Jennifer Wolfe published an article on ClickZ that used an analogy that I myself have thought about to a certain degree when it comes to the new gtlds. Will the new gtlds be to the Internet what Cable TV was to Television ?
There is something there, COM, NET and ORG would play the roles of ABC, CBS, and NBC, but the comparison imo doesn’t stay completely true, that is because when cable tv started we all got to know who the new stations were. Whether you were young or old, you quickly came to know MTV. If you were young you loved it, those who were much older said turn that noise off. Either which way it was known by everyone, same thing for CNN, ESPN and later down the road Comedy Central and E.
There was a tv guide, we could quickly learn what the new stations were and what they were broadcasting. There was a need, there was a hunger for more content. Domain names are different, you can broadcast sports on a .com, .tv or a .website, along with 1000 other extensions when you include cctlds.
There was no need for new gtlds from the public at large, there was a hunger for ICANN to make a lot of money, there were industry veterans who had a desire to be the casino rather than the gambler. But Ma and Pa Kettle, were not at home on their rocking chairs with a hankering for .Guru.
I still thought Jennifer wrote a good article, and look everyone, for the most part, has an agenda, Jennifer makes her living providing consulting to brands and IP strategy.
From the article:
The love affair with .COM was so prolific it created a new industry – the domain name industry. These “domainers” saw the shift coming before most companies and bought up key words in .COM. When companies later wanted those valuable digital addresses in .COM, the limited supply of keyword-driven names drove up prices. Over the next 20 years only a few other possible channels of the Internet were introduced, like .MOBI or .BIZ, but by the time that happened the paradigm shift of companies wanting to be in the .COM space had taken over the advertising and marketing industries and no one saw the need.
The introduction of hundreds of new domains ranging from .APP or .DOG to .SOLUTIONS or .BIKE and Dot Brands like .TIFFANYS or .BMW is really no different than the television evolution to cable. The splintering of .COM into categories and segmentation are adding more choice and options to create digital spaces tailored to your needs as a consumer. You are no longer limited to one channel, but now hundreds more are available.
You may still be asking, “Why should I care?” The most important benefit for you as a consumer is that when a company or brand you trust operates their Dot Brand, you know it’s really them. If it ends in .JPMORGAN or .PFIZER, you don’t have to worry it’s a counterfeit or fake site – it’s real – you can trust it. When Johnson & Johnson promotes HEALTHY.BABY, you’ll know it’s the trusted brand. This is the biggest benefit for a consumer – a way to clearly know if it’s real or fake. You may also be able to build out your own pages within a brand you like or trust, for example: MY.LIFE or JENSCLOSET.MACYS. You’ll likely be able to remember certain digital addresses or campaigns more easily.
Read the full article on Clickz
