.London launches

[Bluetram]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-27193725

No doubt over time all the major cities and towns will follow suit.

 

[julian]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-27193725

No doubt over time all the major cities and towns will follow suit.

I hope not ..looks like total junk to me.

Give it 6 months and will be interested to see how many are in use.

 

[anthony]

To be honest, London has such a powerful economic draw in its own right, this could well succeed in the long term, especially for those businesses that are both in London, and who mainly trade there too.

 

[jasman]

London's population size is greater than many countries which have their own cctld, so it makes sense in some ways. But the domain may give the connotation of not trading outside London which for a hotel or something would be fine but for many businesses this would be a big disadvantage versus a .uk domain. .london looks a bit long and cumbersome too but I guess it will seem 'normal' after some time.

If other places are to follow suit, hopefully Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch will follow suit so I can register Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch and sell subdomains

 

[SF]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vQaVIoEjOM

 

[.co.uk]

If more than one applicant applies it goes to auction.
So supposing the winning bid is quite high...who gets this money?
Seems a nice little earner for Dot London Domains Limited (London Partners).
Money from nothing really!

 

[anthony]

If more than one applicant applies it goes to auction.
So supposing the winning bid is quite high...who gets this money?
Seems a nice little earner for Dot London Domains Limited (London Partners).
Money from nothing really!

That'd nothing compared to the sh1t load of money Nominet will be pulling in.

 

[Edwin]

If more than one applicant applies it goes to auction.
So supposing the winning bid is quite high...who gets this money?
Seems a nice little earner for Dot London Domains Limited (London Partners).
Money from nothing really!

The money goes to the .london registry of course (probably with some form of revenue share for the registrar(s) sending the bidders). The registry invested $185,000 in the application fee to ICANN, plus probably 1.5-2x as much again in setup costs and revenue guarantees, plus an unknown but likely similar/larger amount on advertising, marketing and campaigning for .london (they've lined up some big backers) so it's hardly "money from nothing" - I'd guesstimate they have well over $1 million invested in the extension at this point.

The beauty of the new GTLD process is that anyone was free to apply for an extension, and over 1,000 companies did. All you had to do was complete a (very rigorous) application/vetting process, hand over your $185,000 and wait to see if anyone else wanted to run the same extension. If it was "uncontested" and nobody raised any sustained objections to it, the extension was "yours" to run and profit from. If it was contested i.e. 2+ companies applied for the same extension, then it was time to fight it out (rev share deals, cash payments, swaps - I'll back out of this contention set if you back out of that one - etc.) until only one applicant remained. If the contention couldn't be resolved, then the extension itself went to auction, with some of the proceeds kept by ICANN and the rest shared by the losing bidders (i.e. the other applicants for that extension).

All the above does not preclude the fact that many/most of the new GTLD extensions are unnecessary and are unlikely to catch on with the "mass market" nor win significant mindshare.

Geo new GTLD may become the rare exceptions - .berlin has already clocked up an impressive number of registrations (given that we're talking about ONE city) and if those .berlin domains start to get used "in real life" it should continue to do well.

Similarly, I expect that .london may gain some traction - though whether it will dethrone .co.uk/.uk/.com even within the city limits is another matter entirely (my bet would be "no chance of that happening")

 

[Murray]

I have a London related .co.uk domain

I was talking on skype the other day to someone about it that I might want to get the .London equivalent

When I actually typed out "location.london" I realised how bloody awful it looks

Just doesn't look like a domain name "Kensington.London"

 

[Edwin]

I have a London related .co.uk domain

I was talking on skype the other day to someone about it that I might want to get the .London equivalent

When I actually typed out "location.london" I realised how bloody awful it looks

Just doesn't look like a domain name "Kensington.London"

You're right, though the penny may drop a little sooner if you were to stick a "www" in front of it (I know, I know, "www" is just an optional subdomain - but it's a reasonably widespread convention that can be used to make something look "more like" the kind of web address that most people are used to seeing...)

www.Kensington.London

Still not brilliant, but the clue is there

 

[julian]

But the new .UK destroys .London concept really..?

www.kensingtonlondon.uk (23) vs www.kensington.london (21)

kensingtonlondon.uk (19) vs kensington.london (17)

only 2chrs. longer and actually makes sense... (and cheaper)

You're right, though the penny may drop a little sooner if you were to stick a "www" in front of it (I know, I know, "www" is just an optional subdomain - but it's a reasonably widespread convention that can be used to make something look "more like" the kind of web address that most people are used to seeing...)

www.Kensington.London

Still not brilliant, but the clue is there

 

[Edwin]

But the new .UK destroys .London concept really..?

www.kensingtonlondon.uk (23) vs www.kensington.london (21)

kensingtonlondon.uk (19) vs kensington.london (17)

only 2chrs. longer and actually makes sense... (and cheaper)

There's nowt so queer as folk... People are unpredictable, which makes it too early to predict that .london will be a flop.

On a local level, a company whose business is strictly limited to a local area within London might be "happy enough" with a .london domain if their first choice of domain is gone - even if they would most likely be better served trying to secure the .uk.

 

[Blossom]

If more than one applicant applies it goes to auction.
So supposing the winning bid is quite high...who gets this money?
Seems a nice little earner for Dot London Domains Limited (London Partners).
Money from nothing really!

A lot of the profit is being reinvested in the city.

 

[julian]

can't see many others making it - typo city?

www.businessname.edinburgh
www.businessname.birmingham
www.businessname.manchester
www.businessname.liverpool
www.businessname.southampton
www.businessname.cambridge

I suppose its an identity thing for some businesses..

www.businessname.liverpool.uk

www.liverpool.uk/businessname

 

[Retired_Member39]

I was considering a punt on 1 or 2 .london if it was very good, might be more opportunity if you actually live in London:

1.Phase 1: London Priority Period gives priority to registered trademark holders and Londoners applying for domain names
2.Phase 2: General Availability gives equal access to all interested customers for all other available domain names

http://www.dotlondondomains.london/domain-availability/

 

[Edwin]

I was considering a punt on 1 or 2 .london if it was very good, might be more opportunity if you actually live in London:

1.Phase 1: London Priority Period gives priority to registered trademark holders and Londoners applying for domain names
2.Phase 2: General Availability gives equal access to all interested customers for all other available domain names

http://www.dotlondondomains.london/domain-availability/

Not quite as simple as that, because you have to have a matching business name to have much of a chance in Phase 1.

Plus a lot of premium names seem to be E1,200/year - yes, that's 1,200 Euro EVERY year!
https://www.mindsandmachines.com/london

 

[retired_member34]

https://www.mindsandmachines.com/london

There's a good word list tool on that page, first time I have seen that on a domain page. Lookup a domain then click the "Word Lists" tab.

 

[monaghan]

Didn't Nominet's research for the direct.uk suggest that people want shorter domains hence the need to remove the ".co" from the name?

 

[AssetDomains]

Plus a lot of premium names seem to be E1,200/year - yes, that's 1,200 Euro EVERY year!
https://www.mindsandmachines.com/london

Prices are all over the place aren't they. A lot of the ultra premiums loans, mortgages etc. don't even seem available.

One positive effective it might have though is it will open the eyes to a lot of decision makers that not all domains are of equal value.

 

[anthony]

Didn't Nominet's research for the direct.uk suggest that people want shorter domains hence the need to remove the ".co" from the name?

Twaddle.