News Blog

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is getting ready to vote later this week to open up the Internet naming convention to allow more options.

On Thursday at its meeting in Paris, ICANN, the not-for-profit organization charged with overseeing the Internet's naming scheme, will vote on a proposal that would allow companies to purchase new generic top-level domains ending in almost anything they want. So instead of being limited to .com, .org or .co.uk as the last letters of their Web addresses, companies or organizations could add their company name to the end of their URL. For example, eBay could become .ebay or Intel could be .intel. Even cities could name their Web sites .newyork or .berlin.

But the new names, which could be ready in 2009, won't come cheap. As a result, it's unlikely that individuals will be able to take advantage of the new naming conventions to create more personalized Web sites. The exact price to register these new names isn't yet known, but some experts predict it could cost about $50,000 to register a new domain name.

The high price is also likely to deter cybersquatters. ICANN is expected to give priority to companies or organizations with trademarked names.

The new addressing scheme should alleviate fears that ICANN will run out of addresses. The organization estimated last year that only 17 percent of the original 4 billion network addresses remained available. And it predicted that it would run out of new addresses within the next five years.

Paul Twomey, the CEO of ICANN, told the BBC that allowing the new naming conventions would create new "real estate" on the Internet.

"It's a massive increase in the geography of the real estate of the Internet," he said.

If the proposal is accepted by ICANN's board then almost any extension that is 64 characters or less could be used. My colleague at ZDNet.co.uk points out that this means that the .xxx domain extension, which has been proposed for the adult entertainment industry could be used. ICANN rejected the .xxx application in 2007.

The sequel is imminent--but what will it be called?

(Credit: Apple)

There's near universal agreement that Steve Jobs is going to unveil the next iPhone at next week's Worldwide Developers' Conference keynote in San Francisco. Whether it's next week, next month, or next year, however, it raises a thorny semantic question: what will it be called? Most wags are dubbing it "the 3G iPhone," as it's certain to include the high-speed 3G (third-generation) wireless capabilities missing on the original model. But it's still going to be the second-generation iteration of the product--thus, "the 2G iPhone." Which one's correct?

Who would've thought a generic domain name would still have the capacity to pull in big bucks? Chris Clark, the seller of "Pizza.com," seemed a bit in shock after he managed to rake in $2.6 million from the auction of the domain name.

"It's crazy, it's just crazy," he told the Baltimore Sun after the close of the auction on Thursday.

Clark, who owns a software company, registered the Pizza.com domain name 14 years ago for just $20. Nothing fruitful ever really came of the domain, so he sat on it for a while, and then he and a friend turned it into an advertising and pizza directory. Then, they heard about the fortuitous sale of Vodka.com and decided to try their own luck with Pizza.com, according to the Sun. By March 29, the bidding hit $2 million and even more bids were coming in.

During the go-go days of the Internet, hopeful companies and entrepreneurs snapped up easy-to-remember, generic domain names with the expectation that they would translate to boatloads of cash--or even a heady IPO. But the gold rush began to die down as it became apparent that names like Jewelry.com and Meat.com were a losing proposition. Vodka.com and the even bigger sale of Business.com for $7.5 million in 1999 can be called anomalies among the many failures.

Clark's Pizza.com auction was held by Sedo.com, which currently features such aspirants as "fattoskinny.com," "waterfrontretreat.com", and "getforeigncurrecy.com".

China Mobile will start requiring prepaid phone customers to show ID when buying SIM (subscriber identity module) cards, the company's general manager announced.

The anonymity of phone service for Shenzhouxing (prepaid) customers, which ChinaTechNews says account for 70 percent of all users, made it important to hold on to your original SIM documentation in case you lose the phone. If you lose the SIM and its number, as far as I know, you can't get your number back.

This comes at a time when China Mobile will also begin allowing number portability among its services (but not with other carriers). As it stands, users wanting to switch from prepaid to a plan or vice versa have to buy new SIM cards and lose their phone number. New 150-prefix numbers are portable.

The ID requirement brings mobile service into line with an expanding "real name system" (实名制, also "identity verification") that ties individuals to their actions in the market and in communication. For non-Chinese used to providing ID numbers or credit card information for a variety of services, this may not seem like a big deal. But this removes a more or less anonymous form of communication that is not easily tracked by the government.

Indeed, the idea was pushed earlier by the Ministry of Security and State Council Information Office, according to Telecomasia.net. The real name system is not well-loved by online commentators. It's been considered for blogs, online games, and social-networking sites already. What it represents is a traceability of actions, and accountability for speech, since many people communicate in online gaming environments and through blogs and BBSs.

I'd hesitate to call these developments a true loss of liberty. The government can probably already find out who's using what phone most of the time if monitoring criminal activity. Like Lester on The Wire, they need only connect the dots in a network of communication. And like the people Lester chases on The Wire, people with something to hide will likely find workarounds. The phone ID requirement should make it easier for the government to monitor people, but I think it will also make it notably easier for regular customers to deal with services.

Contrary to claims that emerged Wednesday, Network Solutions said it isn't "front-running" the Internet address registration process, a practice in which a company registers a potential domain immediately after a prospective buyer searches to see if it's available. In fact, the practice that triggered the accusation is an attempt to counteract front-running, the company said.

Front-running can give a registration company an advantage over the customer who wants to register the site--for example by preventing the customer from registering it through a competing registrar or by selling it to the customer at an inflated price.

The company faced criticism of front-running Tuesday, with discussions cropping up at Domain Name News, Slashdot, and DomainState discussion boards.

"Network Solutions has instituted a four-day lock on all domain names searched on their site. They are effectively using phishing techniques to hijack or steal domain names and forcing domain name registrants to register their names at Network Solutions. The standard domain name registration fee at Network Solutions is $34.99--significantly higher than the leading alternatives," complained one commenter.

Although Network Solutions does temporarily register a site a customer searched for, spokeswoman Susan Wade denied there's anything nefarious afoot. "Network Solutions is not front-running," she said.

Network Solutions holds the domain for up to four days, during which time a customer can register it only from Network Solutions and after which it again becomes generally available if unregistered, Wade said. But that feature, she said, is a "pre-emptive" measure to protect customers--from front-runners.

That's because front-runners can tell when a customer has searched for a domain at Network Solutions, for example because Network Solutions then must check availability at other sites when a customer searches, Wade said.

"This search data is captured at the various registries. We believe there are registries and/or Internet service providers that may be selling this data to front-runners. So, by holding domains searched on Network Solutions, this pre-empts the search data being captured," she said.

Whether you're a multinational Internet retailer or a lone human just entering the Web world, there are many things to consider when purchasing a new domain name, not the least of which are core SEO (search engine optimization) parameters. Following is a list of considerations I'd supply to either entity mentioned above or anyone in between. Some may seem ridiculously obvious, but a friendly reminder won't hurt.

• Keyword research: Does the domain use popular and focused keywords? Make sure the domain and its associated URLs will be conducive to search engine visibility. Check it on tools like Overture Keyword Selector, Google Suggest, WordTracker, and Keyword Discovery.
• Linkability: Does the domain have appeal to bloggers and Webmasters who might consider linking to you? Links are crucial to your site's SEO. For example, NeopetsFanatic.com has link appeal, whereas free-neopets-cheats-hints-tips.info does not.
• Top-level domain: Choose the proper top-level domain (.com, .net, .org, .info, and so on). If your business is in the United States, then you should use .com as your domain. While there is nothing wrong with .net and .org domains, they are not perceived as being as "professional" as .com domains. The .org domain is still perceived as nonprofit. Sometimes that is a positive though--such as for my blog ChangesForGood.org, because in that case I wanted to distance the blog from any commercial interests. Top-level domains like .info and .biz are often associated, rightly or wrongly, with spammers.
• Used URLs: Check indexation levels of a domain name to see if anything is still indexed. Use query operators to check your site even if you're not buying it from a secondary source (DomainName.com). Or simply use an indexation checker like URL Check.
• Site age (if a used URL): Run the URL through The Wayback Machine. Make sure there aren't any previous associations with pornography, hate or violence. If there are, avoid the domain.
• Back links (if a used URL): Make sure a previously used URL doesn't have negative (see above) links coming into it. Use the query operators DomainName.com to check this.
• Blacklists check: See if the URL or its associated IP address has been blacklisted at a site like Moensted.dk .
• Relevancy: Make sure your domain name is relevant to your business. Don't buy a URL because it sounds cool or it has personal merit. Buy it because it has direct, focused keyword relevance to you business.
• URL length: On the other end of relevancy is the issue of being too specific. Don't get too long and detailed at the top; you can always get more specific as you go deeper into subdomains. Shorter domain names are also easier to remember--and type!
• Potential for legal conflict: Be aware of trademarks and copyrights belonging to other entities. While a URL like www.amazonbooks.com might be accurate to your bookstore in Amazon, Canada, it's also an issue with an existing business. Use the search engines to research the keywords contained in your URL. If something comes up that seems like a conflict, it most likely is.
• Double meanings: Does your keyword-rich URL have a secondary meaning? For instance, let's say you're starting a Web site that helps people to locate psychologists in their area. You come up with www.therapistfinder.com. But look more closely. Is there a second meaning in the URL? When joining words without a hyphen, take a step back and look again.

Baby naming has suddenly become a hot topic. News sources from Salon.com, to conservative commentator David Brooks have recently weighed in on the significance of a baby's moniker. The Wall Street Journal even framed the naming decision as "the art of 'branding' your newborn."

Parents' stress levels may be rising as the naming the baby becomes a high-stakes decision. Expensive consultants have even cropped up. The Today Show featured a self-proclaimed "nameologist," who charged a couple $300 to help them choose among combinations of Charles, Robert, and Matthew. I say keep the three hundred bucks and choose a name out of a hat if you are that undecided.

Luckily there are many free or low-cost naming tools that can add to the fun rather than the stress of baby naming. In addition to the many books on the topic, from the thematically-organzied Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana, to the encyclopedic 100,000+ Baby Names, there are many free resources available online.

Domain name (and the business behind the name) Business.com is being auctioned off by the men who bought it in 1999 for a whopping $7.5 million. The Wall Street Journal cites unnamed sources "familiar with the matter" who speculate that Business.com could fetch as much as $300 million to $400 million. The site is a search engine, with pay-per-click advertising, for products and services.

New top-level domains are once again on the horizon.

ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, said on Thursday that it would begin accepting applications for new suffixes early next year.

The problem, though, is that new top-level domains aren't necessarily going to be that useful or interesting.

The venerable .com suffix still remains the Internet's prime real estate, and ones like .info and .biz seem to have become more used by spammers than legitimate businesses. ICANN's final rejection of .xxx this year, even there was no technical or legal reason not to approve it, has severely politicized the process. Instead of using .museum, the world's most famous ones go by louvre.fr, museumoflondon.org.uk, and metmuseum.org. And so on.

Still, ICANN is going ahead. "If the new approval process comes on-line as planned, the global Internet could see new top-level domains added and available between June and August 2008," ICANN president Paul Twomey said in a statement.

Expect more details at ICANN's meeting in June in Puerto Rico.