4 ms·

There's a problem to be solved here -- is there a way to buy/sell domain names ONLY to people who will actually use them? I have a bunch of domains that I've r

by jtheory 13y ago

There's a problem to be solved here -- is there a way to buy/sell domain names ONLY to people who will actually use them? I have a bunch of domains that I've registered over the years, with plans for side projects that haven't yet been realized. Some of them are probably moderately valuable. Over the years I've let some expire that I was sure I wasn't going to use, and those are all registered nowadays... but NONE of them are actually in use. Just squatted. That's not nice to see. I've sold a few as well, for reasonable prices, once I was confident that the purchaser was going to use them -- e.g., wishmash.com. I've had offers for others where we couldn't work out a deal -- not because I was asking too much, but because I wanted to sort out a way to ensure the domain was actually used, not just resold, and that got too tricky. I'd love a way to have a sort of long-term escrow for a domain name, so I could let someone use it for an actual project... and if they get some traction, I'll sell it automatically for a fairly low price, and if they abandon the project, the domain reverts back to me instead of going to squatters.

dcuthbertson 13y ago
How on earth does one distinguish between someone like yourself, who buys a domain name with a plan to use it in a project, from someone who just wants to sit on it until a high bidder comes along? > I'd love a way to have a sort of long-term escrow for a domain name, so I could let someone use it for an actual project... and if they get some traction, I'll sell it automatically for a fairly low price, and if they abandon the project, the domain reverts back to me instead of going to squatters. How is that different behavior from a squatter? You're just sitting on a domain until someone comes along who meets your criteria (project traction and some cash), instead of another's criteria (big bucks, and no cares about how it will be used). I don't think there's any reasonable way to vet people who want to buy a domain. Nor would I want to see a vetting policy established. Part of the beauty of the current system, is that anyone can buy an unused domain on a whim.
- jtheory 13y ago
  > How on earth does one distinguish between By asking them? > How is that different behavior from a squatter? You're just sitting on a domain until someone comes along who meets your criteria I don't register the domain in the first place unless I have a good idea for what I'd like to do with it. I'm not registering them to sell... but I recognize that someone else may well also have a solid project idea, and the time right now to execute on it. I'd like a way to graciously give way to those people. If there is no such way, then I'll just keep the domain until I have the time to do the project I had in mind. > Nor would I want to see a vetting policy established. I think you misunderstood. I don't want a general vetting policy, just a way for (the minority) of people who feel domains should actually be used, to transfer domains among themselves. > Part of the beauty of the current system, is that anyone can buy an unused domain on a whim. Sure, I'm not talking about changing that. I'm just trying to create a third choice, beyond "I don't have time for my idea yet, so I'll sit on this domain until I'm ready" vs. "I'll let this domain expire and it definitely will be squatted when I'm ready." I want a 3rd option that recognizes that other people have project ideas.
ScottWhigham 13y ago
I don't know of such a service, nor does it seem reasonable that "the market" would want such a service. Yes, it's a lofty goal but do you really want to be the "landlord" of the domain for years and years? "Hey, you kids! Keep it down over there!" doesn't sound exciting for either party. You can park it on Sedo for free or you can put up a "For Sale" page on your own. Another idea is to put a line in the WHOIS that says "This domain is for sale".
- jtheory 13y ago
  I can't imagine it would be a business by itself, just a service that a company that already had domain tools could offer at a low price. I don't imagine it like being a landlord -- the only judgement to be made would be "is this domain in-use" after X amount of time, and if so at that point they would buy it at the pre-arranged price. If it's not, I'd get it back (and could use it for my own project idea, or let someone else try). The driving idea is just that I want to use these domains, for a project sometime in the future, but I recognize that someone else's project starting today should trump that (and I don't want to charge them a lot for it). Given that I don't want to milk them for a high price, if I just sell, then someone who only plans to resell will buy instead. Then the domain will be unavailable to me, and also off the table for people with project ideas who don't have lots of cash.

by jtheory 13y ago

dcuthbertson 13y ago

How on earth does one distinguish between someone like yourself, who buys a domain name with a plan to use it in a project, from someone who just wants to sit on it until a high bidder comes along? > I'd love a way to have a sort of long-term escrow for a domain name, so I could let someone use it for an actual project... and if they get some traction, I'll sell it automatically for a fairly low price, and if they abandon the project, the domain reverts back to me instead of going to squatters. How is that different behavior from a squatter? You're just sitting on a domain until someone comes along who meets your criteria (project traction and some cash), instead of another's criteria (big bucks, and no cares about how it will be used). I don't think there's any reasonable way to vet people who want to buy a domain. Nor would I want to see a vetting policy established. Part of the beauty of the current system, is that anyone can buy an unused domain on a whim.

jtheory 13y ago
> How on earth does one distinguish between By asking them? > How is that different behavior from a squatter? You're just sitting on a domain until someone comes along who meets your criteria I don't register the domain in the first place unless I have a good idea for what I'd like to do with it. I'm not registering them to sell... but I recognize that someone else may well also have a solid project idea, and the time right now to execute on it. I'd like a way to graciously give way to those people. If there is no such way, then I'll just keep the domain until I have the time to do the project I had in mind. > Nor would I want to see a vetting policy established. I think you misunderstood. I don't want a general vetting policy, just a way for (the minority) of people who feel domains should actually be used, to transfer domains among themselves. > Part of the beauty of the current system, is that anyone can buy an unused domain on a whim. Sure, I'm not talking about changing that. I'm just trying to create a third choice, beyond "I don't have time for my idea yet, so I'll sit on this domain until I'm ready" vs. "I'll let this domain expire and it definitely will be squatted when I'm ready." I want a 3rd option that recognizes that other people have project ideas.

ScottWhigham 13y ago

I don't know of such a service, nor does it seem reasonable that "the market" would want such a service. Yes, it's a lofty goal but do you really want to be the "landlord" of the domain for years and years? "Hey, you kids! Keep it down over there!" doesn't sound exciting for either party. You can park it on Sedo for free or you can put up a "For Sale" page on your own. Another idea is to put a line in the WHOIS that says "This domain is for sale".

jtheory 13y ago
I can't imagine it would be a business by itself, just a service that a company that already had domain tools could offer at a low price. I don't imagine it like being a landlord -- the only judgement to be made would be "is this domain in-use" after X amount of time, and if so at that point they would buy it at the pre-arranged price. If it's not, I'd get it back (and could use it for my own project idea, or let someone else try). The driving idea is just that I want to use these domains, for a project sometime in the future, but I recognize that someone else's project starting today should trump that (and I don't want to charge them a lot for it). Given that I don't want to milk them for a high price, if I just sell, then someone who only plans to resell will buy instead. Then the domain will be unavailable to me, and also off the table for people with project ideas who don't have lots of cash.