The .TEL Discussion Thread

[brendan52190]

Hi

For this, let's assume that .tel will not be a total flop.

What type of keywords will be most valuable for this extension? Will it be geographical keywords, like newyork.tel, losangeles.tel, etc, or what else?

 

[phase111]

There is nothing wrong with taking calculated risks. That's business.
Here we're talking about financial suicide.

Hey don't mind the skeptics, keep on congratulating each other on your future 5-figure sales (wishful thinking running high today) :loveyou:

Thats the kind of response I was expecting from you lol. Your footnote says a lot about what you place most faith in. Of course we can all learn from history where relevant and surely to a limited degree, but to dwell on the past more than the present and future is never a winning plan, most successful people realise this. Financial suicide is a powerful term that just reconfirms your abundantly negative rhetoric that Im sure many on this thread are growing tired from reading. Nothing wrong with a good argument but why not have one instead of just slamming??
:loveyou: 2

 

[calculin]

What about who is?
Waiting, tic-tac-tic-tac

 

[Kate]

No I don't wish to see other people fail, that's unfair really.
actually I've contributed more than my fair share of warnings. Otherwise I would be encouraging everybody to buy more .tel names :kickass:
Since the central idea behind the scheme is that .tel is going to be some sort of standard as a communication hub (like .mobi is promoted as a 'standard' for mobile-friendly websites), you should really ask yourself if the registry has the clout and financial means to achieve that goal. Consumer awareness needs to be fostered on a grand scale. Let's face it, nobody outside domaining/computing circles has ever heard of .tel. The question is... how do you get the message across, how do you convince end users to invest in yet another redundant extension etc :talk:
Fact is, most extensions never took off even after many years of existence, but let's consider for a moment .tel could succeed to some extent within 5 or 10 years... are you in for the long haul ?
I suspect most .tel holders just want to cash in fast

 

[plaggypig]

No I don't wish to see other people fail, that's unfair really.
actually I've contributed more than my fair share of warnings. Otherwise I would be encouraging everybody to buy more .tel names :kickass:

I didn't wish to sound rude - it's just how it appears to me in the absence of a having a real argument. I am probably too forthright in stating these opinions though, so I'm sorry.

Since the central idea behind the scheme is that .tel is going to be some sort of standard as a communication hub (like .mobi is promoted as a 'standard' for mobile-friendly websites), you should really ask yourself if the registry has the clout and financial means to achieve that goal.

But why is it up to the registry? Telnic is not Coca-Cola. This top-down marketing approach is not the path to success that I foresee. When you create something of value then people will talk about it and it will spread like a virus, and in the case of .tel it has some inherent qualities that I believe will mean it spreads rapidly.

Telnic has and is doing an awful lot - they've bootstrapped a development community by releasing a bunch of open source applications and tools, they're generating PR around the launch, forming strategic partnerships with other companies, and they are doing all of these things well, IMO.

The Telnic guys are very welcoming of new ideas, so if you have any then I'm sure they'd love to hear them.

Consumer awareness needs to be fostered on a grand scale. Let's face it, nobody outside domaining/computing circles has ever heard of .tel. The question is... how do you get the message across, how do you convince end users to invest in yet another redundant extension etc :talk:

How did a myriad of other companies get hundreds of millions of users without any of the kind of traditional brand building exercises that you seem to be advocating? Because they created value.

Fact is, most extensions never took off even after many years of existence, but let's consider for a moment .tel could succeed to some extent within 5 or 10 years... are you in for the long haul ?
I suspect most .tel holders just want to cash in fast

Because those extensions are mostly all pointless and create little value, totally misunderstood by the people who bought into them, and probably shouldn't have been approved by ICANN in the first place (especially .mobi, which I feel most strongly about).

Anyway, I'd really like to know what you would do if you were in charge at Telnic

 

[aliencafe]

interesting article

http://domainnamewire.com/2009/03/05/att-thinks-printed-phone-books-are-passe/#comment-353946

Interesting Myspace Blog.

http://blog.myspace.com/refibayarea

Both related to .Tel no spam links.

Thanks enjoy! Launch today??

 

[Kate]

I didn't wish to sound rude - it's just how it appears to me in the absence of a having a real argument. I am probably too forthright in stating these opinions though, so I'm sorry.

You don't have to apologize, I'm rough sometimes but it's not personal because I always tell how I feel and I'm not trying to sugarcoat my opinions :red:

How did a myriad of other companies get hundreds of millions of users without any of the kind of traditional brand building exercises that you seem to be advocating? Because they created value.

Well you have a lot of work on your plate. The mainstream extensions (.com/ccTLDs etc) are successful because they have been endorsed by millions of real businesses worldwide. On the other hand we are dealing with a .tel extension that seems to be driven by domainers only - and very few of them actually. I have never seen an extension rise to fame just with domainer support.

Because those extensions are mostly all pointless and create little value, totally misunderstood by the people who bought into them, and probably shouldn't have been approved by ICANN in the first place (especially .mobi, which I feel most strongly about).

Funny you say that considering .tel is the most restricted TLD in scope. I don't think the average Internet user is so excited at the thought of "sharing their contact details through the DNS" - that's what it's all about. I would even bet few people would bother using .tel if it were free.

Anyway, I'd really like to know what you would do if you were in charge at Telnic

Sorry I can't accept this job. The product is hopeless

 

[aliencafe]

Just a quick note to debunk the current argument.

Why are there approximately 10,000 premium names taken already at $375.00 each.

If nobody was going to use this service even if it was free then why are the massive amount of premkiums gone?

Someone is purchasing them. Or is it all a conspiracy.

HAH!

 

[plaggypig]

Funny you say that considering .tel is the most restricted TLD in scope.

You have to appreciate that .tel is not trying to solve everything, but a set of problems (really really really well) within a vast and very rich problem domain. I see no restrictions, just good design decisions.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed to be successful, but if I am eventually going to be wrong then I could not imagine what the postmortem would look like; I am convinced of one thing though, it would not include any of the things you (or anybody else) have mentioned so far.

 

[Numeric Domains]

Just a quick note to debunk the current argument.

Why are there approximately 10,000 premium names taken already at $375.00 each.

If nobody was going to use this service even if it was free then why are the massive amount of premkiums gone?

Someone is purchasing them. Or is it all a conspiracy.

HAH!

approximately 10,000 premium names taken already

May i ask were i can confirm these figures please?

 

[aliencafe]

I have been running lists of keywords from google keyword tool on NetworkSolutions to see whats available.

i currently own 24 .tels

Thanks.

 

[Jeff]

I love reading Kate's posts and opinions ... she brings a very strong sense of balance to these types of discussions - balance that is both extremely necessary and often times not found in other lesser or 'closed' venues, IMHO. :gl:

Having said that, one thing that the highly brandable .TEL offers (versus, or compared to, some of the new and newer extensions that have failed to stick) is the fact that it is short, one syllable, memorable, highly brandable, and intuitive for short & easy use by those that are out and about and "on the go"! :talk:

Unrestricted and full & rich web experience - beyond having quick and accessible contact information - can be had while "on the go" on one's super cool iPhone ... or later on one's laptop or home / work PC. In this sense, and again from an easy branding perspective, the highly brandable .TEL seems to have purpose - where other new and/or newer extension lack clear mission/vision and substance, in my view.

Just my two sense.
-Jeff

 

[aliencafe]

.tel geos

An amazing amount of Geos are taken

 

[Numeric Domains]

I have been running lists of keywords from google keyword tool on NetworkSolutions to see whats available.

i currently own 24 .tels

Thanks.

OK Thanks

 

[steveteva]

I own 1 geo name (that is my country) and can tell you that I'm the happiest domainer in my country (an island) :hehe:

I'm sure that some people in my country will soon contact me and make offers but I won't let go.

Geo .tel are the best investment, so all you having GEO .tel should open a bottle of "champagne" as soon as it goes live, I think it's today March 6th according to telnic website. :p

 

[Kate]

Just a quick note to debunk the current argument.

Why are there approximately 10,000 premium names taken already at $375.00 each.

If nobody was going to use this service even if it was free then why are the massive amount of premkiums gone?

Someone is purchasing them. Or is it all a conspiracy.

HAH!

Well 10K may sound impressive but I would call it a flop in comparison to previous landrushes for past extensions (.mobi .me etc). Now the hefty $300 price tag doesn't help.
Anyway, you need to exclude the defensive/TM registrations, the domainers and the dreamers at large...

I still fail to see how .tel could be the YP killer. When I look up for somebody or something I want to have advanced search facilities, all that I see in .tel is the hierarchical setup of the DNS system. Or am I missing something ? :talk: What exactly makes .tel a superior alternative ?

 

[aliencafe]

It seems to me the best feature is the tap to dial feature with quick access.

when i want a hotel, taxi, pizza, grocery delivery etc etc whatever service

type it in on my iphone, tap the number thats it.

Among myself and friends i'm never in front of the computer at home, always mobile.

I think there is quite a few people who are in the mobile generation.

Quite frankly I would never type in a .mobi, i havent seen or used any mobi sites and there is no phone functionality.

When VOIP goes mainstream you will just enter the name and hit send. aliencafe.tel and it links to whatever mobile number im on at the minute.

Thats what i see in it, the .tel keeps getting compared to .com it is a way to link mobile phone users and internet together for a quick easy to remmeber site and phone call.

all my own opinions of course.

regards-

Justin, why the delay?

Thanks!

 

[plaggypig]

Justin, why the delay?

Henri said an hour ago: DNS poller cleared OK.... WHOIS on the way...

Patience!

 

[justinhayward]

All,

Having just landed from ICANN Mexico (yes, I didn't flee and indeed they did let me back into the country), I'd like to confirm to Namepros.com as you may have seen Henri our CTO twittering, things are moving. .tel domains are being injected into the DNS. We're live. You may get access to your management console from your registrar today (some are), but you may have to wait - this isn't something we have control over, but if there's anything we can do, let us know.

This is an historic day. Regardless of the commercial success, or the success of domaining in general, I personally am really proud of where we've got to. As I told the ICANN community on Monday, the .tel will remove the last barrier to entry to provide a presence on the internet without having to build, host and manage a website. And this will all soon be done without having to open a PC or computer browser.

Some get it, some will in time, and some will reject it. But it's starting, here. This is a fundamentally new service on the internet that exposes an incredibly powerful use of the infrastructure of the internet. For everyone. And, as it's new, it will have teething problems and we are open and available for all feedback, bugs, issues and suggestions.

Thank you all - everyone - for your comments, discussions, passion and complaints. We won't stop listening. We won't stop developing. This really is the beginning of something that has taken almost a decade to realize but something that we fundamentally believe will drive the vision of 'a domain for everyone, under their control' that enables the next generation of communications.

Thanks all,

Justin Hayward
Telnic Limited
justin.tel

 

[nrmillions]

i still dont see the point in .tel

if i want to order pizza on my iphone i could open google maps and just type in pizza and it will show everything around me automatically and i can push a selection and it will start calling them. i could also open the yellow pages app on my phone and search for pizza. both ways i am guaranteed to find pizza places. if someone types in a .tel domain in their mobile web browser there is no guarantee they will be taken to reliable pizza information nearby. it could be owned by a domainer or something instead of pizza hut.

.tel isnt competing with paper phonebooks. people dont carry paper phonebooks in their pockets on the go. .tel is competing with all the location based apps and mobile sites and google maps directly. no way .tel can compete with google maps. i can just open google maps without having to open a slow web browser and type in the word hotel or pizza or anything and it will instantly show all of those things near me and on the map. what would people think is more realiable information, google maps or a .tel domain which could be owned by a domainer? i could even open google maps and just type the word dominos if i want to be more specific or go to their mobile website and check out their coupons and stuff.

there is absolutely no point in .tel and people are wasting a lot of money on those domains at that crazy high price right now. its worth it to pick up one or two premium ones just incase since anything can happen but anyone who buys a whole portfolio of them is crazy.

 

[chader144]

@Justin Thank you for the updates.

I found a nice wordpress plugin for your dot tels...
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/gwa-tel-contact-manager/screenshots/