Meaning. None of new top level domains meanings are as elegant or as classy as dot-com, which can mean ‘communication’ or ‘commercial’. Dot-biz obviously stands for ‘business,’ but it sounds slangy and it also happens to mean sh** in United Kingdom. ‘Information’, meaning of dot-info, would be perfect if it was restricted to sites with a high concentration of information about a certain topic, but it’s not. This domain is unrestricted, and can be registered by anyone. Surfers will quickly lose trust that all dot-info sites actually contain quality information. Dot-pro and Dot-name will be effective but on a limited level. To register a dot-pro you must ‘prove’ you are a professional on topic in domain name. Dot-name will be for individuals name only (good luck to all John Smiths out there.)

Appeal. Sure new TLD’s, especially dot-biz, will make it easier for smaller companies to get a web address that fits their business. But will it be as appealing as a dot-com? Those businesses that have a dot-biz domain may seem to be in a different class than dot-com and it may be harder for them to compete. It may be worth it for them to invest more money in a dot-com domain that be ‘stuck’ with a dot-biz. Even with recent doom of a few dot-com companies, there are many that are still going strong and they continue to breathe life into dot-com world. The only new TLD applicant that might have been able to rival dot-com for appeal was dot-web. Unfortunately application for dot-web was not approved by ICANN.

Bottom Line- Dot-com is established and respected. It has distinction of being one of first domain names of new Internet frontier and most sought after. The new domains will make it easier to get a home on web and will have their place in city of Internet. But Dot-com will always be beautiful white mansion up on hill with brand new Ferrari out front.

What are disadvantages?

Transferring a domain can be confusing. Also, there is no guarantee that new registrar will be any better than old one. Again, remember that domain registration is not something that you should need to deal with very often (if you are like most people) so it may not be worth effort to change.

Can any domain be transferred?

Yes, any domain registered with any registrar may be transferred to any other registrar.

What does a registrar do?

The registrar manages your domain name. They maintain security and structures that make domain work.

Does changing registrars have any effect on ownership?

No. When you change registrars you are only changing managers. You still retain ownership.

Are there reasons why a domain may not be transferred?

Yes. Some of these are listed below.

- The domain name is in a legal dispute of some kind. - The identity of domain name holder is in dispute or unknown. - The domain name holder is in bankruptcy. - The domain has only been with registrar for 60 days. - The registrar refuses to transfer for other reasons.

How is a domain transferred?

This varies from registrar to registrar. Some require a notarized form to be delivered to them, others can do it using a web site form. How long does process take?

The registrar will usually take five to ten days to review and validate request. Once it has been validated and put into action, it will take a couple of days for change to filter through internet.

Will web site associated with domain be accessible during change?

Yes. This normally does not effect access to your web site. The registrar is changed, not web site address and other information.