3 ms·

Well of course there are intricacies associated with my example, but the general point is what matters: Websites that do exist that are making a lot of revenue

Well of course there are intricacies associated with my example, but the general point is what matters: Websites that do exist that are making a lot of revenue and employing a lot of people would not exist if domain prices were changed to be only affordable by those with substantial income. I've seen other HNers talk about this before, I'm sure if you don't like my example I can find other examples that don't have anything to do with trademarks. > You're trading on someone else's trademark, that's what made those domains work. It's likely both could be shutdown with a UDRP. Also specific to this point, no, we have been permitted to use the Minecraft trademark since day 1. We can't be shut down (not that they would ever want to).

staunch 15y ago
I don't think there really are that many examples where $10 domains (registered in the last couple years) were a key to success. I'd be sincerely interested to hear examples where that was the case. Most people who are genuinely prepared to put effort into building a business would be willing and able to spend a bit of money. Maybe $500/yr is too high (I think so) but I seriously doubt $100/year would stop anyone who was at all serious.
- citricsquid 15y ago
  What do you define as success? For me success is once something becomes self-sustaining (paying the employees wages etc.) and I can name quite a lot of people I work with today that would not be in the position they are now (living off their websites) if domains were $500. Maybe my world view is skewed because I spend a lot of my time around people that build sites as hobbies that turn into businesses and not true startups like Instagram or Twitter. I forget the persons name, but just last week a hackernews user posted about their top 400 (I think it was 400?) US website that they started in high school as a hobby, I doubt they would have started that if domains were priced at $500.
  - joering2 15y ago
    > that would not be in the position they are now (living off their websites) could you possibly name a few? perhaps I can learn new things...
joering2 15y ago
> Websites that do exist that are making a lot of revenue and employing a lot of people I dont fall for this reasoning. Same way you could tell a cop to leave that cocaine dealer alone because selling drugs is his only "job" and he has a family of four and uses his profits to buy diapers. If you bought a good domain, regardless if it was $10 or $500, AND obtain a copyrights to use the trademark, you are in a different category - your success is not based on cheap domain, but rather the fact copyright owners cannot go legally after you. I still stand behind my point. If you truly believe in your startup, then you would shovel camel shit for six months just to get that $500 to make your startup come true.
- citricsquid 15y ago
  I don't get it, are you suggesting that everything that makes money has to start its life as a startup with a good domain, a "ceo" and a plan? I was a dumb 17 year old kid making some fansites for a game I liked and now they make millions of dollars. I'm not saying we were successful because the domain was only $10, I'm saying if the domain would have cost more than I could afford ($500 was the arbitrary figure provided above) then I would never have created the websites, just like many people I know. The company I work for currently owns quite a lot of video game fansites, they're acquired from the creators and the original creators are hired to manage them. From the 50+ websites I see listed in our analytics I can tell you the majority were started as a hobby by one guy/girl but now help support many employees and provide real revenue... people that had a passion for their chosen subject matter and didn't care about making money and as such wouldn't have been able to invest $500+ in it. There is a world outside the hackernews idea of making money online. I started the sites because I liked the game and wanted to provide value to other people, I didn't care about money and I still don't (even if I do live in a nice apartment). The company I work for was started as a hobby and now is a profitable enterprise with big name investors.
  - joering2 15y ago
    I agree with you, but there could be a cheap domain like .info or .us or .net, and then there could be .com as it used to be considered "COMercial", and should be more expensive.

staunch 15y ago

I don't think there really are that many examples where $10 domains (registered in the last couple years) were a key to success. I'd be sincerely interested to hear examples where that was the case. Most people who are genuinely prepared to put effort into building a business would be willing and able to spend a bit of money. Maybe $500/yr is too high (I think so) but I seriously doubt $100/year would stop anyone who was at all serious.

citricsquid 15y ago
What do you define as success? For me success is once something becomes self-sustaining (paying the employees wages etc.) and I can name quite a lot of people I work with today that would not be in the position they are now (living off their websites) if domains were $500. Maybe my world view is skewed because I spend a lot of my time around people that build sites as hobbies that turn into businesses and not true startups like Instagram or Twitter. I forget the persons name, but just last week a hackernews user posted about their top 400 (I think it was 400?) US website that they started in high school as a hobby, I doubt they would have started that if domains were priced at $500.
- joering2 15y ago
  > that would not be in the position they are now (living off their websites) could you possibly name a few? perhaps I can learn new things...

joering2 15y ago

> Websites that do exist that are making a lot of revenue and employing a lot of people I dont fall for this reasoning. Same way you could tell a cop to leave that cocaine dealer alone because selling drugs is his only "job" and he has a family of four and uses his profits to buy diapers. If you bought a good domain, regardless if it was $10 or $500, AND obtain a copyrights to use the trademark, you are in a different category - your success is not based on cheap domain, but rather the fact copyright owners cannot go legally after you. I still stand behind my point. If you truly believe in your startup, then you would shovel camel shit for six months just to get that $500 to make your startup come true.

citricsquid 15y ago
I don't get it, are you suggesting that everything that makes money has to start its life as a startup with a good domain, a "ceo" and a plan? I was a dumb 17 year old kid making some fansites for a game I liked and now they make millions of dollars. I'm not saying we were successful because the domain was only $10, I'm saying if the domain would have cost more than I could afford ($500 was the arbitrary figure provided above) then I would never have created the websites, just like many people I know. The company I work for currently owns quite a lot of video game fansites, they're acquired from the creators and the original creators are hired to manage them. From the 50+ websites I see listed in our analytics I can tell you the majority were started as a hobby by one guy/girl but now help support many employees and provide real revenue... people that had a passion for their chosen subject matter and didn't care about making money and as such wouldn't have been able to invest $500+ in it. There is a world outside the hackernews idea of making money online. I started the sites because I liked the game and wanted to provide value to other people, I didn't care about money and I still don't (even if I do live in a nice apartment). The company I work for was started as a hobby and now is a profitable enterprise with big name investors.
- joering2 15y ago
  I agree with you, but there could be a cheap domain like .info or .us or .net, and then there could be .com as it used to be considered "COMercial", and should be more expensive.