Hells Bells it’s Christmas time and time to get a clue!!

Morning folks!!


Well we are into November. The home stretch. The retailers and their suppliers around the globe depend on what happens in the next 10 weeks to make their year. Each Christmas business and industry has TIMIDLY increased their online spending but still have yet to take that real PLUNGE. Each year I wonder if this will be the year? The year that they can no longer ignore the dollars spent on the net that out produce the dollars spent on the newspapers, TV and other media. Each year we make progress and each year all the analysts are surprised. (I Can't believe they pay these people to be 'Surprised.' Don't they get paid to predict significant changes before they occur?)


So will THIS be the online Christmas many have always expected? Will the same sorry folks be marched out to tell you not to spend online? How dangerous it is? Marched out like a political attack machine because they know their days are numbered? These people who are funded by those with most to lose. Is this the year they get it? Can they figure out that Google is approaching $800/share for a reason? That they are the fastest growing, most valuable company in the world for a reason? Can they figure out that the newspapers are not only going down in circulation but in readerehip as well?? Same with other mediums. And talk about 'Stickyness'.......Imagine how many MINUTES someone used to read a newspaper or magazine and how many minutes they read now?


There are so many invisible things going on it is hard to keep up with and it will take years for them to even ask the right questions let alone report on it. Imagine the day when companies begin to announce that more than 50% of all their ad budgets will be spent online??!! That day is coming. There is no question about it and it will be an avalanche the likes we have never seen before. This is an inevitability. It could happen sooner than anyone even expected and then the guys we pay to get these things right and predict these events, will be 'Surprised'!!


So for all you analysts that are going to be surprised.....don't be. I just told you what was going to happen. Now figure it out for yourselves and alert your clients. If you don't do that.....prepared to be SURPRISED and then go get a job you can actually do!!


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


Once upon a time and a conversation with Steve Forbes……

Once upon a time I was the only public voice of domains.
I was the first to share what I had learned about domain names, type-in traffic,
value and why domains would become so important in time. How domains would
appear on every ad, brochure, billboard. I would DARE to suggest that the
domain name would be more important than the 800 number. The HOLY 800 number.
The LIFELINE of business in 1996. I was called every name in the book for
saying wacky things like this out loud. To that I added that “Getting a great
domain was a unique opportunity in time.” “Domains would go up faster in value
than any other commodity ever known to man.”


Schwartzforbes_2Last month Steve Forbes corrected
me when we met at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.. He said domains are not “Commodities” because
they are UNIQUE!! They are “Collectibles”.  They are “Virtual real estate.” They are “Many
things” but they are not commodities. So I thank Steve for correcting my
adjective. I thank him even more for realizing how many facets a domain name
represents. Maybe others will comment what it meant to be in the company of
such a figure the likes of a Steve Forbes. Chatting with one of the smartest
people on the planet is priceless. Chatting with a great economist is
priceless. Talking with one of the great analysts of our time is priceless. But
finding one person that represents all that and has COMMON SENSE and life
experience and a great sense of humor is more than priceless. It was an
enriching experience that will pay dividends for a lifetime. It also
demonstrates just how far domain owners have come in the past decade. I’ll talk
more about my time with him in a future blog post. I am still letting it settle
in. I still need to review the audio CD to listen once again to every word of
his presentation. It was truly magnificent and so much applied to what we are
facing in the years ahead based on what others have been thru in history. So
much is common to all business on Main Street to Wall Street.


To this moment folks fail to understand what a great
domain with type in traffic represents. So let’s look at it from a different
angle. To do that let me rewind back to 1999. The following was written before
the collapse. It is still on the net on one of my oldest sites. But the
handwriting was already on the wall and the following may be a little silly or
elementary in 2007 but in 1999 few had a clue what I was talking about.


From 1999…….


“The net all comes down to
“Targeting”. Just like a 'Bulls eye' is worth more in darts......a
targeted visitor is worth more on the internet. It’s worth exponentially more
dollars and that will unfold as our most powerful asset as the net matures. As an
example I have one site called ebid.com. The click thru rate on that site is
80x greater than a normal site. All because of “Targeting”. On just 1000 daily
hits more than 300 click thru to our 2 sponsors. Of those 300, 1 out of 3 sign
up. Thus just as a middleman on 1000 daily hits we were able to make nearly
$1200 a day. Just on this 1 site with no maintenance and nothing really to
offer other than giving them what they are looking for. 


This is where “Click thru” and
“Impression based internet advertising collide. It is my opinion that
advertising based on the number of “Impressions” shown and not based on
“Clicks” received, “Flat rate” or by “Productivity” is the MAIN reason that so
many lose money on the internet. Mainstream advertising rates are based on
magazine or broadcast price guidelines and then applying that “Formula” to the
net. That “Formula” is flawed and does not work in this medium and the results
are the proof. Why pay for 100,000 impressions if NOBODY clicks to go to your
site?  Wouldn’t you rather have 25 targeted live clicks? Doesn’t that
represent more value?   


If you purchase 100,000 impressions
for $5,000 it means NOTHING! It’s the same as loading up a bus with 50 people,
passing a casino without stopping and then repeating the process until 100,000
people passed the casino. Then giving the bus driver $5,000 for it. You still
have nothing but just WASTED $5000. I guess you may as well collect the $5000
from every business you pass on the trip. They all get the same value. ZERO! The
bus driver can make millions!


Compare that with a bus driver
STOPPING at your casino and then unloading those 50 passengers at the front of
your casino and then holding the door open so that they can enter. Those 50 are
already more valuable than the 100,000 and if you had to pay $10 each you would
still have $4500 left to buy more. So even if I charged $10 a click thru, that
$500 is a BARGAIN compared to spending $5000 for nothing!!


When a website spends $5000 and gets
nothing he is not apt to try it again. But if he spends $50 to get something,
he will want more and give more dollars. It becomes a win/win situation opposed
to a win/lose situation with the website the loser every time and the guy
selling the ad space the winner every time. I think the best single day on the
Internet will be the day that the BUYERS of impression based advertising wake
up and realize that their web businesses really are profitable but their
profits are being eaten up by this obscene way to advertise. Impression based advertising
is the root of all evil on the net. The website profits are there, just being
swallowed up by the sellers of this flawed advertising scheme. Thankfully that
is beginning to change. It’s not rocket science, just simple common sense.
That brings me to the next point which is while others depend on Search engines
for traffic or buying traffic from a 3rd party, we are actually self
sufficient because we get our hits via “Type ins” to the browser bar. The
result becomes the most potent and targeted hits anyone on the Internet can
get. Our sites become destinations. 1 of our hits can easily be worth 10
regular hits or even 100 regular hits. So my 100,000 daily visitors really have
the “Buying power” of over 1 million people!! That’s the result of an internet bulls
eye.


Add that to the fact that our
traffic grew over 50% just in 1999. Not because of any work that I have done,
just the simple growth of the net. I saw things that NOBODY can see. After
Christmas season in 1998 our overall traffic grew by 10%. That was more than
twice the growth of the preceding 12 months. In the late spring we experienced
another 15% growth in addition. Then the biggest surprise of all came in
August. As a result of the free computers, back to school, great deals etc……we
experienced a 20% overnight jump and those numbers have been maintaining as we
go into the 1999 holiday season. I can only imagine at this point what to
expect.”


Back to today….


So something written in 1999 based
on theory of 1996 has relevance today. You can see it is dated. I use “Hits”
instead of “Visitors.”  But much has
remained constant. Like Steve Forbes driving a stake thru the IRS I would have
done the same to “Impression based advertising.” It was the root of all evil on
the net. Saying it then, meant virtually nothing. Saying it today may not
result in much more. But it is worth repeating. Repeating because so many
failed to consider this the first time around, most have failed to see it the
second time around and I am a hopeful person that maybe it will be grasped the
third time around.


So once upon a time I was saying
much of this by myself. Today I am thrilled to have other voices like Franky, Ron,
Owen, Sahar, Michael, Elliot. I only have to use their first names. Everyone in this
space knows who they are. If you don’t, what space are you really in? If you
don’t know what the hell we are talking about, I suggest you read until you
figure it out. But for the thousands that follow these folks and DO know what I
am talking about, whether you agree or disagree, I am going to ask for
something. I am going to ask everyone reading this to educate just 2 other
people by the end of this year. The power of numbers and word of mouth are so
powerful, so quick, so strong, there is almost nothing that can compete with
it. An organized sales force calling folks all day could not achieve what I
just asked for. It is taking the power of so many and spreading it like
wildfire. The things domain owners have discovered about traffic has even
Google and Yahoo listening. They come to TRAFFIC and they found out things
about traffic that really helped them. Things that we discovered about type ins
and human nature and traffic that is like gold and traffic that is like crap.
The fact that in 2004…..worthless CRAP traffic and TARGETED traffic cost about the same.
One would result in no or limited sales the other was full of sales. Sales are
the epicenter of everything we do. So success on or off the net revolves around
sales. Domain owners are EXPERTS on making more sales. Not all visitors are
created equal. Those that figure it out first will get the prize, the others
are doomed for failure before they even begin…..and I can PROVE it, right here,
right now.


Are you ready?


When someone is standing in New York
City and they set sail for London and they end up in South Africa……their
mistake did not happen when they landed in Africa, their mistake happened
before they even set sail from New York. Their plan and direction were flawed
from the get go. It means they did not consider all things. It means they were
doomed for failure before they got in the water. Those looking for those
mistakes upon landing will be chasing their tales for the rest of their lives. Those
that figure out that almost all mistakes happen before they even start, that most
mistakes happen during the planning stage or lack of it, will be those that
will be rewarded with great success. On the Internet the beginning consists of
two things. The website (Mousetrap) and the traffic (The sale). It’s like gas
to the engine or electric to the lamp. No spark no sale. No tickee, no laundry.
One can’t exist without the other. So while others focus on the crap that won’t
show them the answer, your job is to be smarter than that. So how does this all
tie in? If you haven’t read each post, you’ll never know unless you do know in
which you would just be laughing at ll this anyway. Only difference from 1997
or 1999 is that you will be laughing with me and not laughing at me.


Have a GREAT day!
Rick Schwartz




I am a failure and proud of it!

In a little
over 6 months this is only my 39th Blog post. With the exception of a few
posts, most are meant to be read a chapter at a time. There is a common thread
of trying to explain how domain names fit into the Internet equation. The other
common thread is to be motivating and look at things through different
viewpoints. In over 35 years in the business world I am under no illusions and
either should you. There is a thin line between success and failure. So many
just give up on the brink of success, while others waste time on the impossible
and get nowhere. Knowing the difference is everything.
I fail more than just about anyone that is going to read this. I fail every
single day of my life. Sometimes I fail many times in one day. I actually look
forward to failure. Reason being that FAILURE is a stepping stone to SUCCESS.
Babe Ruth struck out more than any other baseball player of his era. No failure
worse in baseball than striking out. Unless you hit into a double or triple
play. But he also hit more home runs than anybody of his era. Had he been
afraid to strike out, NOBODY would have ever even heard of Babe Ruth.


Today
everything is based on success. If you are into boxing, they promote and revere
the undefeated. However the greatest boxers all time lost many times. Joe
Lewis, Joe Frazier, George Forman, Muhammad Ali. There are no undefeated boxers
of today that could match those 'Losers' in their prime.


That
gets back to me being a PROUD failure. As I stated above I actually look
forward to failure. But I view failure as a success as long as you learned
something from that failure. Something that you can apply and create a success.
If you work for corporate America
you are TERRIFIED of failure. Failure may mean your paycheck. Failure is not
tolerated so those in Corp America are paralyzed. Scared to fail they are then also scared to succeed. It is a
vicious circle.


I
hope tomorrow I fail a dozen times. If I did that tomorrow working for Corp America  they would toss my ass out quicker than I can finish this post. In my failures
I just want 1 or 2 successes a day. That adds up to hundreds of successes a
year. One success can wipe out a year of failures.


So
why others want to remain undefeated.....I don't care what my record is as long
as there are a lot of wins along the way. Lots of accomplishments. Success is
IMPOSSIBLE without failure. Absolutely impossible. So those that are scared to
fail also are scared to succeed. Don't EVER be afraid of failure. Don't ever pay attention when others laugh at your failure. They are the ones that have failed, not you! Ignore the naysayers. They sit on the sidelines, do nothing and can't wait for you to fail. Fail....and be PROUD to fail. Use their laughter as fuel to succeed. That is what pisses them off the most. YOUR success!
Have a GREAT day!
Rick Schwartz




Team of domainers score a touchdown!!

Team of domainers score a touchdown after the Dallas Cowboys football team
fumbles the domain.
I was in the back of the room at TRAFFIC EAST when the phone bid came in
and the Dallas Cowboys bought cowboys.com for $275,000. The room erupted in
applause. The celebration was short lived.

In a stunning development yesterday the 'Attorney' for the Dallas Football
team said days later that he thought the price was $275 and not $275,000. That
just does not pass the laugh test. I could not take my family to the Dallas
Cowboys football game for $275. The cost to BID was more than $275. I am sure
there is more here than what meets the eye. Time tells all.

As domainers learned about this yesterday,,,,,disbelief was the keyword
followed by laughter as the story circulated through the entire industry and
then the news media.

Discussions began and then Eric Rice who has been interested in the domain
and associated business for the past 6 months made a post on my private
chatboard shortly after noon and began the process of putting a group together
in just HOURS to buy this spectacular domain name. By 7:30PM it was ours and the
new team of 20 investors had won the prize. The folks involved may or may not identify themselves. I just did with a
stake of a little more than 11%.

The talent the domainers have will make Cowboys.com a premiere site on the
net. An opportunity thrust into our laps and being the entrepreneurs we are, we
jumped on it. The rest is history and it will be written about for years to
come. The site comes with the trademark for cowboys.com which has been a western
wear site for the last 10 years.

Congrats to this new team of investors. They saw opportunity and seized it.
The American dream is alive and well and this will go down as one of the worst
decisions in corporate history.
The blogs are going wild with this story. Bill Hartzer of Dallas who was at the auction has loads of info as do many other blogs like Sahar's.

Have a GREAT day!
Rick Schwartz

The Dilemma of a Domain Owner

My Dilemma may be your dilemma.......

I own Candy.com. I spend no time on the Candy.com project. I
am distracted. However even with those realities Candy.com earns enough to place
it in the upper 5%-10% of all candy stores. And when we talk about customers
walking in to your store, candy.com places in the highest category of candy
stores anywhere. My problem is I have no focus. I have too many distractions. Do
I want to make more with Candy.com and invest my time here or do I move on to
Property.com?

Now Property.com has its' own story. I spend no time on the
Property.com project. I am distracted. However even with those realities
Property.com gets more daily customers than dozens or maybe hundreds of real
estate offices combined. In addition with me being distracted and spending no
time developing or taking care of it, Property.com still manages to produce an
income that most real estate agents don't make. My problem is I have no focus. I
have too many distractions. Do I want to make more with Candy.com and invest my
time here or do I move on to Property.com but yet others believe I should
develop Widgets.com?

Now Widgets.com has another story. Purchased a decade ago to
explain the most generic of generic domain names and the power they have and why
something like Widgets.com would say something to the world and have value. I
spend no time on the widgets.com project. I am distracted. However even with
those realities evolution has stepped in and as you might imagine Widgets.com is
one of my fastest growing domain names. My problem is I have no focus. I have
too many distractions. Do I want to make more with Widgets.com and invest my
time here or do I move on to Property.com or Candy.com or listen to others that
believe I should develop Porno.com?

Now Porno.com is another interesting story. I spend no time on
the Porno.com.com project. I am distracted. However even with those realities
Porno.com earns enough with PPC to place it in the upper ranks of all adult sites that make 7 figures annually in profit. My problem is I have no focus. I have too many distractions.
Do I want to make more with Porno.com and invest my time here or do I move on to
Property.com or Candy.com or Widgets or listen to others that believe I should
develop TradeShows.com?

Now I can go on and on all day today and all day tomorrow and
then some with similar circumstances just different domain names each with a
story of success waiting for my time and attention. I have a load of choices how
to invest and spend and enjoy MY TIME. I choose to put my energy in explaining
the power and the value of domain names and why they will play such an important
part in everyone's futures. The challenge presented and the historical
significance are just things that I can't seem to ignore. How do you ignore an
opportunity that truly shadows the gold rush? How do you ignore something that
is changing the way we sell things? Market things? Listen to things? View
things? Learn things? Interact with each other? The list goes on and on and on.
When HISTORY writes about this period it will be clear. Until then, look at all
this through an historical eye to the past and you will see the vision I have of
the future. The vision that has so far unfolded like numbered milestones on a
highway.

I have no focus. I have too many distractions. But I would not
have it any other way. Imagine the possibilities and opportunities. Never have
so many had a chance at so much.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

TIME, it is measured in MILESTONES not minutes

When you see companies buying other companies
for hundreds of millions or billions and there is no profit center,
there is a REASON for this. A MAIN reason. They buy others because they
have yet to learn how to do it themselves. So they buy at crazy
prices.
Now if they are smart they will at least learn what makes things
tick and be able to create their own entities with the better and more
profitable results. Now WHEN that happens.....and it WILL happen.....it
IS evolution......it is almost guaranteed to happen, then the focus
will SHIFT from buying a site that somebody has already made to buying
that domain name and putting your own idea on it.
The Internet is like figuring out the Rubix Cube. You can struggle with
it for a very long time before you figure it out. But when you DO
figure it out, you can REPEAT the process over and over again AND you
can accelerate the process. DOMAINS are directly on the targeted path.
They MUST stumble over domains once they figure out the Rubix Cube.....I mean figure out the Internet.
Predicting 'When' is what gets everybody in trouble. It is an
evolution. Meaning it is not measured in TIME, it is measured in
MILESTONES. That is why I talk in 3, 5, 10 and 20 year intervals. Study
the history of television, or real estate, of oil wells of the gold
rush. They did not happen overnight in many cases. It was an evolution.
TV is still evolving. It happened in a PERIOD of time. The thing to
focus on is what will occur in our lifetimes. I say this because the
Internet and domains will out live everyone here by many years. Having
a billion dollars at age 90 does not have the same value as a few million at
age 30. The sweet spot of life is what it is all about. My sweet spot
is passing quickly. lol.
Folks ask me all the time how to get in the
domain business today. The answer is like getting on a moving
Merry-Go-Round. You have to TIME it right. Get up to speed. You have to define an ENTRY
POINT. THEN you can assess where you are and where you would like to
go. Then you put your plan into action and don't be afraid to change
course 100% as you learn new things. The point is how you play the game
depends on the MOMENT you get in. No two moments are alike. No two
opportunities are alike. I got on at a POINT IN TIME. Everyone else
gets on at a POINT IN TIME. Depending on that POINT may determine the
direction.
So when folks ask 'Can you get into domains and be successful if
you started TODAY?' The answer is YES, but when they ask ME how to do
it.....I can't tell them. It is a different set of circumstances and I
would have to STUDY the market for several days, weeks or months to create a new formula. But
there is no question there are many successes to have out there. If I
started again today I would still be very successful. I have no idea
the BLACK HOLE I would exploit without doing my homework. But what I do
know is I have a tried and true formula for success when applied to
whatever I need to apply it to the result will be successful. While
others measure time in seconds and hours, I measure in milestones. In progress. In achievements. In evolution. THAT my friends is a KEY
ingredient and so few get that.


Have a GREAT Day!


TRAFFIC EAST Preview at DNJournal.com

Good afternoon folks!

For those wanting to know what to expect at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. EAST 2007
in Hollywood, Florida in just 2 weeks, read my interview done with Ron
Jackson of DNJournal.com that has just been released.

If you are a domain investor and you don't come to T.R.A.F.F.I.C. you
are costing yourself a great deal of earning power in the years to come and a
chance to network with the very sharpest minds anywhere. If you think you can't afford to come, I say you can't afford not to come. Think about what that means.
Hope you enjoy the read.
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Gives Bang for the Buck!

Morning Folks!!


Expensive is relative. If you spend $100 for an
advertisement and get no return, that is expensive. If you spend $5000 and get
a $100,000 return, that is cheap! So the definition changes as the rewards
change. By that standard T.R.A.F.F.I.C. is not only cheap, it is life
changing. We aim for the moon, yet we have delivered over and over again. But
hey, why listen to me? Listen to a guy that travels over 50 hours to get to
TRAFFIC and the story behind why he comes. Michael Gilmour, who writes the
popular 'Whizzbang's
Blog,' shares the reasons he would get on a 25 hour flight each
way and do it 3 times a year. He joins a growing group coming from 'Down
under' as well as from 15 other countries who make their way to TRAFFIC
show after show after show. Coming to TRAFFIC once is a novelty, twice means
that it was so worthwhile that you want more. But when you come to show after
show after show and invest time, energy and substantial funds just to get
there, then there is something very valuable going on because we would all rather
be sitting in our homes in front of the computer with our families.


So I ask you to read
Michael's story. Then if you still think no big deal, go read similar stories
from our page of unsolicited testimonials; and I have some yet to post there.
48 people took time to write a note expressing the value they got from
attending TRAFFIC. And when you look at the names saying it, quite a compliment
and the reason we are committed to keep making each show better than the last.


We have a formula for
TRAFFIC. A recipe. Others have tried to copy that recipe but they will always
miss one key ingredient. Just like Coca Cola has their secret formula, we have
ours and it is called 'Gut instinct.' Instinct that has proven to be
right on target over and over again year after year after year. Many parts of
TRAFFIC can be simulated, but without the secret formula, it will never taste
or be as good as the original. Going forward, folks will be much more conscious
of where they spend their time and money and the return they get. No where else
do the biggest and the best get together in such a meaningful way. You have to
ask yourself how does a show that is by invitation only, that screens every
attendee, that takes place at expensive and high end hotels, is also the most
attended, most meaningful and consistently sets the tone, the stride, the pace
and the agenda of the industry? It seems like an impossible FORMULA. But this
formula has a track record of great success and when we bring in speakers like
Steve Forbes it says to the attendees that they are worth bringing in the
sharpest minds to discuss who we are and what we do. It says to the outside
world that this is a serious industry wanting to hear from the most influential
business people of the day. It says we have something valuable to discuss. It
also shows we are willing to take profits out of our pockets to elevate our
industry. We won't sell extra tickets because of Steve Forbes, but there is a
sense of some seriousness when you have someone of his stature coming to spend
some time with a small group of serious investors even if he is getting paid to
do it.


One of the hidden
benefits of TRAFFIC is that we are in the domain business; we are investors.
The combined total investment represented by the attendees of TRAFFIC is
measured in the tens of billions of dollars. Think of the value represented by
that audience. Yes, we own domains and that is the investment that fuels all of
our other investments. We also own stocks, bonds, hedge funds, real estate,
restaurants, businesses from every walk of life. Some of us are in the funeral
business, some in the flag business. We cover every aspect of every corner of
investments on a global basis. We are an interesting group of entrepreneurs! We
are decision makers! While corporate America has meeting after meeting to
decide how to make a decision without losing their jobs, we make deals. We move
mountains. While they look for others to finance their ideas, we are self
financing. We write a check to see if our idea works. We don't need to BURN
other people's money to build a flawed business that returns no profits. That
gives us a certain independence that only fuels our growth. That makes us
unique. That makes us interesting. That makes us different from the rest of the
universe. To this day nobody can really get their heads around the FACT that
only a few hundred, (Maybe even a thousand or two) figured out the greatest
opportunity in our lifetimes, our father's lifetime or our fathers before them.
The last time the 'Common man' had an equal shot at such a big
'Find' would have been the gold rush. But even in the gold rush it
was a place you had to get to. It was difficult. Many died. In this gold rush
the playing field was much more comfortable and the risk of dying had little to
do with domain names. Truly, never have so many had such access to great
success with such a low entry fee. The historians will write about these days
as they did about those days. So never ever doubt that you are in an historic
time on an historic path. The most surprising thing that they will write is
about how many missed the greatest opportunity in any of our lifetimes and how
a few hundred or a few thousand changed the face of the new century. How the
ones that got PAID not to miss these things, missed them, continue to miss them
and continue to fail their companies and investors.


So there is much more to
TRAFFIC than a domain trade show. We are writing history. It's more than just
the world's largest live domain auctions presented by Moniker.com. It's more
than the $25 million in sales during the last 3 auctions. It's more than having
some 60 speakers that actually know what they are talking about. It's more than
being fed steak and lobster. It's more than hearing from Steve Forbes. It's a
launching pad for folks with resources and a track record of success to network
in the best environment and to do it in a way that is conducive to meeting as
many folks as possible and doing deals that can become life changing. We have
one thread in common that brings us all together. That thread has turned into a
steel reinforced rope that binds as together as we trail blaze the future.


Some think that with the
great success that we achieved in the New York City show, there is no new
horizon. The TRUTH of the matter is that whatever we accomplished in New York
won't become evident until the Florida show. It will be in Florida that the
DIVIDENDS of those efforts will germinate. Make no mistake; we are not talking
about a small 'Dividend.' We are talking about an avalanche of things
unfolding. I am usually pretty good at predicting what will happen. However in
this instance, I can't even begin to articulate how that show will effect you,
your portfolio and your future as a Domain investor.
Now let me be clear. I usually make VERY bold predictions before the shows.
Look at my words before each show and then look at the reality of how the
industry was affected by each show. Stating a goal publicly in front of all
your peers is a risky thing to do. But if it were not for those predictions
becoming reality, there would be no reason for anyone to pay attention.


Do the research. See
what I said publicly and in this blog before the New York show, then read the
independent reviews after the show. See what I said 10 years ago about the
industry, and then see how it has unfolded today. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. is the serious
show for serious people looking for serious networking and surrounded by lots
of serious fun and serious food.


I rest my case. See you
in South Florida.


Have a GREAT day!
Rick Schwartz


Is the CADNA a Sham? What is CADNA’s REAL agenda??

Last week I blogged about domain tasting and
contacted the CADNA directly in my official position as President and CEO of
the 'World Association of Domain Name Developers Inc.' about how
professional domainers and this new organization could be able to work
together. While there may be areas in which we disagree, when it comes to
'tasting' we have something in common. That email has so far gone unanswered. In the meantime I have had many discussions with folks and have seen some
posts here which warned that CADNA is not to be trusted. They believe their
TRUE agenda is to 'Reverse Hijack' valuable domain names that are
legitimately owned by painting everyone as a cybersquatter. Needless to say I was stunned to hear this.


I have also learned that the organization
itself would be a cybersquatter under its own definitions of
cybersquatting. Yup, you heard me right. There are folks saying they are guilty
of what they are accusing others of. Some very large companies may be
embarrassed to learn this.  It seems that they chose a domain name that
already has a trademark!! Their domain is CADNA.ORG, but there is a
company that has a trademark on CADNA and operates from CADNA.COM!!
Does this cause confusion? It did with me. In my blog I mistakenly linked
the post on the 16th to CADNA.COM and it was only on Sunday the 19th that
somebody emailed me that I made a mistake and that it was a .ORG not a .COM at
the end of CADNA.


So will we see the anti-cybersquatting CADNA.ORG get
swept into court for violating the mark of CADNA.COM?? Did they not do any
research? How SLOPPY can this new association be and how IGNORANT can the
companies putting their names behind them be?


So either CADNA needs to change its domain
name or it is just as guilty as the people they are pointing fingers at and
calling cybersquatters. Then again, maybe this shows that nothing is black and
white. Maybe CADNA.ORG needs to look at these differences. Not everything
is a TM infringement. Not everything causes confusion in the marketplace. Not
every trademark is the same or there would be no need for so many different
trademark classifications. So we will wait and see if CADNA.COM files a WIPO or
UDRP against this new coalition that may be violating their trademark by folks
that say they are concerned about the abuse of Intellectual Property. So what
say you CADNA.ORG? Are you the newest cybersquatter in town?


And how is the sale of Pharmacy.com going?
It seems to be brokered by Fairwinds LLC which is one of the companies
backing CADNA. An asking price of $50 million big ones would set a new record
for the sale of an individual domain name. So who is CADNA.ORG? What is their
real mission and REAL motive? Is it possible they know that great domains have
value in the tens of millions and this is the foundation to legally take
our domains to which they have no rights? Like the railroads took peoples land
back in the 1800's?


CADNA.ORG seems as guilty as those that they
accuse  of cybersquatting and CADNA.COM should file suit if they were to
follow what CADNA.ORG intends to make legal. So either CADNA.ORG
needs to take a deep breath before they RECKLESSLY call folks cybersquatters or
they have another agenda.


Stay tuned. Let's see how this plays out and see
if this organization will admit that they should not paint all domainers as
cybersquatters. If they do, then they themselves ARE cybersquatters by their
own definition and the charter members that include AIG, Dell, Eli Lilly,
Hilton, HSBC, Marriott, Richemont, Verizon, Wyndham, and Yahoo! may end up with
some egg on their collective faces. How uninformed can they be? Did ANYONE at
these supporting companies look into this? Did their board approve this move that may end up backfiring right in their faces? Did they do their due diligence or
have they swallowed something that will prove to be very embarrassing?



Rick’s Time Capsule 1997. Ten years later.

Here IS my EARLIEST writing on my own website about domains in 1997
with a couple 1998 updates copied and pasted directly from the original website. Been looking for this for YEARS! I started
posting about the value of domain names in 1996, but this is the first official public commentary on my own site and you can
see at this point I am still selling the concept and the value of the
Internet which 10 years ago was NOT embraced by the majority of
businesses. My thoughts TEN YEARS ago. See if they match what I say and
believe today.
DomainSeller.com represents what maybe the most extensive collection of domain property's in the world. Our focus was on property for adult sites, however our business collection is equally impressive. They may have laughed when somebody wasted $24 to buy Manhattan way back when. Today you would have to struggle to buy lunch there for that same $24.It's all about Vision!! That's right VISION! What will it do to the value of the property when the rest of the world gets on the net?
       
Yes it is true that these domains were free, then just $100 each. But that was yesterday and just  like Manhattan, you can't buy at yesterdays prices. Value is all relative.Some of these domains cost us more
than $100,000 each and others are escalating at thousands a month!! While they laughed at us for 'Wasting' time and money in 1996 and 1997 as we put this collection together, the truth is: Electronic Real Estate (erealestate) in cyberspace, is destined to be some of the most valued property EVER known to
man! Time is of the essence!


The power of an electronic address can only be imagined by examples such asDell Computer announcing that they do a $1 million a day in sales on the internet as of March 1997! (Increasing 6x that as of May 1998!!)  Would anyone have believed them if they announced that in 1996? Not only are they doing sales at a rate in excess of $2 billion a year, I would venture to say it is their most profitable because their overhead may only be a fraction of a conventional sale. Plus those figures are escalating daily.


And folks....That ain't nothing......This next little tidbit will floor you! Late in April 1997,Chrysler announced something so incredible that they are still clamoring. Remember, it was not but a few years ago that Chrysler had losses of $400 and $500 million. They released a statement and it basically   stated that because of the internet and being able to streamline their operations to take advantage of the net's power, they would be able to SAVE $2 BILLION PER YEARin cost cutting alone!!! That's without even talking about sales!!! THAT'S $2 BILLION A YEAR IN SAVINGS!!


Not even the price of land in Manhattan nor anywhere else on the planet accelerated to the degree of the net and this is just the beginning. By the end of 1997 the mainsream may realize just how much they underestimated how quickly the public would embrace the internet.People you never thought would use it have now gone out and learned so they can easily stay in touch with their children and grandchildren via email. This fact alone.....is simply amazing!


Simply put folks.....'If you build it.....they will come' It's that simple. Their 'Field of dreams' was on a baseball diamond....this 'Field of dreams' is on a slightly larger playing surface.
Domainseller.com is open to Lease, Trade, Develop or joint venture our properties. Some domains are already under contract and more are going all the time. Speaking of time....don't waste any. If you have an idea the time to act is right now. If you are interested in one then I suggest you start a dialogue with us immediately. With all the wild get rich schemes that are available out there maybe it is time to stop wasting your time. Become a visionary. Remember....'Today's visionary is tomorrow's genius!'
       


And Just one more thing.....Listen folks, this is the gold rush and the industrial revolution all rolled up into one, only bigger, better, easier and a lot more profitable. The gold rush is in full swing and every minute you delay is a silly minute wasted. The net has given everyone an equal shot at a piece of the pie. It's a brand new race and everyone has a nearly equal chance. If you can read this then you have no argument and if you have a burning desire then nobody can stop you.       


In cyberspace nobody knows if you are black or if you are white, if you are rich or poor, tall or short, fat or skinny, clean or dirty, handicapped or healthy, Christian or Jew etc., ....They know only two things....the content of what you have to say and a way to communicate effectively to people from all walks of life and from
around the globe. Plus the value you put on your own character. Consisting of your credibility, your honesty, your integrity, and your devotion to do things the right way without taking advantage of others. This will be either your greatest asset or a liability that will inevitably be your downfall. You don't judge a book by its cover, In cyberspace you are judged by your content. Of course a nice cover such as a great domain name couldn't hurt.
       
The opportunity that any one of these domains can give to an individual or company who can accomplish what they set their minds to is truly a gift that has dropped in their lap. Now it is up to you to see if you have the guts, the drive and the creativity you need to acquire your dream.
       
Look over our domains. Allow yourself to come up with a
creative idea. You only need one idea...the rest they will write about. Remember, these are not imaginative and silly type domains. These are domains that while standing alone with no other words tell the world exactly what you have in just an easy to remember electronic address!Remember our motto.......'Today's visionary is tomorrow's genius!' We genuinely believe that ifYOU DO build it.....theyWILL come.
       
In closing, consider the following........      
If
you BELIEVE you 'CAN'......then you are RIGHT!!
If you BELIEVE you 'CAN'T'....then you are also RIGHT!!