The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, has approved the sweeping overhaul we mentioned the other day. Now companies will be able to register their own unique top-level domain (TLD), which is sure to be as annoying as it sounds. But think of the branding opportunities! “Go to littlebigworld.ps3 to see the all new trailer!” ”Download a special coupon from bestbuy.rocks.” And so on.
Slash.dot, anyone?
It’ll work like, if Company A register the .product TLD, all subsequent requests to use that TLD—reallycool.product—will go through Company A.
The ability to use non-Roman characters in URLs was also approved.
Don’t think you’re gonna be clever and register the .sex or .xxx TLD post-haste, though, as registering a unique TLD will run upwards of six figures USD. Expensive!
This all starts next year, and I’m already annoyed at the prospect of it.