.mobi Frank Schilling's take on .mobi

[ekal]

Respected domainer Frank Schilling gives his take on .mobi

http://frankschilling.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/03/mobi_cashgrab.html

I think this registry is just a sales organization. They are selling hope for a .com redux. If it's not there (and its not IMO), lots of speculators are going to give up and let renewals lapse and complain about domain names in general. That's bad for the industry. In my opinion these guys are pick and shovel salesmen, selling said picks and shovels in an area with no gold.

 

[pchip]

Domaining is a mirror image of stock markets...EVERYONE is an expert and EVERYONE thinks they're right...in reality...nobody knows whats going to happen even tomorrow.

Well said!

 

[steven22]

I think you missed Frank's point. If he really felt .mobi would be anything at all, he would have invested in it. If he felt it was any risk to his .com portfolio, he would have hedged against it. He had access to the names just as ALL OF YOU did. To someone with his "alpha" buying 50K or 100,000 .mobi names is nothing. You guys can read into what you want too. However, he is saying in general that .mobi is a hyped pure snake and oil extension that doesn't warrant an investment in his opinion.

On that note, I think .mobi is pure crap as well.

 

[FathomJH]

You guys are funny. It's just domains. You guys act like you were insulted. And if you feel that you were, well, I have to LOL.

 

[hedgefund]

Guys, lets wait till Thursday, the traffic auction will speak itself.

 

[shopperx]

Hate threads are getting really boring these days, at this point i don't think anyone will change his/her mind about mobi because of someones' opinion.

Time for haters to find another hobby IMO, .tel is coming and needs some hate.

 

[scandiman]

On that note, I think .mobi is pure crap as well.

Wow this is such an educational thread and here is the pièce de résistance. Reminds me of my neighbors mutt that walks over to my green lawn and takes a dump.

I'm still baffled with the anger and vitriol directed to .mobi and its enthusiasts. What is the hidden agenda, I still haven't figured it out.

 

[hugegrowth]

And the fact remains, the mobile Internet doesn't need the .mobi extension. The mobile Internet is here already, and will continue to come, regardless of what's on the right-side of the DOT.

I don't agree with this argument. That's like saying the regular internet doesn't need .biz, .info, ccTLDs, or .org. The internet would survive with just .com and .net, there would just be more websites with crappy, long names.

Yes, the mobile internet doesn't need .mobi, but if you are going to develop a mobile website, a .mobi domain will become your top 1 or 2 choice. That is how it is going to play out, and that is why .mobi will have value. It's being tailored to a technology that's growing faster than PC internet use throughout the world.

 

[mobimaster]

Ou, everybody, that is just his own opinion about .mobi

I think all of you shall pay attention to the post from "Mobimaster".

http://www.namepros.com/dot-mobi/300527-wireless-internet-will-become-one-important.html

 

[mjnels]

he said..she said... but this big domainer has........ well then why wouldnt he..... if i had... but then why arnt they........ok welll then....... but THIS OTHER big domainer said... but then ALWAYS remember........ never do.....................this........ willl.....be......the................


hi.

 

[oldtimer]

The truth of the matter is that most domainers would be very happy if they could own some premium dot coms like the author of this article, but as we all know if you only have a few hundred dollars to invest your chances of getting a premium dot com is close to zero, and that’s why that many domainers take their chances with new extensions, because with a little brainstorming and a little luck they have a good chance to find a decent domain, we all know that there is a tradeoff when it comes to new extensions, you can get in with a small investment, but your success is not guaranteed and may take a long time to materialize, we are still willing to take our chances with new extensions because frankly the average domainer can’t afford the same caliber and quality of domains in dot com. For dot mobi to become successful it does not have to dominate the whole mobile internet, many people might choose to use their existing dot coms, but if only a small percentage of those few billion mobile users around the world decide to use dot mobi that will translate to thousands of visitors for popular and useful mobi websites, the traffic will come once dot mobi is established as a mobile compatible extension. IMO

 

[labrocca]

OK!! This is what I don't get. I've been involved in domaining since '98. I've been reading forums and watching others etc. etc. to learn and be as knowledgeable as I can, so my falls aren't so hard. However, I've never read so many put downs, reasonings, 'let me tell you' advice, 'this is why it will never work!' ragging on any other extension before as this one! Nobody was saying ".info will be a failure because it has no traffic in the first 5 months so it's doomed!" ".US is unknown, we have .com, who needs it!" ".BIZ you're all throwing away your money" etc. etc. etc.!!! These and other extensions were accepted, bought, sold, profitered from, had successful websites, and have had and continue to have, a longevity in usage. Yet .mobi, the most reasoned need for, thought out for marketing, with set standards for a specific purpose, etc. etc. extension to roll out, and there is constant drumming of 'you're a fool if you think that will succeed' battering. Like any investment it is a risk, and for those that want to take that chance, that is their choice to make and live with. But why so many 'experienced' (yeh!) domainers, feel that need to adamently play 'devils advocate' to others on this extension is really perplexing. What is the real skeptism that so many seem to share on this extension, that they were unwilling to share with previous extension rollouts?? I'm sure a lot of domainers would have appreciated such feedback on those extensions, in hindsight! There must be a underlying reason, that only a few seem to be privy to, is my assumption.

Will you all be ragging on .tel too??

Interesting you bring up other extensions. I remember a thread here about a year ago. Some guy was basically arguing with EVERYONE that .com, net and org are the only extensions that matter. At the time I had a large handful of .info's I been buying and even some .us names. Now I missed the landrush of .info so I was buying everything pretty much from other domainers for the past 2-3 years. Well...after developing a few .info's and trying to park a few ...guess what. I FEEL STUPID! I should have listen to this numbnuts of a skeptic. When you miss the boat swimming won't get you very far. 90+% of domains registered AFTER landrush (or even first 2-3 days) are generally speaking worthless. .info is in general a cheap n00bs extension...yeah I still have a few nice ones but overall I can't sell them for what I paid and I didn't even pay all that much. $3, $5, $20 for some...and I can't even sell most for ANY profit. They are not worth renewing. I have 40+ infos in my RF account that I don't even give a crap about. Some are even single dictionary words but no one wants them...why!? Because they have no traffic..no traffic means no money...no money ....no sale. Again...with Mobi the end-result may likely be the same.


Now mobi has been placed on a pedestal far higher than .us, .info, .tv or even .eu (oh so much hype for .eu it was disgusting). And the reason I personally get involved is in hopes of saving a domainer from FEELING STUPID in a couple years and losing a TON of money. IMHO that's also why Schilling wrote his article as well. I feel really sad for many of the mobi spectators that have these awful portfolios they THINK has some value.

Now to place all that I have said into perspective please remember that I still own .us, .info, and even .mobi's. I have renewed and recently even acquired some names. BUT I am very picky. Something I really wish more domainers were.

The article from Schilling imho is a "heads up" to domainers that aren't paying attention to the negatives of mobi.

 

[mjnels]

Interesting you bring up other extensions. I remember a thread here about a year ago. Some guy was basically arguing with EVERYONE that .com, net and org are the only extensions that matter. At the time I had a large handful of .info's I been buying and even some .us names. Now I missed the landrush of .info so I was buying everything pretty much from other domainers for the past 2-3 years. Well...after developing a few .info's and trying to park a few ...guess what. I FEEL STUPID! I should have listen to this numbnuts of a skeptic. When you miss the boat swimming won't get you very far. 90+% of domains registered AFTER landrush (or even first 2-3 days) are generally speaking worthless. .info is in general a cheap n00bs extension...yeah I still have a few nice ones but overall I can't sell them for what I paid and I didn't even pay all that much. $3, $5, $20 for some...and I can't even sell most for ANY profit. They are not worth renewing. I have 40+ infos in my RF account that I don't even give a crap about. Some are even single dictionary words but no one wants them...why!? Because they have no traffic..no traffic means no money...no money ....no sale. Again...with Mobi the end-result may likely be the same.


Now mobi has been placed on a pedestal far higher than .us, .info, .tv or even .eu (oh so much hype for .eu it was disgusting). And the reason I personally get involved is in hopes of saving a domainer from FEELING STUPID in a couple years and losing a TON of money. IMHO that's also why Schilling wrote his article as well. I feel really sad for many of the mobi spectators that have these awful portfolios they THINK has some value.

Now to place all that I have said into perspective please remember that I still own .us, .info, and even .mobi's. I have renewed and recently even acquired some names. BUT I am very picky. Something I really wish more domainers were.

The article from Schilling imho is a "heads up" to domainers that aren't paying attention to the negatives of mobi.

yea um............... it might rain tommorow, it might not.

you never know.

 

[rosh86]

Hi,

as a dotmobi investor and developer, I have noticed that when looking for .mobi pages in google any search result on the first 10+ pages will either have the .mobi name parked or have it undevelopped ...

it is a shame, not to much that they are undeveloped but that they are loitering the web again with so many parked pages ...

Pinky Brand mentioned in an earlier interview that they were going to try to monitor the domain name usage so that it is dotmobi rules compliant.
However, my concern at this time is:

If there are over 400,000 domain registrations so far and there are at least over 51% non dotmobi compliant sites ...(calculation is made looking at the amount of developped sites vs the amount of registrations in my opinion).


How will dotmobi manage to look after all these dotmobis in the future, checking their compliance to their rules, if they can't do it in todays dotmobi jungle of only 400,000 names ... what will happen once there are over a million registrations ....

that makes me wonder ...

 

[Pred]

Hi,

as a dotmobi investor and developer, I have noticed that when looking for .mobi pages in google any search result on the first 10+ pages will either have the .mobi name parked or have it undevelopped ...

it is a shame, not to much that they are undeveloped but that they are loitering the web again with so many parked pages ...

Pinky Brand mentioned in an earlier interview that they were going to try to monitor the domain name usage so that it is dotmobi rules compliant.
However, my concern at this time is:

If there are over 400,000 domain registrations so far and there are at least over 51% non dotmobi compliant sites ...(calculation is made looking at the amount of developped sites vs the amount of registrations in my opinion).


How will dotmobi manage to look after all these dotmobis in the future, checking their compliance to their rules, if they can't do it in todays dotmobi jungle of only 400,000 names ... what will happen once there are over a million registrations ....

that makes me wonder ...

well, they can be compliant with a parked page.
i agree it's not ideal. but i have 2 developed & am working on more.
the others have to be parked while this happens. its still early days. the search engines will sort the parked from the developed im sure.
anyway. lets just sit back & enjoy the warm glow from the traffic auction for mobi. (hopefully)lol

 

[Jasdon]

I've got the greatest respect for Frank Schilling and what he's achieved. But no-one is right all the time.

We can only see how internet usage evolves before we can say who's right and who's wrong. In fact, not just usage, but monetization too.

I wasn't in the game for previous ext landrushes (except .eu - now if you want to talk about 'spade selling'...) but I guess that the .mobi movement has retained more momentum than others. One thing is for sure, if this thread had only attracted 3 or 4 responses, you could be forgiven for thinking negatively.

Getting back to Mr S - he proudly says that they do not develop any names, period. And there are guys who have been highly successful with just a handful of names that they have developed into websites. So who's right?

 

[Kate]

as a dotmobi investor and developer, I have noticed that when looking for .mobi pages in google any search result on the first 10+ pages will either have the .mobi name parked or have it undevelopped ...

I wonder how many .mobi have been regged purely for speculation/parking with no intention of developing. I don't think any TLD can be successful unless it's adopted and developed by end users...

I have seen .mobi before, only back then it was called .cc and .info ...

That is one quote from the article that I would not agree with.
.info seems to be picking up and more successful than .cc
IMO it all boils down to relevance: .info has some added value. The pointless TLDs are poised to fail for obvious reasons ie. does the Internet really need .coop .musem .aero or even .tel.
Still there is no shortage of pointless TLDs. History repeats itself.

 

[snoop]

Nobody was saying ".info will be a failure because it has no traffic in the first 5 months so it's doomed!" ".US is unknown, we have .com, who needs it!" ".BIZ you're all throwing away your money" etc. etc. etc.!!! These and other extensions were accepted, bought, sold, profitered from, had successful websites, and have had and continue to have, a longevity in usage.

Are you kidding? that is exactly what people were saying when these extension came out, in the main those people were right. There has been value increases but nothing like the rest of the market. The level of success has been rather minor, especially .biz.

 

[goodkarmaco]

Mobi gold rush !

The thing about selling pans and shovels to prospectors is the demand is better than anything selling in the store. Why sell ladies dresses when every customer is asking for and willing to pay a premium for prospecting supplies?.

Because the merchant sells pan or shovels does not mean no bonaza. Thats where the naysaysers are loosing sight of the .mobi discussion. We all know of the specualtive nature of digging for .mobi gold. Will that stop us?

When no one but domainers invested in the .mobi did we know if end users would buy? No, but we assumed they would. Will the worlds companies want a .mobi for their business? Not a big trend there yet, but I am seeing more and more saying yes to that.

To think that the domain is being hawked to poor souls who do not understand mobis success is not guaranteed is certainly showing some inclination to a secret agenda.

I have mined for Gold in just about every creek, river and ledge in Northern California. I have hard rocked mined, dregdged, panned, sluiced and sniped from up high to down into pockets into the earth.

Failure is a frame of mind. Is it a failure if nothing happens for a while? To me it is if you have the notion that it will pay out and yet you throw in the towel. I have found my share of Gold. But I would not have if I did not stick to my goals.


Let me tell you about speculation. Speculation is the opposite of what is known for sure. Mining folks who have never been in certain wilderness areas cannot be deterred from their mission, because some are afraid to go there.

.mobi owners are looking for the glitter of gold. They are staking their claims. That leaves less and less property to mine as each day goes by.

In my opinion it is actually good that many are dragging their feet as regards .mobi. That gives us a little more time to find that perfect .mobi domain to develope.

The nature of speculating is knowing full well failure may be the end result. That being said the thrill of hitting the mother lode is all that is needed to keep us washing dirt.

 

[Mobineer]

Goodkarmaco --- excellent analysis --- w/out being "mobi-biased"- and it's refreshing to see a POV from someone who's been in the trenches (river, creeks, etc) going after a dream --

per someone's opinion that mobis regged 2-3 days after landrush are basically worthless ---

maybe someone should start a thread showcasing top mobis regged even a week after landrush ---

I regged during the Sunrise trademark phase to protect USPTO TMs that my company owns; I regged over 200 during the landrush phase and hundreds more later...

I've offered none for sale and refrain from presenting it, but I receive offers continually, and surprising, the highest offers are for mobis that were regged in late October, November and even early December...

acquiring great mobis now requires a lot of luck, and a lot of determination, and looking in hidden locales -- maybe registering foreign name mobis ---

TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile) is partnering with the registry to sell mobi(s) and to feature mobis on handsets --- what about Italian mobis? or Spanish? or German?

think about new technologies, especially in telecom, entertainment, media, on the "mobi" horizon ---

best of luck!

 

[labrocca]

The point of the analogy to the gold rush pick and shovels is not that there isn't gold in the hills..but rather that the people who really are making the money are the merchants (mTLD). Also it was a very small percentage of gold speculators that actually found any gold....which is exactly what will happen with mobi. Does this mean mobi speculators should drop their shovels and walk away? NO. But it does mean that you should have backup plan...like building a nice house on your property instead of paning for the gold. The sales threads, parking, and appraisals for mobi usually give me a giggle. I applaud anyone building a nice little site or has a plan other than to resell or park the mobi domain.

It's important to understand WHAT you are doing and the RISK involved. I am not sure some of those in the mobi cult do.

When no one but domainers invested in the .mobi did we know if end users would buy? No, but we assumed they would. Will the worlds companies want a .mobi for their business? Not a big trend there yet, but I am seeing more and more saying yes to that.

You do realize the problem with that logic? If a company wants to run a mobi site it's a good chance the domain is in the hands of a squatter. And not sure about you but I see a nice handful of threads here mentioning new mobile sites that are NOT mobi so where is this "trend" you refer to. Any proof to back that up?