Great article! A must-read for all domain newbies.
Although the article has a strong satiric tone, the writer genuinely wonders as to why so many odd domains were registered but never used for websites.
One word: speculators.
If the writer had spent a few moments at DNF, she would have understood what those millions of unused domains were all about.
On an added note...
Although the domain market bubble has burst--or at least settled--there is still a much larger number of domains registered than have genuine commercial utility. I have often wondered when the real bubble burst will happen, making the registration total sink to seven figures (that's my eyeball estimate of the real domain market, outside of unmarketable and un-useful domains).
You would think that with all that is now known about the marketing elements and functionalities of domain names, that people would stop registering really bad domains. Yet, looking at the sorts of domains that a number of DNF members post for appraisal, it's as if the lessons of the past two years were never learned.
I suppose it's like weight-loss gimmicks. It's been well-known for a long time that a controlled diet and regular exercise are the only way to acheive permanent weight-loss (outside of major gastro-intestinal surgery), but millions of dollars continue to be made from various pills and programs promising easy ways to lose.
And the only thing that gets lost is money.
No wonder the registrar world is always clamoring for new extensions. Hope springs eternal, and P.T. Barnum's law still rules.
Miles
[edit for typos]
appraise JustDiscovered.com, CurrentlyCool.com
