There is an ongoing obsession with gTLD numbers, that needs some debunking.<\/p>\n
According to several web sites that track the number of gTLD registrations, the total numbers now exceed one million gTLD domains.<\/p>\n
That’s like saying that WalMart offers 1,000,000 different types of candy – which is as far from the truth as it gets. More on that later.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, this obsession with numbers comes both from the pro-gTLD crowd, and those who don’t give a rat’s ass about the new gTLDs.<\/p>\n
On one hand, we have XYZ raving about its numbers – despite proof that these numbers are the result of a freebie campaign via Network Solutions.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, we have posts in an attempt to ridicule a large part of the domain industry, claiming that the one million is unworthy of any mention.<\/p>\n
Both statements are at fault, and here’s why.<\/p>\n
Obviously, the XYZ claims are to be taken with enough salt to make one’s blood pressure skyrocket. There has been enough analysis on that around the domain blogs.<\/p>\n
The claim that one million registrations in a little over 4 months shows some type of trend is quite foolish to adopt.<\/p>\n
Despite the lack of any end-user promotion, the gTLDs with broad interest have already begun to reach end users. All it will take now, is the relentless advertorials and “in your face” demonstration of those gTLDs in traditional media.<\/p>\n
At a photographers’ gathering yesterday, I enjoyed polling those that are aware of the .photo, .photos and .photography gTLDs, along with the overall expansion of the Internet name space. The BBQ was great too.<\/p>\n
More than half of these professionals had switched from a previously long-winded .com to a short, meaningful, keyword rich gTLD. Some kept both the .com and the gTLD going, but switched the branding over to the gTLD, including their business cards and Facebook mini sites.<\/p>\n
The gTLDs are not like candy, coming in a variety of flavors. If that were the case, they would all have been under the control of a single entity.<\/p>\n
Instead, they are to be treated like different types of food: there is candy, but also fish, pastrami, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, bananas, red wine and peanuts. Not everyone loves every type of food, and not everyone will eat escargot because it’s “trendy.”<\/p>\n
It’s all a matter of taste, and taste alone does not generate the numbers expected by those who insist on viewing the gTLDs as the new .com; the latter, includes the XYZ folks.<\/p>\n