discuss The official "Dot Com is King?" thread.

[PowerUp]

I've read alot of comments of domainers putting forth their ideas of why or why not dot com is King and which are the other possible extensions having potential to follow the rise of the .com.

Perhaps we could all appreciate these ideas better if we could bring (or dig) out facts and figures for analysis.

Below is a list of top 100 sites from Alexa ranking as at today. If anyone has a top 100 list from last year, then we could compare and see if there are any extensions gaining publicity faster than the others.

I encourage everybody to share more figures with us.

Alexa Top 100 (50 out of top 100 domains isn't a .com.)

1. yahoo.com
2. youtube.com
3. live.com
4. google.com
5. myspace.com
6. facebook.com
7. msn.com
8. hi5.com
9. wikipedia.org
10. orkut.com
11. blogger.com
12. rapidshare.com
13. fotolog.net
14. megaupload.com
15. google.fr
16. skyrock.com
17. friendster.com
18. microsoft.com
19. baidu.com
20. megarotic.com
21. google.cl
22. yahoo.co.jp
23. ebay.com
24. google.com.br
25. google.es
26. mail.ru
27. google.com.mx
28. seznam.cz
29. dailymotion.com
30. photobucket.com
31. youporn.com
32. google.pl
33. imdb.com
34. imageshack.us
35. vkontakte.ru
36. nasza-klasa.pl
37. qq.com
38. google.co.uk
39. flickr.com
40. megavideo.com
41. odnoklassniki.ru
42. google.de
43. metroflog.com
44. amazon.com
45. google.co.ve
46. redtube.com
47. google.com.ar
48. free.fr
49. wordpress.com
50. uol.com.br
51. google.com.co
52. imagevenue.com
53. mininova.org
54. wretch.cc
55. google.com.pe
56. onet.pl
57. aol.com
58. allegro.pl
59. yandex.ru
60. go.com
61. sina.com.cn
62. deviantart.com
63. google.co.in
64. bbc.co.uk
65. google.ca
66. craigslist.org
67. google.sk
68. adultfriendfinder.com
69. livejournal.com
70. globo.com
71. iwiw.hu
72. google.com.vn
73. wp.pl
74. netlog.com
75. perfspot.com
76. google.co.hu
77. googlesyndication.com <--- Adsense bot traffic?
78. google.it
79. terra.com.br
80. ebay.fr
81. google.cn
82. veoh.com
83. fc2.com
84. google.co.th
85. fotka.pl
86. orange.fr
87. rambler.ru
88. onemanga.com
89. badongo.com
90. google.com.tr
91. 51.com
92. geocities.com
93. taobao.com
94. mediafire.com
95. ebay.de
96. megaflirt.com
97. ebay.co.uk
98. sexyono.com
99. apple.com
100. google.co.jp

# .org = 3
# .net = 1
# .fr = 4
# .cl = 1
# .co.jp = 2
# .com.br = 3
# .es = 1
# .ru = 5
# .com.mx = 1
# .cz = 1
# .pl = 6
# .us = 1
# .co.uk = 3
# .de = 2
# .co.ve = 1
# .com.ar = 1
# .com.co = 1
# .cc = 1
# .com.pe = 1
# .com.cn = 1
# .co.in = 1
# .ca = 1
# .sk = 1
# .hu = 2
# .com.vn = 1
# .co.hu = 1
# .it = 1
# .cn = 1
# .co.th = 1
# .com.tr = 1

 

[Domain Crazy]

After reading through some of this it seems most people think that .com will always be king. I'm not so sure...

Most websites that are in the TOP 100 were from an era where .com was the global extension - before new gTLDs.

More websites are released more than ever neglecting .com especially now that we have all the new gTLDs. Over time, newer websites will replace the old ones as they become more popular like maybe a replacement for Facebook/Twitter or just new websites in general. Slowly .com will be worth less as people become more comfortable with different domain names. Whether it takes 50 years or 200 who knows.

Kids today who will be the new adults of tomorrow are more used to the new gtlds than anyone. All the .io games and custom domains they will register themselves because they can't get .coms. Thinkspot is currently being held under a ".today" domain waiting for release.

.com is clearly still king but I think it'll change with new generations to come who are more tech-savvy/dependent.

I can imagine a time soon where a website goes big under a new gTLD and then spends millions purchasing a .com which nobody uses. All it takes is a few websites to be mass-'meme'd into popularity. The website matters more than the domain anyway.

(I do personally still prefer .coms!)

Edit: Simply look through the gaming websites that exist today. Almost all of them are under gtlds. Go and google "CSGO Trading" and look at the domains that return. Kids use these domains all the time and are very used to it. There is .gg, .money, .deals, .trade, .farm on the first page alone.

 

[Mary Muse]

No. Just look at the stats TODAY.

.com is overwhelmingly dominant, and has solidified that trend despite the constant release & promotion of ngtlds.

 

[cooljub]

Interesting to read this thread over a decade later

 

[equity78]

After reading through some of this it seems most people think that .com will always be king. I'm not so sure...

Most websites that are in the TOP 100 were from an era where .com was the global extension - before new gTLDs.

More websites are released more than ever neglecting .com especially now that we have all the new gTLDs. Over time, newer websites will replace the old ones as they become more popular like maybe a replacement for Facebook/Twitter or just new websites in general. Slowly .com will be worth less as people become more comfortable with different domain names. Whether it takes 50 years or 200 who knows.

Kids today who will be the new adults of tomorrow are more used to the new gtlds than anyone. All the .io games and custom domains they will register themselves because they can't get .coms. Thinkspot is currently being held under a ".today" domain waiting for release.

.com is clearly still king but I think it'll change with new generations to come who are more tech-savvy/dependent.

I can imagine a time soon where a website goes big under a new gTLD and then spends millions purchasing a .com which nobody uses. All it takes is a few websites to be mass-'meme'd into popularity. The website matters more than the domain anyway.

(I do personally still prefer .coms!)

Edit: Simply look through the gaming websites that exist today. Almost all of them are under gtlds. Go and google "CSGO Trading" and look at the domains that return. Kids use these domains all the time and are very used to it. There is .gg, .money, .deals, .trade, .farm on the first page alone.

I talk to nieces, their friends, children of friends who are in their teens, not one has ever heard of a new gtld, not one. .IO is a country code and some tech savvy younger people know that, some know .tv from sites like Twitch.

I know women who are models in their 20's and when I tell them to get their .com they are like it's ok I got Instagram don't need it.

Kids really don't care about domain names businesses do.

 

[equity78]

Interesting to read this thread over a decade later

What's really interesting is most of those posters from 2008 are not here and haven't been for years.

 

[Domain Crazy]

I talk to nieces, their friends, children of friends who are in their teens, not one has ever heard of a new gtld, not one. .IO is a country code and some tech savvy younger people know that, some know .tv from sites like Twitch.

I know women who are models in their 20's and when I tell them to get their .com they are like it's ok I got Instagram don't need it.

Kids really don't care about domain names businesses do.

Most new websites that rise up are built by young entrepreneurs. I'm only talking about the future. I'm not talking about the now. I don't think people are generally using ngtlds at the moment. However sites under "csgo trading" is a good example of how it could be in the future.

What's really interesting is most of those posters from 2008 are not here and haven't been for years.

Sorry for bumping an old one but glad it can be used for archaeology.

 

[poweredbyme]

What's really interesting is most of those posters from 2008 are not here and haven't been for years.

Everything is a learning curve. I think those people graduated from NP school. Nothing left for them to learn here. When did you last visit your schools located in different cities or how many times you visited there after the graduation?

This is not interesting for me, is rather sad. Time is passing so fast. Important things of today for us will change in the future. Those people may not be doing domaining at the moment. We will likely follow the same path they walked and passed, just like the young students walking today in our old schools as we walked there years ago.

 

[HotKey]

I talk to nieces, their friends, children of friends who are in their teens, not one has ever heard of a new gtld, not one.
Kids really don't care about domain names businesses do.

I hear this all the time, frankly, it gets tiresome. Don't be the excuse for people's lack of knowledge, be the seed of change. People don't know until they know, and you might have missed an opportunity to be the very first to introduce something like a new G to them.

What's holding you back? How can kids, friends and others care if you don't care? Excitement is contagious.

 

[equity78]

I hear this all the time, frankly, it gets tiresome. Don't be the excuse for people's lack of knowledge, be the seed of change. People don't know until they know, and you might have missed an opportunity to be the very first to introduce something like a new G to them.

What's holding you back? How can kids, friends and others care if you don't care? Excitement is contagious.

Not really sure what you are talking about? Where did I say I don't care. I said these kids and models don't care and don't care about my opinion on domain names. When I get outside the people I know from domaining, everyone else family, friends, etc... They think domaining is either the dumbest or most boring thing they have ever heard, I have gone to parties where someone asked me to please not talk about domain names.

 

[garptrader]

The vast majority of people place very little importance on domains and consider them an $xx item. Suggest they pay $xxxx+ is like asking them to pay that price for movie tickets. So most domain buyers opt for crappy ref fee alternatives. Trying to convince them to pay big money for a domain is like me trying to visit a Dunkin Donuts and recruiting people to join me for my Saturday morning sprint interval workouts in the South Florida summer heat.

 

[equity78]

Trying to convince them to pay big money for a domain is like me trying to visit a Dunkin Donuts and recruiting people to join me for my Saturday morning sprint interval workouts in the South Florida summer heat.

That was good.

 

[JB Lions]

Most new websites that rise up are built by young entrepreneurs. I'm only talking about the future. I'm not talking about the now. I don't think people are generally using ngtlds at the moment. However sites under "csgo trading" is a good example of how it could be in the future.



Sorry for bumping an old one but glad it can be used for archaeology.

There are lots of old threads on this. Most startups are avoiding new gtlds like the plague, just go look at the numbers. These type of threads are always silly. Not one person can give me 1 extension that would surpass .com.

 

[HotKey]

Not really sure what you are talking about? Where did I say I don't care. I said these kids and models don't care and don't care about my opinion on domain names. When I get outside the people I know from domaining, everyone else family, friends, etc... They think domaining is either the dumbest or most boring thing they have ever heard, I have gone to parties where someone asked me to please not talk about domain names.

That was little harsh and incorrect, I apologize. I guess I'm just used to the people I call friends and family, colleagues and business associates having an open mind to what I have to say, out of respect at the very least, even if the DN passion isn't shared. This is where the fight for awareness/acceptance begins. And over time, I've found, people will go out of their way to ask me, rather than me have to probe: what's up with the domain name game, where is it headed, is this a good name, etc..

Not to say, too often am I asked, "so do I have to put .com after that?" on a gTLD name discussion. But a gentle correction is all it takes. Though, I have had people laugh in my face. Examples of real world usage helps too. I've been using a gTLD email address for almost 4 years now, with business contacts and family, they all understand now .com is not the be all and end all.

But you're right, DN's in general aren't an important issue to most unless its ones craft, or a business needing a presence.

I think to get people to talk about DN, is all about presentation. Com has been around for so long, it's tough to generate excitement on it. Whereas new tld entrants pose all sorts of angles that get me excited, and am able to reflect that in conversations.

 

[MapleDots]

also there are like 10 google.(local tld) on that list, I doubt that shows any cctld strength, simply a lot of people live in Poland, Mexico, Brasil etc.

Actually, I beg to differ...

google.ca is 65th on the list and the country only has 37 million people.
The .ca TLD is widely used in Canadian Business and is almost at par with .com

A lot of that is because for commerce Canadians trust .ca and the fact that they are reasonably priced against their .com counterparts.

ccTLD's are indeed very strong and on their own would be considered a great success. It is only once you measure them against a global powerhouse like .com that they show weakness.

.com is and always will remain king but that does not mean there is any weakness in ccTLD's. It is simply a numbers game of regional vs global. We know that a country code can never compete against the dominant global extension but nonetheless the ccTLD's have some respectable numbers in a lot of countries.