

I'm very annoyed that I didn't register more.

I think there are some very good keywords that fit the extension still left.

 

[acronym007]

Ohh for sure, for sure. Plenty. The key is finding those that fit best.