Dynadot

poll What is the definition of a domainer?

Spaceship Spaceship
Watch

What does the word 'domainer' mean?

  • This poll is still running and the standings may change.
  • Earns a living buying and selling domain(s)

    votes
    4.3%
  • Works any amount of time buying and selling domain(s)

    20 
    votes
    42.6%
  • It's just a word, doesn't mean anything

    votes
    4.3%
  • Profits from a domain name in any way

    votes
    4.3%
  • Registers and sells one or more domain names

    votes
    8.5%
  • Earns a living monetising domain(s)

    votes
    8.5%
  • It's an identity not a profession

    vote
    2.1%
  • It's the weekend, give it a break!

    votes
    12.8%
  • Something else (please explain)

    votes
    12.8%
  • This poll is still running and the standings may change.

redemo

Mug RuithTop Member
Impact
3,028
I checked several reputable dictionaries for a concise definition of the word 'domainer' but most redirect to 'domain', which has multiple definitions. So, since domainer is not a dictionary word, and is therefore its meaning is entirely subjective to the individual, what does 'domainer' mean to you? I read the post https://www.namepros.com/threads/what-it-means-to-be-a-domainer.1274515/ from @Igor Mironyuk in researching this poll. I'm going to be (n) as always, doesn't really matter because this poll is about progress not popularity. If you can't tolerate critics don't do anything new or interesting. Jeff Bezos.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say my opinion has changed after reading your responses to recent polls. My opinion is now that a domainer is a person who makes a FULL-TIME INCOME monetising domain names. Anything else is a variant of domainer which requires and pre-fix or a suff-fix. Part-time domainer, side-hustle domainer, newbie domainer. Whereas domainer is a full-time occupation. I arrived at this conclusion by considering other similar words and what they mean. Take programmer. If you say she is a programmer it would generally mean that's what she does for a living, rather than as a hobby. Same goes for he is an engineer or she is a developer would generally mean it's their job. So he or she is a domainer means it's a job not a hobby or a side hustle.

Then comes the second part part which is how do you define monetising a domain name? Seems the majority consensus is through selling domain names. That can't be accurate because you can earn a full-time income doing that in various ways like selling, parking, developing, leasing, providing email and so much more besides. It also can't be defined by volume of domain names because going on the logic that a full-time domainer could buy one domain name for ten thousand dollars and sell it for a million dollars, and that's all they do professionally, then by the aforementioned logic they would be a full-time domainer. Same goes if you buy a domain name for ten thousand and parked it to earn a million dollars, since your not the actual advertiser. Same goes for leasing a domain name. The counterargument to developing domain names is if you bought a domain name and develop it into a website are you a domainer or a developer? I'm stuck here. If you did it multiple times to either eventually sell the developed domain name, or earn profit from multiple developed domain names, then I think it qualifies but doing it once, well I don't know? And I know this strongly divides opinion so I'm open to your considered responses.

I like what @jhm said in the thread by @Igor Mironyuk 'A domainer is an individual or company that actively engages in the buying, selling, marketing, monetization and publishing of internet domain names and other related web and or internet-based properties.' But again, this leaves open the question of volume, can the definition be applied to one domain name or must it involve multiple domain names, and if so how many and in what period of time? In that thread @bmugford said 'I don't really like the term "domainer". I prefer "domain investor".' perhaps that would be a more appropriate term, but it doesn't answer the question what is a domainer?

These sources all provided dead ends for the definition of domainer

oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/spellcheck/english/?q=domainer

collinsdictionary.com/spellcheck/english?q=domainer

dictionary.cambridge.org/spellcheck/english/?q=domainer

merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domainer

britannica.com/dictionary/eb/spelling/domainer

dictionary.com/misspelling?term=domainer

macmillandictionary.com/spellcheck/british/?q=domainer

I'll ask the mod team to add additional options for what is the definition of a domainer if you ask in the thread.
 
Last edited:
1
•••
The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Pretty strange using a word that doesn't mean anything.
 
0
•••
Think I'll go with the "give it a break" option. Tired of these uninspiring f***ing questions, personally
 
Last edited:
20
•••
Domainer is the definition of the domain related industry which is all about domains buy, sell or hand reg.
In the eyes of end users of those who don't own what we own, we are domain squatters, but if they would own themselves such domains then they will not see themselves as squatters.
How else to name this industry, IT development? I think Domainer is the perfect tag for what we do no matter of our second or third job, i have skills as technician, as jeweler and others, so I m domainer at the same time.
In short people that buy, reg or sell domains are domainers. If end user buy one or 2 domains to develop he is not a domainer he is just a consumer of our digital land. :xf.grin:
IMO
 
2
•••
Think I'll go with the "give it a break" option. Tired of these uninspiring f***ing questions, personally
Frustrating isn't it. You guys use this word domainer multiple times a day yet you can't agree on what it actually means. Elephant in the room or what? We've been to Mars, visited the Titanic and dropped an atomic bomb yet one million people can't define a word.
 
Last edited:
0
•••
Think I'll go with the "give it a break" option. Tired of these uninspiring f***ing questions, personally
It's not meant to be inspiring, it's meant to be educating. This isn't an entertainment thread. You're frustrated because not only you don't know the answer but you can't even comprehend the question!
 
0
•••
Domainer is the definition of the domain related industry which is all about domains buy, sell or hand reg.
So ok, genuinely now, you're saying domainer means the industry, have I got that right?
 
0
•••
It's not meant to be inspiring, it's meant to be educating. This isn't an entertainment thread. You're frustrated because not only you don't know the answer but you can't even comprehend the question!
Meow
 
7
•••
One of the definitions: domainer is someone who sees 3 hours at night in their dreams brandable names. He wakes up and hopes that .com is free and registers immediately and put it up for sale. Then goes to bed and closes his eyes with dollar signs.



ps: Next year he doesn't renew that name.
 
Last edited:
4
•••
Someone who tries to make money from domain sales.
 
3
•••
I like what @jhm said in the thread by @Igor Mironyuk 'A domainer is an individual or company that actively engages in the buying, selling, marketing, monetization and publishing of internet domain names and other related web and or internet-based properties.' But again, this leaves open the question of volume, can the definition be applied to one domain name or must it involve multiple domain names, and if so how many and in what period of time? In that thread @bmugford said 'I don't really like the term "domainer". I prefer "domain investor".' perhaps that would be a more appropriate term, but it doesn't answer the question what is a domainer?

These sources all provided dead ends for the definition of domainer

oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/spellcheck/english/?q=domainer

collinsdictionary.com/spellcheck/english?q=domainer

dictionary.cambridge.org/spellcheck/english/?q=domainer

merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domainer

britannica.com/dictionary/eb/spelling/domainer

dictionary.com/misspelling?term=domainer

macmillandictionary.com/spellcheck/british/?q=domainer

I'll ask the mod team to add additional options for what is the definition of a domainer if you ask in the thread.
Maybe you answered you own question then. "Domainer" is not a word with any accepted definition, in fact it is not even widely accepted as a word.

I like what @jhm said in the thread by @Igor Mironyuk 'A domainer is an individual or company that actively engages in the buying, selling, marketing, monetization and publishing of internet domain names and other related web and or internet-based properties.

The problem with a definition like this is it would include many large companies are are not exactly "domainers" - Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, JNJ, etc. They all own thousands of domains.

I don't think most people would consider that a "domainer".

Brad
 
Last edited:
16
•••
Maybe you answered you own question then. "Domainer" is not a word with any accepted definition, in fact it is not even widely accepted as a word.



The problem with a definition like this is it would include many large companies are are not exactly "domainers" - Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, JNJ, etc. They all own thousands of domains.

I don't think most people would consider that a "domainer".

Brad
I agree.
 
0
•••
Frustrating isn't it. You guys use this word domainer multiple times a day yet you can't agree on what it actually means. Elephant in the room or what? We've been to Mars, visited the Titanic and dropped an atomic bomb yet one million people can't define a word.
Who cares. I'm just in it for the money.
 
7
•••
Someone who tries to make money from domain sales.
+1. There we go. That wasn't so hard, was it? Short and sweet.

Being not yet defined in the Oxford dictionary doesn't make less so of a word with meaning. The important thing is, is that in the industry we immediately know what a domainer is. To make it official you can make a submission here:
https://public.oed.com/contribute-to-the-oed/submission-form/

And we've got a good start from a few other sources that have indeed defined it:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/domainer
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/domainer
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=domainer

We're investors, even traders and dealers, and domainer is a sub-class of it all- a specific name in a defined industry. You can be a developer in the domain name industry, but it doesn't necessarily make you a domainer. A domainer in the domain name industry means you buy names for the intent to profit by selling them.

I don't think domaining is relegated to it solely being your job. For example, you can work at the car wash, but you may also be an investor. If someone asks you what you do for a living your reply doesn't have to necessarily disclose the commitment of your time spent into it to make you any more or less so by its raw definition.
 
7
•••
So ok, genuinely now, you're saying domainer means the industry, have I got that right?
The industry is Domaining but we as workers in this field are domainers, something like this.
My English is not strong.
 
3
•••
A domainer in the domain name industry means you buy names for the intent to profit by selling them.
Ok so what if I buy domain names and develop them with the intent to profit by selling them? Does that exclude me from being able to legitimately call yourself a domainer in your eyes?

And hey, all these comments saying you don't care. Well if you don't care then go away, it's a discussion about definition, not about your opinion of the discussion itself. Then again I'm not trying to control the narrative so please, keep doing it. Ha ha.
 
0
•••
A domainer in the domain name industry means you buy names for the intent to profit by selling them.
So if one person buys one domain name with the intention of profiting by selling it that person is a domainer forever?
 
0
•••
I don't think domaining is relegated to it solely being your job. For example, you can work at the car wash, but you may also be an investor. If someone asks you what you do for a living your reply doesn't have to necessarily disclose the commitment of your time spent into it to make you any more or less so by its raw definition.
I get you, so you're saying (again, not attempting a Cathy Newman) that a full time domainer and a part time domainer are separate things. I get that, and I agree with you. But full time and part time at doing what exactly? Buying any number of domain names and trying to XXXX with them?
 
0
•••
Ok so what if I buy domain names and develop them with the intent to profit by selling them? Does that exclude me from being able to legitimately call yourself a domainer in your eyes?

And hey, all these comments saying you don't care. Well if you don't care then go away, it's a discussion about definition, not about your opinion of the discussion itself. Then again I'm not trying to control the narrative so please, keep doing it. Ha ha.
That first question, yes in part I think so.

You're taking it a step further than plain old domain investing though, so maybe something like a website entrepreneur might be a better fit. Since the expected profits doesn't just stem from the domain name I think the "what you call yourself" focus on this should be on the end result: a developed property. It's not just raw land.

The second part, thanks for pointing that out before it becomes a nasty habit on my part. I acquiescence a bit of a pattern and will back off.
 
1
•••
This is the definition of "Domainer" that seems to be most widely accepted (likely because it appears on the Domain Sherpa site):

"A domainer is an individual or company that actively engages in the buying, selling, marketing, monetization and publishing of internet domain names and other related web and or internet-based properties."

Link: https://www.domainsherpa.com/domain-name-dictionary/domainer/

I think it misses the mark. Here are my thoughts:
  1. "Domaining" is a profession, and "Domainer" is a professional title. Therefore:
    • "Domainer" refers to the individual, not to a company.
    • Because Domainer is a profession, an individual only earns this title by "domaining" professionally (i.e. they make money doing it).
  2. As the name implies, a professional Domainer earns money from domain names alone. This includes domain sales, rentals, and leases. It excludes development, parking, or any other form of monetization that adds additional value to a domain.
    • To clarify, Domainers may also engage in these other activities, but the core domaining activity is what makes them a Domainer.
The only question that remains is: At what point does a domain investor become a Domainer?

Domaining is not like many other professions, where one earns their title by completing degrees, apprenticeships, or certification courses. As such, earning such a title depends on meeting a set of (yet undefined) industry standards. These could include:
  • Lifetime profit.
  • Consistent profit over a defined period of time.
  • Volume of sales.
  • Active years in the industry.
  • Portfolio size.
And like any other profession, the title Domainer only has meaning if the individual's professional qualifications have been verified by one or more reputable industry sources.

Once you are qualified as a Domainer, you remain so whether you practice full-time, part-time, or not at all. There is an argument to be made that one must keep their skills up-to-date (to a point) in order to retain their title.

If we agree with all of the above, we really only need to decide on the industry standards that qualify a person as a Domainer. I personally think that consistency of profit is the most important and relevant factor. I would want to see at least three years of profit in a row from domaining activities; and those profitable years must not be the result of only one rental/leasing agreement.

So that, more or less, is how I define "Domainer".
 
Last edited:
5
•••
Thanks for starting an interesting discussion, @redemo! Also great job summarizing the information on the topic.

Ever since, early in my domain journey, I discovered it was not a word in the main dictionaries, it puzzled me as to why.

I had trouble voting just choosing one response. In end I selected works any amount of time buying and selling domain names, which seems closest to what the online dictionaries that do have a listing define it.

I do like a broader definition that would allow those who profit from domains in other ways, but need to be careful in differentiating web developer from domainer.

I don't favour any particular standard beyond registering at least more than one, and selling at least a few. Kind of analogous to golfer, I would call someone who golfs, even now and then, a golfer, but someone who tried it only once I would not.

Thanks to all who contributed to the discussion.

Bob
 
5
•••
Domainer

A domainer is an individual or company that actively engages in the buying, selling, marketing, monetization and publishing of internet domain names and other related web and or internet-based properties.

Domainers often generate income through domain parking and/or website development, with the main purpose of generating revenue from advertising click through and/or selling a property for a multiple of the cost to develop the website.

Many domainers target generic words which can be valuable for type-in traffic and for the dominant position they would have in any field due to their descriptive nature. Generic words and phrases like poker, insurance, travel, creditcards, sex and others are attractive targets of domain speculation in any top-level domain.
 
0
•••
Domainer

A domainer is an individual or company that actively engages in the buying, selling, marketing, monetization and publishing of internet domain names and other related web and or internet-based properties.

Domainers often generate income through domain parking and/or website development, with the main purpose of generating revenue from advertising click through and/or selling a property for a multiple of the cost to develop the website.

Many domainers target generic words which can be valuable for type-in traffic and for the dominant position they would have in any field due to their descriptive nature. Generic words and phrases like poker, insurance, travel, creditcards, sex and others are attractive targets of domain speculation in any top-level domain.
A few others provided this already. Don't forget to give credit to the source. :)

https://www.domainsherpa.com/domain...n individual,and or internet-based properties.
 
1
•••
A domainer earns a living from buying, selling and leasing domain names.

Related topic How many domainers are there in the world?

I've learned a lot from this thread. Thank you all for your votes and valuable contributions. Since starting this thread my understanding of the question ' what is a domainer? ' has shifted considerably, and subsequently my opinion has now evolved. To be a domainer requires the domain name itself to be the central focus. Buying, selling and leasing fit neatly into the box. Parking, developing and everything else do not. It seems context is also crucially important here. Are we talking about a profession or a hobby? A programmer can be a professional or a hobbyist.

So here's where I'm at now. A professional domainer earns a living buying and selling, or leasing, domain names. That means they earn enough money from domaining to meet all their living and lifestyle costs. An amateur domainer tries to buy and sell, or lease, domain names. It is totally irrelevant how many domain names they own, above the number one, and it is also irrelevant how much money they make or lose in the pursuit of profit. I think profit is an important consideration though, as fleshed-out below..

If we consider a footballer. Doesn't matter which type of football. A professional footballer earns a full-time salary from playing football. It's their livelihood. An amateur footballer can be playing football at any level. Importantly they do need to play football (however competently or incompetently) in order to call themselves a footballer. The same would go for a domainer. You do need to have bought/purchased/acquired at least one domain name and currently have the intention of selling or leasing it.

I'm fairly decided on parking and developing now (thanks for all your comments). Parking domain names is a form of advertising. You gain income from adverts so it's not mainly about the domain name. Developing domain names is a form of web development. It's related but different. That's where I stand until debated other wise.

So, professionally-speaking.........

The definition of a domainer is

A domainer earns a living from buying, selling and leasing domain names.
 
Last edited:
3
•••
So here's where I'm at now. A professional domainer earns a living buying and selling, or leasing, domain names. That means they earn enough money from domaining to meet all their living and lifestyle costs. An amateur domainer tries to buy and sell, or lease, domain names. It is totally irrelevant how many domain names they own, above the number one, and it is also irrelevant how much money they make or lose in the pursuit of profit. I think profit is an important consideration though, as fleshed-out below..
I agree with this distinction between professional and amateur and likening it to a footballer or any other profession. I would, however, say that some people just buy to invest / develop and dont intend to sell.
For me. I would say that the definition is not necessarily about seeking profit, but looking at a domain as a valuable commodity, rather than just something that is needed for a website.

I was going to originally put that a domainer is someone who buys a domain, believing that it is or will be worth more than they paid for it, but I dont even think that is quite right either.

Example - a client of mine has several domains. She has bought them as 'ideas' for different businesses. Would I call her a domainer? No. She has never thought about the worth of the domains on their own.

I, on the other hand, buy domains with an intent to develop, BUT, I always buy with the value of the domain on its own in mind. I do the research.

I think that someone that researches a domain before buying it, that actually thinks about it as a unit on its own, and that considers the domain on its own, rather than being attached to a website as valuable, is a domainer.
 
4
•••
Back