So you're a domainer, eh? Prove it. (Opinion piece)

[MAINNET]

So you're a domainer, eh? Prove it.

This seems to be the sentiment some folks lead with in the NamePros forum and a few other "accessible" domainer circles. Looking in the domain industry's rearview, we can see the 90s have come and gone. Some notable sales have been made; but the space seems to be a shell of itself. Every now and then there's a trend that gets certain domainers talking, making money and on their way. A majority of domainers though are holding out hope they'll be among the lucky ones that'll get a sale this month - maybe even next month.

Here's the reality: It's not just new domainers that are hoping for sales. It's folks who've been around for some time too. Most won't say it; but the critique of certain "successful" domainers doesn't necessarily make it the coolest thing to do. Before anyone comes with their favorite line about "buying quality domains", let us not forget the space hasn't innovated enough to support substantial growth opportunities. So while quality names are one part, lethargic evolution of the space is another.

For the sake of full transparency, I - along with some partners - fall within the category of folks who've been privileged to have some decent sales. They haven't been mega sales - but enough to say we can pick, hold, develop and move em if the market and the universe's favor permits. Nothing too flashy. We like to joke that we sit at the intersection of what domaining was and could become. More than anything, we value people, love language and believe the domain space hasn't scratched the surface of its potential.

With all of this stated, I'd simply like to petition those who care about the domain space, and not just the money, to rethink how WE advise folks who are new to the space and even those who've been here for a while. There's nothing like being blessed to make money in a rather low-key and unregulated sector. This allows more room to strengthen the domainer community as a whole without the divisiveness and superiority complexes some folks SEEM to have. Yes, there's money to be made, but there's PEOPLE to be uplifted.

And because the peanut gallery always needs addressing, here's the sharper end of the blade:

Nobody is saying coddle and lie to folks. I'm merely saying lift your foot off the criticism-gas and remember domain sales don't guarantee YOU have REAL respect, morals, dignity or class. They don't mean you're worthy of being loved or that life will provide you with an abundance of anything that really matters - peace, joy and balance. Say what you want; but remember there's a batch of folks who move in silence. They know it's best to stay in the shadows, make sales and let folks speculate about who's really doing what. Every now and then, they step out to say there's room to do better. That's exactly what THIS thread is intended to signal.

Let us do right by one another and move the space forward. After all, it's well overdue.

 

[RichardDixon]

Really interesting read — I think “proving” you’re a domainer is less about portfolio size and more about consistency. Some people have hundreds of domains but barely make sales, while others have a tight, well-targeted list and flip regularly.


For me, the fun part is spotting a trend early — I’ve picked up a couple of names in emerging tech niches before they blew up, and those have been my best ROI. Curious how everyone else here measures success: sales volume, total profit, or just landing one big deal a year?

 

[MAINNET]

It's what Eric said, just be more transparent with what you're wanting to do with these posts. Don't need made up stories, or let's all get together and make the Domaining world a better place or I'm here to teach the kids, all that stuff. When I say meat, I mean stuff like:

"The Ethereum Blockchain gave .com names the ability to be used as crypto wallet addresses."

"ENS/Ethereum and the role they play in giving centralized names more utility."

Simply start a thread on that, go thru it as if your readers are the most tech challenged people in the world and find a way to explain things so even they understand. Get to the point, cut out all the fluff. If you post up stuff that somebody will feel is beneficial to them in some way, then you're more likely to get the discussion/input you say you want. Be honest, transparent about it.

 

[MAINNET]

Really interesting read — I think “proving” you’re a domainer is less about portfolio size and more about consistency. Some people have hundreds of domains but barely make sales, while others have a tight, well-targeted list and flip regularly.


For me, the fun part is spotting a trend early — I’ve picked up a couple of names in emerging tech niches before they blew up, and those have been my best ROI. Curious how everyone else here measures success: sales volume, total profit, or just landing one big deal a year?

Thanks for dropping by @RichardDixon! "Proving" you're a domainer is more of a nod to the critique domainers who buck the status-quo tend to receive from certain legacy domains. You're right about there being different types of domainers and I believe the space could surely use more. Unfortunately, the current domaining culture isn't too welcoming of ideas and naming conventions that don't align with the past - which honestly sucks for the next generation. It's good to see the words "fun" and "curious" used in your post because they suggest a fresh interest which is key for most spaces to scale and grow in a healthy direction. Stay lively.

As for how I measure success in domaining, it's about securing a name you love (or really like), building something great atop it, using it to impact others positively and making a little money to do something nice for yourself (or someone else) while you're here on this earth.

Wishing you much success and a positive domaining journey.

 

[JB Lions]

Thanks for dropping by @RichardDixon! "Proving" you're a domainer is more of a nod to the critique domainers who buck the status-quo tend to receive from certain legacy domains. You're right about there being different types of domainers and I believe the space could surely use more. Unfortunately, the current domaining culture isn't too welcoming of ideas and naming conventions that don't align with the past - which honestly sucks for the next generation. It's good to see the words "fun" and "curious" used in your post because they suggest a fresh interest which is key for most spaces to scale and grow in a healthy direction. Stay lively.

As for how I measure success in domaining, it's about securing a name you love (or really like), building something great atop it, using it to impact others positively and making a little money to do something nice for yourself (or someone else) while you're here on this earth.

Wishing you much success and a positive domaining journey.

It's amazing how many people do their first post in your threads.

“what is his agenda?
What we should do now is STOP replying to this thread so he does not waste more people time” (“HE” is multiples users selling their idea that gtlds should be valued like coms)

From one of your other all time great threads

THE CONS OF .COM​

https://www.namepros.com/threads/the-cons-of-com.1277620/page-11#post-8647022

How many different accounts do you have in this forum/thru the years?

 

[MAINNET]

It's amazing how many people do their first post in your threads.

“what is his agenda?
What we should do now is STOP replying to this thread so he does not waste more people time” (“HE” is multiples users selling their idea that gtlds should be valued like coms)

From one of your other all time great threads

THE CONS OF .COM​

https://www.namepros.com/threads/the-cons-of-com.1277620/page-11#post-8647022

How many different accounts do you have in this forum/thru the years?

 

[dirk]

As for how I measure success in domaining, it's about securing a name you love (or really like), building something great atop it, using it to impact others positively and making a little money to do something nice for yourself (or someone else) while you're here on this earth.

Well, basically that has nothing to do with domaining. Some overlap, sure. Granted, I develop, love it, passion for the namespace, yet nothing to do with domaining.

You should really try and be more clear about what it actually is you want to discuss and your definition of terms.

 

[MAINNET]

Well, basically that has nothing to do with domaining. Some overlap, sure. Granted, I develop, love it, passion for the namespace, yet nothing to do with domaining.

You should really try and be more clear about what it actually is you want to discuss and your definition of terms.

 

[biggie]

Hi

those who’ve been doing it… don’t have prove to nobody.

their rep speaks for itself

imo….

 

[Future Sensors]

Beautifully said. Straight from the heart.

 

[MAINNET]

Hi

those who’ve been doing it… don’t have prove to nobody.

their rep speaks for itself

imo….

 

[MAINNET]

Beautifully said. Straight from the heart.

 

[xwat]

those who’ve been doing it… don’t have prove to nobody

To expand, those who have not been doing it don’t have prove to nobody either.

I am just wondering what the point of this thread ever was. Vague statements were made, insults were flung and at the end of the thread there is nothing of substance that a person of my limited intellect can discern.

 

[Future Sensors]

I really like your smilies!

Did you know that currently, the digital smiley or emoji is a product of a centralized system? Platforms like NamePros, Slack, Discord, or WhatsApp create and manage their own collections, which means these forms of expression are tied to the rules and infrastructure of the respective companies. This model limits portability, ownership rights, and creative freedom.

Decentralizing smilies on the blockchain offers a radical alternative, where the smiley is no longer a corporate product but becomes an immutable, verifiable, and communally-owned asset. This transition transforms smilies from fleeting, platform-specific icons into permanent, community-governed digital assets.

This decentralized approach opens the door to an entirely new economy of digital expression. Users could not only use their smilies but also collect, trade, and verify them as rare, unique pieces of digital art. Ultimately, smilies would cease to be mere pixels and become a tangible and valuable part of our collective digital culture.

 

[xwat]

This decentralized approach opens the door to an entirely new economy of digital expression. Users could not only use their smilies but also collect, trade, and verify them as rare, unique pieces of digital art. Ultimately, smilies would cease to be mere pixels and become a tangible and valuable part of our collective digital culture.

It seems I almost always agree with you or learn from you but I feel that the NFT experiment has put a bad taste in people's mouths.

 

[Eric Lyon]

It seems I almost always agree with you or learn from you but I feel that the NFT experiment has put a bad taste in people's mouths.

Yah, even with 3 decades in the design industry, the whole NFT scene never really jumped out at me enough to grab my interest. And now days, with AI images being created on the fly, I can only imagine how many of those images are being tokenized and/or added to someones NFT portfolio.

Total (unlimited) saturation coming soon....

 

[Abdelafen]

Considering I haven't had the pleasure of combing every thread of this platform, I'd merely say domainers should openly embrace collaboration and accountability. Not the surface-level stuff that gets you likes - but the things that change lives and challenge folks to be better. Like domains, we're ALL humans with an expiration date when it's all said and done. Why not make sure our efforts count and move the space forward for the sake of the next generation?

Thank you for your wonderful and inspiring article that calls for collaboration among domainers.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank two important figures in the Arab world who have taken the initiative to qualify, assist, and educate the Arabic community in domaining and continue to do so significantly to this day: Mr. Ayoub, owner of the YouTube channel: MrKehel and the Facebook group: "Arab Domain Community (With Mr kehel)," and Mr. Younes Kasmi, owner of the site: "dnrater" for domain appraisal.

They have truly taken upon themselves the mission of developing the domaining field, especially among Arabs.
I have benefited greatly from them and continue to do so.

Also, thank you for addressing this important topic.

 

[MAINNET]

To expand, those who have not been doing it don’t have prove to nobody either.

I am just wondering what the point of this thread ever was. Vague statements were made, insults were flung and at the end of the thread there is nothing of substance that a person of my limited intellect can discern.

 

[MAINNET]

It seems I almost always agree with you or learn from you but I feel that the NFT experiment has put a bad taste in people's mouths.

 

[MAINNET]

Yah, even with 3 decades in the design industry, the whole NFT scene never really jumped out at me enough to grab my interest. And now days, with AI images being created on the fly, I can only imagine how many of those images are being tokenized and/or added to someones NFT portfolio.

Total (unlimited) saturation coming soon....

Art is just one part of the NFT dynamic. They're more about tokenization and immutable data on the Blockchain. They serve as a symbol of verification for the plethora of things people can/will tokenize as time goes on.

 

[MAINNET]

Thank you for your wonderful and inspiring article that calls for collaboration among domainers.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank two important figures in the Arab world who have taken the initiative to qualify, assist, and educate the Arabic community in domaining and continue to do so significantly to this day: Mr. Ayoub, owner of the YouTube channel: MrKehel and the Facebook group: "Arab Domain Community (With Mr kehel)," and Mr. Younes Kasmi, owner of the site: "dnrater" for domain appraisal.

They have truly taken upon themselves the mission of developing the domaining field, especially among Arabs.
I have benefited greatly from them and continue to do so.

Also, thank you for addressing this important topic.

@Abdelafen Thank you so very much for your comment. It's pleasing to read about the efforts to move the domain space forward in the Arab community and beyond. Everything you highlighted aligns with the sentiment of this thread. As someone who believes conventional domaining is in desperate need of cultural diversity, I am extremely grateful to learn there are individuals in the Arab community making strides to assist and educate.