Domainers Take a Stand in 2007

[edit] Domainers, Take a Stand in 2007

By Monica Ibrahim, Customer Relations Associate

Throughout history media has played an integral role in providing man with basic news about the state of society at hand. In the first century the Acta Diurna or daily acts were hand written bulletins sanctioned by Caesar and posted in the Roman Forum. About eight centuries later the first printed newspaper was published in Beijing and in 1447 Gutenberg’s printing press ensured the dissemination of information in ways that were never before envisioned. Fast forward about five hundred years and the US founded the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) as a response to the USSR’s launch of Sputnik, all in hopes of regaining the global technological lead. ARPA and its later improvements served as the initial seeds of what we today see as the Internet. The days of print, radio and television journalism were by no means over, but the potential for the Internet to be used as a forum for global networking and the free-flow of information started a true unifying human revolution.

It did not take long for the hype of buying and selling domain names to gain some significant press, as finding the perfect domain name to brand one’s business had become essential to a company’s bottom line. The phenomenon of domain parking emerged soon thereafter allowing targeted, conceptually related advertisements for monetization. More recently, the plethora of Internet media outlets including news websites, blogs and online forums have been providing information and news developments on topics such as domain phishing, domain tasting and cyber squatting. However, many of these media outlets seem to have missed the mark in accurate domain reporting. They have continually botched some vital statistics while failing to accurately describe the difference between many important issues such as typo squatting and phishing to name one example. See Matt Bentley’s article in the January 2007 newsletter where he attributed the incompetence of the media as the top flop of 2006.

Just as in the days of old, it is continually difficult to avoid being influenced by skewed and inaccurate news reporting. Every news outlet takes its stand on a particular topic and rarely is anything or any person 100% neutral on a specific issue. Finding a trusted news source can be difficult. Often news spectators may feel like there’s no way to communicate their own responses to what they see and hear in the news as the notion of checks and balances hardly exists. For fear of being overlooked and having their words lost in the jumble of blogs and forum postings in different industry related forums, many domainers choose simply to keep quiet. Others just don’t know where to turn to make their viewpoints known. Worse, there is a lack of awareness among domainers as to what types of resources are available at one’s disposal to make their voice heard. Many are simply uninformed of the various ways in which to lobby for change.

There is hope. In October of this past year at TRAFFIC East in Miami, the Internet Commerce Association (ICA) was launched. This non-profit association was formed to look out for the best interests of domain name registrants. Sedo, being one of the ICA’s founders and initial corporate members, is a strong advocate of the lobbying opportunities the organization gives domainers. According to its website, the ICA’s members include “individuals and companies that own, buy, sell, resell, host and manage Internet traffic which comes from search engines, domain names and Internet links.” Whereas before, domainers may have felt that the opportunity to counter ICANN decisions and media claims did not exist, now they can face these controversial topics head on and fight for reform in the domain industry.

Some domain registries have simultaneously refused to take a stand against the practice of domain tasting and have kept mum about how often it occurs. However, the media has for too long put the emphasis on the negative here. Domain tasting is not the focus. The process of domain tasting itself has led to millions of legitimate domain registrations over the years. A trusted organization like the ICA has started to take a positive proactive position on such controversial topics. What’s great is that one of the ICA’s most important contributors is you as the large or small domain name portfolio owner you are. Don’t be afraid to speak out against incomplete or biased media and rally for change.

In addition to the ICA there are a number of influential domain-related forums such as DNforum, DomainState and NamePros. These are active forums that serve as mediums for constructive feedback on industry trends serving similar purposes as the ICA.

In addition to these forums there are a number of different venues where one can turn for trusted domain news. DN Journal is one of the web’s most dependable domain reporting sites. This Internet trade magazine provides the latest news in the domain industry and a weekly update of recent high profile domain sales, while offering priceless networking opportunities. Another site, Domain Name Wire, offers useful information for domainers, intellectual property attorneys, trademark lawyers, registrars, and all domain service companies. Park Quick is a useful resource for domain monetization strategies as it offers up-to-date information on various paid domain parking services. Domainers Magazine is a new print publication that you might want to keep your eyes out for. As an active domain buyer, reseller or parker, you have a wealth of information literally at your fingertips and you can play a part in shaping this industry for the better by actively participating in and promoting these domain sites.

Opening up a public debate on reforms in the domain name industry is vital to building upon the success seen in 2006, when the monumental 100 millionth domain registration took place. Domainers should not be at a loss concerning the steps they can take to ensure change and improvement in 2007. When in the past only a select demographic controlled the news, now the common man can also have a stake in making and similarly distributing the news online. Domainers should take advantage of these new informational mediums and give us all a chance to watch history play itself out in the coming year.