ccTLD Russian domain updates

[Gerrit]

I am unsure if the new registrations are already taking place, but have received an email (I emailed the Russian registry to ask, and they did bother to respond in perfect English) from the Russian registry that after being on hiatus for several years, third-level domains with .com.ru, .net.ru and .org.ru will re-commence. The exact date that new registrations will be accepted wasn't mentioned in the email but it was scheduled for the very near future. Unlike in the past, when .com.ru was for free, it seems a registration fee will be part of the registration.

Also, it seems the Russians are on the winning side for now in keeping .su alive and kicking, registrations in this domain are still on the rise.

Do these evolutions have any prospects for domaineers with an eye on the Russian internet market? I must say I doubt a lot of serious sites will use .su (this seems more like a novelty thing for personal sites) but maybe the .com.ru has potential in the same way that .co.in and .com.cn are still widely used despite the .in and .cn being available. Maybe the popularity of .ru is not standing in the way of .com.ru making a comeback?

 

[realtimeregister]

Keep in mind that .com.ru and .net.ru are not third level domains names like .net.uk etc.

These names have been registered by Rucenter a Russian Registrar. Just a FYI.

.SU is more like some internet history to me and is indeed a novelty extension from a long time ago

 

[UAdomainer]

Even high quality keywords in .com.ru and especially in .net.ru cost NOTHING. And no future for them.

 

[Gerrit]

Keep in mind that .com.ru and .net.ru are not third level domains names like .net.uk etc.

These names have been registered by Rucenter a Russian Registrar. Just a FYI.

.SU is more like some internet history to me and is indeed a novelty extension from a long time ago

Are you sure? I never heard that .com.ru, .net.ru and .org.ru were domains registered by someone to sell subdomains of them. As far as I know they are valid extentions just like .ru proper. In the past RIPN took care of all registrations, then .ru registrations were taken care off by a new registry while RIPN remained in charge of .com.ru and the other third level ones.

I think .su is a nice novelty one, not useful for business promotions or so but a nice one to surprise your friends in the pub with ICANN wanted to phase out .su long time ago but I heard (not sure how reliable this source was though) that ICANN is now giving up the idea of dropping .su for the near future and .su registrations will continue for now.



@ UADomainer: I would not rule out some valuable .com.ru domains even when .ru is so widely used. Do you really think the likes of hotel.com.ru, poker.com.ru, etc would be worthless? The fact that .com.ru was on hiatus for a while probably means it will not catch up anymore with .ru in terms of popularity, but that doesn't make it totally worthless.

 

[Wargy]

check the whois on com.ru.

domain: COM.RU
nserver: e.dns.ripn.net.
nserver: f.dns.ripn.net.
nserver: ns.ripn.net.
nserver: ns.spb.ru.
nserver: ns1.relcom.ru.
nserver: ns5.msk-ix.net.
nserver: ns9.ripn.net.
state: REGISTERED, DELEGATED, VERIFIED
org: JSC 'RU-CENTER'
phone: +7 495 7370601
fax-no: +7 495 7370602
e-mail: @nic.ru
registrar: RU-CENTER-REG-RIPN
created: 1997.01.11
paid-till: 2012.02.01
source: TCI

I highly doubt that the Russian Registry registers their third level domains thru a Registrar..

Sorta like what Eurodns is doing with co.no

Cheers.

Wargy
http://rogue.su

 

[Gerrit]

Hmm, odd. Back a few years ago they were done by RIPN along with .ru proper, if I remember well. Then nic.ru took control of .ru with the .com.ru remaining at RIPN (and in hiatus)

So basically .com.ru now is nothing different from the countless redirection services like .co.cc or .co.tv or .eu.tt ?

PS: EuroDNS has .co.no but also .co.nl ; apparently a subdivision called CoDNS. Not sure if they have any other .co.(anything). The .co.be and .com.be were registered a while ago but have been in the hands of very ubstable folks who never managed to do anything useful with it despite the potential.

PS II: .su could be kept intact as the domain for communists around the world Though guess .com (for COMmunism) could serve pretty well too...