New gTLD spam bombardment!

[forge]

For some time now I've been getting bombarded with spam emails originating from new gTLD (domains).

Biggest offender seems to be trash domains ending with .link. I generally don't pay attention to spam email addresses, but a few caught my eye and now I see a definite pattern emerging.

Thank you, new gTLDs! Congratulations also to all supporters who bought into the lie!

 

[RogueWriter]

For some time now I've been getting bombarded with spam emails originating from new gTLD (domains).

Biggest offender seems to be trash domains ending with .link. I generally don't pay attention to spam email addresses, but a few caught my eye and now I see a definite pattern emerging.

Thank you, new gTLDs! Congratulations also to all supporters who bought into the lie!

Why are you thanking the new gtlds ( sarcasmically, of course ) ? The spammers already existed. That's like blaming the horse for the cow pie you just stepped in.

 

[JB Lions]

At least somebody is getting some kind of use out of them.

 

[Kate]

.pw is popular for spamming due to low price.

 

[loupe]

This shocking discovery of spammers spamming from many TLDs deserves a CNN coverage !

So far i didn't see a single spam email from a new gtld, at the end it won't matter, will get the same treatment from antispam organisations and own spamfiltering.

 

[forge]

Why are you thanking the new gtlds ( sarcasmically, of course ) ? The spammers already existed. That's like blaming the horse for the cow pie you just stepped in.

Nope. A big reason is how cheap some of these are. .link, for example, can be registered for $5 or thereabouts. Apparently others too are seeing this primarily from .link, .click and .rocks extensions. I doubt spammers go hunting for GoDaddy $1.99 .com coupons, so these are their extensions of choice. Of course spam isn't limited to these extensions. But the claim by "new" gTLD proponents that spam and fraud weren't going to be an issue was always disingenuous.

 

[vivaldi]

Have yet to see spam from new gTLD's still stuck with .info and co.in

 

[RogueWriter]

I have never seen anyone claim the new gtlds were going to be spam free, nor have I seen that presented as a reason to invest in the extensions. What I do know is that I get .com spam multiple times a day, promoting spammy article sites dressed up as legitimate business resource guides. I bet I get 200 email spams a month just for that niche, all of them .coms.

 

[loupe]

Nope. A big reason is how cheap some of these are. .link, for example, can be registered for $5 or thereabouts. Apparently others too are seeing this primarily from .link, .click and .rocks extensions. I doubt spammers go hunting for GoDaddy $1.99 .com coupons, so these are their extensions of choice. Of course spam isn't limited to these extensions. But the claim by "new" gTLD proponents that spam and fraud weren't going to be an issue was always disingenuous.

For most spammers the price of a domain is meaningless since the return makes up for it. They know it will be suspended on short term so it's not going to matter.

 

[JB Lions]

For most spammers the price of a domain is meaningless since the return makes up for it.

That's actually false. They like the cheapest, period. That's why .info was very popular among them. Or if you're making sites, spam type stuff, blogger/blogspot, Google sites are popular because it's free. Free and cheap.

 

[vivaldi]

That's actually false. They like the cheapest, period. That's why .info was very popular among them. Or if you're making sites, spam type stuff, blogger/blogspot, Google sites are popular because it's free. Free and cheap.

Nope, you are wrong. There are some problems with some spammers register loads of domains, use them for a few days and ask for refund. Then they do the same thing over again so it's not limited to the price itself even if it is the most common practice.

 

[DomainVP]

As with the other extensions that were released in the past, spammers like them for their cheap and disposable nature. Also for the fact that you can register an authoritative keyword in a nTLD, because nobody wanted it in that extension.

As was the case for the recent msnbc.website mess where stories were going insanely viral because people thought it was actually msnbc reporting on sensational impossible stories.

As with the other extensions that were released in the past, this will be the downfall of nTLDs; among the top other reasons they will implode this year.

#1 - Lack of genuine registrations (watch those reg numbers plummet this year)
#2 - Low Promotion (Jane Q public has no idea .net exists let alone .lawyer)
#3 - Useless gems like .wtf, .xyz, and .horse ()
#4 - Low adoption rates from end users (Even those in the industries these domains are meant for aren't using them)
#5 - Spam & lack of trust (See above)

 

[DomainVP]

Nope, you are wrong. There are some problems with some spammers register loads of domains, use them for a few days and ask for refund. Then they do the same thing over again so it's not limited to the price itself even if it is the most common practice.

You are telling JB that he is wrong, but what he is saying is 100% fact.

.info was widely popular with spammers because it was cheap; it's a fact.
http://www.mailchannels.com/blog/2008/05/ever-wonder-why-there-are-so-many-info-spam-websites/

There are hundreds of articles that discuss this; ".info should really be .spam" etc...

 

[vivaldi]

You are telling JB that he is wrong, but what he is saying is 100% fact.

.info was widely popular with spammers because it was cheap; it's a fact.
http://www.mailchannels.com/blog/2008/05/ever-wonder-why-there-are-so-many-info-spam-websites/

There are hundreds of articles that discuss this; ".info should really be .spam" etc...

Read again really before presenting your "truths". I say he is right to that extinct that most spammers go by price only but not everyone do because there are loads of spammers working after that practice I just mentioned because they know people will more likely fall for the scam when they use more trusted extensions like .com or .net.

 

[loupe]

That's a good point too, they try to at least match the TLD in case intend is to make name look almost identical.

 

[RogueWriter]

Also for the fact that you can register an authoritative keyword in a nTLD, because nobody wanted it in that extension.

As was the case for the recent msnbc.website mess where stories were going insanely viral because people thought it was actually msnbc reporting on sensational impossible stories.

The first comment you made is a good point, though it is interesting to see a ngtld critic compliment a ngtld domain for appearing to be authoritive.

Your second point helped spread the word about the new extensions via a viral story. A dozen more of those and -everyone- will understand that there are new extensions in town. If anything, these viral instances will increase awareness of these extensions.


This is simply the same old argument in a new thread; critics of the new extensions will wail about the upstart know it alls and how they have to be, how they MUST be wrong.

"Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black." -Henry Ford

That turned out well for Ford, didn't it.

 

[DomainVP]

The first comment you made is a good point, though it is interesting to see a ngtld critic compliment a ngtld domain for appearing to be authoritive.

Keywords can have an appeal to authority with the general public; as was shown in the msnbc.website case. However, the overall domain name was a fly-by-night spam operation that now has a 403 error as it's landing page.

Your second point helped spread the word about the new extensions via a viral story. A dozen more of those and -everyone- will understand that there are new extensions in town. If anything, these viral instances will increase awareness of these extensions.

The best example I can give to you is gonorrhea.

Just because I know gonorrhea exists, does not mean you want it.

The more people are aware that they exist and that they are commonly used in spammy malicious ways, nobody is going to want to use them.

Domain hacks do have some weight, but as we have all discussed; just how many relevant keyword combinations can you make from KW.TLD that make the whole process worthwhile.

On a positive note. New extensions will probably become popular in 20-30 years, after an entire generation is aware of them, and the population will be increased.

I'm just not too keen on investing in such a lottery ticket 'maybe'; there are much better near term investing opportunities in the .COM namespace that will hold for the future.

 

[RogueWriter]

I'm just not too keen on investing in such a lottery ticket 'maybe'; there are much better near term investing opportunities in the .COM namespace that will hold for the future.

One of the illogical assumptions that gets pushed a lot here is that you are either a .com or a .ngtld, as if you are only allowed to choose one investment strategy or another.

I've been investing in .com for fifteen years; picking up 100 or so ngtlds are, imo, a nice addition to my portfolio. If you choose to limit yourself to .coms only, that's your choice to limit yourself, have at it.