The term means nothing to the typical internet user, let alone domain registrant.
Yesterday, Wired published an article about “Weird Domain Names” referring to new top level domain names.
While “weird domain names” certainly isn’t the name people in the domain industry would like used to refer to new TLDs, I think it’s actually a lot better than new TLDs (or new gTLDs). Here’s a response I made to Jeff Neuman on Twitter:
People understand “weird domain names” more than “new gTLDs” even if it isn’t ideal
— DomainNameWire.com (@DomainNameWire) December 20, 2018
I was at a party last night and discussed domain names with a couple. One of them worked for a business that sold products to veterinarians. I mentioned the .vet top level domain. But I didn’t use the term top level domain or new top level domain. That means nothing to most people. I typically use the term “domain extension” or sometimes “domain ending”. That makes a lot more sense to most people.
It reminds me of early in my career when I worked for a telecom company. One of the execs was lamenting the fact that DSL revolutionized how people use the internet but the best marketing name the company came up with was DSL.
Nick says
Why are they still called new is they are old now? They don’t need a name, they just like .biz ,.info, and .mobi. They ran their course, and will now stick around just like .biz. ,.info, and .mobi didn’t need a special name.
Fat Anon says
Agree. Time for New York to drop that nonsensical “New”.
Adam says
People selling the names can’t come with a good name. That’s not irony.
John says
“The new dot-something’s…”
sass says
All the crazy acronyms we use have no meaning to the consumers who actually register domains. At the Domain Name Association we’ve been preaching to stop using these terms for several years now… https://thedna.org/the-ten-commandments-for-promoting-domain-name-awareness-june-2015/ Still, old habits are hard to break. That said, it is good to see progress across the many choices of extensions and get it noticed by Wired.
Mike says
There are only a few solid names per extension, the rest is roadkill.
We are almost 5 years into this, not so new when it comes to technology, maybe time to start calling them out dated.
Michael Kugler says
Interesting read.
As you know, I have the blog http://www.dropthe.com and am getting more traffic and sources of gTLDs succeeding than I have time to keep up with.
Now that http://www.Amazon.jobs is #1 with a gTLD and cannabis club also leads to a #1 the gates really started to open. Hud loans is also #1 or 2 along with many others.
The days of gTLDs are here to stay and as the article points out, starting to grow rapidly.
Saputnik says
So why is your blog on dot com, when you preach to drop the dot com?
Michael Kugler says
LOL
You are completely missing the satire of it. Drop…The…. .com….
Get it?….
Snoopy says
What terms are the #1 for? Have never even heard of any of these terms if it is the two words combined?
Michael Kugler says
Go to Google
Type in Amazon jobs. Or jobs at Amazon. Careers at Amazon. Work for Amazon. Whatever you want.
#1. Google URL is http://www.Amazon.JOBS
IOW – a gTLD
Looking for a hud loan? Go to Google and type in hud loans and look at position number 1-4. You will see http://www.hud.LOANS
How about Missouri vacations? Again – gTLD top 4
Wanna smoke some pot? Join the cannabis CLUB – #1 on Google for http://www.westcoastcannabis.CLUB
I could go on and on and on.
The g’s are rising quickly.
Jean Guillon says
I like to use “new web endings” instead of “new gTLDs”. By the way, what shall we use in Round 2 ?
Steve says
Round 2: “No Mas!” The referee should have stopped it during Round 1 before the “new endings” got pummeled. “New endings” consultants have blood on their hands.
Ali says
This technical term “New gTLDs” has been used by the ICANN community so long over the years that it has become the norm and insiders completely overlook the fact that the outside world, the intended customers of the product, have absolutely no clue what these random letters refer to if they hear or read them. Possibly a very very expensive mistake so far. Within ICANN circles, use of terms such as “domain extensions” are considered amateurish. It’s a no no. So there’s an obvious disconnect. As for a better term, the name “Domain Extensions” or “New Domains Extensions” seem to stick both with the general public and the media. For those who are not even familiar with the term “domain names”, saying “.com alternatives” seems to hit home right away. I’ve heard millennials call them the “cool extensions”.
Daniel P says
Not Com endings
Small Fry says
New Web Endings lol
Thats hurting and so are the new G’s
Steve says
Superfluous or extraneous extensions or extensions for those on a chesp beer budget with champagne tastes, or my friend at a top branding company refers to them: “loser domains”
Nick says
This has my vote, i will now call them loser domains
Richard Lau says
Yesterday, in the Christmas shopping rush, I was eavesdropping on a conversation at the Apple Store (while waiting to pay for an overpriced keyboard/case), and the mother/daughter pair in front of me were talking about the different domains they have for their businesses. The daughter said “I’m really excited about the dot whatever options that are now out. There’s a lot of fun ones in there.”
Dot whatever. That’s pretty gucci. It’s lit. It’s gucci lit fam.
weird says
http://www.weird.domains
Momma says
How about calling the .Sh*ts? Or, .Craps? Or, .Sewage?
Molta says
I got it…
.TrailorTrash
Mark Thorpe says
Non .Com’s
Because really, that’s what they are.
Steve says
Descending Value Domains 2500 USD in 2014 1050 USD in 2015 325 USD in 2016 69 USd in 2017 .99 cents in 2018 ? in 2019 (will the extension still be alive?)
bartleby says
Its not that the name for the new g tld’s is bad its that the the product is bad, What did .com mean to anyone before the product became the internet? Is .com a good name? Does it convey anything to the public (intrinsically before the net made it “commercial site” or later “Internet!”)?
C.S. Watch says
Is it clear to everyone that the Wired article exists because they needed to cover Musk’s tweet? ‘Elon Musk paid $11 million for TESLA.COM. Somebody write me a hundred lines on domain names…with a clickbait title.’ Grubby.
There are endless boring reasons why the .com has got to be nailed down—in law, marketing, security… It’s not a hood ornament.
Which is not to give short shrift to hood ornamentation… (‘Nope, our company couldn’t afford our name. No money in pocket. Certainly not to pay for tech support, data security, RnD, QA…’)
Steve says
@yes. Can you imagine if you’re CEO of _____.insurance and a potential biz client contacts you and says” sorry for the mix-up. We left messages with ____insuance.com”. CEO: “yeah happens a lot. HaHaHa. We got a cheaper name so we can save our clients money.” “Save?” “You money. See, we’re all bootstrapped here.” “You’re short on money. WTF if my company has a claim.” “Trust me.Nothing’s gonna happen. Why be such a pessimist?” CLICK