Some bad and ugly top level domain name ideas.
I’ve written about a number of company’s and city’s plans to apply for new top level domain names. There are also lists of proposed domains out there.
Some of these potential top level domain names have some hope, but others just seem doomed from the start. I was reminded of this today when I saw a trademark application for .url.
So now I ask you, dear readers, to weigh in on what you think the worst proposed new TLDs are.
Feel free to comment away…
Michael Palage says
.GOVERNMENT – guaranteed to never to see the light of day, and a total loss of all money invested.
Kevin Murphy says
If there’s going to be a paris and a .london and a .vegas, I see no reason why Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch can’t apply for .llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
sbe says
dot wine
dot hotels
are likely to get wineries and hotels to try.
Tom G says
Any .web applicant that is not web.com because obviously web.com owns the rights.
Seriously though, I never understood the .HORSE thing. Talk about your specialized niche. They’ll need to price at $250 to be viable. But then, people who are really that into horses have that kind of money, so, who knows.
Steve M says
That’s an easy one!
In no particular order (of the generics): .co, .mobi, .aero, .asia, .coop, .int, .museum, .pro, .tel, .travel.
Oh-oh! Now wait just one fine minute!
These are some of the worst already approved and EXISTING TLDs!
Those who ignore past mistakes … are destined to repeat such.
Josh says
I don’t get .hiv
Here is a video that “explains” their idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3ZHd8qbSpE&feature=youtu.be
How exactly will going to google.hiv, linkedin.hiv, etc. earn money for their cause? Do they plan on partnering with every site on the internet?
John Berryhill says
@Josh… I don’t know. Maybe social disease networking sites are the next big thing after social networking sites.
John michaels says
My heartfelt sympathy to hiv sufferers, and i am all for helping the cause, but that .hiv video was the most hilarious one ive seen in a long time. What is google — hiv positive? Do you really think any brand would allow it? I really had a belly laugh
David J Castello says
And new gTLD that is not a Geo (.paris) or corporate (.nike) will have tough time existing more than one year no matter how much hype they throw out.
Carolin Silbernagl says
Hi there,
as the question was raised we would like to explain how .hiv will work. Our team has a strong communication background and expertise in online marketing and non profit work. This is where we come from and this is what we will offer: .hiv-domains are designed as non-profit products which offer communicative advantages.
For those who are interested and haven’t seen it: this little movie presents the idea in 111 seconds http://goo.gl/6W5KR .
We don’t expect many .hiv-domains to be filled with new webcontent – normally they will work as an add-on to the existing web presence of companies and just forward internet users to it.
Only difference: every visitor on a .hiv-website triggers a small donation going to the cause. This money stems from the registration fees only – no additional donations are necessary, neither from the website holder nor from the internet user who vitits .hiv-domains.
Companies can use .hiv-domains as a tool to communicate their social conscience, either on an every-day-basis or as a special gadget on special days like World AIDS Day.
The target market is not “the whole internet” but those companies which are already close to the topic:
– Firstly all those who work in the field, like doctors, pharmacies, clinics, pharmaceutical enterprises ect. – there are 16 bn. USD spent on the fight against HIV every year.
– Secondly companies which invest in the fight against the virus in the framework of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programm. Have a look at H&M, Coca Cola, BMW, Puma and how much they invest in their programs and the communication of their engagement. A .hiv-domain makes it a lot more visible at lows costs.
– Thirdly online companies which are open for new ways of building new traffic, fans or followers. Combining your standard website with a connected .hiv-address offers huge opportunities for cause related online marketing. Because the feeling of ‘doing something good’ when you surf on a .hiv-website rubs off on the brand using it. The pinciple works already for programs like (RED) or massivegood.org, .hiv makes it more universal and easier to adopt to the company’s needs.
We know HIV is not an easy topic – that is part of why the project is so important. To break that initial barrier and to get a buzz in the whole story, we prepare major marketing campaigns very unusual to the TLD-market.
dotHIV and .hiv-domains will add a new angle on how to deploy a TLD namespace. We hope that the idea doesn’t seem as dumb now as one might think at first sight.
We are always open for improvement or suggestions, so feel free to give us your feedback, on this website or to [email protected]
All the best, your dotHIV-team.
Jothan Frakes says
This video clip has some interesting relevance to this discussion.
http://youtu.be/_VRKKSr669U
NewTLDs.com says
The .HIV domain is an interesting concept