For all the thought that went into it, and the many, many years it took to expand beyond the original six TLDs, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers really did have to see this coming. Why? Because the three most important things about an internet site are pretty much the same as those about real estate: location, location, location.

Most companies and groups and individuals obsess about the part to the left of that game-changing dot, but the part to the right is even more important — they don’t call it the “dot-com” revolution for nothing.

There is only one Wired.com — and we wouldn’t have it any other way. This is not to disparage another very important variety of top-level domain — because otherwise how could there be a Wired.co.uk?

There is, however, a genuine problem of the world running out of desirable addresses. Four million new sites launched in the first half of 2010 alone, to raise the world’s total to more than 196 million. Having several domain options means that “uniqueness” can be shared, so  johnabell.com, johnabell.org and johnabell.net could point to three distinct locations, giving more than one John Abell a piece of the internet action if one of them isn’t overly greedy.

Domain registrar Go Daddy just gave a number of tech publications agita over the weekend, when it seemed to be making the default “.co” instead of “.com.” Even though it was only a test, this is real-world evidence that in our lifetimes it is likely that “.com” addresses will become as rare as new New York phone numbers that begin with “212.”

But even “.co” lacks a certain something, and it isn’t just an “m.” That’s because even people who know nothing about the internet and still use rotary phones on a landline know exactly what you are saying when you refer to “something.com.”

And it’s not hard to understand why “.com” became synonymous with the internet in the United States, besides the fact that is rolls off the tongue. One of six original TLDs — .com, .edu, .gov, .mil and .org (.net came very shortly thereafter) — .com was the catch-all, the only TLD which wasn’t meant to be used by an entity engaged in a specific purpose (schools, the government, the U.S. military and nonprofit groups, respectively).

TLDs can also be used for clever — read, memorable — web addresses, like (continuing my campaign of shameless self-promotion) “moneyquot.es,” which is registered using the global top-level domain, or gTLD, of Spain: .es.

Imagine a TLD of “.ing” or “.ed” or “.er” or “.iest.”

A collection of TLDs focused on segment that can really use it (seriously, ICANN, “.museum?”) can also create a valuable pool that enables memorable addresses. Why should the latest Hollywood blockbuster (let’s call it) Action Man have to acquire the domain “ActionManTheMovie.com” just because Hasbro got there first.

Wouldn’t it be better to launch as the one and only (and disposable) “ActionMan.movie?” While movie titles are not entirely unique, they shouldn’t have to compete with .com, because — by definition — they’re new releases and always arrive late to the naming party.

Strangely, there is a .tv TLD, but not one for “.film” or “.movie.” But there is a “.coop.” Right on, ICANN.

By the mid-1990s, the loosely-knit consortium of private and public organizations which tend and maintain the internet decided that more TLDs would be necessary. Ideas from the public were solicited. A short list of .arts, .firm, .info, .nom, .rec, .store and .dot was compiled — and quickly abandoned.

In September 1998, ICANN was created to take sole responsibility for managing domain names. Two months later, it decreed .aero, .biz, .coop, .info, .museum, .name and .pro. These new TLDs were implemented over the next six years.

Since then ICANN has added .asia, .cat, .jobs, .mobi, .tel and .travel. Of these, .asia (on scale alone), and .mobi (for mobile sites) seem the most likely to acquire some resonance, because both describe growth areas. There are three outstanding applicants: .mail (which would be assigned to spam-free e-mail services) .post (for regional post offices) and .xxx (take a wild guess). Only .post and .xxx are under active consideration.

By necessity, ICANN’s sanctioning of new TLDs needs to be cautious. But that doesn’t mean we have to agree with the choices ICANN has made or the pace at which it makes them — have these people not heard of internet time? And how many sites have you bookmarked that don’t end in .com or .co or .org?

We can dream. Besides the no-brainer that is .movie, there are a few TLDs that will never happen but which we think would get lots and lots of takers — if a site owner had the .cajones to use them.

The envelope please …

• .suckit (You didn’t believe in my startup?)
• .really (For sarcasm, or the blindingly obvious.)
• .nobs (No bull#&*%! What were you thinking?)
• .scam (For really, really confident charlatans.)
• .agita (Will annoy the hell out of you.)
• .thatswhatshesaid (Fans of The Office. Yes, there probably are enough of them.)

Got any of your own? That’s what the comment section was invented for.

Source: Various

See Also:

• Canon First in Line for Its Own Top-Level Domain, .canon
• Jan. 6, 2000: Computer Glitch Fouls East Coast Air Traffic
• Feb. 7, 2000: Mafiaboy’s Moment
• March 10, 2000: Pop Goes the Nasdaq!
• May 3, 2000: Geocaching Gets Geeks Into the Great Outdoors
• May 4, 2000: Tainted 'Love' Infects Computers
• June 10, 2000: A London Bridge Is Swaying Hard
• June 24, 2000: President Goes Live on Net
• Aug. 17, 2000: Internet Crosses 50-Yard Line in U.S.
• Oct. 9, 2000: Ozone Hole Exposes Chilean City
• Nov. 16, 1904: Vacuum Tube Heralds Birth of Modern Electronics

Authors: John C Abell

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