WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has issued a demand to several of the top American internet domain registrars to clamp down on the abuse of their services by Russian disinformation actors who he alleged are attempting to interfere with and influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Warner sent a letter earlier in October to several well-known companies in the web domain registering and hosting … [Read more...]
These Countries Are Beniffting Big from Their Distinctive Top-Level Domains
PALM BEACH, FL -The rise in prominence of artificial intelligence in the tech industry has proven to be a significant boon for Anguilla, which has seen a huge spike – and along with it, a lucrative revenue stream – from companies and organizations seeking to register the small Caribbean island nation’s top-level domain (TLD) of “.AI.” This development has been making headlines in the press, but Anguilla isn’t the only country with a TLD that is desired across the globe for … [Read more...]
Domain Names as Digital Real Estate: The Parallels of Scarcity and Value
PALM BEACH, FL - In the modern business landscape, owning a premium domain name can be as valuable as holding a prime piece of physical real estate. Just as with prime properties in desirable locations, premium domain names—short, memorable, and industry-specific web addresses—are in limited supply, which drives up their value over time. These digital assets, much like their physical counterparts, are scarce commodities, and their importance has only increased in an era where … [Read more...]
Google’s John Mueller on Why Hyphens Aren’t Used in Domain Names Anymore
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - In a recent Reddit Q&A, John Mueller, the Senior Webmaster Trends Analyst and Search Relations team lead at Google, fielded a query on why hyphens are no typically longer utilized in domain names, and if their fall from grace was something to be concerned about. Mueller noted that hyphens in domain names were a trend from a bygone era of the internet, and their curtailed use in modern times has occurred for a number of reasons, ranging from the way … [Read more...]
Thousands of Domain Names Owned by Legitimate Brands Hijacked to Send Spam
TEL AVIV - As part of a sophisticated scheme involving spam proliferation and click monetization, over 8,000 domains and 13,000 sub-domains once owned by major, legitimate brands and institutions have been hijacked to allow millions of spam emails to bypass standard security blocks for nefarious gain. This coordinated malicious activity – dubbed “SubdoMailing” – has been going on since at least September 2022, according to Guardio Labs, the Israeli security … [Read more...]
Mega Domain “NewYork.com” Has New Property Manager After Reported Sale
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - In 2019, I put a spotlight on mega domain and website NewYork.com, virtually disappearing into thin air after its owners fell into a complex legal dispute which pushed the business to its breaking point after years of litigation. At that time, I remember being shocked that a dispute could not be resolved to the point where the entire business would collapse, and virtually vanish, but for whatever reason that’s what happened. Now, approximately … [Read more...]
Yellow Pages Goes Green ® (Yellow Pages Directory Inc.) Makes Additional Top 100 List
NEW YORK, NY - A project I have put considerable work and time into over the years has made yet another Top 100 list thanks to https://www.vendasta.com. Vendasta offers a platform for companies that sell to local businesses. Calling themselves, an agency-in-a-box solution, it includes a sales CRM, needs-analysis tools, marketing automation, app services, and white-label fulfillment. The listing, which is very detailed and fairly accurate despite it uses only publicly … [Read more...]
“ShoeBuy” Becomes “Shoes” – Walmart Maximizes Domain Acquired in $9M Deal
NEW YORK, NY - Back in April I wrote about the “Category Killer Domain” Shoes.com which was acquired in a $9M transaction by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Today, it looks like that investment is being put into good-use by retail giant Wal-Mart. The transaction began in late March of this year and by April 29th 2017, according to the Archive.org website, ShowBuy.com began redirecting to Shoes.com ShoeBuy.com (according to the Archive.org April 29th 2017) Shoes.com … [Read more...]
Category Killer Domain Shoes.com Acquired in $9M Transaction by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
NEW YORK, NY - According to domain name industry news publication DNJournal.com, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., owned subsidiary ShoeBuy, has acquired the Internet domain name Shoes.com in a $9,000,000.00 transaction which included the domain name from a bankruptcy of now defunct operator “Shoes.com Technologies”. A spokesperson for ShoeBuy told Footwear News that the move was part of the company’s larger digital goals. We plan to maximize Shoes.com as the gold standard of category … [Read more...]