New at DNJournal: Domain Boom Continues as gTLD Regs Crack 50 Million Mark Today

[Ron Jackson]

For the first time, the number of global TLD registrations (.com, .net, .org, .info and .biz) passed the 50 million mark today (April 22, 2005). That is a whopping 34% jump in just one year, underscoring that the boom we have been experiencing in the domain market is real. DNJournal.com has just published a new article slicing and dicing the new numbers for each gTLD extension to show you where the market has been (and where it is going). Check it out through the link below:

Global TLD Registrations Pass 50 Million As New Users Stream Online

 

[domain4u]

you didn't bother to add .pro or .name

 

[Ron Jackson]

you didn't bother to add .pro or .name

The registration numbers for those extensions is statistically insignificant. Taken together they would not be even a fraction of 1% of the market.

 

[Fundraiser]

you didn't bother to add .pro or .name

There are quite a number of domainers on this board who have registered and maintain more domains than the entire dot pro registry. The numbers by comparison to other tlds would have been laughable.

Don't get me wrong, I like .pro, have registered a few domains and have a developed site at a dot pro address, but you could probably gather all the actual registrants of dot pro names in a movie theater. It's a pretty small group.

 

[-db-]

I agree those extensions are insignificant in numbers, but I think if there are (easily verifiable) sales of any decent amount, they deserve to be reported. After all, those of us who fight to get our .us/.info./.biz names recognized amongst the ".commies" should be the last to do anything that might inhibit the growth or acceptance of another's chosen extension.

NOTE: A) "Easily Verifiable" are key words above. It's not fair or feasible to ask Duke or DNJ to spend a lot of extra time on it. B) I'm not saying those other extensions deserve their own section and space, because the numbers make it clear they don't. I'm just saying that any decent sales should be mentioned, maybe in a paragraph or passage at the end of each report to "wrap up" the odd man out.

 

[Ron Jackson]

The obvious thing being overlooked is that the report is about gTLDs and .pro is not a gTLD! It is a sponsored TLD that is only available in a few countries. Also the source data comes from two internet tracking companies (WhoIs.sc and Zooknic.com) and neither of them track .name (or the non-gTLD .pro), so there is no data available on them. If they ever start being registered in significant numbers those companies will probably start following them.

(Also the story is about registrations - not sales. .Name and .Pro sales would be listed in our weekly sales report if they reached a significant enough level to report.)

 

[-db-]

The obvious thing being overlooked is that the report is about gTLDs and .pro is not a gTLD!

Good point.

(Also the story is about registrations - not sales. .Name and .Pro sales would be listed in our weekly sales report if they reached a significant enough level to report.)

Even better point, because I was mixing up the two. :red:

 

[Mark]

Great News and Article ~ Thanks Duke !

 

[Ron Jackson]

Even better point, because I was mixing up the two. :red:

No problem, but you will need to send PHD.us over to me to make up for the inconvenience!

 

[Mark]

No problem, but you will need to send PHD.us over to me to make up for the inconvenience!

:lol: ~ Doesn't that stand for BS :"Piled Higher and Deeper"

 

[equity78]

Phd .us is a sweet name that fair comp DUKE. NICE job on article. Its my Dad's Birthday so easy to remember what day we crossed 50,000,000.

 

[AdoptableDomains]

The obvious thing being overlooked is that the report is about gTLDs and .pro is not a gTLD! It is a sponsored TLD that is only available in a few countries.

To be technical, no, .pro is not a sponsored TLD (sTLD). It is in fact a gTLD, but one with registration restrictions.

On 3 May 2002, ICANN and RegistryPro, Inc. entered into an Unsponsored Registry Agreement under which RegistryPro operates the .pro top-level domain.

http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/pro/

Over the next twelve years, various discussions occurred concerning additional gTLDs, leading to the selection in November 2000 of seven new TLDs for introduction. These were introduced in 2001 and 2002. Four of the new TLDs (.biz, .info, .name, and .pro) are unsponsored. The other three new TLDs (.aero, .coop, and .museum) are sponsored.

http://www.icann.org/tlds/ This same document indicates that .mil, .gov, .edu, and .int are also gTLD's, but we all know they are restricted in who can register them as well.

Just a technicality, but since it's so often misprepresented recently, I thought I'd mention it. To be a sposored domain, there needs to be a sponsoring organization of which registrants must be a member. registrypro is a registrar, not a sposoring organization. However, they recognize some separate but uninvolved professional organizations to supposedly restrict the usage.

Still, for purposes of listing sales, I think it's negligible, and possibly just slightly more legitimate than new.net when it comes to the legitimacy of selling them beyond the intent of the registry contract.

 

[Fundraiser]

Still, for purposes of listing sales, I think it's negligible, and possibly just slightly more legitimate than new.net when it comes to the legitimacy of selling them beyond the intent of the registry contract.

Many of the best names were registered by people who qualified for registering the domains rather than using Encirca's Proforward service. They can sell them to other qualified individuals or businesses with total legitimacy.

 

[IAmAllanShore]

Great article, Duke.

And "congrats internet"? :D

:lol: ~ Doesn't that stand for BS :"Piled Higher and Deeper"

:bingo:

-Allan

 

[-db-]

No problem, but you will need to send PHD.us over to me to make up for the inconvenience!

Hehe :D

Actually, it's funny you should mention it, because I just (last night) finished the transaction for that domain, and PhD.us now has a new owner. I just haven't updated my signature yet. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[Ron Jackson]

Hehe :D

Actually, it's funny you should mention it, because I just (last night) finished the transaction for that domain, and PhD.us now has a new owner. I just haven't updated my signature yet. Thanks for the reminder!

Congrats on the sale -db- and let me know the selling price if you can release it. Also thanks to Adoptable for clarifying the classification for the .pro extension. Since it can only be registered in 4 or 5 countries it looks like I made an incorrect assumption that it wasn't a gTLD. I had never heard of a global TLD that couldn't be used globally but with all of the strange rules associated with .pro I guess it's not surprising in this case.