How it is going to work, no one knows, but one fact is for sure: the day the new domain names go on sale, could be the largest webmaster and site administrator day on the net in history. The rush to buy the new domains names could start wars.
I now have a list of 132 names I am going to try to register. Imagine all the people that are going to try to register names the day they go on sale. wow. Get yourself ready and educated. A quality new name could be worth millions.
Of course, you'll want to stay away from obvious trademarks, but generic names could be excellent finds.
webmaster.news - you are mine! :)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/1/11976.html [theregister.co.uk]
The procedure for issuing new TLDs will be that applications will be accepted from August, but they must be accompanied by a non-refundable $50,000 fee to cover "evaluation" costs, together with a business plan.
Here's the other article--
Dan Gillmor: Domain names aside, future of Net is at stake [mercurycenter.com]
Now, the biggest question is: What does ICANN want, specifically, from applicants for the new domain names? You'd never know from the too-vague resolution the board passed.The phrase in bold seems to indicate that ICANN is accepting a fee for proposals for new domains themselves. (???) So, if its a matter of reviewing proposals, we may be a while sorting out which TOP level domains are going to be available before Brett or anyone else can sign up for second level. I'd expect that some, like .web and .firm would shake out pretty quickly.That's no small issue, given the fact that applicants will have to fork over a non-refundable application fee of $50,000. That's a huge amount of money for a process as fuzzy as this.
Maybe Network Solutions Inc., the company that still dominates the domain registration process, won't mind putting up fifty grand. I'm sure a company that sees mega-millions in creating a new kind of business won't mind, either. But a public-interest organization that wants to create a .consumers domain will find the fee more troublesome. Some good ideas for new domains won't even surface in the initial round because of this.
Why $50,000, anyway? That amount is at the top end of the estimates by ICANN staff for what was needed to look at the applications.
[theregister.co.uk...]
