Domain Name Journal - The Domain Industry Trade Magazine at DNJournal.com
Ron Sheridan's Pixt.com May Revolutionize Photo Sharing + Lana del Rey Wins Major Award Today in the Lowdown at DNJournal.com, Ron Sheridan's latest venture - an innovative photo sharing platform with slick new technology - could make big waves on the web. Plus, Lana Del Rey took home a major honor in tonight's Brit Awards in London (the UK version of the Grammys).
Presentations & Videos from DOMAINfest Global Conference Now Available to All Online If you weren't able to attend the 2012 DOMAINfest Global conference that ran January 31 - February 2 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa, Monica, California, here's the next best thing to being there. Show organizers have posted presentations and videos from the various conference sessions online for all to see.
6-Figure AfternicDLS Sale Tops This Week's Domain Sales Chart - ccTLDs Take 8 Places A very nice 3-letter domain changed hands for 6 figures to top this week's domain sales chart. The all extension Top 20 featured 8 ccTLDs (including two in the top five) and 3 non .com gTLDs,along with the usual flock of .com sales. One of the those non .com gTLDs was the year's 2nd highest sale in that category.
.ORG Continues High Rate of Growth - 2011 Marked the 3rd Straight Year of 9-10% Gains The Public Interest Registry (PIR), administrator of the .ORG TLD, enjoyed another growth spurt in 2011. According to the registry's latest semi-annual report, .ORG registrations grew 9.9% in 2011, reaching 9.6 million total registrations at the end of the year. The registry also announced it will apply for a new gTLD.
Afternic Expands Into Russia, the Biggest German Domain Show Begins & WaterShave.org Debuts! The AfternicDLS announced its latest expansion today - one that opens up the rapidly growing Russian market for domain sellers...Plus, the biggest German language domain show opened today in Hamburg...and the shaving of 3 domainer's heads at DOMAINfest Global has led to the launch of a new website!
DOMAINFest Global Review: Industry Changes Prompted a New Direction for the Big Event The DOMAINfest Global conference held in Santa Monica, California Jan. 31 - Feb. 2, 2012 was the show's 6th annual event but it was considerably different than the ones that came before. Oversee.net decided it was time to broaden the scope of the show with an agenda aimed at "Internet entrepreneurs of all stripes."
What Could Be Better Than Spring Time in Spain? Join Us in Valencia For Domaining 2012 in April We have heard so many good things about the biggest domain conference in Spain, staged annually by Dietmar Stefitz, that we decided we needed to be at the next one, Domaining2012, coming up April 26-28 in Valencia, Spain. Dietmar and Co-Producer Jodi Chamberlain are putting together something special for the big event.
Aftermarket Catches Fire Over the Past Fortnight With 4 Six-Figure Sales and 63 in Five Figures I was away last week covering DOMAINfest Global so this week I am bringing you up to date on all reported domain sales for the past two weeks. The good news is that this past fortnight was an exceptionally strong one with a quartet of 6-figure sales backed by a huge supporting cast of 63 names that hit the 5-figure mark.
Who Is The Single Woman David Sams Has Gotten Involved With? You might think that National Enquirer like headline is meant to trick you into clicking through to this article but it's true - David Sams (one of the original producers of the Oprah Winfrey Show and the subject of our September 2011 Cover Story) has entered a new relationship with a single woman that has resulted in a hot new book!
With a Little Help From Einstein, Warren Royal Again Proves the Power of a Great Domain Domainers have always preached the value of a category defining .com domain name. Such a name provides instant credibility and web surfers often believe sites built on those names are the leading authorities in their category. For proof of that you need look no further than what Warren Royal has done with Bobbleheads.com.
CEO Switch at Sedo Was Among the Major Events at DOMAINfest Global Last Week During the course of last week's DOMAINfest Global conference, long-time Sedo CEO (and company Co-Founder) Tim Schumacher stepped down and new CEO Tobias Flaitz stepped in to take his place. Both were on hand to chat with company clients and show guests as Sedo moved forward under a new leader.
Closing Day Photos & Highlights from DOMAINfest Global in Santa Monica DOMAINfest Global 2012 is now history. The 6th annual show concluded in Santa Monica with a farewell breakfast this morning that followed last night's grand finale at the House of Blues. We have closing day photos and highlights that pick up where we left off near the end of Day 2.
Day 2 Photos & Highlights From DOMAINFest - Oversee Sells Moniker & SnapNames Today in the Lowdown at DNJournal.com we have Photos & Highlights from the DOMAINfest Global conference, covering late Day 1 activity last night as well as today's Day 2 events in Santa Monica. Find out why three conference attendees are sporting a dramatically new look today.
Pre-Show and Opening Day Photos & Highlights from DOMAINfest Global in Santa Monica The 2012 DOMAINFest Global Conference is underway. While the show officially opened this morning, there was a lot of pre-show activity last night including a big soiree hosted by Frank Schilling. We have photos and highlights from that as well as today's opening sessions in Santa Monica.
Go Daddy Joins SedoMLS, Doors Open at DOMAINfest Today & 2011 Domain Sales Dissected Today in the Lowdown at DNJournal.com: The SedoMLS Network announces a new partnership with registration giant Go Daddy, the doors open at the DOMAINfest Global conference in Santa Monica this afternoon and we break down 2011 domain sales data and ponder how much money lies beneath the tip of the sales iceberg.
The State of the Industry January 2012: DN Journal's Biggest Annual Cover Story is Now Out For the 8th consecutive year, DNJournal.com kicks off the New Year with our annual State of the Industry Cover Story, an endeavor that brought together 15 experts and company leaders from across the industry to get their thoughts on the key trends of the past year and what they believe is in store in the year ahead.
.Com Registrations Pass the 100 Million Mark - Final Agenda Set for DOMAINfest Global Today in the Lowdown at DN Journal: .Com registrations pass another milestone - the 100 million mark. Plus, DOMAINfest Global releases the final agenda for next week's big show in Santa Monica and domain sales giants Afternic and Sedo have announcements about the latest expansion of their respective platforms.
Role Reversal: 6 Non .Com gTLDs and 2 ccTLDs Join 12 .Coms on this Week's Sales Chart Last week a half dozen ccTLDs and a pair of non .com gTLDs earned placed on DN Journal's all extension Top 20 Sales Chart.. This week they did a complete switch with the non .com gTLDs taking six places while the country codes had to settle for two. One constant was the .coms who again took the most chart entries.
Europe's Domaining 2012 Conference Announces Additions to the Show Speakers Line Up Europe's Domaining 2012 conference, coming up in Valencia, Spain April 26-28, is still three months away but show organizers have been hard at work for weeks now putting together an all-star speaker's line-up. Here are some of the industry experts who will be on stage.
3 New Party Venues Ready to Welcome Guests at Next Week's DOMAINfest Global Conference The DOMAINfest Global 2012 conference will be running next week in Santa Monica, California. Over the past couple of weeks I've posted about some of the business highlights on the agenda, but one of the biggest changes will involve the evening social events. After a 3 year run, the Playboy Mansion is out & 3 new venues are in.
Industry Heavyweights Find New Domain Monetization Gold in Old Vein: Email Addresses When I got an email from Chicago.com owner Josh Metnick with a subject line that said "Something amazing is happening!" I sat up and took notice. Josh is not a guy who is given to hyperbole. We got on the phone and he did indeed have an amazing story to tell - one that will be music to the ears of owners of top tier .com domains.
SOPA Sinks, Water School Founders Retire & David Castello Rocks Today in the Lowdown at DN Journal: Wednesday's widespread protest by key Internet websites has killed the controversial SOPA bill, the two founders of one of the domain industry's favorite charities have retired and named replacements (one a domain pioneer) and David Castello returns to his first love!
New Speakers Added to DOMAINfest Global Lineup & Escrow.com Hits the Billion $ Mark DOMAINfest Global has added 3 expert speakers to the line up for the upcoming show in Santa Monica. Escrow.com has reached a major milestone - the $1 billion mark in secured sales and Screenshots.com offers a concise look at how the web's key sites looked during Wednesday's protest against SOPA/PIPA.
6 ccTLDS and 2 Non .Com gTLDs Join a Dozen .Coms on DN Journal's Weekly Sales Chart Diversity was the keyword for week two of the 2012 domain sales season. As usual, the .coms did dominate with a dozen entries on our latest weekly all extension Top 20 Sales Chart, however a half dozen ccTLDs and a pair of non .com gTLDs also elbowed their way onto the elite list.
Muhammad Ali Turns 70 & Brings Back Memories of the Day I Met "The Greatest of All Time" Legendary boxing champion Muhammad Ali is celebrating his 70th birthday today. Seeing all of the news items about Ali's birthday left me wondering how MuhammadAli.com was currently being used and also brought back fond memories of the day I got to go toe to toe with "the greatest of all time."
DOMAINfest Extends PITCHfest Application Deadline + 1, 2 & 3 Letter .PRO Auction Winding Down The deadline to apply for DOMAINfest Global's popular PITCHfest Contest for online entrepreneurs (coming up Feb. 1) was set for today, but conference organizers decided to leave the window open a little longer. Elsewhere, time is running out to bid in a 1,2 & 3 Letter .PRO domain auction that ends Tuesday night.
Four Domain Conferences Issue Updates & Lana Del Rey Readies for Her National TV Debut In today's Lowdown at DNJournal.com we have news from 4 different domain conferences; DOMAINfest Global, the next Southern California Domainers meetup, Domaining Europe and Traffic 2012. Plus, Lana Del Rey, the new music industry sensation with domain industry roots, appears on national TV tomorrow night.
Multi-Million $ Marijuana.com Sale Made Possible By Little-Known Service at Escrow.com You probably heard about the sale of Marijuana.com (including both the domain name & the popular forum built on it) last November in a deal reportedly worth $4.2 million. What you haven't heard is that the deal was made possible by a service provided by Escrow.com that is helping fuel more sales at the high end of the market.
People & Companies in the News: Braden Pollock, Patrick Ruddell, ICANN, Sedo & .CO Today in the Lowdown at DNJournal.com: Inside Braden Pollock and Patrick Ruddell's new partnership in ScienceFiction.com. Plus, ICANN leaders to answer questions tomorrow about the controversial new gTLD program that opens Thursday and a new brokerage agreement is announced by Sedo and the .CO Registry.
Domain Pioneer, Author & Evangelist Marc Ostrofsky Goes Global With New Book Deal Marc Ostrofsky, the domain industry pioneer known for the sale of Business.com in a deal valued at $7.5 million and for writing the book, Get Rich Click!, is in the news again. Publishing giant Simon & Schuster has purchased the rights to his New York Times bestseller and will distribute it globally.
2011 Domain Sales Season Closes With a Bang Led By a Trio of Six-Figure Sales The new weekly domain sales report is out at DNJournal.com, encompassing the final week of the 2011 domain sales season. The old year went out with a bang with the final week of sales reports bringing three six-figure sales to light along with 37 solid five-figure sales.
Dark Cloud Over ICANN's New gTLD Program as Department of Commerce Steps In It looks like ICANN will begin accepting applications for an unlimited number of new gTLDs on schedule next week. However, a late wave of vehement opposition has brought the U.S. Government into the fray and cast doubts on when or if many proposed new extensions will actually see the light of day.
Newspaper Giant Gannett Buying 1000s of iPhones & iPads to Help Reporters Gather News I love my iPhone as much as anyone but I never envisioned the do everything device might become a key piece of news gathering equipment for professional journalists.Gannett, the media giant that publishes USA Today, is buying 1000s of iPhones & iPads to help its reporters record video & retool for the web.
2012 is Here Bringing a New Opportunity to Have Your Best Year Ever! I love new years (and not just because it is a good excuse to drink champagne though I do give New Year's Eve bonus points on that count)!. I like New Year's Day even more. Regardless of whether the previous year was good, bad or indifferent, there is always something exciting about starting a new year with a fresh slate.
Braden Pollock: Could He Be the Domain Monetization Messiah People Have Been Looking For? DNJournal.com rings in the New Year with a new Cover Story. Ever since domain parking revenue went into a tailspin a few years ago, people have been looking for an alternate means of monetization that would restore the returns their domains used to produce. Some think lead gen whiz Braden Pollock may have a solution.
Miami Police Dept. Lets MiamiPolice.com Drop - Gives Cybersquatter Early Christmas Gift Despite warnings from a local citizen that they were about to lose MiamiPolice.com, the Miami Police Department let the domain drop because they didn't want to pay the renewal fee. To absolutely no one's surprise a cybersquatter grabbed the name and parked it. Now a Miami news outlet is blowing the whistle on the police.
News Aggregator Domaining.com Organizes Domain Sale to Pay Back Bloggers A few top domain blogs and news sites do well financially through advertiser support, but it is a labor or love for the majority who don't make a lot of money from their efforts. Domaining.com, the top aggregator of domain news headlines, has come up with a plan to make the holidays a little merrier for those content producers.
A .Net Gives That Extension a Rare Win in This Week's Domain Sales Race The new weekly domain sales report is out at DNJournal.com. The next to last week of the 2011 sales season came with a surprise - the rare appearance of a .net domain at the top of our all extension leader board. It is one of the year's 10 biggest non .com gTLD sales and the 4th biggest .net sale reported so far in 2011.
Why Prominent Domain Investor Dr. Chris Hartnett is Buying Guns and Ammunition Dr. Chris Hartnett is one of the most well-known investors in the domain business. However, Chris has always believed in diversifying one's assets to hedge against disaster in any one category. Still, it may come as a shock to those who know him to learn where the mild mannered doctor is putting his money now.
We Have White Christmases Too: Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah From Florida! We had a wonderful Christmas in Florida Sunday. It was 82 degrees & sunny so snow was a little scarce but we still have White Christmases - it's just that the white stuff here is sand instead of snow! Our Christmas wish is that you & your families are having an equally joyous holiday season and that 2012 will be your best year ever.
Global Domain Registrations Continue to Grow at a Rapid Clip - Up Over 8% From a Year Ago Verisign has released their latest quarterly Domain Name Industry covering the 3rd quarter of 2011. The new report shows domain registrations worldwide continued to grow at a steady clip as the quarter closed with just under 220 million domains registered across all TLDs - a jump of over 8%. ccTLDs regs rose even more.
Two Sales That Rank Among the Year's 20 Biggest Top This Week's Domain Sales Chart Two high end domain sales, one that soared all the way into the top ten for 2011 and another that reached the year's top 20, lead DN Journal's latest weekly domain sales chart. There is an interesting back story to the previously unreported $280,0000 sale of the domain in the #2 slot that we will tell you about.
Afilias Announces 2011 .Info Award Winners - Will Hand Out $18,000 in Prize Money The operator of the .Info registry, Afilias, has announced the winners of its 2011 .Info Awards recognizing the best websites built on .info domains this year. The top 3 sites were selected by combining scores from a 7-person panel of judges with votes the public cast for their favorites. We'll tell you who picked up the prize money.
Lana Del Rey to Appear On Saturday Night Live in Her First American TV Appearance The music career of Lana Del Rey continues to explode. Today it was announced that the sultry young singer, the eldest daughter of Rob and Pat Grant, will make her first American TV appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live on January 14, 2012 in a show that will be hosted by Harry Potter!
800-Pound Gorilla Go Daddy Gains Even More Weight as Huge Private Equity Investment Closes Last summer #1 registrar Go Daddy announced that the company had entered into an agreement with 3 private equity firms to make a strategic investment n the company. That agreement was finalized today. Terms of the deal were not announced but it likely involved hundreds of millions of dollars going to Go Daddy .
.FR Registrations Heading Up as France Opens Its ccTLD to Most Europeans & the UK I've always been a fan of ccTLDs that represent the world's major economies, including France's .fr. I've reported a lot of good .fr sales through the years but due to strict Nexus rules could never register .fr domains. I still can't but thanks to a major policy change that went into effect December 6, a lot more people can.
Hot New Nashville Singer/Songwriter Bree Brings David Castello Back to the Future The Castello Brothers, who have both been professional musicians, have become rock stars in the domain business. Now, thanks to Bree, an exciting new singer/songwriter that David Castello is managing and playing drums behind, David could be on the verge of becoming a rock star in the music business too.
Two-Letter .Com Changes Hands for Six Figures to Top This Week's Domain Sales Chart The new weekly domain sales report is out at DNJournal.com. The six-figure sale of a two-letter .com through Moniker/SnapNames leads our latest Top 20 Sales Chart. It becomes one of seven two-letter .coms that rank among the 100 biggest sales year to date. Six ccTLDs also made this week's leader board.
vpy.com 2,700 EUR 20h 8m vpy.com Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 2,700 EUR Reserve met Bids: 5 Domain Language: English
drinks.net 2,550 $US 20h 8m drinks.net Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 2,550 $US Reserve not met Bids: 11 Domain Language: English
eoz.com 2,500 EUR 20h 8m eoz.com Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 2,500 EUR Reserve not met Bids: 3 Domain Language: Spanish
huga.com 2,100 EUR 20h 8m huga.com Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 2,100 EUR Reserve not met Bids: 7 Domain Language: English
park.de 2,000 EUR 20h 8m park.de Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 2,000 EUR Reserve not met Bids: 3 Domain Language: German
studio.org 1,333 EUR 20h 8m studio.org Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 1,333 EUR Reserve not met Bids: 12 Domain Language: English
likes.me 1,250 $US 20h 8m likes.me Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 1,250 $US Reserve met Bids: 8 Domain Language: English
cumbia.com 1,200 EUR 20h 8m cumbia.com Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 1,200 EUR Reserve not met Bids: 5 Domain Language: Spanish
caviar.org 550 $US 20h 8m caviar.org Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 550 $US Reserve not met Bids: 8 Domain Language: English
heaters.org 550 $US 20h 8m heaters.org Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 550 $US Reserve not met Bids: 3 Domain Language: English
kev.co.uk 550 £ 20h 8m kev.co.uk Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 550 £ Reserve not met Bids: 1 Domain Language: English
statue.org 550 $US 20h 8m statue.org Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 550 $US Reserve not met Bids: 1 Domain Language: English
vanity.net 550 $US 20h 8m vanity.net Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 550 $US Reserve not met Bids: 4 Domain Language: English
open.info 510 $US 20h 8m open.info Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 510 $US Reserve met Bids: 19 Domain Language: English
meals.co.uk 100 GBP 19h 58m meals.co.uk Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 100 GBP Reserve not met Bids: 1 Domain Language: English
fly.org.uk 1,000 GBP 19h 58m fly.org.uk Estimated end time: Feb/23/12 12:00 PM EST Current Bid: 1,000 GBP Reserve not met Bids: 1 Domain Language: English
