How is the Santa Clara Traffic conference going?

[mole]

Any updates from the domain knights in shining armor? :cheesy:

 

[JuniperPark]

Excellent show. I met AActive, Actnow, Duke (Ron Jackson), DotComGod, Rick, Howard, and a bunch of other people and big $ investors, the CEOs of eNom, Dotster, Afilias, Pool, Snapnames, Sedo, Fabulous, DomainSponsor, and on and on and on. I'll post more after I get sleep - been driving home all day.

 

[Beachie]

I've been wondering the same thing. I figured everyone will start posting once they sober up :wink:

 

[mole]

Hey duke, any updates?

 

[Duke]

Hey duke, any updates?

I just got home in the wee hours this morning. Will be writing our conference wrap up article over the weekend for publication Monday. Great event. From everything I heard more business was done here than at any previous Traffic show. A remarkable number of heavy hitters from the financial, Internet and domain channels were packed in one place. They only planned to have 150 but wound up with 325 (largest Traffic attendance to date).

 

[sasquatch]

A remarkable number of heavy hitters from the financial, Internet and domain channels were packed in one place.

Were those IREIT "collecting investors" there?

Have you had a chance to ask them to give you tips on best ways of geeting hundreds of simultaneous bogus EU trademark applications and fake EU addresses? Maybe you can put that in DnJournal next time? Just a thought.

 

[Mike Robertson]

Just got back into Australia and can confirm the TRAFFIC conference was a very successful show. Not only previewing our new Premium program (you'll be hearing more about it the next few days) but networking with everyone there.

Was great to catch up with DCG, Duke, aactive, JuniperPark and many more (don't know everyone's handles here, so I'm sorry if I left you out).

Mike
Fabulous.com

 

[A D]

On Tuesday Night I had dinner with Duke, JuniperPark, hiOsilver, Actnow and many others whose handle escapes me.

I had a great time with all the above and many others. All the above mentioned were class acts and a pleasure to meet. I learned a lot about them and how they got involved in domains. It was great to spend time with many people that I have so much in common with and that I deal with here on a daily basis.

Rick and Howard put together a great event that I was fortunate to be a part of. I look forward to the next conference and hopefully will meet a few more of you there.

As for Duke, I continue to admire you and everything you stand for, you are great example of what morals and integrity this business should have.

Is it really a small world?

I was walking back to the shuttle after I left Google HQ and I happen to see another guy ahead of me so I figured I would catch up to him since we were both going to the same shuttle. I caught up and he politely introduced himself as Roy. I introduced myself and then said your not Roy Messer are you? His reply was Yes I am. For those of you that never knew this, I bought one of my first domains off of Roy and he was the one that sent me to Dnforum to learn about domains. 2 weeks after he sent me here, I bought the place and never looked back. Up until that point I never met him, so for me it was like meeting a mentor. Thanks Roy!

-=DCG=-

 

[mole]

Thanks for the update guys! Duke, looking forward to your Monday writeup, seems like Adam worships the ground which you thread and hope you have swayed him to .INFO and .BIZ :-D ... any chance of a preview?

 

[octobus]

I'll have to attend one of those conferences too!

 

[actnow]

On Tuesday Night I had dinner with Duke, JuniperPark, hiOsilver and many others whose handle escapes me.

I personally had breakfeast, lunch and dinner with DCG plus we talked for hours
on end during the conference. And, he can't remember me. :-D

 

[JuniperPark]

I think the most startling thing about the domain industry at the conference was actually NOT said by the domainers, but slipped out during a QA panel discussion by an investment analyst. He said he thinks that either Microsoft or Google will GET RID OF THE ADDRESS BAR in the browser by offering free wifi service which disables the address bar. It would be the beginning of the end of the value of domains.

At first I thought, "that's silly, people won't go for that". But with more thought, I realized it is the same concept as getting rid of the DOS Prompt about 12 years ago, when Windows was born. Everyone thought it was silly, how would you get around and run programs without a DOS prompt? DOS based companies fought the trend and lost, because clicking icons was easier.

Will people give up some 'freedom' online to save $30 - $40/month on internet access, and navigate based on MSN (or Google) Search listings? Very likely yes. This had a lot of people nervious, several asked me about it later. It's something to think about.

 

[Beachie]

I think the most startling thing about the domain industry at the conference was actually NOT said by the domainers, but slipped out during a QA panel discussion by an investment analyst. He said he thinks that either Microsoft or Google will GET RID OF THE ADDRESS BAR in the browser by offering free wifi service which disables the address bar. It would be the beginning of the end of the value of domains.

At first I thought, "that's silly, people won't go for that". But with more thought, I realized it is the same concept as getting rid of the DOS Prompt about 12 years ago, when Windows was born. Everyone thought it was silly, how would you get around and run programs without a DOS prompt? DOS based companies fought the trend and lost, because clicking icons was easier.

Will people give up some 'freedom' online to save $30 - $40/month on internet access, and navigate based on MSN (or Google) Search listings? Very likely yes. This had a lot of people nervious, several asked me about it later. It's something to think about.

I can't see that happening. There might be a select bunch of AOL users who are happy to be pushed around the Internet like sheep, based on what corporate America wants them to see, but the majority of people want to be able to choose what they do with their life. "Gee, I'd really like to go to DNForum, but it's not in today's search results... Guess I'll just check back next week. Looks like I'm being sent to the Walmart site right now.."

Getting rid of the DOS prompt made it easy for plebs to use a computer, but with Windows you still have the choice of what you do. Windows doesn't boot up and show you random applications that open and close entirely at Microsoft's will. Can you imagine seeing completely random sets of icons, from a subset of 100 miillion applications, appearing in your Start menu and Desktop every time you boot? "Where's Excel? Oh, today I have Happy Spelling Bee instead..."

Like the Microsoft slogan says, "Where do you want to go today?" - it would be hard for them to live that one down..

 

[maroulis]

ditto here.... way outfetched scenario.. the "walled garden" approach be it in portals or other places including mobile/wireless have been fought and lost long time ago...

maybe this would work for chinese government but not for Americans/Europeans...

 

[labrocca]

I think the most startling thing about the domain industry at the conference was actually NOT said by the domainers, but slipped out during a QA panel discussion by an investment analyst. He said he thinks that either Microsoft or Google will GET RID OF THE ADDRESS BAR in the browser by offering free wifi service which disables the address bar. It would be the beginning of the end of the value of domains.

At first I thought, "that's silly, people won't go for that". But with more thought, I realized it is the same concept as getting rid of the DOS Prompt about 12 years ago, when Windows was born. Everyone thought it was silly, how would you get around and run programs without a DOS prompt? DOS based companies fought the trend and lost, because clicking icons was easier.

Will people give up some 'freedom' online to save $30 - $40/month on internet access, and navigate based on MSN (or Google) Search listings? Very likely yes. This had a lot of people nervious, several asked me about it later. It's something to think about.

I believe this will happen on day and will actually be good for the internet. Sorry but I truely feel that the value of domains simply for type-in traffic does not have 10+ years of usage. Someone someday will find a way to get rid of the address bar. It could be google or MS. I am sure both would rather you NOT type in a domain but instead use a search engine. We all know that search engines already kill a domain listed at Sedo. So I think development is the only way to go.

Glad to hear the conference was a success btw.

 

[mole]

And, he can't remember me. :-D

Must be you being a .COMmoner :laugh:

but slipped out during a QA panel discussion by an investment analyst. He said he thinks that either Microsoft or Google will GET RID OF THE ADDRESS BAR in the browser by offering free wifi service which disables the address bar. It would be the beginning of the end of the value of domains.

On the contrary, Google is enhancing URLs even further. Check out the new Google Toolbar v4. You can go directly to URLs using the search box.

 

[JMJ]

Getting rid of the address bar is crazy talk and there will always be domains. As much as the search engines want to imagine they can control the internet they don't. People want a domain for advertising their website outside of the internet in alot of cases. To put on their business card, to add to the radio and TV commercial, the back window of their car, on peoples forehead.. Not so google can find them. Like others have said the days and ways of AOL are long gone. People want to do what they want to do and go where they want to go. Also free/ad sponsored internet access has been tested and failed.

 

[JuniperPark]

I'm not sure if you're all old enough to remember the early 90's, but all of this is exactly what was said about the DOS-> Windows transition.

Of course they WILL give you a multi-step way to get to an address bar, just as you still have access to a DOS prompt right now. (for the really young people here, click START, RUN, then CMD).

Is anyone here launching most of their apps from a DOS prompt? Anyone even seen a DOS prompt at all this year? Our are we all following icons around our desktop?

 

[maroulis]

LOL actually the Dos Vs Windows is a very poor example...

I can give you a lot of examples of Tier-1 Carriers (some with >180m subscribers) who tried the walled garden approach failed. The same thing happened with SMS in US and why you had low adoption rate compared to EMEA...

this will not happen I'm willing to place a huge bet for those interested

 

[Beachie]

I'm not sure if you're all old enough to remember the early 90's, but all of this is exactly what was said about the DOS-> Windows transition.

Of course they WILL give you a multi-step way to get to an address bar, just as you still have access to a DOS prompt right now. (for the really young people here, click START, RUN, then CMD).

Is anyone here launching most of their apps from a DOS prompt? Anyone even seen a DOS prompt at all this year? Our are we all following icons around our desktop?

What's this DOS thing all about? I'm still using punchcards on my UNIVAC 1107.

The address bar is here to stay. I personally don't want to put "Please go to Google and type 'Medical Imaging' and see the sixteenth result, assuming Google hasn't reindexed and please don't click on my competitors links" on my business card...