Cuba, What do you think?

[Tedgeman]

I,d like your opinion:
I,d like to make a serious Canadian .CA website, regarding my travels to Cuba and include the option for other Canadians only, to post their stories and pics.
However, I,m not certain, if my writing, is as clever and witty, as I think it is.
I used mainly keywords, and my Cuban pictures to make an earlier attempt. Help me if you can, is this an interesting picture story, about a trip to Cuba?
Do you think, people would enjoy it enough to follow it occasionally, as a blog or a .CA website?
http://allinclusivevacationdeal.com/

[Doc Com]

I would not restrict it to Canadians only. That makes no sense. Plus, US-Cuba relations are expected to thaw and the potential exists for the embargo and travel restrictions to be lifted.

A good, well planned, Cuba site like you are suggesting would be worth pursuing.

Afterall, if all goes as expected - us Yanks might be landing on your site for trip tips.

[Raider]

Do you have to be Canadian to give an opinion?

[elivate]

Personally, if I were to visit a site that uses .com I would not expect it to be exclusive to Canadians...

I would try to use the .ca of the domain for a version of the site that maybe emphasizes the Canadian point of view, etc... but also use the .com for an "open" community, know what I mean?

[Tedgeman]

Originally Posted by Raider

Do you have to be Canadian to give an opinion?

Hi Raidar, I qualified the opinions to a Canadian audience, on the belief, that few in America, exempting Miami , would have experienced Cuba in its Castro era, as a tourist.
Since, this is not a political opinion, where looking for, but rather an opinion about the Canadian perspective regarding a vacation in Cuba, I was wondering if the site offered a glimpse into one of the adventures, I enjoyed the most in my travels.
If you have been a tourist in Cuba, or are intending to go someday... lets hear it.
If there is one thing, you are known to be generous for , its certainly your opinion
No disrespect intended.

Originally Posted by elivate

Personally, if I were to visit a site that uses .com I would not expect it to be exclusive to Canadians...

I would try to use the .ca of the domain for a version of the site that maybe emphasizes the Canadian point of view, etc... but also use the .com for an "open" community, know what I mean?

"I,d like to make a serious Canadian .CA website."

Originally Posted by Doc Com

I would not restrict it to Canadians only. That makes no sense. Plus, US-Cuba relations are expected to thaw and the potential exists for the embargo and travel restrictions to be lifted.

A good, well planned, Cuba site like you are suggesting would be worth pursuing.

After all, if all goes as expected - us Yanks might be landing on your site for trip tips.

I appreciate the replies and, if or when, you Americans have the freedom to travel to a place like Cuba, I,m sure you will have much to say about it.
However, by then, I imagine my site would dwarf under the new experiences being talked about on the web, by all the American tourists, who have fallen in love with this Caribbean Island. I may be wrong, but until US-Cuba relations thaw, short of politics to talk about, the adventure is ours. Thus, I was simply wondering, if I expressed the trill it was to embrace the Cuban culture and how I appreciated the hospitality I encountered. Its a haunting love, one acquires for this place and people.
I look so forward to my next trip to CUBA

[bigboydog_0]

buy all the cubans domains you can , cuba is going to open up....

[Doc Com]

Originally Posted by bigboydog_0

buy all the cubans domains you can , cuba is going to open up....

Traffic and offers have definitely picked up. Also had an inquire about advertising on one of my sites. And one person wanted to "make a trade".

Say what?

Originally Posted by bigboydog_0

cubans domains

Well, I now know where CayosCuba is.

[bigboydog_0]

Originally Posted by Doc Com

Traffic and offers have definitely picked up. Also had an inquire about advertising on one of my sites. And one person wanted to "make a trade".

Say what?

Well, I now know where CayosCuba is.

yea doc i have about 40 cuba domains and i get traffic on them hoprfully i can make some dough???? hey doc what site were you talking about for ads???

[Doc Com]

Originally Posted by bigboydog_0

yea doc i have about 40 cuba domains

PM Sent. I believe they are more interested in actual sites, not domains

[Tedgeman]

Originally Posted by Doc Com

PM Sent. I believe they are more interested in actual sites, not domains

Speaking of domains, as I mentioned earlier, I sold Cuba.net a few years ago, but I got fair money for it, and Pool should be posting these two domains for sale this week: cheapallinclusivevacation.com and allinclusivevaradero.com. I put a $300 reserve, so they may move. I noticed a couple nice .ca domains that could still be regged Cubanas.ca and cubapictures.ca, help yourselves, as I think these are nice grabs.
I have a funny cuba domain that I,d like to show you all, but I will fix the flash first.
If you guys have enlarged the pics and read the story line, can you comment on this type of picture and story line website. Is this an enjoyable photo trip for folks wondering what Cuba is like?
Originally, I thought this site might make some goggle ad money, but as most of us already know, goggle ads hardly pay anything for this type of site.
I really enjoy this mini site and would like to make a follow up site of my last Cuba adventure with my buddy Jayfunk, who wiped out on his uninsured moped, was overwhelmed with attention at a Havana Disco and had a phone bill to Canada that cost a small fortune. Believe me there is lots to tell. lol

[whitebark]

Americans can and already do travel to Cuba - they just transit through Canada.

[Doc Com]

Originally Posted by whitebark

Americans can and already do travel to Cuba - they just transit through Canada.

Bingo.

Or fly out of Mexico.

Cuba is going to be hot, hot, HOT post Fidel.

Had a great telephone conversation with a forum member yesterday on this very topic, along with a few other topics.

As mentioned, I've been contacted about advertising on one of my sites. The Spanish/Hispanic internet market as a whole has been very overlooked. But that is going to change soon. Looking at Central America and areas in South America that are growing at alarming rates in terms of internet connectivity.

[Tedgeman]

Originally Posted by Doc Com

Bingo.

Cuba is going to be hot, hot, HOT post Fidel

I firmly believe, and with a certain sadness, that once the Communist Castro era is finished, so the Cuban flower begins to wilt. For this unique tourist experience to be enjoyed and the very intrigue that sparks it to life, in essence, is the present system. Remember, we are talking as a visitor, to a one of a kind culture. Trapped in a 50s time warp, one can go back to a place much simpler, then today's hustle and bustle. Where people have time to play music, sing and salsa, moreover, socialize! Take the time to talk and laugh, perhaps even, to make a new friend. The Cuban,s love for life is addictive, and spreads to everyone in its path, with enough left over to even bring a dead tourist back to life. Sure, some you met may be hustling, but I have found that friendship is a definite goal for most of the Cubans, I have met. Many are humble of heart and generous with what they have to offer, sincerely appreciating whatever kindness they may receive in return.
Water Cuba with the wealth of money and speed up the pace it takes to earn it, take away the great health care system and free education and what will you have? I think, whatever it was, that once warmed my heart, will be lost in a new time and a place that reflects an all to common theme. Cuba is different, its not another, Jamaica, Haiti, Mexico, Central America, or the likes, but give it a new government recipe and never will the flavor be the same. What Castro has cooked up is a Caribbean dish, that a tourist will never forget and though he may search for the ingredients, it will never be repeated once the oven cools!
From a Tourist Perspective Only

[Doc Com]

I would go in a heartbeat right now if I could.

Why?

As you eluded to, in it's present state, it is very addictive. I have had many friends travel there and are swept away by the romanticism that can only be found in places all over cuba. Taxi's and most automobiles are 1950's American cars. The food and music are pure Cuban. I was listening to NPR not too long ago and they were doing a story on preserving the sound of Cuba. There were mega stars in the 50's (remember Desi Arnez?) that were put into obscurity by the embargo. They are older but have never stopped playing music that has helped define the Cuban sound.

All I can say is if you are fortunate to go, do soak up the environment and culture that is Cuba.

All of this talk has led me to playing with Habana dot Travel. I'll piece it together as I go along in my "non-spare" time.

[Tedgeman]

Habana.travel would be nice to develop, I wonder if anyone out there in DNforum World has more domains to develop or have already done some work.
Lets hear about them or check them out. I really wished to see Cuba.net developed but so far its still parked, I had to part with it a while back for some cash to buy .CA,s.

[theinvestor]

Tedge...i would never let cuba.net go...i hope you got an amazing price for it.

[draggar]

If you do this, make sure that 0% of it (registrar, host, DNS, any other IP address it may use) touches anything in the US, it's territories, or under the control of the US. We've alreayd seen a European site promoting travel to Cuba shut down because the registrar was in the US.

As Doc Com said, the US-Cuba travel restrictions are expected to be lifted (and I'm sure the embargoes will also be lightened) but - they are NOT there yet so you still need to look out for the US laws.

As for limiting it to Canadians only, I think the l.ca ccTLD will do a good job at that. You might even need to stay away from .com, .org, .net, and .info since those registries are US entities. Personally, I wouldn't try to restrict it to Canadians only, I know MANY people who have gone to Cuba and back (though the Bahamas or Mexico mostly) - don't forget, Miami has the largest Cuban population (worldwide) outside of Cuba. You may also want to consider a Spanish version of the site (Say you grabbed "MyCubanTravel.ca" - throw up a subfolder, "MyCubanTravel.ca/espanol/ so both "sites" to get as much SEO out of it as you can). Don't promote it for Americans (and other countries) - but don't discourage it either.

I would closely watch news for US-Cuba relations and be ready to scoop up those domains if they're available the second embargos and restrictions are lifted.

Originally Posted by theinvestor

Tedge...i would never let cuba.net go...i hope you got an amazing price for it.

If this is the domain in question then WOW, great name, but be careful if you develop it - the US justice department has shut down European sites for Europeans to travel to Cuba, I think they were shut down because they were .com domains (registered with Verisign - a US based entity). I am 99% sure .net domains have their registry in the US also.

Originally Posted by Doc Com

I would go in a heartbeat right now if I could.

Me too. I know a lot of Cuban-Americans who have been there, some who have even grown up there and they say it is beautiful plus I think it is one of the safest places to go in the world for tourism.

[Doc Com]

Originally Posted by draggar

We've alreayd seen a European site promoting travel to Cuba shut down because the registrar was in the US.

I had forgotten all about that. This was perhaps 4 years or so ago.

[draggar]

I thought it was last year?

[Doc Com]

It appears the story broke the press early last year:

http://www.juventudrebelde.co.cu/int...e-us-revealed/

However, there is a notation in there of this practice dating back to a memo from 2004.

On the other hand, Cuba (like China) limits access of sites beaming into that country.

It is right to question whether the US has the right to block sites to Cuba, even if the registry is on American soil.

Reviving this topic has raised concern for some planned sites I had hoped to build, one being Habana dot Travel.

It was quite surprising last year for Cuba to allow international calls and access from cell phones. But the plans and phones are so pricey I am not sure how many bought into this.

Rest assured, the Cuban government would be tracking those calls.