The decision to introduce kiwi.nz provides some interesting insight into how and why a new extension like this comes into being. New Zealand Domain Name Commissioner Debbie Monahan said a new second level domain can be created if the proposed extension meets the following criteriia:

• Represents an identifiable, significant community of interest. 

• Represents an on-going and long-lived community of interest. 

• Does not conflict with, duplicate or cause confusion about, any existing second-level domain and is a useful addition to the current DNS (Doman Name System) hierarchy. 

• Uses a name to represent the domain that is an obvious derivative of a word that properly describes the community of interest, e.g. .org.nz for organisation, or a complete word, e.g. .maori.nz.

• Does not bring the .nz domain name space into disrepute.

(Posted August 24, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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What Does DN Journal, Sex.com and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire All Have in Common?

Over the years  we have been fortunate to have been mentioned in numerous national mainstream publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Forbes, Newsweek, CNN/Money, ABC News, BBC News and on the front page of USA Today. However, as a former TV guy, I didn't feel like we had really made it until this afternoon when we were part of a trivia question on the national TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

DomainHoldings Co-Founder John Ferber happened to catch the show (unfortunately, only because he was feeling under the weather and was home recuperating) and he grabbed the screenshot below that he posted on his Facebook page today.

As you can see in the photo above, the question asked by host Meredith Vieira was "Sold in 2010 for $13 million, what URL was considered by the Domain Name Journal to be the most expensive domain name of all time? The answer, as all of our readers should know, was Sex.com at $13 million, a blockbuster transaction we reported in November 2010.

I don't know if the contestant reads DN Journal but she did get the answer right! Now, if we could just get on Jeopardy! :-)

(Posted August 22, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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M.I.T. Takes Dim View of New gTLDs - Former ICANN Chair Sees No Benefits Whatsoever

Dyson also believes that the launching of hundreds of new gTLDs at once, as ICANN plans to do, will create so much confusion it will drive people to search engines (and away from direct navigation) to find sites they are interested in.  Dyson told Roush, " As fewer and fewer consumers resort to direct navigation, owners of new gTLDs could soon find that they have "spent large amounts of money on something that is fundamentally worthless." 

With the new gTLD program also still faced with a lot of opposition from major corporations who resent having to pay for "defensive" domain registrations across so many new gTLDs, Dyson also predicted "the whole thing is going to be mired in litigation for a long, long time."

(Posted August 21, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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With 2012 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Conference 48 Days Away Organizers Unveil a Revamped Website Aimed at Attracting End Users 

With the 2012 show, again at the Ritz, now just 48 days away, Danny, working in tandem with show co-founders Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu, has beefed up the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. site, thankfully retaining the easy on the eyes exterior but also adding a lot of new muscle aimed at attracting more end users and mainstream business people to the big event. The site now has a detailed story covering show history,  the uniquely qualified clientele T.R.A.F.F.I.C. draws and the importance of domain names and the traffic they generate to modern day business success. 

There is no need to preach to the choir (T.R.A.F.F.I.C. veterans who return year after to year and already fully understand the benefits of being there) so the site's new tack makes a lot of sense. The updates make a convincing case that will likely draw a lot of new faces to the show that runs October 7-10 (preceded by two days of informal cabana networking October 5-6). 

For those who are considering attending this year, there is good reason to make up your mind by the end of this month. The current early bird registration rate ($1,595) expires August 31 when the price goes up $200 (it is also $400 less than the on site registration fee of $1,995). 

(Posted August 20, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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People and Companies in the News: .ORG, Michael Mann, T.R.A.F.F.I.C., Zenscrow and Jerusalem.com

Public Interest Registry (PIR), the administrator of the .ORG TLD, issued their latest semiannual domain name report, The Dashboard (.pdf file), this week. .ORG has been growing at a rapid clip for years now and that growth continued in the first six months of 2012 with registrations climbing 7.7% from the same period last year.

Other .ORG highlights from the first half of 2012 included:

• .ORG domain registrations surpassed the 9.9 million mark (and went on to pass 10 million on July 11).
• Domains under management rose by 305,948 over the six month period ending June 30.
• PIR applied for six new top-level domains, .NGO, .ONG, and four internationalized domains that translate into “organization,” “org” or “structured organization” for the Chinese, Russian, and Indian market.

.ORG is the world’s third largest global TLD, behind only .COM and .NET. Since 2006, .ORG has exploded from 3.9 million registrations to the 9.9 million live at the end of June 2012 – an increase of 154% over the past six years.

(Posted August 17, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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Farewell to Max "Americar" Walker - A Domain Industry Treasure Who Left Us Too Soon

For the past ten years friendly Australian Max Walker has been one of the "regulars" at DNForum.com that old-timers always looked forward to hearing from. To many Max was better known by his forum handle, Americar, and his avatar featuring one classic car or another - products of Max's life long love of great automobiles. 

When I first arrived at DNForum as an eager domain industry newbie in July 2002, Max was already there and he was one of the kind veterans who made a newcomer like me feel welcome and among friends. I  

Image from Bigstock 

always appreciated that and years later was delighted to finally have a chance to meet Max in person on his home turf at the 2008 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Down Under conference on Australia's Gold Coast. 

(Posted August 16, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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Escrow.com Forms Strategic Partnership With T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Conference - Will Be Exclusive Escrow Provider for Live Auctions

 With the 2012 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference now less than eight weeks away, activity is heating up on every show front, from fleshing out the agenda to lining up names for the live domain auction. In a key auction development T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Co-Founders Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu have formed a strategic partnership with the world's leading escrow company, Escrow.com, who will now be the exclusive escrow provider for T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Domain Auctions. 

Brandon Abbey, President of Escrow.com, said “Rick and Howard have done and continue to do many great things for the domain industry. We consider this additional validation that we have been providing excellent service to the community and thank them for this opportunity.”  Rick Schwartz added, “T.R.A.F.F.I.C. is for serious domain investors and if you are serious about this business you know and probably already use Escrow.com. They are a key partner our industry and we are excited to have them join the T.R.A.F.F.I.C.  team.”  

(Posted August 14, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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With New Startup Gaining Traction Morgan Linton & Teammates Decide to Quit Their Day Jobs and Go For Broke

Congratulations to Morgan Linton are in order on a couple of fronts today. First (by a mile) is his impending marriage Saturday (August 18) to his lovely fiancée and business partner Daina Burnes! 

While that is the personal high of a lifetime, the second thing is extremely cool too, especially when you consider that Morgan said it represents he and Daina "finally living their dream" in a business sense as well. 

As most of you know, Morgan is a serial entrepreneur who is all about domain development, as is Daina. One of their current projects (dreamed up by Daina), FashionMetric, aims to revolutionize the way men buy their clothes - or more precisely where they buy their clothes. Currently only 

Morgan Linton & Daina Burnes
will be married Saturday (August  18, 2012) 

7% of men's clothes shopping is done online - largely because of concerns over getting the right fit. FashionMetric has come up with a solution for that. 

Morgan and Daina aren't the only ones who think they are on to something big. Daina entered FahsionMetric in the Lean Startup Machine competition in Santa Monica, California a few weeks ago and won. From there they went on join hundreds of other collaborative developers at AngelHack and came away with both a spot in the finals and a new web app that caught the attention of the prestigious Microsoft BizSpark Blog that published an interview with the FashionMetric founders today.

(Posted August 13, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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People and Companies in the News: DotGreen Community, Rob Grant & NameMedia

We've just published a new home page feature article that has the fascinating background story behind DotGreen Community Inc.'s campaign to land rights from ICANN to run a new .green registry - an effort that dates back more than five years. They are still at it and are now one of four entities competing for .green.

Within the next year or two a .green TLD will be one of hundreds of new domain extensions that are expected to go live as part of ICANN's new gTLD program. While a few new gTLDs have been launched over the past decade, the Internet has never seen a mass release of hundreds of new extensions at once. That is going to create a significant challenge for operators of new gTLD registries - how are they going to break through the clutter and achieve the public awareness they will need to sell enough domain registrations to become a going concern (and recoup the hundreds of thousands of dollars it will cost to launch each new gTLD)?

It will take a lot of marketing money and legwork to get over that hurdle - something that DotGreen Community Founder & CEO Annalisa Roger (the daughter of Internet pioneer Peter Leblanc) has always understood. That's why she and her .Green team have been spreading the .green gospel and building public awareness for the extension since 2007. Even so, with three other applicants also chasing .green, the race is still far from over, but what DotGreen Community has done to date serves as a textbook example of how to build public recognition and support for a new gTLD to give it the best possible chance for success. You can read all about it here. 

Annalisa Roger
Founder & CEO 
DotGreen Community Inc.

Director of Marketing Karen Dixon said, "As we do with all of our new products, we are launching first with our own inventory and, if successful, will enable this channel for our listing customers as well. Since we have grown our listings volume on Afternic by more than 100% over the last 24 months, we realize that our customers depend on us to always be investigating new ways to create sales opportunities, and this is just another example of that continuous innovation. This very current, quicker-selling approach will give domain buyers good reason to visit the site for bargains." 

(Posted August 10, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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Alan Dunn Joins Domain Holdings as Senior VP and DomainSherpa Adds New Producer Wayne Nelson

Domain Holdings Group continues to add to an already outstanding management team. Well-known and highly respected domain industry veteran Alan Dunn has joined  the Delray Beach, Florida based company as Senior Vice President of Strategic Media. Dunn will be responsible for growing the premium development portion of the company's business and identifying strategic opportunities. 

While overseeing the development, SEO and marketing of the sites that Domain Holdings has under development, Dunn will focus on creating, enhancing or growing brands through white hat SEO best practices, striving for sustainable search engine rankings rather than manipulating search engine results. 

Over the past four years, Dunn has participated in the acquisition and divestment of development properties and domain names that have grossed more than $10 million. Domain Holdings CEO Jason Boshoff said, "Real companies with real budgets looking to develop real properties will see real results just by spending five minutes on the phone with Alan." 

Alan Dunn
Senior VP of Strategic Media
Domain Holdings Group 

Dunn's work and reputation have earned him a nomination for the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. 2012 Developer of the Year Award that will be presented in October.  

(Posted August 8, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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Industry Veteran Victor Pitts Joins Above.com as Director of Domain Services

Victor Pitts, one of the most widely-known and well-liked veterans in the domain industry, has joined fast-growing domain registrar Above.com as Director of Domain Services. Pitts, who has previously held senior positions at Moniker, iGoldrush and ICM Registry, will be responsible for leading and overseeing the continued development of Above.com's Registrar and Marketplace services.

Pitts, who also hosts the weekly Domain Masters radio show on WebmasterRadio.fm, said “I am excited to be joining the Above.com team. Registrars today are challenged to provide services to manage both a growing volume and variety of domains, while offering uncompromised privacy and security.  Above.com and I are committed to meeting that challenge through applying both smart technology and smart people to the task.”

Above.com President David Warmuz said, “Victor brings extensive industry experience in many areas of domaining, such as domain 

Victor Pitts
Director of Domain Services
Above.com

brokerage, domain registrar sales and domain auctions. His industry knowledge, enthusiasm and leadership skills will play a pivotal role in Above.com's growth and success.”

(Posted August 7, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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Sedo Sells Hoteles.es for Over $340,000 -  The Inside Story Behind the International Transaction

In a deal shepherded by Sedo Senior International Sales Consultant Frank Tillmanns, the company has completed a  €275,000 sale ($341,234 at today's exchange rate) of Hoteles.es ("hotels" in Spanish). While Hoteles.es is a well-developed website (built on Spain's country code extension), Tillmanns said the new owner, the operator of Hotels.nl, indicated they would retain only about 20% of the current site's code as they re-develop the property to their own specifications. 

In addition to getting a category defining domain in a key European market, the buyers will also benefit from the current site's high search engine ranking, stable bookings and consistent flow of around 150,000 unique monthly visitors. Since the buyer is getting more than just the domain name, we won't be able to chart it as a domain only sale but we can give you a rare inside look at how a deal of this magnitude got done. 

Frank Tillmanns, Sedo
Senior Sales Consultant 
International 

It started with Tillmanns contacting the owners of  Hotels.nl - a successful, widely-known online hotel reservation site in the Netherlands and Belgium that is now expanding into other European countries. Tillmanns let them know a valuable property that would give them a perfect entree to the Spanish online hotel reservations market had become available for purchase. They liked what they heard and Tillmanns arranged a joint meeting with the seller in Mallorca just a few days later. When the day of the meeting arrived events unfolded in whirlwind fashion. 

(Posted August 7, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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Michael Castello's Martian Connection - Why the Red Planet's New Rover is His Favorite Robot

Michael Castello of Castello Cities Internet Network (who, along with his brother David, was profiled in a December 2006 DN Journal Cover Story) was in our area on a family vacation over the weekend. I always try to see Michael and his family when they are in this part of Florida or we are in Southern California where they live. When we got together again Sunday for brunch in Sarasota (joined by T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Co-Founder Howard Neu and his wife Barbara who were also visiting from Fort Lauderdale), Michael, his wife Sheri and daughter Jessica were all there, but son Jonathan, whom I also always look forward to seeing, was missing. 

(Clockwise from left) Sheri Castello, Barbara Neu, Diana Jackson, Ron Jackson, Howard 
Neu, Michael Castello and Jessica Castello at Marina Jack in Sarasota, Florida Sunday. 

(Posted August 6, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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Sedo Broker Dave Evanson Reports Selling Designers.com for $118,000 

Sedo broker Dave Evanson just posted on his Facebook page that he has wrapped up a $118,000 sale of Designers.com for the popular domain sales venue. The buyer has not yet been revealed as the WhoIs record currently shows Sedo's Transfer Service as the registrant (that means the domain has been paid for and they have taken possession of it en route to moving it on to the buyer's account). The seller appears to be Lewis Design and Planning Inc. of Lewiston, New Jersey as Designers.com points to a page they have had up since 1998 according to Archive.org. 

Designers.com is obviously a fabulous generic domain name with a practically infinite number of potential uses. At $118,000 it looks to me like the buyer got a very good deal on this one. After a drought of publicly reported six-figure domain sales that lasted several weeks, they have suddenly started popping up again over the past month. For the third week in a row, our weekly Top 20 Sales Chart was headed by a six-figure sale this week.

Dave has rung up many sales at this level but I'm sure it never gets old for him or Sedo!

Sedo Broker Dave Evanson 

(Posted August 2, 2012) To refer others to the post above only you can use this URL:
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