When you inquire about a domain, don’t pitch your own

It's common sense: When I go to a store to buy a product, I don't turn around at the checkout to sell my services instead of paying for the item. This exact, unprofessional behavior applies to domain name inquiries as well. A person who introduced himself as a domain investor from India, … [Read more...]

The Internet, 20 years later: Party like it’s 1994

Around this time this week, twenty years ago, I connected to the "real Internet", using a borrowed 9,600 bps modem. There is one word to describe the experience: Slow. It wasn't just the already obsolete modem's speed, but also the national pipeline's available bandwidth, a T1 pipe to Pipex UK … [Read more...]

ICANN should establish its global humanitarian reach

ICANN51 in Los Angeles brings together technocrats, entrepreneurs and other bright-minded individuals, in a gathering that projects ample lavishness despite recent cuts in spending. And yet, the agenda of such a large organization with a cash reserve in the hundreds of millions of dollars and a … [Read more...]

GoDaddy brokerage offers make little business sense

When someone looks up a domain through GoDaddy for availability and it's taken, they are presented with an option to make an offer to the domain's owner. GoDaddy emails the owner and indicates that one of their customers wants that particular domain name. The email does not disclose what the … [Read more...]

Domain ownership a hot topic during ICANN 51 conference in Los Angeles

ICANN has expanded the Internet namespace with the introduction of the new gTLDs; this dramatic growth in all directions - a digital Big Bang - dictates that some urgent housekeeping must be performed on existing TLDs. Domains are not treated like property currently, and yet they are bought and … [Read more...]