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Community Center F.A.Q (Last Updated: 2025 Jan 17 10:49 pm)
Subject: trying to think of a good domain name....
Attached Link: http://www.register.com/register.cgi?1|4132741234|
I'm sure you're well aware, but don't forget there are several more top level domain extensions than just .com available and I believe ICANN has a few more the works for release although they may be limited in their use. These days, quite a bit of thought must be used when choosing a domain name. The biggest got'cha is choosing a name that isn't copyrighted to a specific product. Even though the name may be available it doesn't mean it's not copyrighted by someone or some entity. Do a little research before registering your domain.I remember when I registered a domain name through my host. Prior to doing so, I spent a few days making a list of desired names and came up with about ten. It took six or seven tries but finally found one that wasn't registered. I remember a little pop-up dialogue box appeared and humorously proclaimed, "Congratulations! You've managed to choose a domain name that hasn't been thought of by 5 billion other people on the planet!" or something to that effect. At the same time, I also registered the .net extension and configured it to redirect to the .com domain. I also registered my wife's domain in both .com and .net. Domain names are cheap; why not gobble the extensions up when you've found it?
As far as someone buying a domain and parking it, why not? Some people do this to either protect a product or name, or, to make money from the name. When you finally find a domain name that can be used, buy the other two popular extensions (.net, .org) at the same time. For all you know, someone may buy the .net and create a web site that is rather...shall we say...unsavory. Or, maybe you'll luck out and somebody will offer you substantial cash for one of the extensions. It happens all the time.
Here's two web sites for useful information:
http://www.thesitewizard.com/archive/domainname.shtml
http://www.icann.org/
The second one tells you how all this works. The content is rather dry, but will definitely educate the masses on this nightmare called the Internet.
If you're already aware of all this, ignore, otherwise hopefully someone else may find it useful.
Good Luck!
"The biggest got'cha is choosing a name that isn't copyrighted to a specific product. Even though the name may be available it doesn't mean it's not copyrighted by someone or some entity." I think trademark would be the issue here, rather than copyright. I'm fairly sure copyright can't apply to a single word or short phrase (e.g. a song title). If anybody wants to know for sure, ask in the Copyright Forum :)
This is a good game! I don't know much about this sort of thing but according to this lot http://www.checkdomain.com none of these are taken. this-sort-of-thing.com by-my-oath.com on-your-marks.com on-my-toes.com ready-steady.com by-yesterday.com just-ask!.com ask-me-now.com can-be-done.com Hope none of this is too stupid.
If it's a personal site. Try to think of what your essence is. Who are you and what are you all about. My domain "hawkfyr.com"comes from my love of Hawks (messenger of the gods) and fyr (Fire...the element of passion and action). What are you passionate about? Personally I'd try to stay clear of dashes(-) and underscores ( _ ). It makes it more difficult to verbally tell someone your site name. If it's a business site. try to incorporate your product name or company name in the name if possible. Hope this helps Tom
“The fact that no one understands you…Doesn’t make you an artist.”
When you finally find a domain name that can be used, buy the other two popular extensions (.net, .org) at the same time. For all you know, someone may buy the .net and create a web site that is rather...shall we say...unsavory. This is good advice. I wish I had known this years ago when I got my main domain (this was back when network solutions was about the only place you could get them and it was like $35/year). My website is myfirstname.com (my real name not myfirstname LOL) and it's unusual so I didn't really worry about it cause it's never taken anywhere. About 3 years after I got it someone picked up the .net version and they run a MLM scam of some kind. Not only do I get tons of spam from their "partners", but they even put their own addresses in at .com so I get tons of their personal mail and such as well. I have written to them nicely over the years with no luck so I finally started writing to any of their "partners" that sent me email and told them to stop immediately or I would report them to their ISPs as spamming me. Several of them responded immediately that they had no idea, were sorry and would take anything with my domain off their lists and they did stop. One person said they would and did not. I reported them ONCE and since then they have stopped. I imagine since they are not really on the up and up (IMO at least) that they prefer not to be reported constantly by the same site. I keep an eye on it and if it ever comes open I will grab it just to stop the hassle. Now when I get spam addressed to any of their addresses, I have a filter set up to automatically forward it to them since I wouldn't want them to miss out on all the great offers I am getting for them ;)
"I think trademark would be the issue here, rather than copyright. I'm fairly sure copyright can't apply to a single word or short phrase (e.g. a song title). If anybody wants to know for sure, ask in the Copyright Forum :)" Good point indeed. OTOH, a registered domain name would not automatically create or assume a registered trademark unless the name was actually registered as a trademark. Something to remember. (correct me if I'm wrong) The point I was trying to make was a friend of mine registered a domain name about five years ago, choosing a name that he thought was rather nifty and unique. He'd had his web site up for about a year when one day he received an e-mail from an attorney informing him the name he'd chosen was for a trademarked product. The product was a hand-held mister...some battery operated device that sprayed water mist through a propeller onto your face, popular at sporting events. I cannot remember that exact name of the product, but do remember the domain name matched the trademarked product exactly. Misty-something or other, I cant' remember. He had no choice but to abandon the website. The company would not settle for a disclaimer on the website. Another thought for SeanE: what's so wrong with choosing your name as a domain name? IMHO, it isn't the domain name that keeps me coming back, it's the content within. The actual domain name, at least to me, means nothing much. IMO, the domain name is simply the bookmark; if I like it, the content is why I bookmarked it in the first place. Your struggle should not be so much as the name, but the goodies within that make people want to return :)
One other thing that can be an advantage is being low on the alphabet.Your site comes up earlier in the search engines.If you want more traffic that is.Just don't call it anything to do with Olympics...the IOC is on a rampage to sue anyone using the name or similar related.
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absence but in the mastery of his passions."
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heya I'm trying to think of a good domain name for if/when I have to move my website and pay for webhosting in the near future. ...and I can't for the life of me think of anything good or nifty. This is typical of myself - great ideas for everyone else but when it comes to me...nada. I could always have seanellery.com.... wow how exciting... and I've been leaning towards stonegecko.com - but it's taken. I could have stonegecko.net though!... but maybe its too much like steeldolphin.com...? bleah... what annoys me even more is that invariably whenever I test something that is supposedly taken, its just a squatter sitting on the name so no one else can use it... the site name rarely has anything actually attached to it like a gasp! actual website...! so... anyone got some good ideas out there (keep 'em clean please) cheers Sean