Morning Folks!!
On Tuesday I saw a list of 20 possible picks for pope. So I decided to hon my skill as I usually do on events of great interest. Being Jewish I was not aware the parameters for the pope changing his name but I was glad to see I had no shot anyways.
But while I did not hit the bullseye on this mission, I circled around that eye.
I got these 24 hours before the announcement: PopeJorge.com, PopeGeorge.com, PopeJorge.tv, PopeJorge.me, PopeJorgeBergoggio.com PopeJorgeBergoggio.org,
Then after the announcement I got these.
PopeFrancis.co.uk, PopeFrancis.de, PopeFrancis.be, PopeFrank.tv, PopeFrank.net, PopeFrancis.tv
PopeFrancis.co.uk got the most traffic yesterday. 82 visitors in the first 5 hours and 45 as of 10AM today.
All these names are availabe to transfer to the Vatican without charge....not that they would want any.
I can only imagine the amount of traffic the REAL domain got. PopeFrancis.com could have easily gotten over 1 million TYPE INS! Type ins! What more proof would folks like about type ins?
If the .com gets 1 million visitors and the .net gets 5000 visitors and all the rest combined get 5000 visitors, does that not illustrate the power of .com?
Now much of that traffic will taper off. But not all.
I got a bunch of consolation prizes. I also had some PopeBenedict domains. They got very little traffic because he was never a popular Pope. This Pope is quite different and people already love him! His words were quite moving and humble is just not a good enough word.
Godaddy came out with a press release and said they sold 500 in the first 1 hour of Pope related domain names. So you could assume worldwide many thousands were registered. It is now a cottage industry in and of itself. We will see in what form this plays out. But a popular Pope could make for some very interesting domain stories.
As I write this I registered 2 more. popefrancissouvenirs.com, popefrancisinfo.com. Like I said, a cottage industry is likely to spring up. PopeFrancisMass.com
It is hard to describe the process or the why but here is a small parallel of the feeling that goes through me as a domain investor. As an investor. As a risk taker. As a gambler in the casino of business.
You can buy a major league baseball at the store for $10 or $20. But that is not the same as going to the stadium and catching a home run. That is priceless. Same ball with a different experience and value. I don't mind throwing the ball back to the guy that hit the home run. As a matter of fact that is the most priceless thrill of all. The thrill of the thrill.
btw, the number one question I hear is why did they not pick a younger Pope? I beleive I have the answer and I am sure many won't like it. But when you get down to it......Each of those Cardinals dreams of being Pope. If they put in a young Pope, that dream dies for all who have it. Human Nature even exists there. You may have your opinion, this is mine.
Rick Schwartz
JamesD
Rick:”If they put in a young Pope, that dream dies for all who have it. Human Nature even exists there”
Human nature isn’t something the catholic church usually majors in…
Acro
The psychology surrounding a person of global influence can be immense, particularly a religious leader, politician etc. As a non-Catholic, I am as respectful of Catholicism as much as the next religion. On the subject of”Pope domains”, the collective .com is currently available; as you may have noticed via today’s DomainGang post, parody can be the driving force behind any idea that steps away from the norm. Personally, my Pope investment was zero and I find the rush for 500+ Pope domains to be entertaining. A full list would help analyze what people go after, if the primary .com is taken.
RaTHeaD
ah… rope-a-dope… rope-a-pope. i can see it now.
@Domains
And all the type in traffic that the .com got (and is getting) goes straight to the Godaddy parking page it’s sitting on. Maybe another benefit of being the world’s biggest registrar, all those domains they have sitting on their parked pages.
Has anyone contacted the .com owner yet for an interview? I wonder if he forgot that he registered it. It expires next month, imagine if it drops?
BullS
Breaking NEWS breaking NEWS
sex scandal PopeFrancis, pics coming from paparazzi – pope with scantly clad women on Argentina beaches.
abe
being jewish did you marry a jewish girl?
Steve
@Bull
PopeFrancisSexScandal.com is available :)
With all of this religious hyperbole in the news I thought I’d mention I have Prayin.com available for lease. :)
Uzoma
Pope.com is under construction. The irony!
CateTV
It’s your human nature insight Rick that continues to have me respect you more and more each day – the domain world is a platform, Human Nature insight is an innate skill and yes I have the same opinion – Amen!!
Bako.com
I think Godaddy in the real genius here, they didn’t even buy the domain name and are the ones getting the million type ins haha No wander they sold so many pope domains the other day hahaha
Bako.com
Talk about a free super bowl ad!
Homero A. Gonzalez
Rick, the average age of the electing Cardinals is 72. So 76 is not that far of the median. Your opinion may as well be other of the reasons. But I also think that almost of of us associate”older” with”wiser” and in a Pope all want”Wiser”.
Rick Schwartz
I am being called a”Cybersquatter” by a”Journalist” at info world, Ted Samson, even tho I have offered the names to the Vatican RIGHT HERE on this post a day before his story.
I have written Mr. Samson and hopefully he will correct the record and show the difference between what I did and what I cybersquatter does.
http://www.infoworld.com/t/technology-business/pope-francis-loses-domain-names-cyber-squatters-214661?source=IFWNLE_nlt_wrapup_2013-03-15
And Mr. Samson, if you go through my blog posts just in the past few months you will see I talk about giving the JackKemp.com domain name to the Jack Kemp Foundation. I asked nothing in return.
I gave YogiBerra.com to Yogi Berra and asked nothing in return.
I gave JoeTorre.com to Joe Torre and asked nothing in return.
And if you go to TerryBradshaw.com you will see I spent about $450 just weeks ago for the HONOR of giving Terry Bradshaw his name.
Does that sound like cybersquatting to you sir?
So I ask that you now only correct the record, but show the good side as well.
Don’t you think that would be fair?
But if not, I am sure I can make up names to call you as well and then you will see the error of your ways. So let’s just get this right and move on. Fair enough?
And by the way, why don’t you do a REAL STORY on Procter and Gamble getting ruled a REVERSE DOMAIN NAME HIJACKER that you can read about from all my posts this week. That sir would be journalism!