.mobi Vance Hedderel responds on Dotmobi

[binaryman]

With quite a few questions on Dotmobi-Typepad about the why's and why not's of the RFP process and other matters Vance Hedderel has responded in the following post.

dotMobi is a long-term play and each win is equally important (and it's important that each win is a long-term choice for a brand). By way of comparison, it took **10 years** for significant content to come alive under the .com domain. The .mobi domain has not formally celebrated its first anniversary of availability.

So far:
• 1-800-Flowers
• AAA
• Amtrak
• Bank of America
• Black Hawk
• BMW
• Businessweek
• CNN Money
• ESPN
• Ferrari
• Fox News
• Hilton
• Intel
• Maxim
• NBA
• Paramount
• Polo
• Renfe
• SAS
• Thalys
• The Sun
• Time
• USA Network

A good list this early on, I'd say.

What that translates to is that we've been in meetings and discussions with the majority of the world's major brands and ad agencies. The fruits of that labor won’t happen overnight, but we see the above sample list as a pretty good start.

That also brings us to the “discovery” issue re: google.mobi. Yes, it redirects. On my Nokia N73, I can’t tell that. What I can tell you is that I type google.mobi and it works beautifully (and, by the way, scores 5/5 on http://ready.mobi). That’s all I’m asking of any .mobi site: I can find it and it works.

Also, we’re in a transition mode of how people are advertising their mobile presence. I’m seeing a lot of PC-based sites – including weather.com – advertise multiple mobile-access methods. As people begin to understand that .mobi guarantees a site works on a mobile phone (versus an indication that it **might** work like a “site.com/mobile” or “mobile.site.com” or “m.site.com” does), you should also begin to see more brands rallying around the domain.

What many people may not realize is that we are held to certain action (or inability to do certain action) as per ICANN rules. What may seem like something obvious to do may be something we **can't** do (or are working with ICANN to make happen). This is in specific reference to some of "Why haven't you / why won't you" questions above (specifically, the domain resolution for the premium names. It’s something we’ve been working on but can’t discuss further at this point).

This blog is designed to keep the dialogue open about dotMobi and de-fog any misconceptions. But, due to circumstances outside of our control, we sometimes have to leave certain answers as “stay tuned.”

Posted by: Vance Hedderel, Director of PR, dotMobi | August 17, 2007 at 02:49 PM

 

[hawkeye]

Pretty much as alot have noted, that it is a slow and tedious process and needs time etc. It's not an overnight 'Here, everything that domainer speculators want is, 'puff', up and going!! Now go sell your domains so you can be happy!' There's more to launching a new product/project than the average 'make it happen now so I can believe it' naysayers can understand or comprehend.

 

[garrett200]

dotMobi is a long-term play and each win is equally important (and it's important that each win is a long-term choice for a brand). By way of comparison, it took **10 years** for significant content to come alive under the .com domain.

Well, at the current rate of "doling out" of the reserved names, it will be the year 8006 when they are done. Long term play, yeah.

 

[hawkeye]

Well, at the current rate of "doling out" of the reserved names, it will be the year 8006 when they are done. Long term play, yeah.

Sorry Garrett, but the 'doling out' of reserved names is not what is going to make or break mobi. What will be the excuse for everyone then when they do, and mobi is still not reaching the expectations of speculators?? Yes, we can blame Bush for that too, (and be right!), but that will only go so far. If speculators are so concerned for the progress rate of .mobi, they can always spend less time posting and complaining, and more time developing and 'handing out fliers'!! JMO.

 

[mkylut]

Well, at the current rate of "doling out" of the reserved names, it will be the year 8006 when they are done. Long term play, yeah.

Patience my friend .

Some people always post "develop! develop! Add to eco$%#$##! etc" but they don't do as what they say...

I agree with Hawkeye

 

[garrett200]

I'm just stating facts.

There is a lot more to .mobi than just the releasing of these names, but it is a fact that at the current rate it will be that long.

I love .mobi and will continue to support and develop and encourage others to do so. Heck, I'm the moderator of this forum, I can't go anywhere!! lol

I've been preaching patience all along, but.....8006?? Even I am not that patient. I might even be dead by then, god forbid.

 

[-REECE-]

I'm of the opinion that mtld will attempt to hold as many premium names as long as humanly possible in an attempt to milk as much money out of their extension as possible. Nothing wrong with that, I'd probably do the same if I owned their collection of names... BUT it certainly isn't helpful to the community to have 1 large cybersquatter sitting on hundreds of absolute gems. And this certainly does affect everyone from you, me, to the general public, to people and companies whose perception of the extension may be altered by this.

Why do people randomly type in domain names suffixed by .coms rather than visiting Google? The large majority of the time, it's quicker and just as good to type in what you're looking for, suffixed by .com. That's why. Let's not even pretend in this Internet Age that anything more than a very small fraction of those type-ins are from people confusing address bars and search bars/engines.

If you could find excellent content every time you typed in domain_name.mobi, would you not use .mobi when you were on your mobile phone? A few premiums may not make or break .mobi, but IMO, holding onto as many as they are with no intention of releasing them until they can get .com-like prices on them is doing alot more harm than good for the extension. I'd much rather have big domainers owning them all (knowing the'll probably accept a good offer) than having mtld hoarding them the way they are.

 

[qO_Op]

What about all those people who paid $500 to apply for the other premium names?

I haven't heard anything from mTLD saying that, all the failed applicants will get their money back because we have decided to wait a little bit longer!?!

WHO is going to apply for these names in the future, if the outcome is that there is a chance NO ONE will actually get these names?

So, last year Weather.com OWNED Weather.mobi, pre-landrush! Then they didn't! mTLD probably made a TON of money from suitable applicants, then they give it back to Weather.com! GOOD PLAN!!!

NOW: Who will be stupid enough to apply for any more RFP names? NOT ME!!!

I love .mobi, but mTLD are really pissing me off with all their greeeeed! IMO

I'll continue to do my bit... none the less.

 

[seanboy]

Well, at the current rate of "doling out" of the reserved names, it will be the year 8006 when they are done. Long term play, yeah.

I'm going to try and get news.mobi when it becomes available in 2053

 

[hawkeye]

Uh.., HELLO!! What part of this did you all miss -

What many people may not realize is that we are held to certain action (or inability to do certain action) as per ICANN rules. What may seem like something obvious to do may be something we **can't** do (or are working with ICANN to make happen). This is in specific reference to some of "Why haven't you / why won't you" questions above (specifically, the domain resolution for the premium names. It’s something we’ve been working on but can’t discuss further at this point).

If you all know how to do this process better than them, I'd suggest you stop whining in a stupid forum, where only domainer opinions are tossed around, and find a job with mtld and tell them how they should be running their business!! I'd bet big, that none of the 'oh they should be doing' ers have ever owned their own business, and have any grasp of the complexities and legalities involved, especially on an international scale!

 

[garrett200]

I agree with part of that Hawkey. BUT, they have admitted that they DID NOT APPROVE the applications for some of those names because they are waiting for better endusers to appear. Rupert Murdoch, maybe? Hope springs eternal! lol

Hell, he bought Myspace, why not 6,000 .mobi's eh?

 

[qO_Op]

.

 

[garrett200]

This is certainly an interesting ride, I have to say.

Well worth the price of admission!!!! Made a lot of new friends here too, if all else fails.

 

[-REECE-]

Uh.., HELLO!! What part of this did you all miss -

What many people may not realize is that we are held to certain action (or inability to do certain action) as per ICANN rules. What may seem like something obvious to do may be something we **can't** do (or are working with ICANN to make happen). This is in specific reference to some of "Why haven't you / why won't you" questions above (specifically, the domain resolution for the premium names. It’s something we’ve been working on but can’t discuss further at this point).

If you all know how to do this process better than them, I'd suggest you stop whining in a stupid forum, where only domainer opinions are tossed around, and find a job with mtld and tell them how they should be running their business!! I'd bet big, that none of the 'oh they should be doing' ers have ever owned their own business, and have any grasp of the complexities and legalities involved, especially on an international scale!

Notice how mtld has an excuse for everything. I've had my own business in the past. It's not easy, but these guys are blowing it way, way out of proportion. Binding someone to a contract really isn't that hard. Take a $1mm deposit upfront and have it written in the contract that if they break the terms, bye bye deposit. Simple? I could write you up a contract inside of a week and have it over and done with. It's really not that hard tbh.

 

[hawkeye]

... they have admitted that they DID NOT APPROVE the applications for some of those names because they are waiting for better endusers to appear...

Garrett, if you bid on one of those names because you were going to 'develop it', you'd be an 'enduser' too! Doesn't mean you have the expertise in that subject, or financial resources to make it a site that they/you/me/etc. would do it justice!! I don't have a problem with their wanting to put 'premium names' into the hands of 'premium endusers'!

 

[Jeff]

The bungling of the RFP's has nothing to do with ... "we are held to certain action (or inability to do certain action) as per ICANN rules", IMHO. :blink:

Also, why can't SPECIFICS with regard to the "backing by the backers", as well as candor with respect to the domain resolution for the premium names ("It’s something we’ve been working on but can’t discuss further at this point") ... be shared here in the #1 Namepros .MOBI Forum™ - with those who have invested, time and again, their hard-earned time, money, and energies into .MOBI?!?

It's time for real substance from .MOBI/mTLD, IMHO. :yell:

Notice how mtld has an excuse for everything ...

Hammer. Head. Err, you know the rest! :great:
-Jeff

 

[hawkeye]

Notice how mtld has an excuse for everything. I've had my own business in the past. It's not easy, but these guys are blowing it way, way out of proportion. Binding someone to a contract really isn't that hard. Take a $1mm deposit upfront and have it written in the contract that if they break the terms, bye bye deposit. Simple? I could write you up a contract inside of a week and have it over and done with. It's really not that hard tbh.

..sounds like they are missing the boat not having you on board their staff! You might want to ask them to send you an app to fill out!!


...ahh great, gloom and doom has arrived. :td:

 

[garrett200]

I don't have a problem with their wanting to put 'premium names' into the hands of 'premium endusers'!

Then I guess you don't have a problem waiting 5,999 years.

Look, I want the names in the best hands too. But there are time factors to consider too.

I would much rather have the domain in the hands of a semi-mediocre enduser, then what it points to now: http://news.mobi

I rest my case. And I have to go again, I've got work and development to do. Bye all :yell:

 

[-REECE-]

The bungling of the RFP's has nothing to do with ... "we are held to certain action (or inability to do certain action) as per ICANN rules", IMHO. :blink:

Also, why can't SPECIFICS with regard to the "backing by the backers", as well as candor with respect to the domain resolution for the premium names ("It’s something we’ve been working on but can’t discuss further at this point") ... be shared here in the #1 Namepros .MOBI Forum™ - with those who have invested, time and again, their hard-earned time, money, and energies into .MOBI?!?

It's time for real substance from .MOBI/mTLD, IMHO. :yell:



Hammer. Head. Err, you know the rest! :great:
-Jeff

Charles Ponzi would be proud :yell:

 

[qO_Op]

I don't have a problem with their wanting to put 'premium names' into the hands of 'premium endusers'!

What like Flowers.mobi? I wouldn't count on mTLD to "put premium names into the hands of premium end users" IMHO!!!