[plug] [OT] domain name registration

[Onno Benschop]

On Wed, 2004-01-28 at 19:41, Russ Powers wrote:
> Onno Benschop wrote:
> > That fact is not true and poor advice to boot.
> 
> That's your opinion and you're welcome to it. :)

No.


You stated:

On Wed, 2004-01-28 at 18:11, Russ Powers wrote:
> Sad fact is most people just type your name with .com on the end.

This is not a fact but an opinion


You continued with:

On Wed, 2004-01-28 at 18:11, Russ Powers wrote:
> it's usually a good idea to get the .com and .com.au if you can.


You are thinking about *your* behaviour, not that of the general public.
It is my experience that the general public visits a website in one of
the following ways:
      * They see a URL and type in the address
      * They click on a link
      * They use a search engine

In my years of teaching people how to use the Internet, very few members
of the public "just stick a .com on the end" - the reason that they
don't, is because no-one has told them the rules of domain names and
misinformation such as spread by you and others just perpetuates this.


> > Let me provide an analogy:
> >         Start a business, register a phone number, wait for the phone to
> >         ring.
> 
> IMHO that's a poor analogy. If somebody knows a business name they may 
> very well go to the net and just stick a .com on the end. That has 
> nothing to do with dialing a phone number or looking in the white pages.

No they don't just stick a .com on the end. Just like they don't just
randomly dial any phone number and hope that they'll get you. They also
don't dial 1800 CallMe, until someone advertises the number.


> >>If you want to get seen it's slightly easier with .com.
> > That is absolute and utter rubbish.
> 
> That's your opinion and you're welcome to it. :)

No. It is based on the mis-information and poor understanding that you
exhibit with your statement. A .com.au domain is just as visible as a
.com domain. The visibility is world-wide and completely dependent on
your level of advertising.


> >>>either you're Australian or
> >>>you're not, etc.
> >>
> >>Well, actually, in this case I'm both, US and Australian citizen. 
> > 
> > Irrelevant, except if you wish to register a .id.au.
> 
> I'd say it's very relevant. You said either I'm Australian or not. That 
> was wrong. I'm both Aussie and Yank. So are my companies.

Sigh, a dumb Yank :-)

What I meant to write - in long hand - was: It is irrelevant if you are
a citizen of both countries. You should not register an .id.au domain if
you are an American, but you are welcome to if you are an Australian.
And since you are both, you can, thus it is irrelevant.


> >>And we have companies registered in both countries.
> > 
> > 
> > If those companies have the same name in both countries, then - and only
> > then - should you register both domains.
> 
> That's your opinion and you're welcome to it. :)

No, that is the intention of the domain hierarchy. You may choose to
ignore that intention, but that's your choice - it is not a matter of
opinion.


> >>What about companies that do business all over the world?
> > 
> > I do business all over the world. I am registered as .com.au.
> 
> That's your choice and you're welcome to it.  :)

No, I am a responsible Internet citizen and I register my domain
appropriately.


> > If you are talking about a company like Microsoft, then, yes, they can
> > register all over the world - as long as the company is registered in
> > the country of the domain.
> 
> If you don't have to be a registered company in a country to register a 
> domain name then why should you limit your business options arbitrarily 
> like that?

Sigh, this Internet thing is pretty complicated isn't it. You are not
limiting your business options by only registering your domain where you
are actually running your business.

Your advertising limits your business options, not the random creation
of domain names.

A strong argument can be made that each company should only have *one*
domain. This argument is not based on domain policy, but business logic.
If you dilute your advertising effort by advertising a multitude of
domains, you are actually loosing customers who don't associated a
domain name with your organisation.

Let me give you a simple example:

Lets say that Toyota brings out a new car and calls it BlueBox. They
register the domain, make lots of ads with the new domain, people visit.
Then they bring out a new car called the RedBoxII. Again, they advertise
their newly registered domain widely and people go there. Then they
bring out a new car...

Instead, Toyota is much better off staying with one domain, advertising
that and giving customers access to their new range of vehicles from the
one site. That way, customers can remember one name associated with cars
coming from Toyota and not 24.

Another argument is trademark dilution...


> You're perfectly welcome to your opinions but it's not nice to call 
> other people's opinions bad or 'rubbish'. You don't own the truth Onno.

I realise that I don't own the truth.

However, if you spout things prefaced with the words "fact" instead of
"it's my opinion that", you get a strong response from those who note
that you are presenting opinion as fact - thus my use of the word
"rubbish" - in contrast to your use of "fact".

Am I not nice for using strong language?

Compared to what?

You stating opinion as fact?


PS. Just read the apology you sent to the list: Accepted and thanks.

Lets move on...

Onno Benschop 

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