Generaly haters of extensions are just jealous that didn't get in early enough to secure a good name.
This perhaps is along the same pattern of flawed logic that attracts individuals to .PRO type TLDs and then keeps them locked into a visual tunnel whereby they cannot see the forest (for the trees).
At the time these alternative extensions were being developed, we were still in the middle of a domain/website expansion phase. Now the opposite is happening. There is massive contraction.
The reality is that only one second level domain is needed to operate the entire Internet. Every website, every mail server, everything else attached could operate on that single domain (eg. internet.com) using sub-domains (third-level domains). If you can accept this premise, please continue.
At one time there was this mad rush by businesses and individuals to stake their claim on the Internet. This period spanned from around 1995 to 2005. As social media began expanding, fewer and fewer consumers wanted or needed their own independent domains. The momentum of this exodus is increasing. If you can also accept this premise, please continue.
The situation with professionals and businesses is much more complicated. Basically every business that wants a website already has one, many have figured out they don't need a website, and existing web-based businesses are being squeezed out by the likes of Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Ebay.
This is basically why .PRO will not grow from here, not in terms of numbers registered, but in terms of general adoption, actual usage, human acceptance, and overall need. IMO.
