Proposal: Why don't we make domain names more like names on the App Store? Here's how it would work.
If you go to x.com, you'll visit the actual x.com, which literally just shows an x. However, you'll see a suggestion for the top companies that are "secondarily registered" (for free) to that domain, in order of popularity and some other metrics. You can make one of those secondary x.com's the default, so that when you visit x.com, you visit their alternative website instead.
There are some issues to sort out with that system, such as whether secondary registration (or at least the auto-suggest) should be allowed for the likes of Facebook and other established, popular, trademarked brands. Another question would be that, if x.com is parked by a squatter, should the more visited x.com's be able to bid for your domain?
Here's how bidding would work. Only established companies with a name that corresponds to the domain name would be able to bid. Bidding would only be open for a pre-specified time frame. The domain name owner would be free to notify everyone with an established company that goes by that name to get in on the bidding action. Users would be able to flag websites operated by dead/zombie companies, and an independent committee would convene (digitally) to vote on whether bidding should be re-opened.
Naming is actually an issue with startups. We should reduce friction as much as possible for entrepreneurs because it's already hard to start a company as it is. It would be great if you can just pick the best name that isn't taken by a major brand and move on to more important matters. Down the line, you can give customers a small reward for defaulting your version of the domain.
I like the automated ranking. The issue you see with popular websites could be fixed by asking for a panel to review your website against a fee. Reviewing who should own google.com would cost 5 euro, other more complex reviews would be more expensive. The conclusion could also be that there should be an index page listing all of the tools on [say] video-converter.com which in turn could be claimed by a website that reviews video converters. Any converter company can request that website to be reviewed (for a large fee) afterwhich it may revert back to a flat list type of index that also lists the review website. The review should be subject to specific rules and regulations and aim to serve the end user.
Now if only I could figure out who reviews the reviewers...
I could see the index idea working, but there's one issue to resolve: traffic hacking.
What if I create a startup called X, and successfully petition to convert x.com to an index. I'll be on the index, and if I get big enough, I'll be able to win any bid to become the "primary" domain owner rather than a secondary registrant. However, a VC firm that didn't invest in my startup can realize that I'm gaining traction. What they could do is fund another "X" startup that does the same thing and gets listed on the same index.
Their version of "X" could steal my thunder, and they can use the resulting profits to justify their investment in the highest bid for x.com. Under the system that I described, they can still bid for the domain, they just wouldn't be able to blatantly hack attention by listing their website next to mine in the index. I would be the very obvious first name in a small window showing the top secondary x.com's by traffic. Almost everyone would click the first one, and then default my website if they like it. Of course, they can expand the modal window into a de-facto index, but that would be if they really want to see everyone beyond the top 3 x.coms.
A review by humanoids would consider historic context. End of the day the end user should benefit. Killing off your thunder isn't good for anyone, until it is.
That makes sense. I was referring to the most egregious cases of traffic hacking, where a startup’s value is entirely derived from stealing a namesake competitor’s startup.
The scenario I’d try to avoid is this: a world where, even if you create a startup with a reasonably unique name, you can nonetheless 100% count on someone trying to steal your thunder once your idea is validated. If they succeed, and they win when bidding opens, then you and your investors will get a haircut for losing your brand. You might never fully recover, or it could be a fatal blow.
I must admit, I can’t say that’s an unmitigated bad outcome. In the end, your investors didn’t help increase the bid when they had the chance, which means they value your potential less than that of the other X. I could see the whole system resulting in a market for domain bidding loans, and the terms of the loan would be more favorable (low rate, long maturity) the more mature your company is and the more credible the vision.
At least a ton more names would be available, so the potential competitor would be more likely to pick another name to begin with. Savage competition would only appear on obvious names like X. I would still be concerned about large companies trying to squash startups and make life as hard as possible for them, but I’m sure there’s a way around that. The rules governing the system would have to effectively outlaw such actions, as adjudicated and penalized by an independent committee. The system would have to be as fair as possible to startups, and perhaps even biased towards them, so that society may reap the positive externalities of competition.
A hybrid between my idea and yours would only force the index schema on the most extremely simple domain names. Most combinations of two words (not a common phrase) and most “non-words” that do not correspond to a valuable company would be really easy for a startup to grab. They’d be able to force bidding to open immediately, skipping the index stage. The domain owner would have some amount of time to notify pre-existing businesses with the same name, if they exist, so that they have a chance to bid.
Example: let’s say kentmobile.com is parked and you are a UK-based 5G startup. For whatever reason, you want to be named after the UK province of Kent. The only other business actually named Kent Mobile is a seedy mobile repair shop in the province. You can force bidding to open, and only you and that seedy store will be able to bid. Your business has much more potential, so you will definitely win the bid without paying an enormous sum to the domain owner. Without such a system, the domain owner can neglect to even list their domain for sale, intentionally preempt competition (ex: if Facebook parks some of the best potential social network names), irrationally strike down offers, or ask for an unreasonably high sum.
I had 2 thoughts: 1) I remembered how much everyone hated web directories (or did we?) and how annoying it is to have to click though to get to a page. 2) The other thought was that we've been here before. The solution back then was to give people second names.
I would still bring in the review panel for that bidding war for an existing businesses website. The 5G company should probably outbid the previous owner by some proportional amount.
I find internet navigation [by name] to be a fascinating puzzle since I don't really like any of the ideas. I'm going to have to think about it for a few more years.
It's definitely a tough problem to get right, but the status quo sucks so much that the only way is up.
I think one feature of the system that would mitigate any issues with indices or bidding is the ability for users to "default" a website to a particular domain name. To use another example than x.com - let's say GrubHub didn't exist, and it was being founded today, but GrubHub.com is parked. Instead of using a sub-optimal name or paying tons of money for a domain before they even have revenue, they could go ahead and launch GrubHub.com as a "secondary domain." Users of their iOS/Android app would be told "hey, to get your $10 signup bonus, tap on this link and press 'default as grubhub.com on all devices.'" The users would gladly oblige, because they'd rather have grubhub.com point to an actual service rather than some rent-seeker's landing page. That's especially if there's free money involved. Once GrubHub gets momentum, they will be well-positioned to win the eventual bid, which won't have many bidders. There aren't many companies named GrubHub out there. Again, if they anticipate very limited/no competition in an auction, they can just force the bid to happen before formally launching and maybe pay a few hundred dollars for grubhub.com.
If you go to x.com, you'll visit the actual x.com, which literally just shows an x. However, you'll see a suggestion for the top companies that are "secondarily registered" (for free) to that domain, in order of popularity and some other metrics. You can make one of those secondary x.com's the default, so that when you visit x.com, you visit their alternative website instead.
There are some issues to sort out with that system, such as whether secondary registration (or at least the auto-suggest) should be allowed for the likes of Facebook and other established, popular, trademarked brands. Another question would be that, if x.com is parked by a squatter, should the more visited x.com's be able to bid for your domain?
Here's how bidding would work. Only established companies with a name that corresponds to the domain name would be able to bid. Bidding would only be open for a pre-specified time frame. The domain name owner would be free to notify everyone with an established company that goes by that name to get in on the bidding action. Users would be able to flag websites operated by dead/zombie companies, and an independent committee would convene (digitally) to vote on whether bidding should be re-opened.
Naming is actually an issue with startups. We should reduce friction as much as possible for entrepreneurs because it's already hard to start a company as it is. It would be great if you can just pick the best name that isn't taken by a major brand and move on to more important matters. Down the line, you can give customers a small reward for defaulting your version of the domain.