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If Libya Shuts Down the Internet, What Happens To .ly Domains?

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Re: If Libya Shuts Down the Internet, What Happens To .ly Domains?

#21

Post by haploid »

StavrosK wrote: post #14
burgerbrain wrote: post #2

Hopefully? Stop abusing country code TLDs already...

What do you suggest? Getting a .com domain? Have you tried to do that recently? All dictionary words and most two-word combinations are taken by squatters. I searched for a domain name for a new web app the other day and wanted a .com name, it was almost impossible to find anything . I spent two days searching until I found something. .net and .org are better, but users always expect (and type in) .com.

Do you think there are a lot of bricks-and-mortar entrepreneurs who bitch endlessly about the lack of alternative planets on which to snap up cheap real estate or unique business name trademarks?

If the name you want is already owned, make contact and negotiate a price. You know, like everybody else in meatspace does with land, trademarks, etc.

Re: If Libya Shuts Down the Internet, What Happens To .ly Domains?

#23

Post by zyb09 »

Ygor wrote: post #12

Pro: People stop abusing and overusing ccTLDs. (maybe not?) Con: Many major services go done, which causes a lot of unhappiness and headaches. (does it?)

Don't know about the headaches - more like: okay bit.ly seems to be down, lets use something else.

Re: If Libya Shuts Down the Internet, What Happens To .ly Domains?

#25

Post by pwim »

haploid wrote: post #21
StavrosK wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you suggest? Getting a .com domain? Have you tried to do that recently? All dictionary words and most two-word combinations are taken by squatters. I searched for a domain name for a new web app the other day and wanted a .com name, it was almost impossible to find anything . I spent two days searching until I found something. .net and .org are better, but users always expect (and type in) .com.

Do you think there are a lot of bricks-and-mortar entrepreneurs who bitch endlessly about the lack of alternative planets on which to snap up cheap real estate or unique business name trademarks? If the name you want is already owned, make contact and negotiate a price. You know, like everybody else in meatspace does with land, trademarks, etc.

Except that isn't always simple to do. When a domain name we wanted was taken by a squatter, we tried to get in contact with the owner, but never received any response.

Re: If Libya Shuts Down the Internet, What Happens To .ly Domains?

#26

Post by StavrosK »

haploid wrote: post #21
StavrosK wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you suggest? Getting a .com domain? Have you tried to do that recently? All dictionary words and most two-word combinations are taken by squatters. I searched for a domain name for a new web app the other day and wanted a .com name, it was almost impossible to find anything . I spent two days searching until I found something. .net and .org are better, but users always expect (and type in) .com.

Do you think there are a lot of bricks-and-mortar entrepreneurs who bitch endlessly about the lack of alternative planets on which to snap up cheap real estate or unique business name trademarks? If the name you want is already owned, make contact and negotiate a price. You know, like everybody else in meatspace does with land, trademarks, etc.

Yes, because ten people rushed out when the planet was first created and bought all the land for $10 per acre and are now selling it for 200x that.

Re: If Libya Shuts Down the Internet, What Happens To .ly Domains?

#27

Post by StavrosK »

Legion wrote: post #20
StavrosK wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you suggest? Getting a .com domain? Have you tried to do that recently? All dictionary words and most two-word combinations are taken by squatters. I searched for a domain name for a new web app the other day and wanted a .com name, it was almost impossible to find anything . I spent two days searching until I found something. .net and .org are better, but users always expect (and type in) .com.

> .net and .org are better, but users always expect (and type in) .com. Which makes country code TLDs an answer... how? They're not .com either.

I didn't say ccTLDs were better than .com, but they're as good as .net/.org. If you're going to get a .net, you might as well get a .ly and make your service one memorable word.

Re: If Libya Shuts Down the Internet, What Happens To .ly Domains?

#28

Post by chaosmachine »

StavrosK wrote: post #14
burgerbrain wrote: post #2

Hopefully? Stop abusing country code TLDs already...

What do you suggest? Getting a .com domain? Have you tried to do that recently? All dictionary words and most two-word combinations are taken by squatters. I searched for a domain name for a new web app the other day and wanted a .com name, it was almost impossible to find anything . I spent two days searching until I found something. .net and .org are better, but users always expect (and type in) .com.

"most two-word combinations are taken by squatters"

Not true. Spend a few minutes playing with this: http://impossibility.org/

Re: If Libya Shuts Down the Internet, What Happens To .ly Domains?

#29

Post by haploid »

StavrosK wrote: post #26
haploid wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think there are a lot of bricks-and-mortar entrepreneurs who bitch endlessly about the lack of alternative planets on which to snap up cheap real estate or unique business name trademarks? If the name you want is already owned, make contact and negotiate a price. You know, like everybody else in meatspace does with land, trademarks, etc.

Yes, because ten people rushed out when the planet was first created and bought all the land for $10 per acre and are now selling it for 200x that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestead_Act

Re: If Libya Shuts Down the Internet, What Happens To .ly Domains?

#30

Post by StavrosK »

petercooper wrote: post #18
StavrosK wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you suggest? Getting a .com domain? Have you tried to do that recently? All dictionary words and most two-word combinations are taken by squatters. I searched for a domain name for a new web app the other day and wanted a .com name, it was almost impossible to find anything . I spent two days searching until I found something. .net and .org are better, but users always expect (and type in) .com.

I agree with the argument but am also beginning to be convinced by the opposing argument for many cases.. Consider 37signals' products, they don't have the product name in the verbatim .com form for any that I see - they've had to append words on the end. Apple doesn't own MacBook.com. Even companies who own their product names as domains (e.g. Fogbugz.com) aren't necessarily using them as a primary URL. It seems cus…

The fact that companies are doing it doesn't mean that customers aren't fazed by it. Sure, 37signals is doing well, but do you think the "hq" part of the basecamp domain helped? When 37signals weren't that well-known and wanted to market it, how many potential customers do you think they lost because people typed "basecamp.com", didn't go where they intended to and never visited again?

Customer retention is like trying to plug all the holes in a sieve, and a bad domain is one more hole. Personally, I'd gladly pay $50/yr for a domain if it meant that suddenly the squatters went out of business.

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