# "New" Top Level Domain Nanes - Are they popular? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380 "2003-12-21T22:51:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/1 "2003-12-21T22:51:38Z")
We’re probably familiar with the “old” Top Level Domains .org, .net, .com and so on. Well, a few years ago, some new top level domains were “issued” by the authority in charge of such matters (ICANN). It seems as though things did NOT go smoothly but I did manage to get mine. ( I had [www.1728.com](http://www.1728.com) and was able to buy www.1728.biz). ICANN said they created these new top level domains in order to meet a huge demand from companies, organizations, institutions, etc. So, what happened? I have seen a _few_ sites that use the “dot info” name but none that use “dot biz”. Have these just fallen into obscurity and “dot com” is still THE one to own? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/2 "2003-12-21T23:29:37Z")
I think it is that the marketability of (dot).com is too great. I have tried several (dot).biz and all they do is redirect me to the (dot).com site. I have never even seen a (dot).info domain. The only new domain I’ve seen is a commercial that uses (dot).coop I would want a [Markxxx.com](http://Markxxx.com) if I had a domain as most people assume everything is (dot).com The army uses a (dot).com, the Post office has a (dot).com [yeah I know it isn’t really government but there are some state goverment that are grandfathered in at (dot)gov. People running for office…I’ve seen [JohnDoeforcongress.com](http://JohnDoeforcongress.com) this isn’t a commercial venture and would be more suited for (dot).org. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/3 "2003-12-21T23:33:58Z")
As an aside click [HERE](http://www.get-a-dot.com/dns-newtlds.htm) for some good information about domain names. Check out the link of the left for “Common Myths” ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/4 "2003-12-21T23:54:08Z")
The porn industry has eagerly adopted all the new top-level domains 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zardoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a8b319/32.png) [@Zardoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zardoz)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/5 "2003-12-22T00:23:13Z")
Good domain names are not as important as they used to be due to the “Google effect”. Instead of rushing out and buying [russiandollsforsale.com](http://russiandollsforsale.com) (and no I wasn’t thinking porn until I just now typed that), you can get any ol’ name and if someone types in “russian dolls for sale” in Google you’d prolly be at the top of the list. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/6 "2003-12-22T00:28:40Z")
I remember there was a lot of buzz when the .tv domains came out. I don’t see them used much now, however. I think we’re all just too used to .com. I mean, they even talk about “the dotcom revolution” and all that. If you want some trivia, .tv is actually the code for the island of [Tuvalu](http://www.tuvaluislands.com/), like .uk is for the UK or .ca is for Canada. Of course, most of the .tv domains aren’t based in Tuvalu. Some company bought them all, and IIRC it boosted the Tuvaluan economy tremendously. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/7 "2003-12-22T00:29:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Markxxx \* > \*\* > I have never even seen a (dot).info domain. \*\* Here you go: [NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority](http://www.mta.info) Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/8 "2003-12-22T00:55:46Z")
I sure wish the porn .xxx TLD passed. Woulda made filtering and such far _far_ easier (one way or another), and left no doubt as to the nature of certain sites. Just look what happens if you search for [Britney Speers](http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=britney+speers&btnG=Google+Search&meta=)! ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/9 "2003-12-22T05:56:12Z")
Thanks to all for the responses. I had a feeling it was still a “[dot.com](http://dot.com)” Internet. and Markxxx the “dot.biz” domain name I have only redirects people to my “[dot.com](http://dot.com)” website. (Just as you said about the “dot.biz” websites you have encountered). ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/10 "2003-12-22T06:40:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nanoda \* > \*\*I sure wish the porn .xxx TLD passed. Woulda made filtering and such far _far_ easier (one way or another), and left no doubt as to the nature of certain sites. \*\* I don’t think it would actually work in the long-term. The thing you need to realize about the Internet is that nobody owns it. It’s a group of machines communicating on common data links using published protocols. Trying to classify things as porn is iffy at best, and trying to impose any given classification of that sort on the whole world is absurd. We’d end up with one of two things: A small elite, the group of people who actually own most of the big networks and can do the most to effectively `pull the plug’ on things, controlling the classification, or the whole world trying to make up its mind and trying to make concessions to everyone. In the former case, which is by and large what we have now, we have things like the [Verisign Hijack](http://slashdot.org/articles/03/09/16/0034210.shtml) and other such abuses. In the latter case, we would end up with things like the UN, where some vocal nobodies can prevent the UN as a whole from condemning terrorism. In this case, however, it would be Saudi Arabia trying to impose _its_ morality regarding the female form on everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/11 "2003-12-22T12:09:00Z")
Duh. I’m saying those _creating_ risque sites would register under that TLD. And filtering would be just a byproduct. It’s always difficult, even when the filter-ees are co-operating. (Remember any search engine before Google) While there would of course still be people ignoring it and trying to pop-under their way on to desktops at work, it would at least acknowledge a demand. I mean, who wanted .biz? Nobody I know. And I’m sure anybody who knows how to pack a perl script also understands the sizable fraction of the 'net .xxx could encompass. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/12 "2003-12-22T13:00:09Z")
**Nanoda** : On second thought, I’m having second thoughts about my dismissal. Maybe porn site operators would agree that correctly identifying their sites would work for them, not against them. But if you posit that they’re capable of acting rationally in their own self-interest, you’d still need to explain the massive amounts of spam porn companies send out. Rational companies do not engage in universally reviled advertising campaigns. So, I say create the .xxx TLD. See if it works. It’ll be an experiment in applied socio-business dynamics. ---
**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/13 "2003-12-22T15:42:27Z")
There are two theories for segregating porn and other adult material on the net. The XXX TLD would put all porn sites in that TLD. This would help to filter it, but you can’t guarantee that all porn sites will comply. If most do, then you’ve certainly made things more convenient for both their potential customers and the people who want to avoid that content, but you haven’t really made the rest of the TLDs “safe”. Is a lingerie shop going to be forced out of COM and into XXX if they include risque model shots? How about a fanfic site if they delve into darker content? If you don’t get 100% compliance you haven’t really accomplished much. On the other hand, if you create a safe-harbor TLD like KID and restrict content there, you can more easily force 100% compliance by pulling the plug on any offending sites. This is more enforcable because an offensive site in a KID TLD would violate a contract agreement, whereas an offensive COM that chose not to move to XXX was not violating anything. However, there is still a wealth of kid-friendly and useful content in COM, ORG and elsewhere that wouldn’t move, so if your filters restrict kids to KID, you’ve limited the value the Internet can provide. In either case, you’ve put some central authority in place to make value judgements on content, and that’s a slippery slope. At least in the case of the KID TLD, you don’t risk abuse of censorship which would force a legit site out of COM into XXX if it offended some midwest granny. In the case of both KID and XXX TLDs, I don’t think either one accomplishs what the advocates would really like to accomplish. IMO, they’re simply not worth the effort and would not be effective enough to replace parental involvement in monitoring a minor’s browsing. I always thought it was a little sad that ORG and NET weren’t really enforced and a lot of sites used those TLDs when they didn’t meet the intention of the charter, but in the case of something like XXX, you run the risk of doing real damage to freedom if you try to police content and move anything judged objectionable into a quantantine TLD. For the OP, I’ve seen a number of both INFO and BIZ sites. I’ve only seen a couple of cases where they were used as intended (e.g. an INFO site dedicated to info on the topic). In most cases they were snapped up by someone who hadn’t been able to get their chosen name in COM or NET, or they were bought by the COM/NET owners to safeguard their name. In either case, their value is fairly diluted because too many users assume the COM TLD and don’t understand the distinction (e.g. tell someone your domain is mydomain.biz, and they will try to go to [mydomain.biz.com](http://mydomain.biz.com)). ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/14 "2003-12-22T15:52:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nanoda \* > \*\*Just look what happens if you search for [Britney Speers](http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=britney+speers&btnG=Google+Search&meta=)! \*\* Q’est que ce’st? > [@](#): > > britney speers nue nudes french celebs I had no idea she was French! :eek: Between her and Celine Dion, it sure as hell says a lot. . . :rolleyes: Tripler I apologize. My French is about as good as my Congolese. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/15 "2003-12-22T17:17:52Z")
Moved to IMHO. - **xash** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/16 "2003-12-22T19:39:17Z")
All TLDs are popular. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JaxBeachBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@JaxBeachBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaxBeachBoy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/17 "2003-12-23T01:10:00Z")
I always thought that the only one of the new ones to take off would be the .tv, that one just seemed to make too much sense not to… You would think that every tv show and personality would have snapped those up…but they never have caught on. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/18 "2003-12-23T05:02:07Z")
> [@](#): > > I have tried several (dot).biz and all they do is redirect me to the (dot).com site. Most of the really big .com sites probably immediately registered their names as .biz so as to prevent copycats and site stealers. (Think [whitehouse.com](http://whitehouse.com) vs [whitehouse.gov](http://whitehouse.gov).) ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/19 "2003-12-23T06:08:43Z")
.TV is not a Top Level Domain. It is a country name like .UK or .AU I think it is Tuvalu though not certain. I think the problem with (dot).XXX is that some owners would object to being pushed into a porn category. Yes there are producers that condsider sex act art. And there are people that consider legitimate art is porn, (think Maplethorpe[sp?] Too many people are just too computer illeterate. At my last job I handled the systems in the hotel and you would not believe how many people would think the place you type in a URL is a search engine (yeah I know it is IE so it functions as one but that isn’t it’s real purpose - They would be better using Google, Yahoo, Excite etc etc). ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-top-level-domain-nanes-are-they-popular/220380/20 "2003-12-23T07:21:19Z")
It certainly takes time. IPv6 has been out for ages, but most ISPs still aren’t supporting it, when in fact they should be. CSS has also been out for ages, how many sites use it instead of tables for layout?