poll KINGS AND GODS: THE POWER OF AN EXTENSION

[QUAD DOMAINS]

We’ve all heard the “.com will always be #1” viewpoint. There are investors who consider the .com version of a domain name to be the “ultimate” upgrade. Fortune 500 companies that brand with .com domains are used as the poster-child justification for why no other extension will EVER have a chance. Anyone who challenges the mere idea that “.com is king” stands to be scorned into oblivion. Mostly by folks who’ve made a decent living leveraging, and bolstering, the .com value-construct. However, it’s only fair, and in many cases reasonable, that a reign be placed under the microscope every so often. Especially where renewals are applicable. After all, benefits don’t always age gracefully.

In a world where many people believe a king’s rule pales in comparison to a God’s power, it’s worth pondering what the metaphorical God would be in comparison to the king some investors believe is .com. If the answer can only have a centralized origin, one would have to say company-specific ICANN TLDs. (Ex: .google, .apple etc.) Considering Fortune 500 companies are used to justify .com’s royalty, it only makes sense they’d justify the royalty of their own TLDs. With two royals, which might a company favor? Probably their own. It’s difficult to make the case for why a Fortune 500 company would prioritize the .com over their own TLD. It just doesn’t seem ideal if branding is their focus.

The discussion about company-branded ICANN TLDs doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as it deserves. Especially at a time when decentralized TLDs take a lot of heat for merely existing. There are surely folks who are aware company-branded ICANN TLDs have been in the works for some time now. Companies opting to lead with the leveraging and promotion of their own TLD will ultimately help shift the paradigm of what constitutes the better domain name branding option. Sure, some investors speculate about the headache that might come with training the public to remember the TLD. However, with billions of marketing dollars, and a thirst for controlling narratives, most Fortune 500 companies will embrace the task.

Everything stated brings us to the need for an objective discussion about the past, present and future benefits of the .com extension. (Branding and otherwise.) With robust advancements in technology, blockchain names commanding attention, domain-utility being a focus and internet end-user demographics evolving, it’s fair to ask what .com brings to the table other than age, familiarity and what many would consider a cult-like following. This question isn’t about stirring the hornet’s nest though. It’s about getting a grip on whether .com maximalism is relative to a sincere belief the extension has evolved in a way that’s relevant to not only ourselves; but to generations that’ll undoubtedly see the world and web through a completely different lens.

Share your constructive thoughts in the comments.

 

[biggie]

ouTube is a good place to start. YouTu.be points to the official YouTube website as we speak. This is something many folks don't talk about here in the forum. Some would argue it's a "defense registration"; but this doesn't require them (YouTube) to do anything more than have the name in their custody. Actually pointing the domain implies that it receives some sort of traffic.

Hi

you're talking about a typo using a country code extension

i used to have plenty of them years ago

yoube.,youtou.,youtude.,yuotube.,utupe. etc.

they got traffic/rev then, but not now

imo....

 

[branding]

Nobody in their right mind would register and use .whatever TLD and leave the .com up for grabs.

This fact alone should answer your question.

 

[QUAD DOMAINS]

Nobody in their right mind would register and use .whatever TLD and leave the .com up for grabs.

This fact alone should answer your question.

This surely wouldn't apply to most people under 35. We're entering an era of digital creativity; so we can expect younger folks will get creative with their approach to domains.

On a side note, how about the recent "tele.com" sale? Does this name get love from anyone here in the thread? It's short and .com. Is the hack aspect a turnoff for you?

Mel
QUAD Domains

 

[branding]

This surely wouldn't apply to most people under 35. We're entering an era of digital creativity; so we can expect younger folks will get creative with their approach to domains.

On a side note, how about the recent "tele.com" sale? Does this name get love from anyone here in the thread? It's short and .com. Is the hack aspect a turnoff for you?

Mel
QUAD Domains

I'm just a bit ( ) over 35 so not that much of a difference . You can get creative whatever you want. Millenials aren't going to make your business thrive (bar web3, other loony stuff).

Target those where the money is at. They know, trust and grew up with .com. So do the kids these days.

Ask a random kid aged 10... he/she'll know .com... he/she'll know the cctld (EU, where the ctld matters) but he/she will most certainly never have heard of .XYZ of whatever other obscure extension (bar some outliers).

Even if your generation embraces them... The next one will pass up on them.

As for Tele... Not sure who bough it but I doubt it was because of the hack. Tele is a great keyword. The hack makes it extra cool imo. What did it go for?

 

[ecalc]

Q1 2023 closed with dot com = 46% of all TLD registrations. Ten years ago it was 43%. Kids do the darndest things.

stat source: Verisign Domain Name Industry Briefs (dnib.com)

 

[bmugford]

Q1 2023 closed with dot com = 46% of all TLD registrations. Ten years ago it was 43%. Kids do the darndest things.

stat source: Verisign Domain Name Industry Briefs (dnib.com)

The first new gTLD launched almost a decade ago now.

I went back and looked at the .COM stats from 2013 compared to today.

Despite the endless new extensions, .COM has only become more popular over time.

(2013) -

The fourth quarter of 2013 closed with a base of 271 million domain name registrations across all
top-level domains (TLDs), an increase of 5 million domain names, or 1.9 percent over the third quarter
of 2013. Registrations have grown by 18.5 million, or 7.3 percent, year over year.

The .com and .net TLDs experienced aggregate growth, reaching a combined total of
approximately 127.2 million domain names in the adjusted zone in the fourth quarter of 2013. This
represents a 5 percent increase year over year. As of Dec. 31, 2013, the base of registered names
in .com equaled 112 million names, while .net equaled 15.2 million names.

.COM 41.3% of all registrations

(2023) -

The first quarter of 2023 closed with 354.0 million domain name registrations across all top-level domains (TLDs), an increase of 3.5 million domain name registrations, or 1.0%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2022.1,2 Domain name registrations also increased by 3.5 million, or 1.0%, year over year.1,2

The .com and .net TLDs had a combined total of 174.8 million domain name registrations in the domain name base3 at the end of the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 1.0 million domain name registrations, or 0.6%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. The .com and .net TLDs had a combined increase of 0.1 million domain name registrations, or 0.1%, year over year. As of March 31, 2023, the .com domain name base totaled 161.6 million domain name registrations, and the .net domain name base totaled 13.2 million domain name registrations.

.COM 45.6% of all registrations.

 

[bmugford]

The first new gTLD launched almost a decade ago now.

I went back and looked at the .COM stats from 2013 compared to today.

Despite the endless new extensions, .COM has only become more popular over time.

(2013) -

The fourth quarter of 2013 closed with a base of 271 million domain name registrations across all
top-level domains (TLDs), an increase of 5 million domain names, or 1.9 percent over the third quarter
of 2013. Registrations have grown by 18.5 million, or 7.3 percent, year over year.

The .com and .net TLDs experienced aggregate growth, reaching a combined total of
approximately 127.2 million domain names in the adjusted zone in the fourth quarter of 2013. This
represents a 5 percent increase year over year. As of Dec. 31, 2013, the base of registered names
in .com equaled 112 million names, while .net equaled 15.2 million names.

.COM 41.3% of all registrations

(2023) -

The first quarter of 2023 closed with 354.0 million domain name registrations across all top-level domains (TLDs), an increase of 3.5 million domain name registrations, or 1.0%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2022.1,2 Domain name registrations also increased by 3.5 million, or 1.0%, year over year.1,2

The .com and .net TLDs had a combined total of 174.8 million domain name registrations in the domain name base3 at the end of the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 1.0 million domain name registrations, or 0.6%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. The .com and .net TLDs had a combined increase of 0.1 million domain name registrations, or 0.1%, year over year. As of March 31, 2023, the .com domain name base totaled 161.6 million domain name registrations, and the .net domain name base totaled 13.2 million domain name registrations.

.COM 45.6% of all registrations.

Just to update this, the 2013 numbers include .TK. The 2023 numbers don't.

.TK is basically a spam/scam extension with tens of millions of free registrations.

So, in fairness I have removed the .TK numbers from 2013.

(2013)

246 million TLD registrations. 112 million .COM.
45.5% of all registrations.

(2023)

354 million TLD registrations. 161.6 million .COM.
45.6% of all registrations.

I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Brad

 

[tnames]

Just to update this, the 2013 numbers include .TK. The 2023 numbers don't.

.TK is basically a spam/scam extension with tens of millions of free registrations.

So, in fairness I have removed the .TK numbers from 2013.

(2013)

246 million TLD registrations. 112 million .COM.
45.5% of all registrations.

(2023)

354 million TLD registrations. 161.6 million .COM.
45.6% of all registrations.

I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Brad

354 million TLD registrations. 161.6 million .COM.
45.6% of all registrations.

for sure before and after.
I only trade .com is the king and facts make .com mainly forever king.