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ICANN drops the ball – DNW Podcast #256

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Zak Muscovitch talks about how ICANN went wrong.

dnw-podcastInternet Commerce Association general counsel Zak Muscovitch comes on the show to talk about ICANN’s misstep on recent contract renewals and how it could impact domain name registrants. What can be done to prevent this from happening in the future?

Also: Netflix, ageism, reverse domain hijacking, domain market warning and more

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:14 — 31.5MB) | Embed

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Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to listen to the Domain Name Wire podcast on your iPhone or iPad, view on Google Play Music, or click play above or download to begin listening. (Listen to previous podcasts here.)

ID4ME and Domains – DNW Podcast #255

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Can ID4ME boost both privacy and domain names?

dnw-podcastThis week I talk with Katja Speck and Tom Keller about ID4Me. Katja is the managing director of ID4Me, and Tom Keller is a board member whose day job is Head of Domains at 1&1 Ionos. The best way to think of ID4ME is an easy way to log into the websites, similar to signing in with Facebook or Google, while maintaining control over your data. (Of course, there’s a lot more to it.) It’s based on DNS, and Katja and Tom explain how it works and the benefits for the domain name ecosystem.

Also: Impeachment, app makers buying domains and more.

This week’s sponsor: NameSilo. Use coupon code DNWpod to save $1 on your next domain.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:41 — 23.8MB) | Embed

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Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to listen to the Domain Name Wire podcast on your iPhone or iPad, view on Google Play Music, or click play above or download to begin listening. (Listen to previous podcasts here.)

Matt Overman on new TLDs – DNW Podcast #253

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Why Donuts is repricing many of its premium domains.

dnw-podcastThis week I talk with Matt Overman, the SVP of sales at Donuts, the company that offers 242 domains in new extensions such as .money and .expert. Matt explains why the company is reducing the price on over 1 million new top level domains that are marked as premium, including moving most of them to non-premium status. He also responds to some of Michael Berkens’ comments about new TLDs and gives examples of how some people are successfully using the domains.

Also: Slofies, Scratch.org settlement scratched, .Music fight, No more .Chrysler, and good news about a website held for ransom.

This week’s sponsor: NameSilo. Use coupon code DNWPod to save $1 on your next domain.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:39 — 26.2MB) | Embed

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Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to listen to the Domain Name Wire podcast on your iPhone or iPad, view on Google Play Music, or click play above or download to begin listening. (Listen to previous podcasts here.)

Buying Woven.com with Tim Campos – DNW Podcast #252

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How this startup acquired its ideal domain name.

dnw-podcastWoven CEO Tim Campos comes on the show this week to talk about his company acquiring the domain name Woven.com. Campos is the former CIO of Facebook and is internet savvy, but he still found immense value in hiring a broker to acquire the domain. He discusses the importance of getting a good .com domain name for his business and why he thought it was worth the money.

Also: A big legal bill, Destruction.com, and Google connects with Domain Connect.

This week’s sponsor: NameSilo. Use coupon code DNWPod to save $1 on your next domain.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:47 — 21.5MB) | Embed

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Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to listen to the Domain Name Wire podcast on your iPhone or iPad, view on Google Play Music, or click play above or download to begin listening. (Listen to previous podcasts here.)

Your Top 10 Domains

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Take stock of your top Domains.

Image with yellow and blue background and the word Top 10 in white text

On Twitter yesterday, Shane Cultra said he didn’t know why so many people keep their domain portfolio private.

I asked Shane what his current top 10 domains were, and he has a nice list. I also created my top ten list (all .com):

DNW
Astounding
Lakeway
Comptroller
Comatose
CandyCorn
BagCheck
ExecutivePay
RoyaltyCheck
Brainstorms

After coming up with this list within a few minutes, I decided to take stock of my overall portfolio.

I’ve said this before, but my main business is Domain Name Wire. Domain investing is secondary. I also run PodcastGuests.com, which has turned into a nice business.

I roll over my cash from domain sales into domain purchases. I don’t need to throw off excess cash from my portfolio because of my other businesses.

Looking at the market and what I’m buying lately, I’ve been focusing on domains that I can resell for $1k-$5k. I’ve added a couple of hundred domains to my portfolio over the year, but most have been acquired for under $200 on GoDaddy Auctions.

This is probably reflected in my top domain list. My domain investing isn’t focused on blockbuster sales. I’m impressed with people who do that but it’s not how I play the market. So I like my top ten list, but beyond 20 or so domains my portfolio drops off in a hurry.

Beyond my top 10 domains, here are some others I like:

DataMapping – becoming a big business
Leptospirosis – it’s long, but the other day at the vet I was told I need to get this vaccine for my dog
USMCA – I created a simple site on this domain and it gets hundreds of visits per day.
PatentLicensing and PatentMining – I spent time in this business. It’s big.
LeftofCenter – A three word domain that gets lots of purchase inquiries.
PodcastSearch – As you know, I’m big on podcasts.
Heists and CrimeSpree – They have negative connotations but I like them.
ShowMeState – Since I grew up in Missouri.
CivilForfeiture – I bought this because I was frustrated about civil forfeiture. Its days are probably coming to an end now.
HullSpeed – Great brand.

What are your top 10 domains.