Top 5 TLD failures

[sleepysentry]

I read this today and thought you guys might find it interesting:
The top 5 TLD flops, ever | Royal Pingdom

Perhaps the best point the author makes is that if TLDs like .aero and .museum were introduced a decade earlier before companies pumped millions into the web, maybe .com wouldn't have become the king it is today?

 

[barefoottech]

vk4.info - abandoned single-post-blog flowing with ads

Not abandoned or a blog or overflowing with ads.
How can it be abandoned , only regged a few weeks ago. Very much Work-in Progress.

My own Personally done resource (i.e. NOT BareFootTech company minisite) info site about my own Hobby.
It was mentioned because A lot of .info's are in similiar categories. Small hobby or Self-interest niches , but that does not make them a FAILURE.

 

[labrocca]

The guy who wrote that is a moron.

On the info extension:

...it is one of the most popular TLDs with 5.2 million registrations...

Because of its bad reputation, the name has received almost no recognition from the Internet community.

Anyone else see these as contradictions?

Aero is imho the biggest flop on that board but I think .name should be there instead of .info.

 

[jmcc]

The guy who wrote that is a moron.

Agreed. It is a classic .com view of the web by someone who hasn't a clue.

Aero is imho the biggest flop on that board but I think .name should be there instead of .info.

And no mention of .pro? If you want a laugh then read the .pro application to ICANN where it maps out how many domains it expected to register (the classic business school mistake of the market is so big so we should be able to get n % of that market). I think that .pro is currently around the 40K reg mark. The .name is somewhat higher.

The interesting thing from some of the ccTLD work that I've done is that personal domain name registrations (the name.ccTLD ones) only account for around 1% or so of registrations.

Regards...jmcc

 

[Archangel]

You make great points. It's hard to narrow the trash down to only 5 flops but I believe this list is more accurate (in no particular order):

.name
.aero
.pro
.museum

And the 5th can be debated but I'd say otherwise .cc / .ws (although they are ccTLDs) or .biz (millions of registrations, probably 95% owned by investors)

Agreed. It is a classic .com view of the web by someone who hasn't a clue.

And no mention of .pro? If you want a laugh then read the .pro application to ICANN where it maps out how many domains it expected to register (the classic business school mistake of the market is so big so we should be able to get n % of that market). I think that .pro is currently around the 40K reg mark. The .name is somewhat higher.

The interesting thing from some of the ccTLD work that I've done is that personal domain name registrations (the name.ccTLD ones) only account for around 1% or so of registrations.

Regards...jmcc

 

[FreshAvails.com]

.cat is so small, I don't even think anyone even knows it exists! That is a disaster!

 

[Archangel]

I own 7 .cat's. And 3 .dog's and a .mule.

.cat is so small, I don't even think anyone even knows it exists! That is a disaster!

 

[jmcc]

.cat is so small, I don't even think anyone even knows it exists! That is a disaster!

Well the people who use it seem to be aware of it and that's all that matters.

.cat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.CAT

Regards...jmcc

 

[FreshAvails.com]

Well the people who use it seem to be aware of it and that's all that matters.

The people who drive Yugos are aware of them, It doesn't make them any less of a disaster.
1985 Yugo GV - The 50 Worst Cars of All Time - TIME

I own 7 .cat's. And 3 .dog's and a .mule.

I actually own Canines.tv and Felines.tv Want to buy them?

 

[Archangel]

I don't work in .tv (never owned one) but thanks for the offer

I actually own Canines.tv and Felines.tv Want to buy them?

 

[fm1234]

Where on earth does he get the bizarre idea that Americans and Canadians would not know how to spell "aero?" That the TLD is a flop is certainly arguable, but based on the reasoning that North Americans would get confused and either not know what it means, or mis-spell it as "airo" is just weird.


Frank

 

[akcampbell]

You make great points. It's hard to narrow the trash down to only 5 flops but I believe this list is more accurate (in no particular order):

.name
.aero
.pro
.museum

And the 5th can be debated but I'd say otherwise .cc / .ws (although they are ccTLDs) or .biz (millions of registrations, probably 95% owned by investors)

Well .pro had 3 reported sales on DNJournal this week at $1,000, $2,000, and $3000, not bad for 2007 and 2008 registrations in a market where only 10% of registrars sell it and only 10% of people are eligible to register it, when was the last time .name, .aero, or .museum, had any sales on DNJournal?

I have a $2,000 sale on a 2007 hand regged .pro going through on Escrow.com today and there are several more low to mid $X,XXX sales in the pipeline to be reported. .pro sells in spite being shackled with restrictions and it's easier on the eye than you are.

 

[bmugford]

Can anyone really call .PRO a success? While it might be better than .Name / .Museum / .Aero, that is not exactly a high bar to clear.

Brad

Well .pro had 3 reported sales on DNJournal this week at $1,000, $2,000, and $3000, not bad for 2007 and 2008 registrations in a market where only 10% of registrars sell it and only 10% of people are eligible to register it, when was the last time .name, .aero, or .museum, had any sales on DNJournal?

I have a $2,000 sale on a 2007 hand regged .pro going through on Escrow.com today and there are several more low to mid $X,XXX sales in the pipeline to be reported. .pro sells in spite being shackled with restrictions and it's easier on the eye than you are.

 

[akcampbell]

Can anyone really call .PRO a success? While it might be better than .Name / .Museum / .Aero, that is not exactly a high bar to clear.
Brad

Can anybody really call any alternative extension a success? .info has got closer to succeeding than most but alot of people still view it as a failure. However, if you were the guy who picked up Travel.info at landrush and sold it for $116,000, that's surely a success, and if you're Afilias collecting reg fees on 5m .infos, that has to be counted as a success too.

.pro registrations have risen from 6,500 to 40,000 and reg fees have fallen 80% in the last 15 months, if you were one of the people who regged at $99 when there were only 6,500 .pros and picked up nice fits like Gadget.pro, Play.pro, Puzzle.pro, and Piano.pro on the drop like I did, then you see domains like Reality.pro, Moda.pro and Link.pro sell for $1,000, $2,000, and $3,000, respectively in 1 week on DNJournal, you consider you have made some progress.

There is no easy answer in domaining, I own some fantastic .infos like Rates.info, Prices.info, Coupons.info, and Savings.info but I've never received an offer in excess of what I paid on the aftermarket. I regged a .pro for $99, spent maybe another $60 on renewals, and I have a sale going through for $2,000. That's a decent outcome compared to my .infos.

 

[Kate]

Can anybody really call any alternative extension a success? .info has got closer to succeeding than most but alot of people still view it as a failure.

That's it. Alternative extensions have failed as a whole. .info & .biz both have respectable registration figures but they are not taken seriously. There is a lesson to be learned. Hello Icann ?

 

[jmcc]

Can anybody really call any alternative extension a success?

Yes. Those that are being used and have growing registrations volume are successful.

.pro registrations have risen from 6,500 to 40,000 and reg fees have fallen 80% in the last 15 months,

The pro registry's application was rather funny but the problem with .pro is that it was launched in a domainscape that was largely devoid of substantial ccTLD activity. Now with the rapid growth of ccTLDs, .pro TLD has been effectively sidelined as professionals seek to self-identify with their local ccTLDs more so than the TLD or the gTLDs.

Numerically, the .pro fell short of its targets. I don't look at things purely as a domainer (as you can see from the link in my sig). Domain statistics are only the first level of mapping a TLD and it is the usage and the brand or TLD awareness that matters. In terms of brand awareness, .pro is not the most recognised of brands having circa 40K registrations globally. Usagewise, I'm not so sure that it is being widely used amongst those 40K registrations.

Regards...jmcc

 

[Archangel]

I've skimmed your replies but haven't read them closely. Why? Because it's all the same: You heard something bad about .pro & immediately ran up the water tower to defend its name. Will you stop defending it? I say: .pro is a failure. That's it. Then you reply with 300,000 words of rigmarole, diatribe that you and only you care about. STOP MAKING SUCH AN ISSUE OVER THIS. You're becoming annoying.

Well .pro had 3 reported sales on DNJournal this week at $1,000, $2,000, and $3000, not bad for 2007 and 2008 registrations in a market where only 10% of registrars sell it and only 10% of people are eligible to register it, when was the last time .name, .aero, or .museum, had any sales on DNJournal?

I have a $2,000 sale on a 2007 hand regged .pro going through on Escrow.com today and there are several more low to mid $X,XXX sales in the pipeline to be reported. .pro sells in spite being shackled with restrictions and it's easier on the eye than you are.

 

[akcampbell]

I've skimmed your replies but haven't read them closely. Why? Because it's all the same: You heard something bad about .pro & immediately ran up the water tower to defend its name. Will you stop defending it? I say: .pro is a failure. That's it. Then you reply with 300,000 words of rigmarole, diatribe that you and only you care about. STOP MAKING SUCH AN ISSUE OVER THIS. You're becoming annoying.

You could argue that every time you see a worst extension thread, you have to have a pop at .pro. You posted a negative comment about .pro first, I posted a positive comment, so if you don't want to be annoyed and if it's an issue for you, you know what to do.

If you post negative comments about .pro, I will counter them. Same applies to anybody, this is a discussion forum after all. If you post the same negative comments about .pro on another thread, I will post the same positive comments, on every thread you post on. Then whoever reads the negative and positive comments can make up their own mind. I'm relaxed about that.

If you don't like an extension, the best thing you can do is not mention it on any thread on NP, silence is golden, because when you mention it, that gives me an opportunity to talk about it positively. The problem you have is I don't get annoyed by negative comments about .pro, I see them as an opportunity. I'm not going to stop doing what I do, you are going to get yourself all worked up while providing me with an opportunity to discuss .pro. Who's getting the better deal?

Numerically, the .pro fell short of its targets. I don't look at things purely as a domainer (as you can see from the link in my sig). Domain statistics are only the first level of mapping a TLD and it is the usage and the brand or TLD awareness that matters. In terms of brand awareness, .pro is not the most recognised of brands having circa 40K registrations globally. Usagewise, I'm not so sure that it is being widely used amongst those 40K registrations. Regards...jmcc

I don't disagree with any of that. However, from my point of view I've been in from 6.5k registrations so 40k is solid progress. Domainers look at absolutes, as an investor I look at relative values. I will buy shares in a bad company provided they are very cheap, it has some asset I think could appreciate in value, or there is a catalyst for change. In 2007/8, domainers had dropped $300/$400 in registration fees on .pros since launch in 2005, there was very little aftermarket so at $99 per year reg fees their losses were growing fast. The .pro registry was awful at marketing .pro, had a horrendous business model, and was losing money. I saw that as a catalyst for change and sure enough 1 year after I started buying .pros, the restrictions were eased and reg fees were slashed. .pro is still weighed down by a registry that doesn't market it properly, damaging restrictions, and losses, but again, I like that because there is mileage in it for me as an investor and developer. In May 2010, RegistryPro will renegotiate their 5 year contract with ICANN and it will have to be alot more commercial than the last one, that's more growth inpetus. If restrictions are again toned down, regs fees cut and more registrars like Network Solutions offer it, it will continue to grow. I'm under no illusions about .pro, it's still in a parlous state, and that's a good thing because it will exert pressure on the registry to make the extension more developer and domainer friendly.

 

[Archangel]

It's perfectly okay to disagree but it's another thing going on some kind of war on those who dis your favorite things. I say .pro is a failure. Others here have agreed on it. All you need to do is say "I disagree. .pro rules!" and move on. Yet you fight your totally unnecessary vendetta. Fight it as you shall but many domainers -- myself included -- have a life. :td:

And although .pro might look good to you, its registration numbers and lack of development (it takes more than 5% to be brag-worthy) plus the fact not many even know it exists cause it to be on my list of failures. I'd choose it over .name but that's not saying much.

You could argue that every time you see a worst extension thread, you have to have a pop at .pro. You posted a negative comment about .pro first, I posted a positive comment, so if you don't want to be annoyed and if it's an issue for you, you know what to do.

If you post negative comments about .pro, I will counter them. Same applies to anybody, this is a discussion forum after all. If you post the same negative comments about .pro on another thread, I will post the same positive comments, on every thread you post on. Then whoever reads the negative and positive comments can make up their own mind. I'm relaxed about that.

If you don't like an extension, the best thing you can do is not mention it on any thread on NP, silence is golden, because when you mention it, that gives me an opportunity to talk about it positively. The problem you have is I don't get annoyed by negative comments about .pro, I see them as an opportunity. I'm not going to stop doing what I do, you are going to get yourself all worked up while providing me with an opportunity to discuss .pro. Who's getting the better deal?



I don't disagree with any of that. However, from my point of view I've been in from 6.5k registrations so 40k is solid progress. Domainers look at absolutes, as an investor I look at relative values. I will buy shares in a bad company provided they are very cheap, it has some asset I think could appreciate in value, or there is a catalyst for change. In 2007/8, domainers had dropped $300/$400 in registration fees on .pros since launch in 2005, there was very little aftermarket so at $99 per year reg fees their losses were growing fast. The .pro registry was awful at marketing .pro, had a horrendous business model, and was losing money. I saw that as a catalyst for change and sure enough 1 year after I started buying .pros, the restrictions were eased and reg fees were slashed. .pro is still weighed down by a registry that doesn't market it properly, damaging restrictions, and losses, but again, I like that because there is mileage in it for me as an investor and developer. In May 2010, RegistryPro will renegotiate their 5 year contract with ICANN and it will have to be alot more commercial than the last one, that's more growth inpetus. If restrictions are again toned down, regs fees cut and more registrars like Network Solutions offer it, it will continue to grow. I'm under no illusions about .pro, it's still in a parlous state, and that's a good thing because it will exert pressure on the registry to make the extension more developer and domainer friendly.

 

[akcampbell]

It's perfectly okay to disagree but it's another thing going on some kind of war on those who dis your favorite things. I say .pro is a failure. Others here have agreed on it. All you need to do is say "I disagree. .pro rules!" and move on. Yet you fight your totally unnecessary vendetta. Fight it as you shall but many domainers -- myself included -- have a life. :td:

And although .pro might look good to you, its registration numbers and lack of development (it takes more than 5% to be brag-worthy) plus the fact not many even know it exists cause it to be on my list of failures. I'd choose it over .name but that's not saying much.

Listen if you attack .pro, I will defend it in as many words as I want. There is no vendetta or war from my side, just me exercising my right to put across the opposite argument to you. Get over it.

 

[Archangel]

Then we'll just have to agree to disagree. .pro sucks and that's my opinion. You think .pro is THE extension Jesus Christ would pop into GoDaddy or wherever to register. Defend .pro all you'd like and I mean that sincerely, as this is a domainer's forum, but defending something that most ppl see as garbage is a waste of time. Oh well -- it's YOUR time being wasted and isn't helping you in any way. Since there is no real point in this thread anymore, I'm taking it off subscribe. Rant all you want but I don't feel like reading it.

Listen if you attack .pro, I will defend it in as many words as I want. There is no vendetta or war from my side, just me exercising my right to put across the opposite argument to you. Get over it.