Conceptualist.com, By Sahar Sarid

Readings for April 10th, 2008

Published on 2008-04-10 15:44:40 2 Comments Edit
URL: http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?no_d2=1&sid=08/04/08/034...

"ICANN is finally taking action against Domain Registrar GoDaddy's controversial 'lockdowns'. GoDaddy has long had a policy of 'locking down' domain names for 60 days after a customer updated their contact details. This put customers in a Catch 22 position: ICANN requires customers keep their contact details up to date, or risk having the domain forfeited. Yet during the lockdown period the customer is prevented from transferring the domain from GoDaddy to another registrar. If the lockdown ran over the domain's expiry date, customers were forced to renew with GoDaddy or lose the domain. ICANN proposes to ban this practice. ICANN who is charged with overseeing the Internet has long been accused of giving domain registrars a free ride. But recently after ICANN failed to discipline Network Solutions over a front-running scam, they found themselves both on the wrong end of a lawsuit by lawyers Kabateck Brown Kellner. Is ICANN's action a signal of increased vigilance in policing registrars, or is it a PR move paving the way for a complete removal of US Government oversight?"

Source: Slashdot

Domain Name Wire: Buyer of $166,000 Shoppers.com Can Keep Domain Name

Published on 2008-04-10 14:21:33 1 Comment Edit
URL: http://domainnamewire.com/2008/04/10/buyer-of-166000-shopper...

Imagine buying a domain for $166,000 through a backorder only to be hit with a UDRP arbitration dispute a day later.
That's exactly what happened to Xedoc Holding SA, which bought Shoppers.com at Pool in February. The domain was previously registered at Network Solutions, but was not auctioned at NameJet due to a glitch.

As we reported last month, a UDRP commenced on February 14, 2008 for the domain name. That put Xedoc and its $166,000 purchase at risk.

Xedoc won the case, and now we have all of the juicy details. The complainant was SUPERVALU, Inc, which owns trademarks for groceries and pharmaceuticals for the term "Shoppers"?. Essentially it runs a chain of grocery stores.

Source: Domain Name Wire

Media Wizard: The Different Types of Domainers

Published on 2008-04-10 10:12:03 1 Comment Edit
URL: http://www.mwzd.com/2008/04/10/the-different-types-of-domain...

There are quite a few approaches to domains and domaining that domainers take. Its like the stock market or real estate market to a certain extent, everyone has their own strategy and most of them pay well for their proponents. I've pretty much seen most of the types and will try and enumerate them to enable you to follow what you'd rather be doing.

Source: Media Wizard

Article goes to cover the different types of domainers such as the investor, the flipper, the developer, the builder, the monetizer, the broker, and the provider. Intereting read overall.

Sahar

Julia Mackenzie: The End Might Really Be Nigh

Published on 2008-04-10 08:01:22 0 Comment Edit
URL: http://isitmeoriseveryoneelsestupid.com/2008/04/10/the-end-m...

Certainly for all the Yahoo partners..! In one of the most eyebrow raising incidents I can remember since domain parking began, Yahoo last night announced they were conducting a 2 week trial to serve Google Adsense on 3% of their search queries.
Ok, not a great proportion of their overall capacity and a trial that won't last for a great length of time. However, let me tell you from 1st hand experience that the only reason for conducting such a trial is with a view to signing a longer, more comprehensive arrangement. And look what happened when ASK did a similar thing. Google's modus operandi in these situations is such: Sign a 2 year deal to serve Yahoo and Yahoo's partner sites with ads. Then, once Yahoo's ad network and market share is irrecoverable, sign a 5 yr deal and gazzump all the partners they no longer want.

Which means what? Well, the market would have just ONE major PPC provider. Yahoo would add an extra $1bn in extra revenue for their shareholders. Bidding on Google adwords would skyrocket. And Google would be able to exert a "take it or leave it"? totalitarian approach with partners. Scary stuff. Ive heard talk that Google have actually considered pulling parking to all but the top traffic receiving domains.

Source: Julia's Blog