New gTLD's in 2007?

[AdoptableDomains]

I was reading some ICANN minutes and see that they are back on track to implement new gTLD's again. Looks like they could accept proposals as early as the first of 2007. Here's the link and a quoted paragraph.

http://www.icann.org/minutes/resolutions-31mar06.html

Notice of Intent to Advance Implementation of New gTLD Process

Whereas, ICANN's Core Values support the introduction and promotion of choice and competition in the registration of domain names where practicable and beneficial in the public interest; and

Whereas, ICANN's Generic Names Supporting Organization ("GNSO") has launched a policy development process designed to determine specific mechanisms for the additional introduction of new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs); and

Whereas, consistent with the timelines for policy development specified in ICANN's Bylaws, the GNSO should complete its initial report on new gTLDs before ICANN's next public meeting in Marrakech, Morocco in June 2006; and

Resolved (06.22), ICANN Staff is authorized and instructed to post a "Notice of Intent to Advance Implementation of New gTLD Process," as soon as practicable, stating that ICANN intends to advance the implementation of a new gTLD process on or before 1 January 2007. The Notice should instruct interested parties to monitor and participate in the public process now underway in the GNSO; and,

Resolved (06.23), the Board asks the GNSO to make its best efforts to complete its initial report on new gTLDs at or before ICANN's next public meeting in Marrakech, Morocco so that the GNSO's report can be posted for public comment, considered by the Board and the rest of the ICANN community, and implemented by Staff in accordance with the Board's instructions, with sufficient time to allow for advancement of a new gTLD process on or before 1 January 2007.

Resolved (06.24), the Board asks the Chair to communicate this action to ICANN's supporting organizations and advisory committees.

I would imagine by the end of the year they will have wrapped up all the new sTLD's (.travel, .tel, .mobi, .cat, etc.) and again look at gTLD's.

Here's some more relevant info on the creteria recommended. http://gnso.icann.org/issues/new-gtlds/issues-report-15mar06.htm

 

[accent]

If ICANN, in the next few years, floods the market with gTLD's, where does that leave domainers? That little bit about:

... ICANN's Core Values support the introduction and promotion of choice and competition in the registration of domain names ...

That seems to me to be aimed directly at increasing the supply of "quality" names, thus reducing the demand and therefore the prices domainers receive.
Can .COM's near monopoly be "broken" in the public's mind?

Disturbing.

 

[peterstannard]

Can .COM's near monopoly be "broken" in the public's mind?

Nope.

 

[gpmgroup]

If ICANN, in the next few years, floods the market with gTLD's, where does that leave domainers? That little bit about:
That seems to me to be aimed directly at increasing the supply of "quality" names, thus reducing the demand and therefore the prices domainers receive.
Can .COM's near monopoly be "broken" in the public's mind?

Disturbing.

The problem is the more TLDs they intoriduce the less competition there will be for .com - reason being it because it becomes increasingly difficult for any of the new gTLDs to get a critical mass of usage. Who outside of domain circles has ever heard of .travel for example?

Who's going to risk branding their company/business on a new gTLD - nobody ever got sacked for branding on .com.

Most domainers, end users and corporate's don't want any more TLDs.

 

[AdoptableDomains]

The problem is the more TLDs they intoriduce the less competition there will be for .com - reason being it because it becomes increasingly difficult for any of the new gTLDs to get a critical mass of usage. Who outside of domain circles has ever heard of .travel for example?

Who's going to risk branding their company/business on a new gTLD - nobody ever got sacked for branding on .com.

Most domainers, end users and corporate's don't want any more TLDs.

Yes, that's true. If you counted domain canabilism among the existing gTLD's I'd say maybe .com would give up 15%, and org/net/biz/info would share the other 85% loss. If a .web actually became approved, it might even take over the second or third spot in the lineup.

 

[Ron Jackson]

This is one reason why I have always felt .us represented the best new extension investment choice. ICANN can and will keep cranking out new gTLDs but there can only be one country code extension that represents the world's #1 economy and that is .us.

 

[Binfus]

This is one reason why I have always felt .us represented the best new extension investment choice. ICANN can and will keep cranking out new gTLDs but there can only be one country code extension that represents the world's #1 economy and that is .us.

Agreed. There's a good likelihood that because of its progress to date and very broad utility, .info may actually set itself apart from the rest of the gTLD crowd over the next few years, establishing itself solidly as #2 after .com..... especially if more are thrown out in the mix; the biggest loosers IMO would be .biz and .net. Although many like .web as a gTLD I wonder how it'd be any different from .net?

 

[-db-]

This is one reason why I have always felt .us represented the best new extension investment choice. ICANN can and will keep cranking out new gTLDs but there can only be one country code extension that represents the world's #1 economy and that is .us.

Amen to that Duke.

Binfus, you bring up an interesting point (comparison) between .net and .web, because I've always liked the sound, look and feel of .web, but I too wonder how well it would be accepted, and how it would distinguish itself from the rest of the pack.

 

[AdoptableDomains]

Amen to that Duke.

Binfus, you bring up an interesting point (comparison) between .net and .web, because I've always liked the sound, look and feel of .web, but I too wonder how well it would be accepted, and how it would distinguish itself from the rest of the pack.

Personally, I think all gTLD's beyond .com have something in common. they are great for generic use, but not seen as prime for building a TM type brand as .com. A .web would just be another source of some good keyword and generic domains. Not all that much different than .net, or .info, and actually even more stepsister clone of .net than .info is.

 

[Binfus]

Personally, I think all gTLD's beyond .com ..........are great for generic use, but not seen as prime for building a TM type brand as .com.

Agreed....here IMO, true competition to .com (eventually) would come (in some countries its already there) from ccTLDS, hence the agreement with Duke's statement. However, I truly have a strong gut belief that .info represents something unique and powerful for a relatively large spectrum of content-based websites, especially those that are not solely/directly focused on selling stuff....here this tld provides a very potent, albeit indirect, marketing tool via provision of (generic and "unbiased") information...

 

[AdoptableDomains]

Agreed....here IMO, true competition to .com (eventually) would come (in some countries its already there) from ccTLDS, hence the agreement with Duke's statement. However, I truly have a strong gut belief that .info represents something unique and powerful for a relatively large spectrum of content-based websites, especially those that are not solely/directly focused on selling stuff....here this tld provides a very potent, albeit indirect, marketing tool via provision of (generic and "unbiased") information...

Precisely why I have about 40% of my portfolio in generic .info. The .info domain works well with almost any content, and "info" means the same thing and the short version is spelled the same so many different languages. It doesn't have the commercial connotation of .com and .biz, the specific non-profit connotation of .org, or the geographic limitation of ccTLD's. Almost everything on the internet relates to information of some kind, whther it's a non-profit, commercial venture, or information sharing in the form of communities. If a .web came into existence, it would first make me think of a "web page" or WWW. In reality, domains are used for more than web pages, but also for email, databases, file file transfer, etc. All .web would be is a legitimate ICANN sanctioned .ws.

However, beyond .web being another broad use TLD, I can't see a current need for another gTLD that would segment the net in another worthwhile way that the sTLD's haven't already done, or that can't be handled by the ccTLD's. But, unless whatever comes is as lame as .name, I'll probably pick up a few.

 

[Carlton]

Promoting existing tld's would be a much better goal for ICANN ... and leading in relevant policy development. All new tld's are consumed immediately by developers/speculators. Time is needed for existing alternatives (of which there are numerous variations) to continue taking root and growing.

 

[NeeJam]

whatever happens im getting in on the new tld and getting some good names for it.