About.me launched a new premium service plan this week and as a big fan of Ryan’s I wanted to show my support for the amazing things they’ve been doing for free for so long now. I also think that they make some of the most simple and elegant one page bio sites out there and [...]

In a letter sent by  FairSearch.org (FairSearch) to ICANN they urge ICANN to reject the new gTLD application for .Search filed by Google even after Google changes their application to make it an opened extension. “I write to apprise ICANN that Google’s recent attempt to amend its .search Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) application is an effort to evade Google’s responsibilities to address objections through the dispute resolution process at the ICC International Centre for Expertise.” “Instead of responding directly to the areas of concern raised in objections to Google’s .search application that are on record, Google now seeks to alter its application. ” “The proposed amendments do not remedy the anticompetitive effects that would result from a dominant company controlling a crucial entry point for Internet search. ” “Instead, they (Google)  attempt to shift the focus away from legitimate objections. At the same time, the proposed amendments proffer new procedures that are laden with their own problems. Google should not be permitted to continue to put off the substantive discussion about the competitive risks associated with Google’s ownership of a search gTLD. FairSearch respectfully submits that by proposing amendments to its original application and thereby increasing the surface area of competition concerns, Google is engaging in a counterproductive exercise at this stage of the gTLD application process. For these reasons, ICANN and the ICC should consider Google’s .search application as it stands. FairSearch serves as a reputable voice for the Internet search community to preserve transparency, fairness, consumer choice, and innovation in search. “On March 13, 2013, FairSearch filed objections to applications by Google subsidiary Charleston Road Registry (hereinafter referred to as Google) for the .search, .map, and .fly gTLDs. FairSearch was concerned particularly by Google’s request to obtain and to operate the .search gTLD as a “closed registry with Google as the sole registrar and registrant.” Google proposed to make .search proprietary by “allow[ing] Google to manage the domain space for its Google Internet search offerings.” “If Google controls .search, Google would have both the incentive and the ability to become even more of a bottleneck in search than it already is.” “Google would unilaterally control the domain name that describes its core function while being able to exclude other competing search engines from such beneficial association” “In a recent communiqué, ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) states that restricted registration policies should require safeguards, and, “[f]or strings representing generic terms, exclusive registry access should serve a public interest goal.” The GAC identifies .search as one such generic term requiring the Registry Operator to apply for a code of conduct exemption in order to operate the gTLD as a closed domain.…

I want to once again thank all of those who bid on domain names and services in the Domain Boardroom and Escrow.com sponsored auction that will benefit the American Red Cross. I especially want to thank the people who offered up their domain names and services. The auction raised a total of $5,655 in bids. [...]The post Charity Auction Raises Over $5,600 appeared first on Elliot's Blog.

Thought Convergence’s domain marketplace will integrate domain parking and the company has switched ad feed providers. Aftermarket.com, the domain name sales platform by Thought Convergence, is getting ready to launch a combined parking and selling platform. In a blog post today, the company said it will start offering a parking platform integrated into Aftermarket.com. Domain [...]

Tumblr just can’t catch a break. Yeah, yeah, they’re getting a billion dollars from Yahoo — but it’s been a torrent of criticism ever since. Angry users! Porn! Poooooorn! Know what probably won’t help? Botching the key detail of an email sent to many of your most tech-savvy users. Tumblr just sent out a big ol’ mass email to all of the users who host a Tumblr blog through their own, independently owned domain. In other words, to the folks who know enough about these bleepy-bloopy electronic space typewriters we use to be able to get a bit fancy with their Tumblr blogs. It warned users of an impending change they’d need to make to their settings — a new IP address they needed to point their domain at — unless they wanted their blog to suddenly “no longer work“. The catch: they, uh, kinda forgot the most important part. They’d put in a placeholder for the IP, and… it never got replaced. “Please point your custom domain to [IP Address],” it directed. Wherps. For many of these users, this was among the first emails they’d received since the Yahoo acqusition. Within about 30 seconds, the tweets lampooning the email started going up. Moral of the story: If you work at a lil’ company and manage to botch a mass email, don’t worry too much. You’re in good company. Billion dollar company.