Comments on: mdot vs. dotMobi as Mobile Internet: The Tipping Point

By: Douglas

Douglas — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:08:43 +0000

@ Holly

Your web address is your address on the web, right? So…. it’s fine to have another address – but if I go to your first address (and like it or not your .com IS your main address) – and you are out (at your second home!). Why not leave me a note to tell me where you are? You are saying that the note should say “sorry this house is derelict but if you can guess my other address, you’ll find me!” Hmmmm.

I have no big issue with .mobi – just it’s promotion instead of a redirecting .com or equivalent.

By: Holly Kolman

Holly Kolman — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:30:30 +0000

@Douglas, thanks for your comment. You said, “Use .dot and then your MAIN domain – not someone elses! It’s about clarity not claiming someone elses domain on .mobi.”

I am anti-cybersquatter and think that anyone who has a legitimate business trademark can file a WIPO if their domain is being squatted. Not everything is a trademark, though. Generic dictionary words are not trademarked, and many of these names are parked with ads on them in the .com.

I think stating that the .com or .fr is the only extension that matters is like saying that anyone who didn’t buy real estate downtown is out of luck. Well, new neighborhoods crop up all the time, and give people and companies a choice on where to live, online and off.

By: Douglas

Douglas — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:05:23 +0000

Why is anyone bothered about .mobi at all? This stuff about “what if you don’t own the .com” is irrelevant. Use .dot and then your MAIN domain – not someone elses! It’s about clarity not claiming someone elses domain on .mobi

Anyway – the whole point of the anti .mobi guys is simple. If I want to visit a site – I go to one url regardless of device…. The .com, the .fr or whatever. That site site should resolve to a mobile version – who cares if that is mdot or .mobi? Except mdot won’t cost you money. Promotion of .mobi is ridiculous – it sets us all back as it makes web sites harder to find – not easier. How many people go – “hmmm – nothing on .com – I’ll try .mobi?” – Few, and why should they have to care?

By: Carnival of the Mobilists #212 – Terence Eden has a Blog

Carnival of the Mobilists #212 – Terence Eden has a Blog — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:40:55 +0000

[...] What now for .mobi? With the slightly shocking news that .mobi has been sold to Affilias, what does this mean for the .mobi brand. I’ve a vested interest in this one, as I run a .mobi domain. Will mobile sites migrate to m. a la facebook and twitter? Can .mobi regain the initiative. Important questions. [...]

By: Petra

Petra — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:43:02 +0000

I agree with you Holly, the game isn’t at all over yet, especially if you think about it globally.
I live in Finland, where we started a “mobile internet” with WAP in the late 1990′s. I had my first WAP enabled phone, the Nokia 7110 in fall 2000 and was reading newspapers, using an online dictionary and checking TV-programs with WAP already back then. Because of this legacy, we still have websites in Europe and Asia that are called wap.domain.com.
I think any url that adds more dots is just overcomplicating things. Some websites already have two-part names separated with a dot. Take forum.nokia.com for example. A mobile version of this would be m.forum.nokia.com. Too many dots there. Why not just forum.nokia.mobi?
It’s true that as we move towards more converged mobile and web, the need to identify mobile sites becomes less relevant. But we always tend to over-estimate the time it takes for new technology to be fully adopted by everyone. My rule of thumb is: make your estimate and double it.

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:41:06 +0000

“What the .mobi haters and smear campaigners always conveniently forget is that there are new businesses and start ups that can’t use the .com because it is already taken. I am talking generic keywords and non trademarked terms and names. Since the .com is not available and mobile internet is the future .mobi is perfect for them and many excellent names are available at a much lower pricetag then the .com if the .com is even available. They can even build a PC site on it that recognizes mobile devices if they like just like a .com

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:10:37 +0000

People you are looking at .mobi in the wrong way and always have. M. is fine if you own the .com sure…but what if you don’t own the .com?
You must see .mobi as just another extension but then a special one, a top tld that is perfect for the business or bloke or gal that wants to start up something that needs a website and finds that the .com is already taken.
“What the .mobi haters and smear campaigners always conveniently forget is that there are new businesses and start ups that can’t use the .com because it is already taken. I am talking generic keywords and non trademarked terms and names. Since the .com is not available and mobile internet is the future .mobi is perfect for them and many excellent names are available at a much lower pricetag then the .com if the .com is even available. They can even build a PC site on it that recognizes mobile devices if they like just like a .com
The shortsightedness of some people like the techdirt guys as far as .mobi is concerned has always amazed me. I thought we were dealing with adults with a brain but no they ceaselessly keep on bashing .mobi in a real juvenile way.”