Internet2 - Where will you be?

[Simsi]

Internet2 - One To Watch

Hi guys,

I stumbled on Unidt/Public-Root today: http://public-root.com/tlds.htm. Its an interesting idea - one that we've seen live and die before incidentally - but rarely have i seen one adopted by a major ISP (Tiscali) and backed by a government (Turkey!). I've done a lot of research on it and it certainly seems bona-fide in intention and recognition, although there are ghosts in the closet (claims of organised crime links included, though impossible to judge how accurate these are).

What interests me, is not so much whether this paticular project is "the one" to change the Internet, but how future projects like this could undermine existing domain investments. For example, in this example, the whole .com, .info, .co.uk thing becomes redundant and the investment is in cTLD or pTLD and TLD resale. Its reminiscent of the doomed "Internet keywords" thing but in a domain ownership model...you buy "hotels" (for $1,000) and a) either resell subs on that (us.hotels etc) or b) users can simply type "hotels" in the address bar to reach your site. Potentially of concern is that pretty much any generic word can be publically registered as a TLD which could cause confusion and undermine value (hotels, hotel, ushotels, motels etc) but if it were popular (and quality of content and accessibility will ultimately dictate that) there is still a lot of room for investor manoeuvre.

Personally, i think if it does happen its a way off being mainstream, but its certainly a concept everyone here should be aware of and if Tiscali are signed up, there's already significant cause for concern.

It's easy to dismiss it with a "it'll-never-happen" approach, but IMHO the shrewd domain investor will be very aware of movement in this area. I think it will happen, though whether it will ever totally take over is another matter.

But reading up on this it reinforces the fact that not only do we take the Internet for granted, but we close our eyes to the fact that external forces could wipe out our investments, if not overnight, certainly in a short period of time. If the US do gain control of the Internet (and lets not forget ICANN is in CA), it's an easy process to prevent users in one country seeing TLD extensions from another.

Just one worth flagging i hope so everyone here can be aware things are happening out there

Cheers

Simmo!

 

[JMJ]

One red flag to me is there is no price listed anywhere on the site. You have to signup including your payment info to find that I guess? Not me.. lol An interesting idea but in reality they would have to either have a plug-in added to browsers or buy up ALL extensions in that name for it to work as it is described. Another reason it wouldn't be accepted is there are many companies with the same name providing different services around the world.

 

[Simsi]

One red flag to me is there is no price listed anywhere on the site.

The prices are displayed actually. If you go to the reg page at www.unidt.com and head to the "read more" info page - you get all the FAQs etc (http://www.unidt.com/register_form_entree.php) including pricing.

The browser plugin bit is interesting. But what are Tiscali seeing in this...? They're not exactly stupid...i hope..and they couldn't afford their reputation being associated with a huge white elephant i'd have though. Also, thinking about it, in theory this will give content providers the mechanism to filter content more easily.

 

[equity78]

This idea not new been talked about for 8 years and it has gone really now here I don't think to many concerned you need a heck of a lot more than Tiscali involved and big companies make investments in many projects that go nowhere asK MSFT or AOL.

 

[hookah]

One red flag to me is there is no price listed anywhere on the site. You have to signup including your payment info to find that I guess?

1000 USD initially 1 year, 250 USD for renewal - 1 year. Hmm...
http://www.unidt.com/tld_fees.php

 

[betterdayz4]

Do the search engines recognise these varying extensions ? It's quite an attractive idea registering and owning the rights to an entire extension and all the subs, that price is not that inhibitive either.

 

[hookah]

Do the search engines recognise these varying extensions ? It's quite an attractive idea registering and owning the rights to an entire extension and all the subs, that price is not that inhibitive either.

I dont see these domains are resolved acrosss the web (except some ICANN agreed new extensions as .pro i.e.). The rest seems to be visible only to UNIDT customers. I tried many registered domains of this kind and none have resolved. The idea is attractive but cant see how it works in practice. Looks like the one for future internet. Will see if ICANN/Verisign/DoC give up the battle in this decade.

 

[tsj5j]

That will come sooner or later, but at this rate, much later...

 

[primacomputer]

Just another “alternative domain name” service doomed to failure. That they may have duped a Turkish ISP into using their system doesn't necessarily lend them any credibility in my eyes.

 

[Simsi]

Just another “alternative domain name” service doomed to failure. That they may have duped a Turkish ISP into using their system doesn't necessarily lend them any credibility in my eyes.

Tiscali are hardly just any ISP though and they are certainly not Turkish:

"As of 30th June 2005, Tiscali had 4.8 million active users in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the Czech Republic. 1.4 million were broadband customers, of which 250,000 received unbundled services."

If only to reach that audience, $1k doesnt sound like a lot to me. Its all a question of whether it will collapse before it gets stable thats the issue.

Also, leaving aside this example, there is money flooding into the concept of Internet2. IMHO its only a matter of time before something comes up. OSRN is something worth Googling too - same underlying principle, different concept.

My point being that Internet Domain Speculators need to be watching this area very closely IMHO. And that includes the Google vs Microsoft World Domination Schedule!

 

[primacomputer]

Tiscali are hardly just any ISP though and they are certainly not Turkish:

"As of 30th June 2005, Tiscali had 4.8 million active users in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the Czech Republic. 1.4 million were broadband customers, of which 250,000 received unbundled services."

If only to reach that audience, $1k doesnt sound like a lot to me. Its all a question of whether it will collapse before it gets stable thats the issue.

I think the point is you don't need to pay $1,000 to reach that audience. You could spend $1,000 on a really nice .com and reach those 4.8 million people plus 100 times more.

And from the looks up it public-root is already on the verge of collapse.

Also, leaving aside this example, there is money flooding into the concept of Internet2. IMHO its only a matter of time before something comes up. OSRN is something worth Googling too - same underlying principle, different concept.

There's a lot of misconception about Internet2. First off, it's not a concept or technology, it's a consortium of companies and universities developing technologies. Second, they aren't developing a replacement for the Internet, they're developing new technologies that will expand the abilities of the existing Internet.

Public-Root has plenty of verbiage about how Internet2 is going to change everything. Funny thing is, they aren't a member of Internet2, and public-root isn't an internet2 technology.

Internet2 is not a separate physical network and will not replace the Internet

My point being that Internet Domain Speculators need to be watching this area very closely IMHO. And that includes the Google vs Microsoft World Domination Schedule!

Absolutely. There is always a possibility that some technology will come along and destroy the domain market.

 

[wasistdas]

That's what I asked about some time ago. WHat should happen to destroy the entire domain market.

 

[primacomputer]

Well, 10 years ago a lot of people were convinced search engines were going to do this. Part of their prediction has come true. A lot of people just start with google, punch in a name, and click on the first link. But names are still worth as much as ever.

It would take some very clever idea that fundamentally improves and changes how things are located. It would also have to be cheap and easy to implement. For example, GPS has the potential to replace street addresses, but until a GPS with a map of the entire world is implanted in the skull of every person on earth we are still going to use street addresses.

People worry about the name space fracturing for political reasons, but I don't see this as a problem. I could easily see management being split amongst regional organisations, just like the number space. I just don't see it causing a problem.

The biggest threat to the domain name market right now is the US economy. A stock market crash, or property market crash will send prices tumbling just like it did last time.

 

[Simsi]

For example, GPS has the potential to replace street addresses, but until a GPS with a map of the entire world is implanted in the skull of every person on earth we are still going to use street addresses.

Very interesting point.