.mobi Top Level Domain Preps Us for the Mobile Web
So what’s this “.mobi” top level domain name (TLD) I’m hearing about? The web works with a number of top level domains… like .com, .net, .org, etc. A new one was approved in July 2005 that establishes the .mobi TLD for websites coded to deliver content to mobile devices like PDAs and intelligent cell phones. Sponsored by the Nokia Corporation, Vodafone Group Services Limited and Microsoft, this proposal certainly did have quite a few influential voices behind it… perhaps this is the reason why this TLD was approved while others have struggled for approval in the past. From what I’m reading, these are expected to be opened for public use “in the second half of 2006″.
Interestingly, I’ve also found an article from Tim Berners-Lee of the W3C, the web standards organization. In his article New Top Level Domains Considered Harmful, he states that, “There are specific ways in which the “.mobi” breaks the Web architecture of links, and attacks the universality of the Web.” With this decision, his points are worth considering but essentially moot.
I’m a part-time domain name speculator myself… having bought and sold hundreds of names in the past. I’m interested in seeing how this new TLD pushes the use of mobile devices forward, perhaps finally bringing them up to the ~world of tomorrow~ expectations given to us by the manufacturers. If .mobi catches on, the new “real estate” on the web will certainly be valuable. My name is on the list for a few choice .mobi domain names… we’ll see if I get them!
Relevant Resources
- Wikipedia article on .mobi
- ICAAN’s .MOBI TLD Agreement
- Tim Berners-Lee’s article against approving .mobi
- Latest Google News on .mobi
- Wall Street Journal article on .mobi
Technorati Tags: mobile devices, PDAs, intelligent cell phones, Tim Berners-Lee, web standards, Web architecture, domain name speculator, .mobi domain names, .mobi, .mobi TLD, .mobi top level domain
