The Domain Industry's Dirty Little Secret Exposed

Morning Folks!!

Which dirty little secret do you want to hear first? How many do you know first hand? Actually there are dozens of dirty little secrets. I don't have the time or inclination to go through all of them, but there are many and I see it growing. Trust is definitely going to be an issue going forward. The worst kinda scams are from the people you know and trust. Just ask "Bernie." So we are entering a phase that others have talked about. Except this phase may be pretty ugly in what goes on.

I think the last phase could be labeled the abuse phase. Starting at the beginning was the "Geek" or "Free" phase 1994. That was followed by the "Dark" phase 1996 where domains had gone from free to $100 a pop certainly was a dark period with still such little understanding of what existed on the net.

That was followed by the "Adult" phase in 1997. That was followed by the collapse. 2001/2002. Then we enter what I would call the "Frank Schilling" phase. This is the post collapse phase in which drops and ppc and mega portfolios emerge. This becomes the domain industries first big boost. That leads into the mega sale phase when we have the Men.com mark the end of the collapse and the biggest rush we have seen to date. 2004. That lead to the trade show phase 2004/2005. Which led to the formation of an industry. 2005. That led to the "Cut their nuts off" phase. 2007. Which led to the "Auction Phase" ($12.5 Million T.R.A.F.F.I.C./Moniker auction) 2007 which leads us to the "Abuse" phases where many took advantage and we are paying the price today. 2008  

So here we are in 2009. The next phase. What is it called? I don't know yet. There are other phases. I could and should have mentioned the Marchex deal. The VC phase. There are so many. Like chapters in a book. Perhaps this is "Book 3" of it all. Or book 4? We can each sit down and name our own personal phases. Maybe the "Steve Forbes" phase. Whatever you want to call it I call it lifting an industry from obscurity to front and center. A rising tide helps all of us. We can all assist in raising that tide. It happens one contact at a time. Like making a million dollars. You don't make a "Million" dollars. You make a dollar, 1 million times.  

Have a GREAT day!!
Rick Schwartz  

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