The Dot Tel domain in retrospect

Quote from "The Official .TEL Discussion Thread" at "Namepros.com" (buy, sell, discuss domain names), member Rico Shay, 04-20-2009:
"Personally, I only have 8 names in total. Just testing the waters so to speak. I do see some potential in it and if everything works out like how people are imagining it would - then there is a big future for this extension. However, I'd still like to see how things pan out before I invest any further."

My comment:
Well, this sounds, as if I could read the minds of many people, having a opinon about the Dot Tel doman.

The only problem with this attitude and strategy, is that, as soon as "Things pan out", it might be too late to grab a nice portion of good .tel domain names. Same thing with stocks/shares.
When things are a great opportunity, everybody wants to profit at the same time, like a flock of sheep.

However, the writer of that comment, at least sees "some potential": A lot of people don't even see any potential. But when the Dot Tel domain will take off, also those people will want a piece of the action. A sort of opportunity profiteurs, not wanting to invest or risk one cent.

I believe, that without risk, there can not be big profits made, because it would become difficult to act fast, once the Dot Tel domain takes off. And then, many good names, are already taken by people who where able to make some proper analysis, based on existing facts (technology and market potential).

People who will get a reasonable piece of the action, will be people, that have already done some thorough "home work" analysing the Dot Tel domain, and allowing a good amount of common sense, gutt feeling and instict to draw a future szenario and picture about .Tel.

Where we stand with the Dot Tel domain, today, is pretty good.
Dot Tel still does fill out a niche, indeed. And it is obvious, if you look at so many existing websites: It is often hard to get at the contact information. It just takes up too much time, to figure out, where the "contact us" link is. And when finally found, because for one reason, it is too small to see at a first glance, you must often write the phone number on a piece of paper, or fill in a contact form, not knowing the phone number or email address, to give you a other option to contact the company.

It is clear, that any person visiting the site of a enterprise/company/business, is interested in it. And does not only want to order items through a webshop, but also wants to ask some questions, about products, or the company.

Basically, I see it this way:
Problem 1:
Everything that is new creates fear and resistanc by the gross of users.
Problem 2:
People get used to things, even the things, that are less good than new things.
So, if they are used to using Yellow Pages, for finding contact info, it is hard to explain, that using .tel domains would be a lot easyer, nicer, cheaper and time saving.

There are always a few hurdles to take, when trying to show something new, that is even better.
But because people are such blind folded, they often won't even want to listen to you, for explaining the benefits and the better features of a new technology, compared with the existing technology.

If you look at it that way, any efforts are backbracking, but you my get a return of your investments after two, three or four years.

There are some quite brilliant people at Telnic, with good technical skills, but they try or have to do some sort of customer relations, but which is not their strength.
What a registry such as Telnic needs, is professional customer relations, also within their forum. Banning members, that post some critical comments about the registry, is not the solution. Strength, is to admit mistakes, faults and failures, and not to brush it under the carpet, and get rid of critical commentators.
Even negative critisism, can be fruitful and constructive.

It is also not ok, for the forum moderators to ban members, for posting comments about the registry in their blogs, that might sound "personal". One should be allowed to comment in his personal blog, that the registry is promoting their domain in a "amateurish way", without having to risk to be banned from the forum of the registry.

Forum moderation of the Telnic forum, is done in UDSSR and old Russian comunistic stile, not allowing any freedom of speech.

If users of .Tel get permanently censured and observed on their blogging activities, it is like "Big Brother is watching you", and will punish you, if something does not suit him.

I have been banned from the Telnic forum, and Telnic regulary monitors my .Tel blogs, through a blog search engine (http://www.blogpulse.com/ ), giving in the search term "Telnic". Not any different, as if the Gestapo or Stalin regime was watching you.

Why don't they use their time to be productive and innovative, instead of fighting a "cold war" against consumers of their product, and spying on them.

The "Big Brother is watching you video": http://panopti.com.onreact.com/swf/index.htm

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