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GoDaddy Coincidence?
Following on the Network Solutions story about domain stealing or “front running“, I’d like to share a recent story of my own. I am currently learning to speak Russian, so I decided to check out a few Russian IDNs under the .com extension for availability. I found one which I was amazed to learn that was available: невест.com (google translation: Brides.com)
I began the process to register it at GoDaddy, but decided to come back to it later after I had asked a Russian friend of mine if it was the correct and most popular translation for “brides”. Today, I went back to check the availability and невест.com was registered on December 27th, 2007 to a person who’s name doesn’t appear even once under a Google search. I called the listed phone and it is “Temporarily Disconnected”.
Coincidentally, the address listed for the domain registration is 26 minutes from GoDaddy’s headquarters.
It was best not to register the name, because as my Russian friend clarified, the correct translation is невеста, ending “a” and невесты is the plural form. Both of the correct translations were registered a few years ago.
2008 Internet Predictions
To continue with the tradition of those who like to make predictions for the New Year, I have recovered an old crystal ball which has shown me the following Internet changes coming for the year 2008:
1. Big search engines will update their algorithm to favor country code top level domains (ccTLDs) in local search related queries.
2. As a result, in part, of number 1 prices and liquidity of ccTLDs will rise.
3. .mobi will continue to gain momentum, even though I have opposing feelings about this extension.
4. People will learn to understand the importance of IDNs and the value of these will rise – specifically for one word IDNs under the corresponding ccTLD or under the .com and .org.
5. Thousands of wannabe land rushers will flock to try and get a piece of China’s Internet population – and like in the West, most will fail.
6. General Internet users will be more knowledgeable of the Internet and search – reducing Type-in traffic for common words under the .com extension.
7. Many successful Internet ventures will start as tools built for users within Social networks, and no longer start from a single proprietary website.
8. A top Internet executive will be arrested.
Hey, don’t argue with me. This is what the crystal ball showed me, and it was very dusty.
May this New Year bring much love and happiness to all.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Rafael Sosa's Weblog 