Top level domain names – too confusing for the average Joe

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Mainstream Internet users will probably see the new custom domains as too complicated, like 9-digit ZIP codes.
Paul Boutin, Latest plan for domain names is as doomed as .coop and .mobi |
Today’s WhatIs.com Word of the Day is top-level domain (TLD). It’s in the news because Paul Levins, ICANN’s vice president of corporate affairs has been the subject of a blogswarm. Not Paul himself, mind you, but something he’s been talking about — unlimited generic top-level domains. They’re sort of like vanity licence plates for your website.
Here’s an example — instead of TechTarget’s website being TechTarget.com, the company might pay extra money and ask ICANN’s permission to change their top-level domain to something they want to be known for. TechTarget.ROI for example.
There’s a lot of buzz about whether generic domains will bring us back to 1997 and create a gold rush where speculators register generic domains in hopes of selling them.
Shawn McCarthy points out that ICANN says it will cost $185,000 to set up a new top-level domain name and associated registry. McCarthy says “That alone should weed out a lot of riff raff .”
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