Get Ready To Pay Up Just To Let People Know How To Contact Your Company

from the a-total-waste dept

We've been plenty critical of plans to set up new top level domains for URLs. Each time there's an extension (such as adding .biz, .info, etc.), all it's really meant is that companies felt forced to cough up more money to secure domains they didn't need and wouldn't use. The whole thing is a scam. However, none is as ridiculous as the decision three years ago to add a ".tel" domain, where companies could put their contact info. Yes, apparently, some company convinced ICANN to extend the TLD space for .tel domains -- knowing that tons of companies would have to pay up, just to make sure there their contact info was at company.tel, rather than something like company.com/contact/.

While we hadn't heard much about .tel over the past few years, it looks like it's now set to get moving, as early registrations have opened up, and the one company (the registrar who is going to make all the cash for this) is encouraging companies to pay up. Companies will do so, of course, because they'll feel they need to protect their brand from others -- but they won't do so because it's useful. It's not as if anyone is having any trouble finding the "contact" forms on websites that have them. And, for companies that don't have easy to find contact forms, that's usually by choice -- so it's unlikely they'll suddenly rush to put up a .tel site. This whole process makes no sense, and ICANN, who orchestrated the whole thing, should be ashamed. Basically all it's done is create a totally unnecessary situation, where for no good reasons, a ton of companies have to hand over a bunch of money to Telnic.
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Filed Under: .tel, icann, tlds, top level domains
Companies: icann, telnic


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  • identicon
    Hulser, 6 Nov 2008 @ 2:20pm

    www.techdirt

    From a purely logical standpoint -- not a technical one -- I don't think we even need Top Level Domains. What started out as a way to organize groups of web sites has become all but meaningless. If non-commercial organizations have to buy the .com domain because that's what most people know when they really should only need a .org domain, what's the point of even having a TLD? I'm sure there are a host of technical reasons that this would be difficult or all but impossible, but I think it would be nice to not even require a TLD. If you want to call your web site www.techdirt.com, www.techdirt, www.techdirt.com.org.xxx.tel.venezuelanbeavercheese, then fine. Knock yourself out.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    InanimateOne, 6 Nov 2008 @ 2:36pm

    Sounds like a waste of money but like you wrote companies will buy it just because they feel obligated to. Once these new TLDs launch and then gain some popularity most companies may be afraid that it will be a hassle for users to actually go to the index page and click on the "contact info" link like they are currently doing now. I bet the .tel becomes the standard fairly quickly, but I guarantee you won't find one in my root directory. I'm more than happy with my "contact info" link. I do wish I could have a piece of these upcoming profits though, Telnic just hit the jackpot. You know 90% of businesses will end up purchasing a .tel domain.

    Resist conformity!!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Chris, 6 Nov 2008 @ 2:39pm

    In soviet Russia...

    .tel contacts you!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anon Cow, 6 Nov 2008 @ 2:45pm

    I just scored ho.tel! Cool on so many levels!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Greg, 6 Nov 2008 @ 2:58pm

    BRB, got to go buy in.tel and squat on it until these catch on.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Nov 2008 @ 3:05pm

    Agh

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Dutouski, 6 Nov 2008 @ 3:50pm

    Hmmm.

    How about MO.TEL, CAR.TEL, IN.TEL and MAN.TEL?

    Where can one go to acquire such useful domain names?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Charles, 6 Nov 2008 @ 3:58pm

      Re: Hmmm.

      DomainMonster.com is registering them.

      http://www.domainmonster.com/domain-names/

      Do note, your "useful" domain name is a heavy $399.99 per domain during the "sunrise" period. I must say, this seems like overkill when any novice internet user will just enter in your company name into Google and it will provide a better, cleaner, more predictable result.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Overcast, 6 Nov 2008 @ 3:56pm

    This, of course - assumes consumers on the web will even bothering using it.

    I'll likely just keep going to the .COM and looking for contact info.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    RD, 6 Nov 2008 @ 4:58pm

    $399 are you kidding?

    Please, that has to be a joke. "You NEED a .tel domain Mr Company Sir! It's only FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS!"

    Screw that, for $400 people can find my damn Contacts link. Screw ICAN.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Nov 2008 @ 5:51pm

    What the hell is the difference between .tel, .tel(Landrush) and .tel(sunrise) aside a few hundred dollars?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Nov 2008 @ 4:32am

    Wonder what this one could be used for?

    iwont.tel

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Xanthir, FCD, 7 Nov 2008 @ 6:24am

    The REAL use for new TLDs

    It seems that the major use these new TLDs are put towards is making clever domain names when you remove the dots. ^_^

    (I am, of course, in favor of this. The cute domain names, that is. Not the obvious money grab.)

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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