.Asia Internet Domain Launched

eldavojohn writes "Expect to see sites ending in .asia pop up soon, as ICANN has allowed DotAsia to recently open bidding on the new domain. A DotAsia representative is quoted as saying, 'Our research has found that Asia is one of the most searched-for terms and by having a .asia website, your ranking on Google or Yahoo will become much higher.' Is there really a need for more top level domains?"

Comments

need?

[stoolpigeon]

why does there have to be a need? will too many make the net too heavy or something?

Re:need?

[aadvancedGIR]

Not really a need, but a *.asia will look just fine in my host file.

Re:need?

[Tetsujin]

why does there have to be a need? will too many make the net too heavy or something? The thing that gets me about all these new TLDs is that .com is still by far the most recognized, and so people continue to use it whether it's appropriate or not... But at the same time they scoop up the equivalent name in other TLDs as well to avoid confusion. For instance, a site I go to has a front page on .com - a store site on .biz, and a forum on .net...

Having more TLDs gives people a bigger namespace to play in, but the problem is people don't generally want a bigger name space for domain names. They want their domain name to be unique, for recognition and to avoid confusion...

Re:need?

[Tetsujin]

I don't care if a name is recognizable. I use google when I don't remember exactly where something is at. But the point is, people who create sites do care if their name is recognizable. They have to. Nobody wants to create a popular site, and then have somebody else squat the exact same URL (except with a different TLD) and populate it with a bunch of porn links or ads.

Put another way, what value are we getting out of more TLDs? More sites can share the same name? Is that really something we want?

Re:need?

[Spy der Mann]

Not really a need, but a *.asia will look just fine in my host file.

I thought the host file didn't accept wildcards...

Re:need?

[Eponymous Bastard]

127.0.0.1 *.ru "In Soviet Russia domains point to you"?

(Sorry, couldn't help it)

Re:need?

[Fozzyuw]

But the point is, people who create sites do care if their name is recognizable. They have to. Nobody wants to create a popular site, and then have somebody else squat the exact same URL (except with a different TLD) and populate it with a bunch of porn links or ads.

Your point is taken well. TLD's are not just "TLDs". They've become part and parcel with trademarked names and company names. No,no, no. It's not Expedia... it's Expedia[dot]COM. Etc. Companies scramble to register their business names only to find another business with the same name (see Nissan Computers long legal battle against Nissan Automotive).

You have to consider registering variations of your domain name before someone else does to avoid trademark dilution and consumer confusion. {company name}, {company name}Manufacturing, {company name}ManufacturingCompany, {company name}MFGCO, etc. Of course, YMMV depending on your company name and sector/trade.

Companies have multiple sites such as "corporate site", "brand A site", "Brand B site", "Product A Micro-site", etc. Then, they might have to register multiple variants of those sites. Singular and plural versions, Nicknames, and keywords. ie: should it be Business.com, BusinessProduct.com, BusinessProducts.com, BusinessProductName.com, etc. (some products are two words that are commonly referred to in the singural, like "Toilet Seat" might just be called a "Seat" or "Seats" in the context of a bathroom.

On top of that you have to consider registering multiple TLD's. .COM, .NET, .ORG, .JOBS, .BIZ, .INFO, etc. Now, if you're an international company, you have to consider registering country specific TLD's. .US, .CO.UK, .FR, .IT, .CN, .MX, etc. Now, they're opening up regional TLD's that companies have to consider... .EU, .ASIA.

You take all the TLD's , all the sites a company might have, and all the name variations a of a site name a company might register, and you get yourself one hell of a mess and cost. Sure, domains are relatively cheep but if you're managing hundreds or thousands, it becomes a huge sink, particularly since most everyone STILL uses .COM.

Then you have to tie this all in with Search Engine parameters such as duplication. All you do is register these domains and 301 redirect them to your flagship domain name, which doesn't do a whole lot for you. Others might use language specific sites, which will pass duplication standards.

I guess, a good question is... what do people with to manage their site domains? What is your domain strategy? Do you try to register everything you can to avoid squatters and parkers for brand dilution? Or do you just say "screw it" and let them have them, they're not likely to get much out of them. Should you really use .jobs to be/point or redirect to your careers page? Or just say "screw it" because "no one"(tm) uses it?

Cheers,
Fozzy

Re:need?

[RalphSleigh]

That would be .su

Re:need?

[adatepej]

Why is it that such a large section of the planet seemingly churns out nothing but garbage? Kudos, you sound just like that new Pope that was part of the Hitler youth.

to have any shot at reaching the rest of the world. Not everyone is blocking .asia. Try asking the average American consumer of home internet service how to block content of any kind from any domain. They don't know how.

if the entire region is flooding the rest of the world with shit, they may find themselves completely cut off from the rest of the world by admins who have better things to do than ban individual IPs all day every day. I love it when computer administrators like to make it sound like they're going to change the world from their desk. "You just watch ... I'll ban your IP. Then see how you like it when nobody from the 40 employee company I work for reads your spam!"

Re:need?

[kv9]

perhaps you should block "huge netblocks" from the US too as long as they are the number one shit spewer and bot haven.

Fixed...

[EveryNickIsTaken]

Our research has found that Asians is one of the most searched-for terms

Who can tell?

[Funkcikle]

"Is there really a need for more top level domains? Find out more and take part in our poll at www.istherereallyaneedformoretoplevel.domains!"

How about

[damn_registrars]

Just pushing for people / companies to actually register in the appropriate TLD's for their country? As it is, there's nothing to prevent you from purchasing a .com domain from a registrar in China, for a website to host in China. If we actually tethered the website domains to the countries they reside in, then we may be able to reign in the never-ending "canadian pharmacy" spam campaign that pushes out zillions of spams per second.

Re:How about

[JanneM]

Just pushing for people / companies to actually register in the appropriate TLD's for their country? As it is, there's nothing to prevent you from purchasing a .com domain from a registrar in China, for a website to host in China. Like having US websites register in the .us domain?

If it's a commercial website it's fine in .com no matter where it's located.

Re:How about

[somersault]

I like to see UK companies with .co.uk addresses too - especially useful when buying stuff because I know there won't be an issue with shipping, I won't have to use an international credit card, etc

quick

[circletimessquare]

someone register these:

Heat-of-the-Moment.Asia

Dont-Cry.Asia

Alpha.Asia

and perhaps:

Carrera.Asia

Argento.Asia

you can thank me later

Re:quick

[UbuntuDupe]

You're thinking too small:

euthan.asia

anast.asia

fant.asia

d-.asia/vu

Re:quick

[l-ascorbic]

grep 'asia$' /usr/share/dict/words

Re:quick

[paranode]

stopitorillt.asia

In other news. . .

[Seumas]

In other news, the western half of the globe now opens ".westernhemisphere" TLD.

or . . .

In other news, insensitive clods still refer to new TLD as "dot-orientals".

Stupid.

First dibs

[James_Duncan8181]

mal.asia?

Also relatively rapid post!

The possibilities!

[PlatyPaul]

fant.asia, your.asia, anast.asia... the list goes on and on.

More interestingly, though, will be the issue when countries fail to establish control over things like india.asia, china.asia, etc. I have to wonder, though: given the "worldwide" attitude of the web, do we really need to make geographic distinctions at the TLD?

Hmmm....

[Otter]

I immediately ran out to grab euthan.asia, but registration seems to be limited to trademark holders right now.

Then came back here figuring the same comment had already been made, but people seem to have jumped on references to the 80's band instead.

And now you find yourself in 82. The disco hot spots hold no charm for you.

Re:Hmmm....

[Billosaur]

I immediately ran out to grab euthan.asia, but registration seems to be limited to trademark holders right now.

Change your name to Euthan and become "Euthan the Magnificent, Master of Technology." Voila! Trademark and you're done.

Re:Reverse the question....

[Rob T Firefly]

Having more top level domains means more chances that when you look at something, having its domain name can actually tell you something. Yes, it can tell you "I'm paying someone for this domain because shady text-ransoming brokers and spammers have bought up every damn last text combination in my country's assigned .com/.co, .net, and .org TLDs."

meh...

[cosmocain]

...first they cut off the xxx-tld and now - now they open up one for special interests? i demand .midget

And if you think .asia is a bad domain name...

[rdwald]

Just wait until .berlin and .nyc come online. I mean, at least the culture-based domains (.cat for Catalan culture, and the proposed .bzh, .cym, and .gal) are for areas not already defined by the underutilized country code TLDs.

No thanks

[Billosaur]

I'll wait for .antarctica to become available.

Great, next we need.

[Usefull Idiot]

.na - North America .ca - Central America .car - Caribbean .sa - South America .eu - Europe .me - Middle East .ar - Arctic .an - Antarctic .af - Africa .nh - Northern Hemisphere .sh - Southern Hemisphere .eh - Eastern Hemisphere .wh - Western Hemisphere .eq - Equator .tcn - Tropic of Cancer .tcp - Tropic of Capricorn .np - North Pole .sp - South Pole .mn - Magnetic North .pm - Prime Meridian .isl - Miscellaneous Islands

Anything else I'm missing? Why not just start using degrees latitude and longitude in the tlds as well, just because we want as many as possible, right?

Re:Great, next we need.

[KayakFun]

Actually, .eu already exists.

Maybe the people who live between .ca and .mx can start using .us instead of poluting .com with non-commercial or non-USA websites (if you care about using the most meaningful TLD)

search / TLD

[Sparr0]

Who told them that TLDs have any effect on search with regards to keywords? I don't get more .net sites just by having "net" in my search terms (just had to go verify that).

Nevermind the need, they got the term wrong

[TheAxeMaster]

The most searched for term on the internet is "asian" not "Asia." I propose a .asian TLD so that the porn surfers (me included) can have maximum search efficiency!

Search Terms...

[Androclese]

What they fail to tell us is that the matching search term was "girls"...

Obligatory

[Jedi Alec]

http://never.fight.a.landwar.in.asia/ !

Re:.eu

[stoolpigeon]

europe was another 80's band like asia. it was a joke.

Re:I bet the first domain with .asia

[cashman73]

I think I'll go ahead and register euthin .asia ...