Friday, May 30, 2008

First MyID .ca auction closes successfully

The first MyID .ca auction ended today, and I think the results were positive. There was a lot of speculation initially when MyID announced they were going to start doing regular .ca auctions. Many wondered if a regular auction format would work for .ca domains at this time. Well, I think the answer is yes based on today's outcome. Many four figure sales, some five figure sales, and lots of last minute bidding on the top domains. Future auctions will likely have more quality domains, since domainers now know that this format is working.

Here are three of the top sales from the auction (not official):

cv.ca $53,300
diploma.ca $17,352
income.ca $25,299

Hopefully MyID will publish a full auction results list with all the closing prices. Many of these sales will likely be reported in the weekly DNJournal sales report for country code domains.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

CoffeeMachine.org is for sale

I've listed CoffeeMachine.org for sale at DNForum if anyone is interested.

You can see the sale thread by clicking here.

I'll be selling this domain to the highest offer by Friday, May 30, 6pm EST (New York time).

High offer is now $250.

'coffee machine' is one of the highest search terms for coffee, and Coffee.org sold for 100k recently.

You can bid or contact me through dnforum, or the domain whois.

MyID .ca auction into final day

There are just over 24 hours left in the first MyID .ca domain auction. The amount of all bids on .ca domains is about $165,000. Only four domains have met reserve so far, however that will likely change as the auction draws to a close tomorrow.

The four domains with reserves met are:

AccountingJobs.ca $899
jetset.ca $750
webtemplates.ca $1,001
zz.ca $9,400

The domains with the highest bids are:

cv.ca $52,501
pharmacies.ca $11,002
income.ca $10,001
eyeglasses.ca $10,001

If you are interested in checking out the auction click here to visit the MyID site.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

One Million .ca domains on YouTube

Here is a video clip from earlier this year of an Ottawa newscast that talks about the 1 million .ca milestone. It's only had 14 views on YouTube (posted there on May 14), so I thought I'd post it here in case anyone wants to see it.

The clip shows a reception at the National Gallery and some commentary by John Demco of Cira.

Monday, May 26, 2008

May 28 .ca TBR dropping domains

There are 2,889 .ca domains dropping this week on the TBR. Here are some of the better or more interesting names in the drop.

aky.ca
cache.ca
caverns.ca
dipper.ca
dogland.ca
ecool.ca
ecotrip.ca
efishing.ca
englishlessons.ca
escortsbc.ca
establish.ca
familyvideos.ca
fellow.ca
fiu.ca
fri.ca
funmobile.ca
gef.ca
germanbeer.ca
gpsdevices.ca
hole.ca
hunch.ca
ibg.ca
initiative.ca
internationals.ca
iport.ca
jyc.ca
thp.ca
qtw.ca

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Also, the MyID .ca domain auction ends later this week. There is still time to bid on domains, or submit your .ca domains for the next auction in June. Click here to visit the MyID auction site.

As of this posting, the dollar value of all the bids on domains in the auction is just under $100,000 which I think is a great start to the first .ca domain auction. Last Friday, when the auction started, the total bids by the end of the day were around $40,000. Not all domains have met their reserves yet, but as we all know, bidding at auctions usually picks up towards the end.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Some .ca TBR auction results

These results were posted by a member of dnforum.com for some TBR auctions that ended at Sibername today.

WTR is a good acronym for water, and DirectPay would make a nice name for an online payment site.

subletting.ca $680
wtr.ca $380
directpay.ca $210
vbp.ca $190

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Namespro - Register .ca domains at Namespro.ca Click here to register .ca domains

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

New Book - The Domain Game

Finally, I just learned today (from other domain blogs) that there is a book out on the domain name industry. It's called The Domain Game, and it's written by David Kesmodel. I won't go into too much detail here, because it will be reported everywhere, but I'm glad to see that a book has been written about this industry.

I haven't read it yet, apparently it features at least two Canadian domainers, Frank Schilling and Garry Chernoff. Adam Dicker, owner of www.DNForum.com is quoted in the introduction that is available online (see excerpt link below).

Here is some information on how to order a copy. I don't think it's available in book stores, you have to go to:

http://thedomaingame.org

ordering is done through Xlibris, I had to order over the phone because their online processing isn't working. The cost of a paperback is 19.99, hard cover is 29.99. Shipping to Canada adds another $20 or so.

If you go to the Xlibris site, you can read an excerpt from the book as well.

http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=47650

May 21 .ca TBR dropping domains

Here are some of the better or more interesting domains in the .ca TBR today. There are a total of 2,829 domains dropping today.

lisp.ca
lvd.ca
animeworld.ca
banffskiing.ca
begs.ca
mydates.ca
mynutrition.ca
bloq.ca
bodyboards.ca
mytennis.ca
ninemile.ca
calgarylocal.ca
careerforum.ca
oligraph.ca
churchblog.ca
petvideos.ca
plx.ca
pvm.ca
quebeccam.ca
datecanada.ca
directpay.ca
doer.ca
rbx.ca
satellitecam.ca
satellitemap.ca
ejeep.ca
scanfile.ca
smartgeek.ca
greenconsulting.ca
treeplanters.ca
insidertrading.ca
ublog.ca
uglystick.ca
vbp.ca
islamabad.ca
webstorage.ca
wtr.ca
zbk.ca
itdirectory.ca
italiangelato.ca
isurfer.ca
junktrader.ca
v-i-p.ca

It is just an average week in the TBR, with no real stellar names. Not many LLL.ca dropping either.

At Namespro, there were 19 domains with TBR bids in the $100 to $500 range today, but couldn't see which names they were.


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Namespro - Register .ca domains at Namespro.ca Click here to register .ca domains

Monday, May 19, 2008

.CA auction by MyID.ca, Special Feature

There is a special feature that was added to the MyID.ca auction for .ca names that runs from May 22 to May 29.

It is called an "At-COST credits promotion" for buyers and sellers in the auction.

What is an AT-COST credit?

An AT-COST credit allows one to register, renew, or transfer one .ca domain at cost, which is what MyID.ca pays CIRA (currently $8.50 plus GST).

How does this incentive work for participants in the May 22 - May 29 DOT CA Auction?

For Buyers:

For every $10 spent at the .ca auction, MyID will credit the buyer's account with 1 AT-COST credit.

For sellers:

Sellers get 1 AT-COST credit per $10 of sale price for every domain that sells during the auction.

Here are two examples of how it works.

If a buyer purchase domains from the DOT CA auction for $1,000 they get 100 AT-COST credits. That means they can register/transfer/renew 100 domains for $8.5 each at MyID.

If a seller lists and sells a domain in the DOT CA Auction for $2,500 they get 250 AT-COST credits. That means they can register/transfer/renew 250 domains for $8.5 each at MyID.

There is no upper limit. If you spend $10,000 buying domains in the DOT CA auction or sell a domain for $10,000 you get 1000 AT-COST credits.

This isn't a bad deal, because it saves you $2 or more per domain registration based on prices at other registrars. If you use 100 credits, that's a $200 saving on domain registrations.

This incentive is not guaranteed to last in their future DOT CA auctions. However, ALL participants in the May 22 - May 29 auction are guaranteed to always benefit from this promotion. In other words, even if this incentive is not extended in subsequent auctions, all participants in the May 22 - May 29 DOT CA that either sell or buy at least one domain, are guaranteed to always receive AT-COST credits for all their future auction activity.

There are some conditions for claiming the AT-COST credits:

If you are interested in this promotion, there are some conditions, like keeping the names at MyID for the one year period, and the credits aren't transferrable to another party. Read the full conditions at their site by clicking here and following the .ca auction link.

The .ca auction starts in three days, hopefully this will prove to be a good platform for both buyers and sellers.

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Namespro - Register .ca domains at Namespro.ca Click here to register .ca domains

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

May 14 .ca domains in TBR

Here are some of the better or more interesting domains dropping in the May 14 .ca TBR:

banked.ca
biosource.ca
blogcanada.ca
calgaryautosales.ca
condomsonline.ca
dannywilliams.ca
daydreams.ca
eaglecam.ca
egadgets.ca
eorganic.ca
faa.nb.ca
healthyblog.ca
janus.ca
kwn.ca
kxm.ca
loaning.ca
montrealdating.ca
motifs.ca
nanobot.ca
negligee.ca
niveau.ca
pokerland.ca
prance.ca
riverdale.ca
spw.ca

surreycondos.ca
torontonet.ca
touristcentre.ca
tourmaps.ca
tvdinner.ca
ybs.ca


The TBR seems to be a little thin this week, not so many good names as in recent weeks. And not many LLL.ca either.

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Namespro - Register .ca domains at Namespro.ca Click here to register .ca domains

Monday, May 12, 2008

MyID.ca releases .ca domain auction list

Over the past weekend MyID.ca released their list of .ca domains to be auctioned later this month, between May 22 and May 29.

If you go to the site, click on "Dot CA Auction" at the top of the page.

It is too late to submit domains for the May auction, but I believe they are planning this to be a monthly event, so you can always submit for June.

If you want to be eligible to bid on any names, you must first pre-register at their site. I think the pre-registration is there to help minimize the occurence of non-paying bidders, or tire-kickers. If a potential bidder goes to the trouble of pre-registering, they are more qualified and seen to be more serious, which is better for everyone.

This has never been done before for .ca domains, so it will be interesting to see how successful the auction is. With the recent record sales of .ca domains, this might prove to be a good time to start a .ca auction process. The bidding and competition for .ca domains in the TBR drops has picked up in the last year, which is another good sign that this format may succeed.

There are some two letter domains in the auction, and some good generics. I have about a half dozen names in the auction myself.

Here is the list of names in the auction. You can check at the site for the reserve range for each domain:

0B.ca
AccountingJobs.ca
ActiveHolidays.ca
Anywhere.ca
AssuranceMaladie.ca
BcApartments.ca
BirthInjury.ca
BoatRental(s).ca
BUH.ca
Calgarian.ca
CalgaryRentals.ca
CamroseHomes.ca
CanadaFSBO.ca
CanucksForum.ca
CarAppraisal.ca
CardioStriptease.ca
ChiroPractice.ca
CV.ca
Delicacy.ca
Denim.ca
Diploma.ca
eFares.ca
eFit.ca
eImmigration.ca
eLaws.ca
Eleve.ca
Enceinte.ca
Enjoy.ca
Eyeglasses.ca
Feminine.ca
FitnessDiet.ca
Fling.ca
FloorTiles.ca
ForexSystemTrading.ca
FreeInternetGames.ca
Gagnez.ca
Geriatrician.ca
Giveaways.ca
HomeFinancing.ca
HomeLoanRates.ca
HotelOnline.ca
iBorrow.ca
iCar.ca
iGuide.ca
Income.ca
iPoker.ca
iStore.ca
JetSet.ca
KAU.ca
KUN.ca
LactoseFree.ca
LawyersToronto.ca
LegalHotline.ca
LoanDirect & DirectLoan.ca
LoansCanada.ca
MontrealFashion.ca
MontrealMortgages.ca
OffreEmploi.ca
OntarioJob.ca
PentictonJobs.ca
Pharmacies.ca
Pies.ca
PriceShopper.ca
PrimeTime.ca
PrinceAlbertHomes.ca
Provider.ca
PZ.ca
Quatre.ca
QuebecHome(s).ca
Randys.ca
STD.ca
Sweats.ca
VancouverTravel.ca
WebTemplates.ca
WeddingCaterer.ca
WhistlerTrip(s).ca
ZZ.ca

Auction Start Date : 2008-05-22 15:45:00
Auction End Date : 2008-05-29 15:45:00

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Namespro - Register .ca domains at Namespro.ca Click here to register .ca domains

Friday, May 9, 2008

RBC.mobi in my bank statement

A short break from .ca today...

I've followed the .mobi extension since the landrush in the fall of 2006, and while I didn't break the bank on them, I own some good generics. I've always thought .mobi had a chance of making it, not because it's NEEDED, but because of marketing and the 'cool' factor (plus it's easier to get a good .mobi than a good .com these days). A .mobi url in an ad would tell someone right away it's a website for a mobile device.

One of the things that has to happen for .mobi to survive, is that companies have to start using them for their mobile sites. Some companies don't, but there is a long list of companies that do.

Royal Bank, the biggest bank in Canada, announced this year the release of RBC.mobi. When I saw that, I thought now they have to get the word out to the average customer to make the masses aware of this.

Then today, I opened my bank statement, and in there is a "Go Mobile" colored flyer for the Royal Bank. The front and back of the flyer tell about their mobile banking system. And on both sides, prominently displayed, is www.RBC.mobi

Here is some of the wording:

"When you can't get to a branch or a computer, then go mobile. Go to www.rbc.mobi from your mobile phone or PDA."

"If you bank online, you're ready to go mobile. Try Mobile Banking right now at www.rbc.mobi"

It is promotion of .mobi domains in advertising like this that will help the .mobi extension succeed.

Click on the scans below to see the full size, sorry for the black and white, the actual flyer is in color.




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Namespro - Register .ca domains at Namespro.ca Click here to register .ca domains

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

.CA domains that dropped today

I completely missed the .ca drop today, but I looked through the list of names that were caught, and here are some of the better ones that were available.

stp.ca (lots of three letter .ca's in this drop)
premium.nb.ca
a7.ca
selfesteem.ca
l1.ca
etoiles.ca
autobodyrepairs.ca
travelforum.ca
petwear.ca
torontolistings.ca
teleworker.ca
pokerking.ca
criminalawyers.ca
vitaminwater.ca
casinojackpot.ca
forsalebyownertoronto.ca
hockeymagazine.ca
frenchmaids.ca
onlinespecials.ca
bonny.ca
spacetours.ca
salmonarmrealestate.ca

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Ogopogo Media buys Jobs.ca for $600,000 USD

The largest .ca domain sale ever reported was announced today by Ogopogo Media.

Jobs.ca for $600,000 US

Ogopogo has plans to build a job network site for Canadians,

Kelowna, BC, May 6, 2008 - Ogopogo Media Inc. announced today that it has acquired the rights to the Internet domain name Jobs.ca from Domed Technologies, Inc. of Montreal for $600,000 USD. Ogopogo Media will develop Jobs.ca as the core property of a planned job network, which will include JobSearch.ca and Resumes.ca that will cover all the needs of both job seekers and employers. The acquisition of Jobs.ca represents the largest published single domain purchase in .ca history.

Link to full news release:
http://www.ogopogomedia.com/news/2008-05-06/Ogopogo+Media+Inc.+acquires+Jobs.ca

Congrats to Ogopogo Media on acquiring a great domain!

Ogopogo also owns many other great domains, such as Kelowna.com and Penticton.com. They are developing these domains into full websites, and look to become a powerhouse Canadian media company.

Visit their website to learn more about their domains and direction at: OgopogoMedia.ca

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Namespro - Register .ca domains at Namespro.ca Click here to register .ca domains