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Rick Schwartz - What he has to say on .mobi

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Sorry to all out there who aren't into dotmobi, please stop reading now & go about your daily business please... don't say you weren't warned, don't ask for this to be moved to the 'mobi forum' if you don't think dotmobi is something to talk about then keep an eye on Rock...

Here's the link (everything below the link is a cut & paste job so the links a load better to read....)

Come on Jeff, hows about the reply to my PM a few weeks back? I shared some fairly private stuff with you... or has your bottle gone? ;)



http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2008/02/secret-mobi-fan.html


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« A post from 1998. Wow, what a ride! | Main

February 29, 2008
Secret .mobi fan spotted and revealed!!
Morning folks!!

In September 2006 .mobi was released. I did not think much of the extension. Just another dotcom wannabe. I laughed as most are still doing and moved on. Then about 3 weeks later another thought occurred to me and I made a quick about face. What did I see? If I tell ya, I’d have to kill ya. But at that moment I saw something that would allow only a very NARROW but hugely successful amount of .mobi’s that could change the world. Besides the obvious company names and trademarks that would be snapped up by their respective companies, I identified less than 10 generic domains that could have great value in the future. The one that led my list was Tickets.mobi. It joined flowers.mobi which was also in the list. Why? Well, let’s look at how these two industries were transformed by the internet, perhaps more than most or even all others. 20 years ago when I would call 1-800-FLOWERS, I bought stuff but would never see it. The Internet changed that. I finally had a visual to go with the dollar amount. That transformed the buying experience for millions. Same with tickets. Before, you would call an 800# and got what you got after cross examining the operator on the other end of the phone line. The Internet gave me the visual and now we can all see the exact seat we get.

So as I sat and identified the industries that could once again be transformed by .mobi, the list was short and narrow. But like other things, IDEAS come about and that short and narrow list is likely to fatten up.

For example, last Tuesday night, Jim McCann said they were working on a system that you will be able to send a “Virtual Bouquet” to someone sitting in a nightclub you might be at. So never discount how things can be transformed by a new idea. Will that happen at flowers.com? No.They have a separate site for that. Today a dotcom. Tomorrow……who knows. Especially when matched up with GPS or as a default extension. Do any of us know how this will unfold? No. But it does not stop folks from putting blinders on and actively rooting against something. Step back folks. Don’t be guilty of the same things others have done to you. Open minds seize opportunities that closed minds will never see.

Now that I got the #1 .mobi I have aimed for since day one, (Tickets.mobi) it will be interesting to see how the old guard domainers learn I am a big .mobi fan. (No surprise for some) I see it as the next best extension to dot com and really nobody needs to agree with me. The more folks disagree, the more I know I am on the right track. So save the naysaying for 5 years not 5 minutes. Then we can discuss why so many of my good friends missed such a winner. They will just say…..”Damn, Rick was right again.”

Here is the reality. In 5 years the domain may be worth between $0 and $60,000. It may also be worth between $60,000 and $60 million. I decided to place my bet on the latter. Place your bets where you may. At the end of the day, I will trust my gut more than any other set of factors. My gut says this will be a $60,000 loss or the single biggest payday of my life. Only had that feeling a few times before. Porno.com, Men.com, Candy.com, Property.com, Tickets.mobi. So then the question becomes: “Why did I buy flowers.mobi for more than tickets.mobi? The answer is pretty simple. Flowers.mobi was the only other .mobi released that was in my top 10 list and since tickets.mobi was not yet out there, I wanted a foot in this door. Porn.mobi was also on the short list as is sex.mobi and some other obvious ones. Domainers will not decide if .mobi hits or not. Businesses across the world will decide. They may see it as a way to capture another market. Another generation. They may see things we don't see. The thing that will decide the future of .mobi is not domainers. It is businesses across the world and advertising dollars spent.

btw, the FIRST question that Jim McCann asked me was "What did I think about .mobi?" I told him it is too early to tell. The answer won't reveal itself for 3-5 years. What folks did not know when he was there is that Jim McCann was the LONGEST domainer in the room. He started in 1992!! While others are still struggling with their initial sites and online presence, here we have Mr. Cutting Edge himself and his focus comes down to one word, "Mobile"! Their focus for the future is the mobile, on the go, younger audience. Will that help .mobi? Stay tuned!


Have a GREAT Day
Rick Schwartz


Posted at 09:40 AM | Permalink
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Comments
This whole documentary reads like a mystery story. Its juicy and will attract a lot of bees, moths,humans,and every other metaphor I can conjure up in my curious mind. Who will unlock the truth? Gosh if this were a book it would be a best seller! Good luck and congratulations my friend. Isn't it curious how often history repeats itself LOL Jeff Schneider

Posted by: Jeff Schneider | February 29, 2008 at 09:18 AM

Hi,

Very interesting take, it is certainly going to be exciting to follow the extension over the next few years.

By the way - the forum at http://mobility mobi/ is a great resource for .mobi enthusiasts, as it offers serious discussion on topics related to the extension (I have no affiliation besides being a fairly new member).

Regards,

Trond

Posted by: Trond | February 29, 2008 at 09:18 AM

Rick,

I hope we don't have to wait another 4 years until you make a Leap Year revelation known!
Actually, anyone who really listens/reads what you say, (go back and spend time catching up if you haven't already) can see it sooner.
Mobile Internet, and with it especially the dotMOBI guidelines and applications will change, assist and grow what was started in the late 20th century.
Thanks for telling.

kw




Posted by: KW Boswell | February 29, 2008 at 09:40 AM

Most .mobi owners are smart individuals that see the wisdom of what .mobi offers.

It's nice to have validation from such a credible and successful source.

Posted by: Pooptooth.mobi | February 29, 2008 at 10:09 AM

Kevin the Domainer has a great take on this at:
http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/kevinthedomainer/423998

Posted by: Rudy | February 29, 2008 at 11:35 AM

Nice to hear this take on .mobi from a domainer pro.

I have always thought .mobi has a chance to make it, given how mobile internet is in it's early stages, and it seems like a natural extension for a mobile site.

You're right, .mobi hasn't made it yet, but the potential is definitely there.

Another example of good .mobi's are first names, people might want John.mobi or Sarah.mobi to be reached on their mobile device.

Place your bets!

Posted by: RB | February 29, 2008 at 12:08 PM

Hmmm. Sounds familial. dot .ws, get your .ws website today. dot to, gogo toto direct, the revolutionary travel domain. dot tv, get the world premiere new domain. I understand theres a need to pump this domain because you have the best names. I've said this before, there wont be development, so there wont be type ins. Its like speculation, the "0 to 60 million" statement is speculation. There is no inherent value on .mobi, there is no traffic generated from it, it is just another domain ending to the public. And you ever notice how less and less significant domainn name endings really are? Basically, all types of content are found on all extentions. .com is safe, then .net and i think .biz is the sleeper hit.

Posted by: JohnDaniels | February 29, 2008 at 01:10 PM

I will tell you why it wont make it. Here is my prediction: People dont like to remeber too much stuff, we have already too much going on in our lifes. They know 3 extentions .com and .org and .edu, some heard of .net

The rest is mystery. There is no reason to think that they will jump up on 4 letter extension, when m.LLLLLL.com works just as well. You looking from domainer prospective not from peoples eyes.

Posted by: Art | February 29, 2008 at 01:14 PM

Dot Mobi WILL NEVER have critical mass. Why? It's simple. As technology advances, websites will SOON be able to determine if the browser is a mobile device or a computer and display the content accordingly (cnn.com already does this to some extent). Further, mobile devices will continue improving such that they can read the same web page a comptuer can (i.e. iPhone). Therefore, the user will only have to remember Dot Com and not have to bother with Dot Mobi.

In the future, nobody will be talking about .Mobi except for the domain investors who got burned.

RF

Posted by: Robert Franks | February 29, 2008 at 01:35 PM

Rick may be a true oracle. I never had much hope for .mobe but today Fox News was promoting foxnews.mobi on the air. Remember it was corporate America’s advertising budgets that helped .com become what it is today.

The people will decide if .mobi will be the future for mobile access. It is a numbers game and I am still not sure the mass public will relearn or use a different impulse trigger for access to the web. The younger generation may but we will have to wait and see how it plays out.

For a few thousand I would take the gamble and hedge my bet.

Posted by: Michael Castello | February 29, 2008 at 03:55 PM

Hey Rick,

The.mobi is going to be BIG!

Everyone that has mobile or iphone surfs the web and .mobi is the best place to have your site online.

I own a few names in the .mobi but parking revenues are low in comparison to the .com but I know in time they shall come on board. Tickets.mobi and Flowers.mobi shall make you money but you know best that time shall tell.

Also anyone got some advice on hiding your IP address? I know there are services but anyone got a recomendation?

Let me know.

Cheers

Robbie

Posted by: Robbie Ferguson | February 29, 2008 at 04:20 PM

The most important thing you said in your post is "So save the naysaying for 5 years not 5 minutes." I purchased the .mobi domains that I own during pre-registration. Being in the mobile software & mobile marketing industry I can tell you firsthand that 2008 has so far been an absolute tsunami with advertising budgets for mobile marketing like, quadrupling. Advertising drives everything. When most of the fortune 5 adverts are spending in the tens of millions a year on mobile (maybe in 2 more years), the .mobi domains we own will be worth more than .coms.

Posted by: Vincent Furey | February 29, 2008 at 05:38 PM

My username is a giveaway, but I like developed .mobi sites. They are light, they give you great information on a phone, and they are portable. I think it's easy to remember .mobi, it's mobile without the "le" at the end. Thanks for your post Rick, I always enjoy your insight.

Posted by: mobiEnthusiast | February 29, 2008 at 06:30 PM

I almost bought a dot mobi after reading all the bull crap hype. What the hell was i thinking? There is NO traffic...the average person does not even know what a dot mobi is. 99.99% of people have never ever typed in a dot mobi address ever.
I am so soooo glad i did not buy a dot mobi.
If you did get suckered into buying this hype, my advise is to sell it now before the hype dies down and there are no sucker buyers left in the market.
dot com rules...ask any normal person on the street...have they ever typed a dot mobi address... 99.99% will tell you NOPE.

Posted by: Andy | February 29, 2008 at 07:30 PM


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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
It might become the default tld for GPS & other new mobile technologies, that is where the key to it's success is but I still have my doubts. .com's are a safer bet & sure thing at least.
 
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onewordonly said:
It might become the default tld for GPS & other new mobile technologies, that is where the key to it's success is but I still have my doubts. .com's are a safer bet & sure thing at least.


I hear what you're saying & know what you mean about .coms being a safer bet... but dare I hazard a guess that you would have meant that in context?

i.e. if you're going to buy a $10,000 domain it'd be safer (possibly) if it was a .com?


Because the point I've being trying to get across is that there is a graph charting .com prices & it's way ahead of the dotmobi graph... I can still reg (for £3.50 GBP) a new .mobi name that would be $x,xxx & more in a .com

Is .com really a safer bet when you look at it in that context (which I respectfully acknowledge is probably not what you were arguing).

I am really pretty damn excited about dotmobi... I never listened to the naysayers & if it falls on its face I won't be disheartened... that's not what I'm about.

But Boy! Things are definitely looking up from where I'm sitting ;)
 
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Look, keep this on discussion, and not banter.

You can be a naysayer, but don't let me catch you buying any (3-letter) .mobi names

Sounds like a bit of a contradiction to me.

Now, back on topic...

-Steve
 
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newdomainer.mobi said:
Same old same old.... grandad.

hawkeye said:
bully child.

I'm a "bully child Grandad", that's it ... if this persistent name calling and attempts to discredit my comments further the dot Mobey hype and your specific agenda - the same agenda in which a blog attempts to validate an unproven extension for the purposes of profit - that's fine, as I have eternal faith that the Community™ can see the trees through the forrest and make their own balanced conclusions (and, hopefully, save some money in wasted dot Mobey registrations along the way), IMHO. :gl:

PS. Everyone enjoying the unique and compelling development - and lovely addition to the critical .MOBI "ecosystem" - for those that are "on the go" (and promotions thereof) of ... http://flowers.mobi :rolleyes:

Again, this thread should have been posted in the dot Mobey Forum, IMHO.
Thanks for understanding.
-Jeff B-)

PS.
stscac said:
Now, back on topic...

Onward and upward, thank you Sir (I posted before seeing your post above). :music:
 
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You know, I am curious.
Does anybody know how much .mobis are registered in all?
 
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tdm300 said:
You know, I am curious.
Does anybody know how much .mobis are registered in all?

Give or take it's around the 1 million mark now as far as I understand.... that's just shy of 2,000 dotmobis registered each and every day since the end of September 2006..... and the number is growing at a healthy pace.
 
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tdm300 said:
Does anybody know how much .mobis are registered in all?

I believe the actual number of active registrations is well shy of "nearly one million", as I've heard circulating of late ... and this will be further reduced -and EN MASSE - here in 2008, as well! Many, many of the upcoming dropped dot Mobey scraps will not be re-registered, compounding the problem with the prospects for the extension and its once hopeful unique and compelling development(s) / promotion / "ecosystem", IMHO. :|
Just my two sense.
-Jeff B-)
 
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I do have to ask......why is this not in the dot mobi section? (sorry if this offends)

They have finally moved all the other "official" threads to their own section.
 
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