“.ME” Domain Names to be Managed by GoDaddy
Update: .ME Domains open to public Today at 11AM!
There has been alot of buzz surrounding the release and questionable launch date of the .ME top level domain. Well, we don’t have an official launch date just yet, but can confirm it will be later in 2008! GoDaddy.com announced in a press release today that they have won the bid to manage the new .ME ccTLD.
Insight into the Value of .ME
- Will not be restricted, anyone in the world can claim one.
- GoDaddy will use its marketing muscle to globally promote it.
- Many languages contain the word “me” with various catchy meanings.
- Huge branding potential for English speaking countries.
- All registrars will be invited to resell the .ME extension.
Click Here to Register Your .ME Domain!
Alongside GoDaddy, Afilias Global Registry Services will have oversight of the domain. Afilias is a highly respected organization which also manages the .INFO and .ORG registries.
“To take full advantage of .ME, it needs to be properly promoted and properly managed. We have an unparalleled track record in promoting domain names and keeping customers happy. Afilias has an impeccable record when it comes to managing domain extensions. We offer the complete package to catapult .ME into the International mainstream.”
Bob Parsons
Founder & CEO
GoDaddy.com
In September, DotSauce reported here that ICANN approved a request for assigning the .ME domain to the country of Montenegro, which declared independence from Yugoslavia (.YU) in 2006.
If you are looking to branch out from your .COM investments into something that will retain and increase in value over time, you will want to seriously consider composing a list of potential .ME domains to register.
With the launch of any new domain extension there will be a sunrise grace period for companies with certified trademarks to claim their respective domain names.
Get ready for a huge land rush on launch date. DotSauce will keep you updated with any developing information, we too are actively interested in this extension.
What do you think of the potential brandability of the .ME domain? Do you plan on registering some when the registry opens?
Popularity: 22% [?]
January 19th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Hi Mark,
With the new TLD’s coming out the .Me extension sounds promising. For an Internet Marketer, there is a lot of potential there for some very catchy names.
The fact is that we are getting so many different TLD’s now that I am beginning to wonder if in the near future the perception of the .Com being king will begin to fade.
Some future generations may not equate the same value on the .Com as we do now. It seems logical that a new TLD may take it’s place as the domain of choice.
Anyway, I am glad to see this new one come out, and may pick up a couple .Me domains myself.
Your Friend,
Steve Renner
January 21st, 2008 at 2:20 am
I think that .ME URLS are great for personal blogs. Might get 1 or 2.
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:46 am
The big issue that we see is whether or not trademark holders will be provided a sunrise registration. Every time a new domain extension becomes available, the opportunity exists for cybersquatters to grab domains protected by trademarks in order to divert traffic. Godaddy hasn’t said whether or not it will be providing a sunrise registration period for trademark holders as has occurred when the .mobi and other extensions have become available. We think the sunrise period is important to at least give trademark holders an opportunity to protect their intellectual property. Of course, precautions have to be put in place to ensure otherwise generic domains are left available for domainers and anyone else wanting a fair shot at registration.
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I think the best extension is .com. It has the widest reach and hence would provide the webmaster with the largest exposure.
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Steve - I agree without to an extent. I believe that as more and more TLD are released the hold that the .com domain has on us will be dropped. Users will be comfortable with the fact that not all websites end in “.com”.
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I checked godaddy.com but didn’t see .me It sounds cool cuz noone knows it and I can be the first one to get it in my country.
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I agree with Michael. .ME could be potentially really useful for personal blogs. And extending Steve’s comment, the more international the internet becomes every single day, I also do believe the importance that internet users put on the .Com will begin to fade as more and more extensions are made.
January 25th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
In 2008 this is definitely a useful website - Thanks for the information.
January 27th, 2008 at 1:31 am
Yeah, .me will have some value. It won’t be the domain of choice anytime now or in the near future though.
January 27th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Aside from personal blogs, a .me tld will probably be ravaged by the porn industry!
HO.ME would make a great social bookmarking site!
January 29th, 2008 at 9:28 am
I had never heard of a .me domain before reading this article - fascinating.
January 29th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Thanks for this heads up. I had no idea there was such a thing as .ME domains going to be available. Dang, I have too much to do already and now I need to brainstorm thinking of good possible domain names.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Wow, this is a really great looking site. Good job. And good info like this too. I have never heard of .me domain names before now!
February 6th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Hi Mark,
Good post - it says something that a registrar - GoDaddy - is getting into the business of being a registry - I am not sure how other registrars would see this - although ICANN or IANA does not prohibit a registrar acting as a registry, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. If you are network solutions or enom, it could be something to watch out for - because if an enom customer wants to register .me, enom will have to eventually go to their competitor GoDaddy to get the registration done.
Also, since Afilias will manage this along with GoDaddy, we could see an auction on the lines of .asia
What do you guys think?
April 14th, 2008 at 1:37 am
Yes, obviously the .ME extension will hold some potential, especially for personal blogs, but I don’t think you’ll get over the popularity of the coveted dotcom anytime soon.
The release of new TLD’s at the moment comes nowhere near the number of folks embarking on their online adventures, and as this number explodes on a daily basis, it will be some time before supply equals demand, if it ever does.
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May 5th, 2008 at 2:06 am
ME domains, with their universal appeal, are expected to be in high demand. So some “premium” names – including verb-oriented domains, such as “Contact.ME,” “Drive.ME” or “Fly.ME,” – will be held back for auction after Open Registration. We will have more information available on premium auctions in the months to come.
There’s a story inside each one of us, waiting to be told. Tell yours to the world with .ME — the Top Level Domain that’s all about you!
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:27 pm
[…] DotSauce here the country of Montenegro was granted the .ME domain name top-level by ICANN. It was later announced that GoDaddy.com and the Affilias Registry will be managing the new .ME domain […]
May 24th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Concerning “premium” name hold-backs for auction: Is there a final, locked-in list of those names available?
I’m thinking of the “front-running,” or name-lockup done by Network Solutions, I believe: If a name is submitted that is not on the Premium list, but Godaddy thinks could be a goldmine, could that name be added to the Premium list retroactively, and held for auction?
July 17th, 2008 at 9:36 am
[…] Don’t miss your chance to get the best .ME domains. […]
July 17th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I registered .ME today and I and a co-worker were both able to purchase the same domain from GoDaddy. We both have receipts for the same domain name and it shows up on our accounts in order history.
I am anticipating a mess to clean up from them. And some uphappy people who thought they had secured there new domain.
July 17th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
UPDATE: GoDaddy canceled all my registrations. Apparently I purchased domains that were already used.
July 19th, 2008 at 9:28 am
these other tlds are a waste of time, only dot coms will prevail as all the major and minor cos. have invested so heavily in them
August 6th, 2008 at 11:53 am
I’d beg to differ. With personalization giants such as Youtube, Facebook and Myspace, the same ideology applies to .me. Only now the personalization lies solely in the hands of the creator. Far less rules and regulations. It is truly here to stay and will make a great investment towards the future.
September 28th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I’ve acquired the following .me names - if anyone’s interested.
laptoprepair.me
laptoprepairs.me
tripping.me