Are We There Yet? - The New TLDs

Are you less than 100% satisfied with your domain name? Was it your very first choice when you paid your $15-35 a year to the registrar? Did you struggle to decide upon a domain name because the one you really wanted was no longer available?

Youre not alone if you can answer "yes" to these questions. Likewise, join the crowd if youve heard about those new top level domains (TLDs) coming down the pike, and are excited about the possibilities.

In case you have a life and haven’t heard, in November, 2000 the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) decreed that seven new TLDs would be made available:

.aero (aerospace)

.biz (businesses)

.coop (cooperatives)

.info (general use)

.museum (museums)

.name (individuals)

.pro (doctors, lawyers and accountants)

This is big news, since for years U.S.-based Web sites had been limited to the .com, .org., .gov, .net, .mil or .edu extensions. Country-specific domains, such as .ca (Canada) and .uk (United Kingdom), had also been available.

This ICANN announcement was generally welcomed by the Internet community, though not without considerable grumbling by certain factions. There was controversy over which TLDs would be made available and who would administer them, not to mention the snail’s pace at which these changes would occur.

Notwithstanding, the decision was made -- a decision that could exponentially increase the number of domain name options available to the Internet community.

Are we there yet? Can you actually register one of these new domains today? In a word, no.

According to ICANNs Web site (http://www.icann.org/tlds/), "...the new TLDs are not expected to be operational until the second or third quarter of 2001." Were betting on the third quarter.

Can I Pre-register?

Some domain registrars, however, are suggesting that you don’t have to wait that long to "pre-register" your new domain. Theyve been sending emails and faxes to businesses and individuals that offer, for a fee, to reserve domains under one of the new TLDs.

Beware, says the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/domainalrt.htm). The FTC advises consumers to protect themselves by "avoiding any domain name pre-registration service that guarantees particular top level domain names or preferential treatment in the assignment of new top level domain names."

Why the warning? Because, says the FTC, no accredited domain registrar has the authority to assign these domains yet. Sure, a registrar can take your money now and promise to help you later, but it cannot guarantee that the domain you want will be available.

According to ICANN, no domain registrar "...has been authorized to pre-register domain names in the new TLDs." Moreover, ICANN warns that individuals like you and I "...who attempt to pre-register such domain names do so at their own risk and with no assurance that they will receive the pre-registered names once the TLDs become operational."

So, at best, you may get a head start on a new TLD domain name by "pre-registering." At worst, someone else will still beat you to the domain name of your choice and you might be out a few dollars. Caveat emptor.

A Tempting Alternative (or is it?)

If you really like to live on the edge and just can’t wait for ICANN to get its act together, go for an unsanctioned TLD. A start-up called New.net offers twenty domain name extensions such as .shop, .sport, .tech, .chat, .inc, .kids and .xxx for $25 a year. However, none of these extensions is yet (and may never be) approved by ICANN.

There’s the rub. Because these domain name extensions are not approved, they are not part of the world-wide domain naming system. In fact, only a small percentage of Internet users (e.g., Earthlink and Excite@Home subscribers) can actually go directly to Web sites using these domains. The software used by Earthlink and Excite@Home subscribers (and downloadable by others) actually circumvents the domain system and re-routes browser requests to New.net servers.

This is fine if your entire audience is subscribed to one of New.net’s partners, or if none of your customers minds downloading a software patch just to get to your site.

Did I mention the email issue? New.net’s software can fool the browser into redirecting itself, but cannot force email servers and clients to follow suit. In other words, the $25 you pay New.net won’t get you a working email address for the domain you just bought.

Keep in mind that New.net’s alleged TLDs are not really top-level domains, but more like third-level domains. For example, if I bought the WEBtheJOINT.inc domain, requests to my site would actually be going to WEBtheJOINT.inc.new.net.

This setup might be OK for the fantasy baseball league at the office, but I wouldn’t build a business on it.

As with the pre-registering of new TLDs mentioned earlier, let the buyer beware.

Recommendation

If youre looking to grab a domain name under one of the new TLDs for a serious web presence, be patient. Wait for the real thing.

How long? Probably 3Q01. If you get as many e-zines and newsletters as we do, youll know when ICANNs ready to roll. Absolutely everyone will be talking about it. If you’re the proactive type, keep your eye on the ICANN site (http://www.icann.org) for the latest scoop.

Happy domain hunting!

(This article is part of WEBtheJOINTs continuing series of "Are We There Yet?" articles which summarize the practical status of new technologies and opportunities for small business web presences.)

by Keith Reichley May, 2001

About the Author

Keith Reichley is webmaster for webthejoint.com, the web resource center for small business.

:To contact Keith online see details below.


keith@webthejoint.com
http://www.webthejoint.com