Bill gates & domaining: myth or reality?

[centreurope.org]

Hi,
I'm writing papers about domaining and I was wondering if one could provide me a source for this frequently quoted sentence from Bill Gates: "Domains have and will continue to go up in value faster than any other commodity ever known to man."
thanks in advance
david

 

[Vorty]

Some people, including Frank Schilling say that quote is from Rick Schwartz.

As you can see here as well - http://www.searchengineworld.com/domains/3456045.htm

"He [Rick Schwartz] has gained attention for believing that the value of domain names "would go up faster in value than any commodity ever know to mankind," and owns over 5,000 domain names"...

I don't see Bill Gates saying something about domain names, he and Microsoft are actually known by entering the internet market a bit too late.

 

[000]

I agree with Vorty. The quote is often attributed to Gates without source. Investment hyperbole is not his style.

 

[GUA]

I love the suggestion/idea with which this statement is used.
Who cares what anyone else say. Part of investment is having your own views!

 

[james2002]

I also read the quote a while ago but I don't think Bill Gates had said this as there is no proper source for this.

 

[centreurope.org]

thanks for your answers, especially to Vorty !

 

[tphelan]

I see that quote attributed to Gates often, but it doesn't make sense for Gates to say it. He's a guy who became rich with software, not domains.

Besides, Rick Schwartz says he has been saying it from day one and it does make sense for him to say something like this. Here is his blog where he claims this quote:

http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2009/02/how-much-is-a-domain-really-worth.html

 

[Rick Schwartz]

Some people, including Frank Schilling say that quote is from Rick Schwartz.

As you can see here as well - http://www.searchengineworld.com/domains/3456045.htm

"He [Rick Schwartz] has gained attention for believing that the value of domain names "would go up faster in value than any commodity ever know to mankind," and owns over 5,000 domain names"...

I don't see Bill Gates saying something about domain names, he and Microsoft are actually known by entering the internet market a bit too late.

Here is the REAL story.

First, that is my quote. Been saying it since 1996. Now I will reveal how this quote got attributed to Bill Gates. Back about 7 or 8 years ago maybe a year earlier or a year later there were a group of us chatting on my board one night. As the conversation winded down there were just 2 of us. That member asked me if it was okay to attribute the quote to Bill Gates? Figuring the quote did not mean much coming from Rick Schwartz, I said "Sure, why not?"

This person is someone who may decide to come forward at some point. Somebody we all know and took me many years to remember who it was. Either way, that is the REAL story on the record.

 

[centreurope.org]

Thanks Rick for the "real story",
I like the sentence, but I won't be able to use it, as the French audience I'm targeting (novelists, business people, University professors, etc.) do not know you.
In case this might interest anybody, we are currently receiving in France a great interest from end users to acquire and develop generic & brandable domain names. Our goal as French domainers is to take advantage of this trend by acting as partners with the natural destinatories of domain names, not just merchants. It is a chance for us that the French market had never really emerged, it allowed us to spend our time not in transactions, monetization & communication but thinking.
We are currently being accepted as legitimate players in the internet sector (which is the main focus of most French domainers, and not only domaining) and our market has solid foundations and almost only ethic players (no cybersquatting, speculation and other bad practices).

 

[Vorty]

Thanks for clarifying Rick.

 

[PRED]

Here is the REAL story.

First, that is my quote. Been saying it since 1996. Now I will reveal how this quote got attributed to Bill Gates. Back about 7 or 8 years ago maybe a year earlier or a year later there were a group of us chatting on my board one night. As the conversation winded down there were just 2 of us. That member asked me if it was okay to attribute the quote to Bill Gates? Figuring the quote did not mean much coming from Rick Schwartz, I said "Sure, why not?"

This person is someone who may decide to come forward at some point. Somebody we all know and took me many years to remember who it was. Either way, that is the REAL story on the record.

cheers Rick! k:

 

[kwok]

Here is the REAL story.

First, that is my quote. Been saying it since 1996. Now I will reveal how this quote got attributed to Bill Gates. Back about 7 or 8 years ago maybe a year earlier or a year later there were a group of us chatting on my board one night. As the conversation winded down there were just 2 of us. That member asked me if it was okay to attribute the quote to Bill Gates? Figuring the quote did not mean much coming from Rick Schwartz, I said "Sure, why not?"

This person is someone who may decide to come forward at some point. Somebody we all know and took me many years to remember who it was. Either way, that is the REAL story on the record.

Always nice to learn about history. k:

 

[cleverlyslick]

Hey Rick I know you got your own blog and you're a busy man with t.r.a.f.f.i.c.is it possible to see more post from you in the future.I can't front it's because of your magazine article that I got into domaining(although i've caught myself developing more often though).I would just like to see more of the pioneers involved in threads and hear stories like this one.

 

[Albert Tai]

Here is the REAL story.

First, that is my quote. Been saying it since 1996. Now I will reveal how this quote got attributed to Bill Gates. Back about 7 or 8 years ago maybe a year earlier or a year later there were a group of us chatting on my board one night. As the conversation winded down there were just 2 of us. That member asked me if it was okay to attribute the quote to Bill Gates? Figuring the quote did not mean much coming from Rick Schwartz, I said "Sure, why not?"

This person is someone who may decide to come forward at some point. Somebody we all know and took me many years to remember who it was. Either way, that is the REAL story on the record.

Wow i searched you on google....wow.
Domain king nice to meet you....dang.
Real real person to look up to when you want to succeed in domains. Bookmarked your blog

 

[draggar]

Here is the REAL story.

First, that is my quote. Been saying it since 1996. Now I will reveal how this quote got attributed to Bill Gates. Back about 7 or 8 years ago maybe a year earlier or a year later there were a group of us chatting on my board one night. As the conversation winded down there were just 2 of us. That member asked me if it was okay to attribute the quote to Bill Gates? Figuring the quote did not mean much coming from Rick Schwartz, I said "Sure, why not?"

This person is someone who may decide to come forward at some point. Somebody we all know and took me many years to remember who it was. Either way, that is the REAL story on the record.

Nice little historical tidbit - but I don't think being paired up w/ Gates is always a bad thing.

As for MS & Gates getting into domaining here's my proof he was a (very) late bloomer:

http://whois.domaintools.com/microsoft.com

ICANN Registrar: TUCOWS INC.
Created: 1991-05-02
Expires: 2014-05-03
Updated: 2006-10-10

(I never figured that they were w/ Tucows!)

By 1991 many companies had registered their own domains, MS isn't even in the first 100 (that post always seems to make it's way here every few months or so). Probably not even in the first 1,000 and possibly not even in the first 10,000 (doubtful, but possible).

A well established company, especially a computer / tech company, should have easily seen how big the internet was going to be back in 1991 (heck, I saw it sitting on my 80386 SX20 dialing up BBSs just to have eMail (was Juno around back then?).

 

[Sonny Banks]

Nice little historical tidbit - but I don't think being paired up w/ Gates is always a bad thing.

As for MS & Gates getting into domaining here's my proof he was a (very) late bloomer:

http://whois.domaintools.com/microsoft.com

ICANN Registrar: TUCOWS INC.
Created: 1991-05-02
Expires: 2014-05-03
Updated: 2006-10-10

(I never figured that they were w/ Tucows!)

By 1991 many companies had registered their own domains, MS isn't even in the first 100 (that post always seems to make it's way here every few months or so). Probably not even in the first 1,000 and possibly not even in the first 10,000 (doubtful, but possible).

A well established company, especially a computer / tech company, should have easily seen how big the internet was going to be back in 1991 (heck, I saw it sitting on my 80386 SX20 dialing up BBSs just to have eMail (was Juno around back then?).

Too bad in 1991 I was only 11 years old and I was play with my cousin killing snails in his garden
If I only know what a domain was in the 90!!!

 

[Albert Tai]

Carter I didn't even exist when it was 1991.
I was born at 1993!
Unfair to me...i have all the crappy domains
*emo*
Dammit

 

[katherine]

I remember that micr0$0ft let several valuable domains expire: passport.com hotmail.com hotmail.co.uk... but they have some very nice generics in their portfolio - too bad so many are dead

 

[Sonny Banks]

Carter I didn't even exist when it was 1991.
I was born at 1993!
Unfair to me...i have all the crappy domains
*emo*
Dammit

lol

 

[Flexi Web Host]

I remember that micr0$0ft let several valuable domains expire: passport.com hotmail.com hotmail.co.uk... but they have some very nice generics in their portfolio - too bad so many are dead

microsoft are not the best at keeping track of their domain names. If I remember correctly when hotmail.com dropped someone caught it and handed it back to them.