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Jul 17, 2008

World Wild Web

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, had said "you CAN" by giving the nod to free up domain names and allow a variety of Web address suffixes, called top-level domain (TLD). Currently the domain-name system consists of more than 20 suffixes, which are generally restricted to labels for countries - .sg for Singapore – and the more familiar .com for commerce and .org for institutional organizations.

Come next year April or May, ICANN will start accepting application for new TLDs and critics fear the World Wide Web may become the World Wild Web because almost any domain extension will then be possible! Expected to be very popular with investors and speculators are TLDs like “.sex”, “.porn”, “.casino”, “.hotel” and really, a nearly infinite variety of extensions beyond yours and my imaginations!

For companies and organizations, this move opens up branding opportunities. Instead of the generic “.com”, they will be able to use their brand names in their Web addresses, for example, “.nike”, “.coke”.

Although this loosening of the network address system is expected to be messy (which new initiative isn’t?), and maybe prone to exploitation by cybersquatters, I’m sure adequate and appropriate mechanisms will be built in to protect trademark holders.

Personally, I’m hopeful that we will begin to see an entire new generation of URLS, making Web addresses more colorful and interesting. Dot Tom, Dick or Harry, anyone?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have read a lot about domain names and am familiar with new tld's but extensions with names of brands are prety new to me. I think web is going to rule all the world.

Anonymous said...

I really wonder how all the domain grabbers and folks that heavily invested in domains will deal with this decision...

Anonymous said...

This is actually not a good idea, opens up possibility to phishing sites and scammers. its going to be very hard to setup legitimate business if trademark owner have to chase say 25 tld for its domain name.

Anonymous said...

lottozahlen, I am agreed with you and I think it will be very difficult to have too many portals for the same products. I think big companies will purchase such domains and will redirect users to already established portals.

Anonymous said...

The idea of free www extension may increase the creativity yet it would be too complex to remember the names. It would be also a challenge for big companies, because I would like to buy www.cocacola.xx and tried to resell it to them, then.

Anonymous said...

I think it is a great idea about WWW and i also surprised about to knew the domains in a large number.This article have a useful info about World wide web and domains etc.Thanks for sharing.Keep up this good work.

Anonymous said...

I think web is going to rule all the world.

Anonymous said...

I have read a lot about domain names and am familiar with new tld's but extensions with names of brands are prety new to me.

Anonymous said...

I really wonder how all the domain grabbers and folks that heavily invested in domains will deal with this.

Anonymous said...

This is actually not a good idea, opens up possibility to phishing sites and scammers.

Anonymous said...

lottozahlen, I am agreed with you and I think it will be very difficult to have too many portals for the same products.