The Latest Stuff
Uncommon news and information with a technical twist and some topics that are a bit out there. Enjoy...
Is the "Birds Aren't Real" movement a growing conspiracy or is it an epic marketing strategy?
You'll have to decide for yourself. The founder and lead activist Peter McIndoe has been written about in The New York Times, The Gaurdian, The Hill and on hundreds of other sites since the movement hit mainstream in 2017, but it's roots really began decades before. I suspect more grass than roots.
Did you know the word bird, B.I.R.D. means Bionic Information Recording Drone. If not all birds are drones yet, they may soon be along with flying insects. Keep a close watch on dragonflies and carpenter bees.
The right to privacy is slipping away like a bird though the forest trees. Don't be fooled by the government smoke show. Have you ever seen a baby pidgeon? No. But, you do see birds sitting on power lines charging up their batteries everyday. Yes, and there's a lot more down this rabbit hole.
Visit BirdsArentReal.com buy a t-shirt, create awareness and stand up against the surveillance state.
Quality domain names are drying up, get the best domain names while you still can.
Domain names are the real estate of the internet, and they are becoming scarcer every day. With over 4.5 billion internet users and countless businesses vying for online attention, the demand for premium domain names has never been higher. If you are considering investing in a domain name, now is the time to act before they are gone.
A domain name is an essential part of any online business or brand, and it can have a significant impact on your online success. A strong domain name is memorable, brandable, and easy to find, which can help drive traffic and establish your online presence. It can also help you stand out from your competitors, build trust with your customers, and establish your brand as an authority in your industry.
However, as more and more businesses and individuals recognize the importance of domain names, the supply is dwindling. Many of the most valuable domain names have already been registered, and the ones that are still available are being snapped up quickly. Once a domain name is registered, it is not available for anyone else to use, meaning that if you don't act quickly, you could miss out on your ideal domain name.
Investing in a domain name is also a smart financial decision. Premium domain names have been known to sell for millions of dollars, and even less valuable domain names can appreciate in value over time. By investing in a domain name now, you could be setting yourself up for a significant return on investment in the future.
If you are interested in buying a domain name, it is important to act quickly. Do your research to find a domain name that aligns with your goals and brand. With the right domain, you can establish a strong online presence, build your brand, and set yourself up for long-term success. Don't wait, buy those domain names today before they are gone.
The speed of technology is taking off, try and hang on.
Technology is increasing at an exponential rate, with the pace of technological change accelerating rapidly in recent years. This is due to a variety of factors, including advancements in computer processing power, the increasing availability of data, and the development of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing.
One measure of the pace of technological change is Moore's Law, which states that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles roughly every two years. This law has held true for several decades and has been a driving force behind the rapid growth of computing power.
Additionally, the rate of technological change can be seen in the development and adoption of new technologies, such as smartphones, social media, and cloud computing, which have transformed the way we live and work.
The speed of technological change is also apparent in the rate at which new technologies are being developed and brought to market. For example, the time it takes for a new technology to reach 50 million users has been decreasing steadily, from 75 years for the telephone to just 13 days for the Pokemon Go app.
Internet usage will continue to grow over the next 20 years, especially as more people around the world gain access to the internet.
According to data from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the number of internet users worldwide reached 4.9 billion in 2021, up from 3.4 billion in 2016. This represents a growth rate of more than 7% per year. If this trend continues, we can expect the number of internet users to reach 7.5 billion by 2030 and 9.7 billion by 2040.
The growth in internet usage is being driven by a number of factors, including the increasing availability and affordability of internet access, the proliferation of smartphones and other mobile devices, and the growing importance of digital technologies in daily life.
In addition to the overall number of internet users, other trends to watch in the coming years include the continued growth of e-commerce and online services, the increasing use of artificial intelligence and automation, and the expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) and other connected technologies.
There's a lot to branding your business in sync with your domain name and I'm just going to discuss a few key points that begin with the letter A.
Authority and Affinity
Being a brand authority now of days is having a powerful domain name. Powerful domain names are valuable because they are memorable and reflect your business as a leader in your industry. Like it or not we live in the age of information overload, and that's a good thing. As a kid I would ride my bike back and forth to the library trying to juggle a stack of books, knowledge and products from all over the world are now at anyone's finger tips from just about anywhere. How does a customer find, return to, or recommend your business in a sea of 1.7 billion websites all competing for the first page of Google? This is why your domain name matters.
Affinity is the sense of the natural path to your business, a relationship to or the path of the least resistance. If a customer has to remember your domain name or apply a silly extension, not only are they going to have a hard time getting back to you, it's even more difficult for them to refer your company to their contacts. Word of mouth is still a powerful tool in growing your business.
Here's a few great articles on the subject of branding and why your domain name matters: Spend Less on SEO, More on a Memorable Brand by Jamie Zoch and The True Cost of Your Domain Name by Chris Zuiker.
One point I would add to both of these articles is that not acquiring your matching domain name is leaving the door open for your competition to purchase it. Some companies have spent millions just to keep their competition from having them.
By now you have probably gotten an email from every company that you have ever visited on their COVID policy. No need to rehash washing your hands and social distancing here. The point that I want to stress is that we are all in this together, locally and globally, and it's going to take all of us to beat this thing.
I work for the government in my day job, maintaining transmitters along the coast of South Carolina. The government is just people. Some very hard working people that perform jobs that in the private sector usually pays much more for the same work. But, boil it all down, and it's just people helping people.
In times of crisis's past, like the hurricanes we've had, we didn't get extra pay or bonuses, just a good feeling at the end of the day that we made a difference. Getting through this is going to be difficult, but not something we can't do.
There are always two options you have in any situation. One is to do nothing. With COVID doing nothing is actually a good thing. Stay at home and you're not part of the problem. The second option is to try harder. I have to credit my father with that one. He was part of what they now call the greatest generation, but the greatest generation is really yet to come. We are all products of these generations, we are the hybrids. Let's try a little harder and figure this out. Figure out what you can do to help.
Sure it's scary, we see exactly how fragile our world is. And, the big brains say it's going to get worse before it gets better, but we will get through it and come out stronger. Helping others is really the name of the game.
Check on your neighbors, have empathy and employ compassion. We are all going through a lot. I want to be able to reflect back at the End of the Plague party and know I had a hand in making the world a better place. I may not invent a miracle vaccine, but I help keep emergency communications online over here, inspire hope and I lend a helping hand. I am very grateful for the medical, fast food, grocery workers and everyone involved in all these chains that keeping us moving forward.
Do your part and work harder. Patience, courtesy and humor go along way, act like you've been somewhere. Maybe this will spark a spiritual revolution when we finally realize that we are all the same, and that we are all connected.
Want to keep keep up with all that is happening in the domain space? Domaining.com
2020 is off to a quick start and for those that are not active in the industry daily, it can be more than difficult to keep up with all that's going on. NamesCon is taking place in Austin, TX now, Rev.com just sold for 400k, Add.com sold for 800k this week, keep up with the status of the .Org Registry sale and get insight from the movers and shakers.
Domaining.com for the important news and domain industry headlines.
Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, but this one I just can't see how the management team didn't see the future of their business. Back in 2000 the internet was more than thriving and Blockbuster could have bought Netflix for a mere 50 million. As of today Netflix is worth over 128 billion, down from and all time high of 180 billion. In the summer of 2000, Blockbuster CEO John Antioco said "The dot-com hysteria is completely overblown". His council went on to state how the business models of Netflix and just about every other online business were not sustainable and would never make any money. That statement couldn't be any more wrong then than it is now. Read the full article here on Inc.com
How did these guys not see that by delivering their product online would eliminate all of their overhead, shipping and logistical nightmares. Yes, management and vision are two different things, but they shouldn't be. Doesn't matter what business you are in either, not only do you need a strong online presence, there is an evolution going on of how your customers will interact with you and not just on social media. Developers are building virtual realities to showcase products. Imagine if your customers could experience your products before they buy. This will be very popular with the gaming generation as they become the most powerful purchasers of consumer goods in 10 years.
If you haven't read the worst business blunders in tech history I would suggest Googling that phrase and see what you get. Branding blunders are even more common and they happen all the time. Avoid a brand blunder and start with a great domain name. A strong domain name is the foundation for enticing and retaining customers with a memorable name. Your domain name also attracts B2B partners and lays the ground floor for building supplemental income streams. Streams turn into rivers and maybe even into a whole new business model for your companies' survival. Have some vision and get creative.
Veteran's Day falls on November 11 for a good reason many do not know. November 11th is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice, which ended the World War I hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany in 1918.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice between Germany and the Allied nations came into effect. And, on the following November 11, 1919, Armistice Day was commemorated for the first time. President Wilson proclaimed the day should be “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory”.
Thank a Veteran and help those that are returning from combat. You can get involved at any level, from volunteering at your local VA hospital to helping the family of a Veteran. Do something positive, be a part of the solution for the real heroes.
Escrow for Domain Names and a lot more.
I recently sold a domain name to a foreign buyer that wasn't familiar with the escrow process. It's really just as simple as depicted in the image below, but with their unfamiliarity, I can see how they could be skeptical, so I walked them through the whole process.
A couple of items not represented in the images are number one, make sure your buyer chooses the right email address for your transaction. Most people have at least a work and personal email address. It's always good to ask before you start your transaction. The second concern is for the seller. Sometimes when a buyer receives their goods they don't always follow up to verify that they have possession. You can rest assured that Escrow.com can verify the domain name transfer without any action by the buyer, it just takes a few day longer.
Escrow.com has been in the business for over 25 years and they began with handling domain name transactions. They truly are the industry leader.
They provide services for just about every other transaction as well payment plans.
Summer 2019 Reported Domain Sales
For those of you that are not in-tune with the domain industry, here are some recent domain name sales that have been topping this summer's domain charts. Please keep in mind that only a very small fraction of sales ever get reported. Orion.com changed hands, but the price was unreported, rumor has it that it sold above 30m. Prices have been rising for great domain names.
Voice.com 30M
Money.com 20M
EKO.com 1.5M
Room.com 1.5M
Nursing.com 950k
Links.com 789k
Carrot.com 565k
BettingOdds.com 486k
Cooking.com 402k
Casinos.org 400k
JoyRide.com 300k
Money.com.au 279k
PFF.com 270k
Crystals.com 188k
Viajes.es 165k (Travels Esp.)
Visit DNJournal.com for the reported year to date sales chart.