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more nTLDs – new Top-Level-Domains
The frenzy that is nTLDs (new Top-Level-Domains) is only getting more frenetic! Since I wrote my blog post “new TLDs ermerging” on May 26th, 2009, the world of nTLDs has changed dramatically, especially in light of the recent ICANN meeting in Sydney, which I am sure stirred the pot some more.
Though I unfortunately couldn’t attend the meeting in Sydney, I was lucky enough to get my fair share of news remotely. The only aspect of attending via the web that I regretted, was not being able to meet the new CEO of ICANN Rod Beckstrom in person. Other than this one regret, I was able to get a steady stream of news and insights from the deluge of tweets!
As I expected, the list of official and unofficial nTLDs continues to grow unabated:
- .BASKETBALL
- .BAY
- .BAYERN
- .CAR
- .DELOITTE
- .ECO
- .FAM
- .FOOD
- .GEO
- .GREEN
- .HEALTH
- .HOTEL
- .HOLMES
- .MED
- .MUSIC
- .MONEY
- .NYC
- .PARIS
- .PHONE
- .QUEBEC
- .RADIO
- .REAL
- .ROMA
- .SPORT
- .SURF
- .TOKYO
- .VIDEO
… and … and …. ?This list begs the question, which ones are even going to be around in 5 years? I ask this question because I just don’t see the value proposition in many of them. I thought nTLDs, should:
a.) provide guidance and direction to the Users and help them better navigate to where they actually want to go on the internet as well as
b.) drive innovation on the Internet.
Where’s the value in cluttering the Internet highway? This is analogous to having more signs along a road, at some point you have diminishing returns and the extra signs only start confusing rather than helping. I really don’t think the average user out there will grasp or even find the value in many of these nTLDs. As for innovation, I can see this happening, but at what cost benefit? If the end user value is small by adding a huge amount of administrative and technical overhead, then what is the point.
Another interesting angle on the proliferation of these nTLD applications is the dynamic between competing applicants for nTLDs that are essentially the same. For instance, .eco has two totally different groups vying for the same TLD:
Applicant A:
- www.supportdoteco.com
- Partnered with Al Gore
- Partnered with Alliance for Climate Protection
- Extensive experience and working relationships with many Internet based companies
- Extensive experience with working relations in the movie industry
- Registry Services to be provided in partnership with Minds and Machines. Read Press Release.
Applicant B:
- www.doteco.info
- Founders of Big Room
- Extensive experience on sustainability policy having worked at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- Are industry insiders formerly from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
- Highly experienced (Institute for Sustainable Futures, the EcoDesign Foundation,the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD))
- Registry Services to be provided in partnership with Afilias. Read Press Release
It is going to be interesting to see who wins this winner-by-knock-out prize fight. I am sure we are going to see other battles over the same nTLD in the near future.
Though I am personally watching everything from the sidelines, I do want to offer one piece of advise to the nTLD applicants – have a compelling business model behind your nTLD. If the business model is not significantly different than existing TLDs, you are likely going to see the same fate as those TLDs before you, who today are in limbo.
With the maturation of the industry technologies, launching a TLD is the easy part. The difficulty of running a successful TLD comes after one opens the doors. Finding a captive audience and ensuring high registrations/renewals has eluded many recent TLDs operators.
Very interesting times my friends. Lets see what happens in the weeks, months ahead of us.
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