Who but Ron Jackson has built an encyclopedic history of the domain name business? Ron’s quiet personal mission has helped to create the domain name ‘industry’ dynamic in which we all co-exist. We all know that Ron began his journey in broadcasting, initially on the Radio and then on Television. Ron had a full television career before ever stumbling onto the niche of domain names. Ron is a special soul who has touched the lives of many, without necessarily realizing the gravity of his own contribution. He is really the original domain name reporter. Every blog about the domain space including my own, walks in Ron’s shadow.

I recently asked several domain name industry participants to reflect on Ron Jackson, to show what a difference a single person can make in the lives of so many others. Ron’s story is really our own – each of yours. We have all made a difference in the lives of others in this space. Each of us through our participation, has helped another. Consider these unedited comments about Ron Jackson, then digest how each one of these people, and others, have inspired you. Ron’s contribution is really emblematic of many quiet greats, who through their passion, created opportunity for others.

Michael Berkens:

Every domainer alive owes a huge debt of gratitude to Ron for his tireless work, travel and reporting on the industry. Judi and I are proud to know him and call him and Diane a friend.

Finally he certainly has great taste in football teams. Go Bucs

Nat Cohen:
I’d say Ron created the domain industry. Before Ron came along, I viewed domaining as just a bunch of individuals sitting at home buying domains with a handful of businesses, such a Moniker, offering services. Ron’s decision to report on the activities in the domain space and treat it as an industry deserving of being written about helped create the perception that the commercialization of domain names is its own industry.

The old saying of ‘If a tree falls in forest when no one is around, does it make a sound?’ applies here. Ron served as a witness to the happenings in the domain space that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. That Ron thought the domain space was important enough to be worth reporting on, made domaining important enough to be worth reporting on. He helped form the perception among those involved in domains that they we belonged to an industry, and by spreading awareness of activities within the industry, he helped the industry to mature. When Ron started, I don’t think there was anyone fulfilling a similar role, and there wasn’t for quite some time.

Unlike many journalists who pretend at friendship in order to get their sources to open up to reveal ‘gotcha’ info, Ron is a genuine friend and colleague to those he writes about. Ron is a class act, a gentleman in style and substance.

He is one of the rare people in the domain space who has found a way to encompass his family in his business activities. His wife is rarely away from his side, even as they travel to far-flung conferences. You can see the pride he takes in the accomplishments of his daughter, and even the daughter of friends, such as Lizzy Grant.

He is motivated by a desire to nurture the domain industry and to see it succeed. While some see Ron’s writing as lacking in skepticism and too full of ‘good news’, Ron does not hesitate to call out bad practices and clearly state his opinion when he sees actions he doesn’t agree with.

One thing that has struck me is Ron’s dedication and unslacking energy that he devotes to his reporting. He attends nearly every conference, and devotes untold hours to the thankless task of compiling all the sales reports. It is a service that he provides to the domain industry, and I have to wonder if it came at a cost as his time could probably have been more profitably spent growing his own portfolio. DNJournal is clearly a labor of love, and it has earned Ron a place as one of the pioneers of the domain industry.

Rick Schwartz:
My first direct interaction with Ron Jackson was back in March 2004. He had been around for a year or two and was the only one actually chronicling the day to day events around the domain world. He published the following interview with me and you could see his struggle with my persona even back then. Before we even had our first TRAFFIC show. http://www.dnjournal.com/columns/cover020204.htm
Ron is what most in journalism are re not. He is objective and not out for an “I gotcha moment” but rather more probing to see all sides as much and objectively as possible. Ron has done a great service for all of us. There is a record of every accomplishment in the space for nearly a decade. Priceless!!
Without his historical record keeping and tracking of sales, we would all be much more on the defensive and so many of our accomplishments would have gone unnoticed and forgotten soon after.

Michael Castello:

My first memory of Ron was; what a nice man. Being an alter boy as a child he reminded me of a priest. Someone that you could trust and confide in. I consider him and his wife Diana, lifetime friends. I would do just about anything for them if asked.

I feel Ron is one of the most knowledgeable personalities in the domain industry. Think about it. He sits through “every” panel and has traveled to almost all domain conferences. He is THE domainer scribe. When David and I first spoke with him on the Traffic Z cruise on the Florida inter-coastal back in 2006, he was like someone watching a tennis match as David and I went back and forth telling him of our story. He had such an excitement hearing about our domains and what were where doing with them. It was actually fun watching it register in his mind as we spoke. That is when he told us he would write about us in his journal. It was that article that put us on the map. His use of The Castello Brothers name is the reason why we started using that brand for David and me.

We are fortunate to have someone like Ron covering our stories. Like my dad he is the one on the other side of the camera, taking the pictures and in doing so is usually the one left out of the story.

Richard Lau:
Ron Jackson brought a professional journalistic viewpoint to the Domain Industry. Long before every third domainer started a domain-blog, Ron put together DNJournal and built a professional site that contained in-depth insight articles. I most especially have enjoyed reading articles about people I already know about as I learn so much about them in Ron’s unique writing style.

David Castello:
When I first met Ron on a yacht party at TRAFFIC Miami in October 2006, I was immediately impressed by his demeanor and professionalism. In a industry rife with sensationalism and hype, Ron (a former television anchorman) has set the bar for no-nonsense reporting. One example that comes to mind was the “sale” of Israel.com for $5,000,000. Nearly every domain blog instantly jumped on the story, except for DNJournal. I wrote to Ron and he answered that he was still awaiting confirmation. Sure enough, there was no sale and for that reason I will wait for DNJournal to back a story before I accept it as Gospel. In 2007 I had the honor of nominating Ron for his first keynote address at the GeoExpo in San Francisco.

Chad Folkening:
Ron Jackson and I talk football and real estate and rarely domains so when the conversation is about domains, its always informative. Aggregating both news and domain sales is a valuable thing for the domain industry, Ron has a firm lock on them both because he works hard, very personable and a committed guy. Out of all the guys in the industry, Ron Jackson is the guy both behind the scenes and in the press that helps keep our industry in the forefront and connected.

Ron Sheridan:
Prior to getting involved in the domain industry I had seen the rise of the PC, Multimedia and Internet industries. I’ve observed that as each industry matures a cadre of editorial publications and associated journalists collectively shaped the editorial coverage of their respective industries. In the process they also had hand in shaping the industries themselves. Ron Jackson personifies this phenomenon better than anyone I have observed.

When I started out in domains I first became aware of DNJournal.com and soon there after had the pleasure of meeting Ron Jackson. What struck me about Ron besides the fact he seemed so well grounded and even tempered, was his keen awareness of the fact he was part of a pioneering group of entrepreneurs. He did not try to fit his perceptions or writings into any preformed view point. Due no doubt to Ron’s considerable professional news and editorial background he has been able to cover the domain industry for DNJournal.com in a way that is not only incredibly insightful to newbies and veterans alike, but he has ended up chronicling and even shaping the maturation of the industry.

Ron’s personal and professional integrity seem quite literally beyond reproach. I’m not the first to say this and certainly many many more have observed and experienced it. I suspect it’s one of the main factors that has enabled Ron to enjoy so much success as the industry’s leading journalist. The bottom line for me is that the domain industry is much better off thanks in part to the tireless work and contributions of Ron Jackson.

Elliot Silver:
Ron is always the consummate professional in everything he writes. If there is a domain conference or event, you can almost guarantee that Ron will be there to contribute and document it, both in writing and photos. It’s almost like if Ron and Diana aren’t there, the event isn’t all that important to the domain business.
Ron has become the leading authority on domain-related news because he knows everyone, attends every event, and is one of the most trusted people in the business. If you read something on DN Journal, you can be sure it’s accurate – and it’s probably important to know.
In addition to Ron’s professionalism, he’s also one of the nicer people in the industry, and he’s always willing to help others.

Andrew Allemann:
Ron’s biggest contribution to the domain space is acting as a professional liaison to the traditional media. Having been a member of the traditional media himself in the past, he knows how to answer their questions and shine the appropriate light on the industry.

His second biggest contribution are his weekly sales lists. These are often times referred to in the media, and this helps the world understand that generic domain names have value.

Monte Cahn:
My first memories of Ron’s Contribution to the industry were in 2003 when he contacted me for his 9th or 10th cover story ever and he chose me to write about – http://dnjournal.com/columns/coverstory10.htm.

Back then there were a few news sites about the industry, however, none were as complete and comprehensive as DNJournal at the time. Featuring successful people in the industry helped link fiction to fact, perception to reality, and for many, failure to success. I felt like he was the first online journalist that was able to get folks to drop their guard and share some secrets of success…..secrets that others could use and apply to their own domain and even overall business strategies. As a matter of fact, I used the same approach in my interviews when I started DomainMasters on WebmasterRado.fm. I had Ron on the show frequently to bring relevant industry news and perspectives, domain sales stats and other inside information to the program. He even guest hosted the show for me a few times throughout the years and was great at it.

I think his professionalism and approach helped him become the industry standard and industry expert on whether the domain industry was real or not. I always referred mainstream media back to Ron and to his site so that they could verify facts, stats, and trends and that helped get many stories written about the industry when mainstream questioned our existence, strength, and colorful culture.

Ron has also acted as one of the most ethical and professional spokes people in our space. He rarely takes sides and tries to display fair stories, both sides of arguments, and keeps his personal feelings and choices out of the articles which creates a very unbiased and neutral media in our space. I feel that was and is still critical as our industry still grows and continues to define itself from infancy to adolescence and then hopefully one day…..maturity. We are not even close yet but Ron’s approach and contribution to the space is certainly helping!

I have had many mentions on his site through the years. He has always recognized our /my accomplishments and put them into proper perspective. He and his site has greatly contributed to our success as we have innovated, created, pioneered so many products and services as well as brokered and sold so many sites.
I could not imagine anyone not saying or feeling the same.

Rick Latona:
I first met Ron Jackson in person at the original T.R.A.F.F.I.C. in Delray Beach, FL. I had just sold Spanish.com and couldn’t disclose the price and he came up to me asking questions about it. I thought to myself, “the domain industry has a reporter”? This was well before blogs were everywhere. DN Journal was the only site that fully covered what we did and what names were selling for.
Since that time I have spoken with Ron pretty regularly. Not only is he one of the nicest guys in the business but he’s also one of the most professional. In an industry full of egos it’s refreshing.
We all love his writing style which he himself admits comes from his years in radio, TV and the music business. Just this past month his titles included “Boating.com docks at $250,000”, “Party Time! … Party Supplies.com at $360,000”, “Biking.com Brakes at $250,000”, etc.

Kevin Ham:
Ron has always uplifted and seen the good in people, further inspiring others to hope, believe and be energized by his written accounts. It is easy to see the weaknesses and faults in others but it is another to focus on the good. I have not seen such consistent, dedicated, detailed and transparent reports of the inspiring lives of people who are trying to make a difference in their unique way anywhere else on the Internet. It’s truly been a blessing to know such a man of integrity, goodness and professionalism.

Patrick Ruddell:
Roughly two years ago I was invited to a Parked.com party in Tampa. I asked Donny Simonton, “Is Ron Jackson going to be there?” Although I was new in the industry at the time, Ron was someone I wanted to meet because I had been reading his website daily. When the day of the party came I was extremely anxious to meet Ron. I remember being at the party and seeing Ron Jackson, but I was too nervous to introduce myself. A couple hours went by, my wife and kids were getting ready to go when suddenly we ran into Ron and his lovely wife Diana near the front door. My wife and I stood there for roughly 30 minutes just talking to Ron and Diana trying to get to know each other. I’ll admit I was star struck; Ron Jackson was only the second person I met in our industry. Him and his wife were two of the nicest, most sincere people I have ever had the privilege of meeting. Moving past my first meeting with Ron, he has always been there to give me advice and guidance, never one time sounding annoyed or too busy. Even when it came to hosting DNCruise, Ron was one of the first people I called to get input.

*********************

As you digest these unfiltered comments, one can certainly see a pattern that speaks to Ron Jackson’s incredible character and warm heart.

Whether we bring our best in the form of competition, or whether we write about the happenings in the industry, our presence is an asset to many others. So while this was an opportunity to shine the light on Ron Jackson and to show how he’s helped make the domain industry what it is, I would turn that light on each of you. Take a moment to consider how those you’ve come in contact with, inspired you to become who you are. Feel free to comment on any vignettes you care to share about those who have had an impact on your path.

Before writing these words, many of us may not have considered the totality of Ron’s contribution to our success. Like him, there are many unsung heroes in the small industry in which we participate. As we enter the season of thanks I can think of no better time to call them out.

Thanks Ron Jackson.

—  Trey Songz

It’s not every day one of your best friends turn 30. When my friends go through those youthful milestones,   we do something old-fashioned, we save for it and then we do it right, no holding back.  Heavy jet to Vegas; choppers from the airport to the Vegas Motor Speedway, racing Ferrarris and Lambos for the day. A bus full of dancers ferrying us back to the hotel.  Then the club, and a five-figure bar-tab at Palazzo’s Lavo (on a Tuesday no less) an afterparty – waking up on a bench in a roped off section of a club with people vacuuming around you, wondering what happened.  Any one memory would have been enough to last a lifetime, if only I could recall a few more.  My friends deserve it and all the guys chip-in.  We work hard and we play hard. Boy did we laugh hard. It was a great trip.

Looking out across the dance floor of the club I was struck by what a bubble Vegas is.  As bad as things get in the suburbs off Sahara Ave., the party in the clubs seems to roll on. Dollar bills in the air, making it rain, Crystal Rose by the magnum, spraying the crowd with it.  It’s like its own little world. The domain name business has operated in its own little world for years as well.

In fact, names have never sold more consistently, to the point where a model of selling domain names is a consistent flow of bankable revenue.  9-11 didn’t stop it. The .com bust was a hiccup in the flow.  The financial crisis of 2008 (which continues) only seems to have steeled the resolve of those trying to buy names.

You could say the domain business is very much like the Vegas nightlife.  When times are good people drink to celebrate, the angel and equity money is all too happy to spend big bucks for a good name.  When times are bad, people drink to forget, and in the domain world, money comes out looking for a hedge. Something of real intrinsic value in a sea of uncertainty.

For the longest time I heard skeptics say “if PPC advertising goes away, then so will the value of names.”  Well those guys (and you know who you are) were just DEAD WRONG folks. PPC is completely dead at the moment … perhaps on life support – and name sales are chugging along like never before.  Masthead names are not breaking out at new highs in the millions of dollars, but companies and people have finally come to the realization that a quality name is going to cost them tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars and those sales are flowing at a pace I could never have imagined.

It’s remarkable how quickly things have reversed.  Only a few years ago 80% of domain portfolio revenues came from selling advertising.  Today those dollars come from name-sales and leases and development.  The Well of ready, willing and able buyers is much deeper than I previously thought.  Domainers like me are practically priced out of good names at auction.  While I lament the death of the wildcatting dynamic which brought me so much prosperity, in this new market era there is a floor to the prices that people will accept for the good names we own, and there are many more savvy people now, who can tell the difference between the good names and the crap.

It wasn’t so many years ago when people asked what I did for a living and the first part of my answer consisted of: “Do you know what a domain name is?”.  Today when I tell my line of work, I get replies which run from “I have a brother who does that”, or “I’ve heard of some guy in Vancouver who owns the Internet!”  All that knowledge goes to firm up prices and set expectations for the value of names which mean something.

I find it funny that this maturation of the domain name space is occurring at such a terrible juxtaposition to the broader economy, or perhaps it’s not such a coincidence. Interest rates are at zero percent folks.  We are all being cheated by the assorted governments around the world as they race to debase their currencies so that 1 dollar buys 50 cents of “stuff” in the future.  It’s the only way we seem to be able to get out of the present value of the debts we’ve accumulated. The frying pan of social unrest, food-lines and real pain has been overruled, in favor of a slow fire of currency debasement. Eventually this system will self-destruct.  As a frequent traveler I have already seen the beginnings of it and how it might end. The trends in payment always start with the things we need, in particular that most precious of evaporating commodities: fuel. I tried to buy gas recently in Canada with a crisp new US $100 bill and the attendant wanted nothing to do with my paper at any exchange rate. “I need Canadian dollars or a credit card, no US paper”. After fuel it usually moves to food… so I was shaken when a similar situation occurred in a Toronto restaurant 3 days ago.  The closer the Greenback gets to parity with the Canadian dollar, the lousier the exchange rate I’m offered, the grumpier the foreign recipient and the greater the lack of respect I received from those a was handing the paper to.

This is the beginning of a real problem folks.  I grew up in Canada and can tell you that any sane Canadian of my youth would have taken a US dollar and run like the wind for the nearest border and outlet mall. Well those days are gone. The Chinese, the Oil states and others who have accumulated hundreds of US billions have the same problem on a much larger scale.  Remember congress voting down the Dubai ports deal because of national security issues?  Or BHP being blocked from buying Potash Corp in Canada, or the Chinese oil co’s being told they can’t buy US refineries.  Nothing of value seems to be for sale at any price in US dollars, unless there’s a huge premium attached. This is only the beginning of that trend.  The smart money is burning their dollars (or borrowing everything they can at 0%) to buy anything with permanent value. It’s the main reason the stock markets are up right now even though the mood is down and there’s10-12% unemployment.  Put those Zero% Benjamins anywhere but the mattress. Anything that will bring a return.

On the Internet, the domain name is equivalent to Gold. It is the only packaged item online which is globally tax-free, portable, with value that is universal across different cultures – and has withstood the test of time. As I’ve stated on my website:

“The humble domain name stands resolute as the only tangible asset on the Web. Everything needs a unique address and on the Internet, your domain name is the physical real estate you occupy in the hearts and minds of people. After the first dot com bust, the only asset left to resell was often the DOMAIN NAME  of the company that failed. If anything on the Internet should have any value at all, it is the Real Estate which underpins your location on the Web.”

Well gang, we live in a domain world with dismal PPC revenues and stunted advertising revenue growth for publishers.  Things have never been worse and the white knight coming to save us seems be the domain name itself.  I am not the only one to realize the truism of the italicized and underlined words above.

The “dollars” are flowing to domains, as surely as I write these words. Two sales for $30,000 in the last 30 minutes as I typed this. This is going on each day. The biggest risk I see is that we wake up one fine morning and the money is no longer worth anything.  Or currency controls stop us from exchanging the cash freely. That is by far the clearest and most present danger we all face in the domain name business.  At least we’ll have an audience we can complain to.  Perhaps the next tea party like movement or the next global sea-change where CNN doesn’t dare to tread, will be born from a network of websites, unable to make money displaying advertising, which all broadcast some other information or content to the millions who come.

Whatever the future holds, I sleep well knowing that I have generic names bringing an audience of tens of millions of monthly visits.  Domain names offer something tangible and real in a world that is quickly becoming surreal.  Judging by the sales que forming in my inbox,  I am not the only one who feels that way.

They say in Vegas, the real winner is the person who walks into the casino, bets some significant wager, wins, and then walks out the door,  never to return.  Well on the Internet, the real winners of the last five years have proven themselves to be those with traffic producing domain names. There is no logical talk-around for the value of the real estate which underpins the Web.  If you own some good ones, then cheers to you, and bottoms up baby.  You deserve this drink.

A bunch of guys go back to the 80’s after an electrical short circuit in a magic time-machine. Boy that flick cuts close to home on a few levels. From Clark Duke who my homies and I have run into socially – at Sak’s, buying pajamas bottoms for the Playboy midsummer party (that jacket’s vintage right Clark?), to John Cusack whose acting pretty much defined my youth and early adulthood; to the present economic funk which mirrors the early eighties malaise. I grew up in the 80’s, and my life has turned out so over-the-top, I never could have imagined my ride to the future (present). All time travel stories feature the Butterfly Effect. Don’t step on that frog! You could start World War 3!

Let’s flash back in recent time for a moment. Remember when people were so worried about the fate of Apple, back when Steve Jobs health took a turn for the worse? Most of those worrying were blissfully ignorant that some of Steve’s great thinking could have been spawned by the butterfly effect. I could imagine that weekend catch-up call with “the Woz” (friend of Jobs, now retired from Apple) which gave spark to a new user interface or chipset design and subsequent marching orders from Jobs to an army of hundreds, ultimately leading to the iPhone. None of those fretting over Jobs health ever considered what would happen if the Woz got taken out in an unfortunate segway polo accident, potentially muting the impetus for Steve’s brainchildren to come.

Consider our modern financial system in the context of the Butterfly Effect. The so-called “productivity miracle” which followed Sept 11, really turned out to be a gigantic levering-up, made possible by low interest steroids, facilitated by a frightened Alan Greenspan after the 2000 Nasdaq crash and 9/11. The “conundrum” which followed, manifested itself as a debt bubble and subsequent breakdown in the summer of 2007.

I still remember the day the system broke, stumbling onto this post on a real estate forum while vacationing in California. Rediscovering this thread reminds me of a prescient moment exactly two months prior, when I posted a warning on my blog. The doubting commentators on both posts, frozen in time, serving as a cautionary tale for us to learn from.

Butterfly effects cascading from that minor regional burp in California are still with us today. That the DOW and S&P are off their lows is hardly an indicator of an honest recovery. When your portfolio returns to the “dollar value” it had before the crash, what will you be able to buy with that money? If the DOW climbs back over 14000 when your health insurance is 50% more, taxes strip 20% more away, and everyone with a home is a millionaire, returning to 14000 will be a victory that reminds you more of the lyrics of a particular Linkin Park song, than an 80’s feel-good anthem.

While a trip down your favorite 80′s cruising strip can be a real buzzkill these days, the second-life version of that thoroughfare is doing much better in 2010, thanks to a pervasive growth trend which continues to fuel investment online. There are big opportunities ahead for those of us in the domain space who took the advice of an even earlier post of mine. For those of you who protected your personal treasury and squirreled away nuts for the long winter which is now upon us, I feel like good things lie ahead.

If you look up – way up, you can see a new butterfly flapping its wings, whose effects will be cascading toward us one day. While many of us are feeling 50% poorer these days, the latest Forbes 400 list shows that the rich have once again gotten richer. About 8% richer in 2010. This extra wealth sloshes around with the hot money at institutional banks/investment funds and needs to be placed. It’s no coincidence that I have been getting emails from investment banks recently, kicking the tires of my business again. While “Hot Tub Time Machine” may not have struck the social chord it did with me, “the Social Network” is certainly rekindling interest in web based investments. Why wouldn’t it? Returns on the Web are far greater than what can be achieved in other classes, and will be for years to come.

So it occurred to me 2 years ago that many rich folks in technology keep expanding the core businesses which made them rich in the first place. As they do, they begin colliding with one another. Apple made the iPhone and collided with Nokia, then Google’s Android OS collided with Apple. Now Facebook is going to collide with both by launching their own phone. I got time-travel like chills recently when I read this story that mirrors my long-held view:

“”blame, or thank, the Internet and Moore’s law for all this turf-encroaching. As more computers hook together at higher speeds, and the semiconductors in each gain density at an increasingly lower cost, the more complex software you can write, and it starts to do more.””

This gent has been reading my mind. As more software is prepackaged and made available to creative hackers the world-over, it will inspire utilities which fit together like lego and get built into wonderful killer-app like sculptures.

Remember young Feross Aboukhadijeh who read about Google Instant and recognizing this innovation as the coding parlor trick it is, had the good fortune to be first out of the gate to perform the seemingly obvious 5 hour copy-cat assembly on YOUTUBE.com. Feross made himself appear genius in the eyes of many, and his gumption landed him a job at YOUTUBE.

As more coders out there begin to assemble these obvious puzzle pieces into sculptures, getting those competing works of art in front of people to see them, will become more important than ever. That distribution part is getting harder as the billionaires who control the platforms, keep bumping into one another and putting up walls to deny traffic to perceived competitors. Only the disruptive power of domain names can create instant reach without judgment of the content, and that sets a floor on the value of our eyeballs.

Where else other than domain name portfolios can you BUY 10 or 20 million unique visits a month of immutable din-level traffic and point that traffic to whatever site you want? The audience comes at the same level regardless of content and has a return path for users in the form of the name they typed, to point their friends to! What is the value of being able to fill 200 Wembley stadiums each month and show those people the content you choose, without consequence to the traffic volume?

While I have been expecting this particular butterfly effect to come our way for several years now, I will never understand why Yahoo or Google or Facebook or Viacom or Fox (and countless other media entities) failed to lock down the most obvious traffic producing real estate on the Web. I can’t recall one major media co that has called me or my colleagues over the years, to discuss anything. While I’m ambivalent about that, I just don’t understand the logic.

Microsoft spent billions developing its search product and the most valuable asset it has to show for this spending spree is the Bing.com domain name and the hijacked error search stream which fuels it. Wouldn’t it have been better to form a team to get to know the rag-tag domain community? To send this team to the assorted domain conferences over the years and acquire tranches of generic names for 20 million here, 40mm there or 120mm over there? Rather than being back where they started, they would own a mammoth media property which can be developed name by name, or used to aggregate a more permanent, non-error based visitor stream?

For all the billions sloshing around in sovereign wealth funds, why have none of those funds reached into strategically valuable media assets like domain names? As a foreign nation, isn’t it more clever to exchange the present scrip they’re hoarding for media assets which have the ability to reach the hearts and minds of the people and governments they are trying to influence around the World?

Generic domain name networks which drive 30 million unique visitors per month of unstoppable traffic can be bought for $5-10 per visitor. As the years cascade onward, and new platforms funded by today’s richest techies keep coming, all of us who own the Internet’s Real Estate will be blessed. We have the traffic, we own the properties that people have been programmed to visit, and we’ll have the luxury of deciding how to sell them.

Whether it be the continued competition for traffic between social networks or the advent of super-wifi literally all news these days portends well for those who own websites and domain names. The broader economy will make the road between here and the destination I envision, very bumpy indeed, but it is a good time to be a debt free name owner.

So continue gathering your cash to weather the storm ahead of us folks, slip into the water with a 4 pack of your favorite wine coolers. The 80’s are back in more ways than one. There’s something about this hot tub and our collective position in it, that I like.