TheRegister.co.uk, just published a story today on the new gTLD program and it contains plenty of very basic factually inaccurate statements about the program.
Here we go:
“The internet is poised to gain a whole lot of new domain names in the very near future, from the useful (.app, .dev) to the more whimsical (.ninja, .lol).”
Many of of the new gTLD’s domain extension have already launched including .ninja.
“Unfortunately, some of the more useful ones may end being locked up behind Google’s closed doors.”
“Google isn’t the only company trying to get an exemption for top level domains (TLDs) it controls such as .dev, but it has filed the most applications for keeping domains private.”
Actually Amazon applied for 74 new gTLD’s to operate all of them privately and other than Google’s /brand applications they are not seeking to keep that many closed at all. However .Dev the one discussed in the story Google did apply to operate on a closed basis ad that request was granted by ICANN already.
“However, ICANN doesn’t have the resources to manage all these new domains so it’s auctioning them off, and anyone willing to pay out the $185,000 fee could bid on top level domains.”
OK So ICANN does not “manage all these new domains” and they are Not “auctioning off all the new gTLD” just the one’s that had more than one application
The $185,000 application fee ICANN charged was not an fee to enter an auction and it was not done because “ICANN can’t manage them all”
“Yes, even you, Joseph T. Public, can apply, though you’ll want to hurry because big names (Google, Apple, Amazon) and hundreds of others have already made their intentions clear.”
No, Mr. Joseph T. Public you cannot apply the application period close years earlier
“The company previously tried to buy .blog, which it intended to pair with its Blogger service so that the only way to get a .blog domain would be to use Blogger. Google lost its bid for .blog.”
Well Google got outbid at auction for .blog which they applied for they did not “lose” .blog because of their intended use and Google won .Dev at auction so if the other applicant would have outbid Google they would have not been able to operate it in a Closed manner.
Anyway TheRegister.co.uk has a very good and knowable writer on the subject of new gTLD’s, ICANN and domain names, @kierenmccarthy, maybe they should let him write on these topics or at least fact check them before they go to print.
That’s dismaying.
What ever happened to the beat reporters we used to see in vintage Hollywood movies – people with notepads and pencils taking notes as they asked questions of actual human beings?
It isn’t as if it’s difficult to locate professional opinion in this very online industry of ours. One gets the impression that journalists can’t be bothered to formulate questions or conduct interviews any longer. It’s as if they just Google a few plausible phrases, skim some third-hand information from blurbs at non-industry publications, and then stir together their misapprehensions into a weird synopsis … without consulting any human being, neither industry insider nor fact-checker nor editor.
Mike – I’m glad you said all this, because all I did was bite my tongue (fingers?) when I wanted to respond. These things really need correction. Unfortunately a lot of articles about new gTLDs are like this, and you wonder, “Oh Lord, where do I even begin?” Thanks for taking the time and trouble.
Average people don’t care so it doesn’t need to be accurate really. It worries me more that the same level of effort is spent examining real issues. Should is another matter – one would think basic checks could be made. They are after all, basic.
TheRegister.co.uk story has apparently been updated to correct some of the incorrect statements
Just read the article, and thought it as all around fair coverage, and rare for paying attention to the domain industry without using the words, squatter, or hog.
Hi everyone. Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate all your comments. The article missed the mark, it was corrected as soon as possible, and we’ll look at how this happened. As Michael Berkens points out, we do have a good domain beat writer, Kieren, who didn’t write this piece in question. If you search theregister for ‘gtld’ (for example) you’ll see Kieren’s coverage of the domain-name world.