Jan31
Archive for January, 2008
Jan31
Jan29
Domain Tasting Goes Sour: ICANN Will No Longer Issue Registration Refunds
During a special meeting of the ICANN Board of Directors a resolution was passed which will end domain tasting as we know it. The discussion was sparked in response to the scandalous practice of Network Solutions hijacking domain searches in recent weeks. Oddly enough, the industry can be thankful to Net Sol for getting the snowball rolling on the end of domain tasting.
Grace Period Abuse Leads to the End
In this preliminary report, you will see the acronym AGP thrown around alot. AGP stands for “Add Grace Period” an idea initially created to reimburse domain registrants for names they accidentally registered or miss-typed.
The official resolution states, “The practice of ‘domain tasting,’ by which names are registered and then deleted during the AGP, has grown at a very great rate since 2005, with tens of millions of domains registered and deleted each month.”
And the kicker… “The Board believes that the withdrawal of ICANN’s waiver of ICANN’s non-refundable transaction fee to the deletion of names within the AGP will substantially end the practice of abusing the AGP.”
A voice vote was taken of all Board Members present and the motion was approved by a vote of 13-0.
What does this mean for the domaining industry?
This change in policy will improve many aspects of domaining in general;
- The typo-squatting business will plummet as domain tasting is somewhat essential for profitable typo choices.
- Expired domain after-market will thrive as lists begin to be “cleansed” from these bogus tasted names.
- Pay-Per-Click parking services may become more reputable as domains will be long standing and garner targeted traffic.
- Registrars will become more credible down the road, because in many cases they themselves were the biggest players in domain tasting.
- Domainers will not have to worry about companies stealing WHOIS search data.
It is not certain when this change will begin to take effect, but sources reveal it may be within a month.
What are your thoughts on this revolutionary news?
Jan29
Jan28
Name.com Coupon Code DomainFest Exclusive 10% Discount
While at DomainFest Hollywood last week I made sure to stock up on free stuff! Upon registration, DomainFest provided everyone with a sweet laptop tote bag which came in handy to store all my other freebies.
Thanks to all the sponsors who gave me free promotional items! Parked.com (Notepad, Pen & Hacky Sack), Modern Domainer (Leather Folder, USB Hub, Bottle Opener), Parking Panel (T-shirt), Rebel.com (Flip flops), Domainer’s Choice Awards (Alarm Clock).
There were several more trinkets and doodads, but I would like to share a photo of a special T-Shirt with a 10% Off Name.com coupon code from the generous Name.com domain registrar. Thanks for the shirt!
I hope you enjoy the Name.com coupon code which will bring you one of the lowest prices on domain registration in the industry! (Just $5.39!)
I haven’t used Name.com in the past. You can call me cheap, but I’m going to be taking advantage of this offer.
Jan28
Jan28
Modern Domainer: The Fantastic (and Free) Domaining Print Publication
While at the DomainFest Global conference in Hollywood, I had the honor of speaking with the guys behind Modern Domainer Magazine. They were well aware of DotSauce’s presence in the industry and offered praise for the work I have been doing. Not to mention, I now have some sweet “Modern Domainer” schwag, thanks guys!
February: Biggest & Best Issue Yet
Seth Coman is excited about the upcoming February issue of Modern Domainer, and so should you be! I would like to encourage you right off the bat to subscribe now for free.
A quick glimpse into what to expect in the upcoming issue;
- A conversation with Ammar Kubba of TrafficZ
- Feature article on the scandalous history of Sex.com
- Insight into upcoming conferences: T.R.A.F.F.I.C and Domain Roundtable.
- Exclusive reviews of DomainFest ‘08 and PubCon ‘07
The Domainer’s Yearbook
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be featured in the first ever domaining industry yearbook. You can fill out a request to be included by clicking here.
“An essential networking tool for domainers and developers, the 2008 Domaining Yearbook will be a compelling yearbook featuring an extraordinary “who’s who” of the domaining industry. Neatly arranged in a engaging custom print format, the 2008 Domaining Yearbook will be unveiled in May, at the 2008 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. in Orlando, FL.”
Again, it was a pleasure to meet the enthusiastic faces behind Modern Domainer magazine. This publication is starting off great and is already a must read for domain industry professionals.
While we have already received some fabulous predictions from the pros, I am looking forward to the great things 2008 has in store for the domain industry and what Modern Domainer has to say about it!
Jan26
Looking Back on DomainFest 2008
DomainFest Global 2008 was a fantastic and life-changing experience. I attended several enlightening sessions on domaining, legal matters and the future of our industry. I made more direct connections with professional domainers, organizations and fantastic companies than would be possible in months of communicating online.
SnapNames Live Auction Recap
Apart from the wildly enthusiastic networking session with the NetworKING himself and an awesome themed party at the Highland Nightclub, the SnapNames Live Auction turned out to be the most fun. Even though I did not participate directly aside from snapping pictures and keeping the open bar lively, I enjoyed watching the bidders battle it out for premium domains.
I was going to post the domain sales from the live auction directly, but it seems many other domaining blogs have had the same idea. So, sparing myself the data entry, I’ll direct you to these lists of updates on the auction: Day 1 & Day 2 results from Frank Michlick.
Domainer’s Choice Awards Winners
During the closing dinner at DomainFest, the Domainer’s Choice Awards were announced. DotSauce was a final nominee for the category of Best Domain Publication. However, DotSauce didn’t take the win, but congratulations to Ron Jackson’s DNJournal and all the other winners for taking the top spots.
Best Domain Auctions – Tie → SnapNames & Moniker
Best Domain Financial Services → Escrow.com
Best Domain Marketplace → Sedo.com
Best Domain Publication → DN Journal
Best Domainer Tools → DomainTools.com
Best Domainers Blog → ElliotsBlog.com
Best Hosting Company → GoDaddy
Best Industry Spokesperson → Frank Schilling
Best Registrar Award → Moniker
Domain Ambassador Award → Michael & David Castello
Domainers Rising Star → Michael & David Castello
Industry Achievement Award → Kevin Ham
Industry Customer Service Rep → Eben Smith of Sedo
Industry Trade Association → Internet Commerce Association
Parking Company Award → TrafficZ
Sharing the Knowledge
Stay tuned for upcoming articles about my experiences at the DomainFest conference. I had a chance to sit down and talk with some brilliant minds such as Tan Tran of FreshDrop who shared some phenomenal advice with me. I would also like to share some of what I learned at the sessions with Frank Schilling and John Battelle, co-founder of WIRED Magazine.
Networking & Sponsorships
For all those whom I met and promised access to a DotSauce Premium Subscription, please get in touch with me. I would love for you to check it out, contribute, and offer your opinion on the exclusive content.
To the individuals and companies who expressed interest in advertising on DotSauce, please see more information on the Sponsorship page or contact me privately.
Jan26
Jan23
Deleted Domains Found In The Dictionary Dropping 01/30/2008
fieldwork.ca – [DEFINE]
flabbergasted.ca – [DEFINE]
hatter.ca – [DEFINE]
lookup.eu – [DEFINE]
precede.ca – [DEFINE]
scads.ca – [DEFINE]
timeline.eu – [DEFINE]
View the complete Free List Of Expiring Domains Found In The Dictionary
