The Domain King's® thoughts on domain names, web traffic, increasing web sales, success, life, and plain-old Business & Marketing 101. Nothing happens until a sale is made!
If you can't handle the truth then stop reading and go buy a comic book. I have stated for years that the bar to entering domaining is very low and when you look at how some look at their business it becomes obvious.
Even domain flippers are selling collectible and unique assets with an income producing potential with a global presence. Except many of them don't know it. They think they are selling a PRODUCT they buy for $100 and sell for $200 or $300. They mark it up like inventory. Inventory??
So this caught my eye. 'You devalued your domains by offering them everywhere for sale: forums, brokers, flippers, your mom. Hold them locked up like a virgin in a harem, next time.'
Copyright DomainGang.com:http://domaingang.com/domain-news/71-reasons-why-your-domains-suck/
Well those words are PRICELESS. The #1 challenge the Domain Industry has always faced is being a whore to make a sale and never understanding the TRUE value of a domain name. I have talked about it before. For many years. But Lucius put it in a very succinct sentence.
This week I used the Beep.me domain as an example. A $2000 sale of a domain could EASILY be worth INTO the 6 figures. First of all wtf is anyone or any company selling a domain like that for $2k?? A PREMIUM domain name worthy of much better then a $2000 sale. So sales are going down not because business sucks but because of things like this. All these companies should have QUALIFIED folks on staff to comb thru domains like this and not let them slip thru. Problem is the 50 people on the planet that may be qualified to do that have their own gigs and the last thing they need is a job.
This was just easy pickins for me because I think it was a good illustration. And if Beep.me has no value then the 1900 .whatevers don't either. But a 'Natural' is a 'Natural' and THAT is the key to any .whatever. If it is just a word with a .crap extension it will always be limited in value and business if any at all. But the top .whatevers will have some 'Natural' sounding things that have a chance. But that is the extent of it.
Half of you will jump on .crap and put a crappier name in front of it. Shitty.Crap. Which at least has MEANING! If you put Shitty.Crap out there I guarantee it is self explanatory. May not work as well with unrelatedwordsstucktogether.crap
Don't even get me started. I just see some companies undervaluing their assets in a way that is unfathomable to me. But that is their business and not for me to say this or that. So I don't want these companies to take offense. I can list many. Maybe all. Not that bad for a domain investor. But I have the ability to look at it from their side of the table and the least these companies need to do is isolate 6 and 7 figure domain names.
MOST domainers would flip that domain for $5k in 24 hours. BAD MOVE!!! At LEAST know the difference between a $5 domain and a $250,000 one. $100,000 on a rainy day. Fine, don't agree. But then you are no domain investor either. Maybe it is $25,000 or $50,000. Doesn't matter.
The point is even if you are a domain flipper this business is MUCH MORE than doubling or tripling the price against your cost. It is understanding you are in the diamond business whether you want to be or not and all diamonds are not the same. Beep.me is a diamond to somebody.
If I had the time I would open my own appraisal service and charge folks $250 each for a no bullshit Rick Schwartz valuation. Of course the ones I certify as 'Pigeon Shit' would make the owners very unhappy. lol But I would have to focus on domains with a minimum value of $25,000. But who has the time?
I have said for years that the only difference between a $3000 call girl and a $50 corner whore is the asking price and the value they put on themselves. I have seen beautiful $50 street whores and some homely $3000 call girls. (Seen, not used lol)
But domains can be truly measured for value in a number of ways. The automated ones are silly. They don't work. They factor in many pieces of the equation but fail to factor in the key pieces. TheDomains.com did a piece where they valued the domains at the TRAFFIC Auction at $1.85MM.
Well I like to mental masturbate as much as the next guy but the TRAFFIC Auction list is not worth $1.85MM and if it is, some folks are going to get some incredible bargains.
Just to be clear…
Flipping is just short term investing. Nothing wrong with that at all. It’s a great way to make a lot of money. I just prefer the long term outlook because it is less work and I have the luxury of waiting and that was my approach from the get go so that’s how I roll.
But even that does not always work out as I lose money on domains sometimes too. lol
99% of the domains I see have very limited value. 1% have value. 1% of those have great value. So when you are in a diamond mine only morons talk about the glass. The pros are busy looking for the diamonds in all that crap pile of glass. They only talk diamonds. And hopefully the biggest and best diamonds they can find.
Point is to STUDY first and then decide to sell or hold. Do you know how many emails I get from people that got a domain 5 SECONDS ago?? Flip less and make more!! Work smarter, not harder. Good luck!
Office of Medical & Scientific Justice, Inc. represented by Matthew H. Swyers of The Trademark Company, LLC, Virginia, USA. was just found guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH) in attempted theft of the domain names hivinnocencegrouptruth.com and hivinnocenceprojecttruth.com by a one member National Arbitration Forum UDRP decision.
So Office of Medical & Scientific Justice, Inc. joins the other GUILTY PARTIES below. Matthew H. Swyers of The Trademark Company, LLC, Virginia, USA should have known better. So as time goes on BOTH the company and the attorney are tagged in this. I BELIEVE that by virtue of these decisions they are CO-CONSPIRATORS. They BOTH engaged in activity that was deemed as hijacking.
So from now on we must ROAST these Reverse Domain Name Hijackers (RDNH). Ah you say but Rick what have you been doing if you are not already roasting them? Well there are some innovative ways we will begin to get the attention of these companies. But we will leave that for another day because this CONTENT is right here and not going away anytime soon.
Harsh? You bet!! They join Procter and Gamble and any others. But P&G later BOUGHT the domain name later on.
Try to hijack a domain name and you will be shamed publicly because public opinion is the way to stop bad behavior when the laws out there are not adequate enough to do the job. Each of these companies will receive an increasingly HARSHER post from me because they are not ignorant of what they are doing. In almost every case they KNEW what they were doing and their INTENT was to STEAL using a governing body as their pawns!
Well there have been more findings of Reverse Domain Hijacking in the last 12 months that any preceding 12 month period. So the cat is out of the bag and they can no longer fool panels into being their unknowing accomplice.
I have 39 such cases so far of RDNH and this resource has 129. Each win will discourage the next would-be hijacker. A tip of the hat to all owners below that fought and a big congrats to the attorney that represented them! I will list any and all cases as I learn of them. In time we hope decisions like these will will make the next IDIOT think twice before they attempt to STEAL something they have no legal or moral rights to. We now OWN YOUR REPUTATION and we will circulate!
And a special tip of the hat to John Berryhill who is the leading RDNH attorney in the world. I am counting and will post how many wins he has recorded on behalf of his clients. I would guess about 1/3 of all decisions. So if you are up against Berryhill or Neu or Goldberger, or Keating or a few others, good luck! You'll need it. Save yourself a great loss and embarrassment and WITHDRAW your case and send the other party their expense money and then get down to this thing we call 'Capitalism' and NEGOTIATE!!
Otherwise you get to be labeled what 'I' want to label you as and you will be tagged with that DESERVED recognition each and every time a new client does a search to find the good, the bad and the ugly. Want to know which group 'Fuckers' will end up in.
The PUBLIC now OWNS the reputation of each of these companies. They are now BRANDED in the most despicable way and so all the $$$ they spent to familiarize us with their products just got a mighty damaging blow.
And with each conviction I will be a bigger PRICK than the post before UNTIL this crap stops and will begin the tedious job of making REVERSE DOMAIN HIJACKING a CRIMINAL offense as we move forward.
If you are on thin ice, and found out to be GUILTY, you and your company will be listed right here and in all future blog posts and interviews relating to this and I reserve my right to use your attempted theft at every chance I get. Let the PUBLIC decide who is the THIEF! Who is the party found GUILTY of REVERSE DOMAIN NAME HIJACKING! Each case will be included in the book I am writing as well.
Case #3 CinemaCity.com The Complainant is Prime Pictures LLC of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (“UAE”), represented by Law offices of Vince Ravine, PC, United States of America (“USA”). Reverse Domain Name Hijacker
Case #4 CollectiveMedia.com The Complainant is Collective Media, Inc., New York, United States of America, represented by Lowenstein Sandler PC, United States of America is a Reverse Domain Name Hijacker
Case #7 Mess.com Kiwi Shoe Polish Company, The Complainant is Mess Enterprises, San Francisco, California, of United States of America, represented by Steve Clinton, United States of America is a Reverse Domain Name Hijacker
Case #8 Goldline.com The Complainant is Goldline International, Inc., represented by Spataro & Associates is a Reverse Domain Name Hijacker
Case #10 CarSales.com The Complainant is carsales.com.au Limited of Burwood, Victoria, Australia represented by Corrs Chambers, Westgarth, Australia is a Reverse Domain Name Hijacker
Case #11 Proto.com The Complainant is Proto Software, Inc., New York, New York, United States of America, represented by Byron Binkley, United States of America is a Reverse Domain Name Hijacker
Case #12 TrailBlazer.com The Complainant is Trailblazer Learning, Inc. dba Trailblazer, Caledonia, Michigan, United States of America, Self-represented by Brett W. Company COO, Caledonia, Michigan, United States of America is a Reverse Domain Name Hijacker.
Case #13 DreamGirls.com The Complainant is Dreamgirls, Inc., Tampa, Florida, United States of America, represented by Christensen, Miller, Fink, Jacobs, Glaser, Weil & Shapiro, LLP, Los Angeles, California, United States of America and have been labeled a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker'.
Case #15 Windsor.com Complainant in this administrative proceeding is Windsor Fashions, Inc., a California corporation with a principal place of business in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. Complainant is represented in this proceeding by Abraham M. Rudy, Esq. and Julie Waldman, Esq., Weisman, Wolff, Bergman, Coleman, Grodin & Evall LLP, Beverly Hills, California, United States of America. They have been labeled a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker'.
Case #16 Mindo.com Complainants are Scandinavian Leadership AB and Mindo AB of Uppsala, Sweden, internally represented. They have been labeled a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker'.
Case # 17 and Sha.com he Complainant is Albir Hills Resort, S.A. of Alfaz del Pi Alicante, Spain, represented by PADIMA, Abogados y Agentes de Propiedad Industrial, S.L., Spain. They have been labeled a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker'.
Case # 18 etatil.com The Complainants are ÖZALTUN OTELCİLİK TURİZM VE TİCARET LTD. ŞTİ. of Istanbul, Turkey, Allstar Hotels LLC of New York, Unites States of America and Mr. Metin ALTUN of Istanbul, Turkey, represented by Istanbul Patent & Trademark Consultancy Ltd., Turkey. They have been labeled a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker'.
Case # 19 Takeout.com. Complainant is Tarheel Take-Out, LLC of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America (“U.S.”), represented internally. They have been labeled a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker'.
Case # 20 WallStreet.com The Complainant is Wall-Street.com, LLC of Florida, United States of America (the “United States” or “US”), represented by Flint IP Law, United States. They have been labeled a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker'.
Case # 21 parvi.org found for the complainant in 2009 but in 2012 the courts rules that theCity of Paris, France was guilty of 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacking' in a landmark case that resulted in a $125,000 judgement against the city.
Case #22 Gtms.com The Complainant is Sustainable Forestry Management Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of Bermuda, with its principal place of business in London, United Kingdom. The Complainant is represented by its general counsel, Mr. Eric Bettelheim. They have been labeled a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker'.
Case #23 PetExpress.com The Complaintant is Airpet Animal Transport, Inc. represented by Mark W. Good of Terra Law LLP, California, USA. They have been labeled a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker'
Case #24 ColdFront.com Complainant isPersonally Cool Inc. (“Complainant”), New York, USA. They have been labeled a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker'
Case #25 Unive.com Complainant is Coöperatie Univé U.A. of Arnhem, Netherlands, represented by Novagraaf Nederland B.V., Netherlands. 'Given the circumstances, the Panel finds that the Complaint was brought in bad faith, in an attempt at Reverse Domain Name Hijacking, and constitutes an abuse of the administrative proceeding'
Case #26 eCase.com AINS, INC. (“Complainant”), represented by Janice W. Housey of Symbus Law Group, LLC, Virginia, USA. The panel concludes that the Complaint was brought in bad faith in an attempt at Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.
Case #27 TinyPrint.com Complainant is Tiny Prints, Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by CitizenHawk, Inc., California, USA 'Complaint was brought in bad faith and that, accordingly, Complainant has attempted to engage in Reverse Domain Name Hijacking'
Case #28 Enki.com Complainant is Enki LLC(“Complainant”), represented by Eric A. Novikoff, of California, USA. 'This is a frivolous proceeding which should never have been filed by Complainant. Accordingly, the Panel finds that Complainant is guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking'
Case #29 SFM.com Complainant is State Fund Mutual Insurance Co. represented by Peter G. Nikolai, of Nikolai & Mersereau, P.A., Minnesota, USA The Panel finds 'Complainant has engaged in Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.'
Case #30 Swash.com Complainant Procter and Gamble Represented by Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL. Procter and Gamble is a Reverse Domain Name Hijacker
'It is impossible to believe that the Complainant, who employs ultra-sophisticated marketing methods, was not aware that the disputed domain name, <swash.com>, had been registered and used by other entities for some years when the Complainant introduced its SWASH product line in 2009.
The entire Panel finds it more extraordinary still that in its Complaint the Complainant represented the SWASH brand to be a worldwide brand of longstanding with multi-million dollar sales, stating that over the last 4 years alone the brand had gained sales of over USD 40,000,000. When this was challenged by the Respondent, the Complainant was forced to admit that the brand had only been on the market for 4 years, that sales had been restricted to the USA and that sales over those four years had totaled under USD 60,000.
Had the Respondent failed to respond, there is a very real risk that the Panel, relying upon the 1993 International registration and the substantial sales volumes claimed for the brand, would have found in favor of the Complainant. This Complaint fell very far short of what the Panel was entitled to expect from a Complainant of this stature.
In all of the circumstances present here, the Panel finds that the Complainant has abused the process in an attempt at reverse domain name hijacking in contravention of the UDRP Rules at paragraph 15(e). The Panel majority also finds the Complainant has attempted reverse domain name hijacking because it must have known that the Respondent did not know of (nor had any reason to be aware of) any relevant trade mark rights in the SWASH name when the Respondent registered the disputed domain name in 2004.'
Case #31 3dCafe.com Complainant is 3DCafe, Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by Danielle I. Mattessich of Merchant & Gould, P.C., Minnesota, USA. The panel finds 'Complainant acted in bad faith. The Panel therefore makes a finding of reverse domain name hijacking.'
Case #32 xPand.com The Complainant is X6D Limited of Limassol, Cyprus, represented by Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, United States of America. 'The Panel therefore accepts the Respondent’s allegation that the Complainant is using the UDRP as an alternative purchase strategy after the acquisition of the disputed domain name failed. Therefore, the Panel finds that the Complaint was brought in bad faith, in an attempt of reverse domain name hijacking: The Complainant knew or should have known at the time it filed the Complaint that it could not prove that the domain name was registered in bad faith.'
Paragraph 1 of the Rules defines Reverse Domain Name Hijacking:
“Reverse Domain Name Hijacking means using the Policy in bad faith to attempt to deprive a registered domain-name holder of a domain name.”
The general conditions for a finding of bad faith on the part of a complainant are well stated in Smart Design LLC v. Carolyn Hughes,WIPO Case No. D2000-0993 (October 18, 2000):
“Clearly, the launching of an unjustifiable Complaint with malice aforethought qualifies, as would the pursuit of a Complaint after the Complainant knew it to be insupportable.”
These conditions are confirmed in Goldline International, Inc. v. Gold Line,WIPO Case No. D2000-1151 (January 4, 2001) and Sydney Opera House Trust v. Trilynx Pty. Limited,WIPO Case No. D2000-1224 (October 31, 2000) (where the condition is stated as “the respondent must show knowledge on the part of the complainant of the respondent’s right or legitimate interest in the disputed domain name and evidence of harassment or similar conduct by the complainant in the face of such knowledge”), which in turn cites Plan Express Inc. v. Plan Express, WIPO Case No. D2000-0565 (July 17, 2000).
The Complainant knew when it filed the Complaint that the registration of the disputed domain name preceded by several years any rights that the Complainant may have acquired in the mark WEB PASS. Indeed, the Complainant annexes a printout of the WhoIs registration to the Complaint, and that printout indicates that the domain name was created well before the Complainant’s first use in commerce of its mark. In this Panel’s view, this is sufficient to find reverse domain name hijacking. See NetDeposit, Inc. v. NetDeposit.com, WIPO Case No.D2003-0365 (July 22, 2003) (finding reverse domain name hijacking because “Respondent's domain name registration preceded the Complainant's creation of its trademark rights”).
The Panel finds that the Complainant has attempted Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.
Case #34 BSA.com Complainant is Bin Shabib & Associates (BSA) LLP (“Complainant”), represented by Jimmy Haoula, United Arab Emirates.
The panel finds that Complainant has failed to present any evidence to support its claimed rights in the disputed domain name. It only provided an application for trademark registration which does not establish any enforceable rights under the UDRP. It did not offer any evidence to support a finding of common law rights in the disputed mark. Also, the Panel finds that Complainant knew or should have known that it was unable to prove that Respondent lacks rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name or that Respondent registered and is using the disputed domain name in bad faith. Based on the foregoing, the panel finds that reverse domain name hijacking has occurred.
SeeNetDepositVerkaik v. Crownonlinemedia.com, D2001-1502 (WIPO Mar. 19, 2002) (“To establish reverse domain name hijacking, Respondent must show knowledge on the part of the complainant of the Respondent’s right or legitimate interest in the Domain Name and evidence of harassment or similar conduct by the Complainant in the fact of such knowledge.”); see alsoLabrada Bodybuilding Nutrition, Inc. v. Glisson, FA 250232 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 28, 2004) (finding that complainant engaged in reverse domain name hijacking where it used “the Policy as a tool to simply wrest the disputed domain name in spite of its knowledge that the Complainant was not entitled to that name and hence had no colorable claim under the Policy”).
Having failed to establish all three elements required under the ICANN Policy, the Panel concludes that relief shall be DENIED. The Panel further finds that Complainant engaged in Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.'
Case #35 adjudicate.org.au The Complainant is Adjudicate Today Pty Limited of Mona Vale, New South Wales, Australia represented by Moray & Agnew, Australia. The domain, adjudicate.org.au. Futureworld Consultancy (Pty) Limited v. Online Advice, WIPO Case No. D2003-0297 states that a finding of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking may be made if the Complainant “knew or should have known at the time it filed the Complaint that it could not prove that the domain name was registered or used in bad faith”. Given that the Complainant would have been aware that the Respondent had a more than negligible adjudication business in Australia at the time the Complaint was filed, the Panel is of the opinion that the Complainant knew or should have known that it could not prove that the disputed domain name was registered in bad faith. Therefore, the Panel finds that this is an instance of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.
Case #36 Joopa.com Complainant is Edward Smith (“Complainant”), represented by Kuscha Abhyanker of Raj Abhyanker P.C., California, USA. “the Complainant filed its trademark application shortly after it was unable to acquire the Disputed Domain Name from the Respondent on acceptable terms. 'The panel finds that failing in this effort, the Complainant undertook to use the Policy to acquire the Disputed Domain Name.” “The panel finds that the Complaint has attempted reverse domain name hijacking in violation of the Rules.”
Case #37 PoliceAuction.com Complainant is Vortal Group, Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by Roger N. Behle Jr., of Behle Law Corporation, 575 Anton Boulevard, Suite 710, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. 'Moreover, the Panel finds that filing a UDRP proceeding - which on its face can be qualified as frivolous - without any basis to do so should be construed in the present case as harassing. Here, Complainant admitted it knew that the domain name was registered prior to its using the at-issue mark in commerce. When, as in the present case, Complainant is unable to show trademark rights through use or otherwise which predate registration of the at-issue domain name, then it becomes impossible for it to prevail. In the case before the Panel, there is no way that Complainant could have reasonably expected to prevail and its counsel should have known better.' Vortal Group, Inc. is a convicted Reverse Domain Name Hijacker and 'counsel should have known better'
Case #38 Opulence.com Complainant isHorizon Publishing, LLC (“Complainant”), represented by Marc J. Kesten of Marc J. Kesten, P.L., Florida, USA. Horizon Publishing, LLC of Fort Lauderdale, Florida is the latest to be labeled a REVERSE DOMAIN NAME HIJACKER by the governing body.
Case #39 Avayo.net Complainant is Avaya Inc. (“Complainant”), represented by Joseph Englander of Shutts & Bowen LLP, Florida, USA. “The Respondent correctly notes that the Complainant has previously filed domain name cases, and lost in two of such cases when it brought proceedings against legitimate businesses such as the Respondent. See Avaya Inc. v. Sudhir Sazena, FA 1229266 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 9, 2008); andAvaya Inc. v. Moayyad Hamad, FA 1456063 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 14, 2012). ” “Consequently, the Panel finds that the Complaint was submitted in an attempt to hijack Respondent’s domain name” Avaya Inc. is a convicted Reverse Domain Name Hijacker
Case #40hivinnocencegrouptruth.com and hivinnocenceprojecttruth.com. Office of Medical & Scientific Justice, Inc. represented by Matthew H. Swyers of The Trademark Company, LLC, Virginia, USA. was found guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH) in attempted theft of the domain names.
My hope is this is the last RDNH case I will ever have to post. The reality is this post will be re-posted EVERY SINGLE TIME there is a case of RDNH. Every time and now maybe some value based companies will think twice before flirting with this tactic and come to the bargaining table un good faith instead of being labeled forever with bad faith. The net is written in INK!
THOU SHALT NOT STEAL! Stop trying to steal and start doing BUSINESS! Feel free to repost FAR and WIDE!
How can it be?? How does it happen? An industry of such strong willed folks that are also strong doubters in what they themselves do. It is so sad to see folks reacting in a short term manner in what is a life long marathon.
There is NO OTHER INDUSTRY ON EARTH with such a low bar to enter and how quickly you can change your destiny. But unfortunately most folks are clueless when it comes to what makes one domain have great value and one that will just rot until you drop.
Worse is when I see domains of GREAT VALUE being sold for chump change. So the opportunity is out there. But if you are not ARMED with the knowledge as to what makes one domain have GREAT value as opposed to doubling your money, then you will find the road difficult. If you don't understand sales and what motivates some to buy you will not understand domain names.
So you want an example? Fine. The other day somebody got a great bargain. Somebody bought a domain that was $2000 at Sedo and whether you agree or not is worth into the 6 figures. It's not worth 6 figures if he sells it tomorrow. It is worth 6 figures if he buys it to plant. It's worth 7 figures if he uses it for a business. It's not even a .com.
So opportunity in domains come in many wrappers and flavors. The problem is so many seeing the true potential value once the music stops and the .com domain inventory shrinks and shrinks and shrinks. See many are in a business of diminishing returns. A domain can only be bounced around domainers a few times until it either sits with the last domainer or is bought by the end user never to return to the market again.
So resellers will eventually have diminishing returns. Less inventory. Less quality. Less money. Less demand for less quality. A catch 22 and a peek at the future.
Of course their lifeboat is the new gTLD's. But there is a problem at the ranch. While this is great for resellers, the buyers are likely to have great disappointment in their projects. The end user is smart enough to figure things out even if others don't want him to. I blogged about one such case here on this blog not long ago. Others would be smart to heed the words of somebody traveling the actual path as opposed to thse that benefit from your ignrance and gullability.
But sure, if you don't see things clearly of course you have this self doubt. But it is the self doubt that is killing you and your business not the reality of just how much opportunity awaits you. And I say that regardless of the extension you focus on.
I saw this movie before. Many of you have as well. Around 2002 the folks looked almost the same way. One guy either forgot to listen to how bad things were or decided to capitalize on how bad things were. Somewhere along the way with less opportunity than today Franky was able to amass one of the world's greatest domain portfolios. This is likely the last time you will be able to get meaningful .com domain names at prices that are just cheap. But not because of the value of the property but the circumstance of the domainer.
When this wagon comes full circle I can guarantee that this period will DWARF that period. And that is why it is so sad for me to see not only domainers in doubt but teams and companies in doubt. There is no doubt when I look at the future and the horizon. There are only waves. But when you don't know a diamond from a piece of glass, THAT my friends is the only enemy out there.
So when a domain like Beep.me sells for $2000 that is a domain that has meaning and is brandable and marketable. Of course I will have a host of folks saying that they overpaid or some other such nonsense. But in fact they are clueless on their art.
And a disclaimer, I have no idea who bought it and did not even do a whois lookup. If it was an end user, they bought a nice future with a good idea. For a domainer, if he is a cat on a hot tin roof, he can flip it and make a nice months salary or hold on to it and walk away with 6 figures at some point not in the distant future.
And here is what I see. In the past years we have seen a host of electric cars come to market. They got lots of money and they advertised and got all types of publicity and all the rest. Well Fisker collapsed as their cars blew up. The Volt cost like $75,000 to make and they sell for $45,000 and they too blow up too. So even if you wanted one of these PIGS, would you REALLY park it in the garage at night with you, your wife and kids????? It was THE deciding factor for me.
Now gTLD's are not going to blow up anyones house but it may cause a business to blow up and collapse. But there may be a parallel. Because when it doesn't work, they all circle back to what they used before. In this case, gas. Yes, gas can blow your house up to but the incidents are rare and usually self inflicted. And when .crap blows up, then they all circle back to .com and THEN my friends is when you see the manifestation of a 20 year plan coming together. Values will necessarily skyrocket.
Not all gTLD's will be electric cars. But if enough gTLD's blow up....then what? They might hurt other gTLD's. That's what. So what you think may unfold is not what I seeing unfold. How many of these new extensions will PROVE to be electric cars that just blow up? NONE of us know that. But we do know it will be significant because we are already seeing evidence of it and we as domainers have seen this before.
The bottom line is for any extension or domain in that extension to have value it must be powerful, clear and unique before we even discuss other parameters. The right combinations WILL have great value. But the WHEN question is also part of that equation.
But who cares?? It ALL spells opportunity and domainers have opportunity all around them and MANY are walking around like zombies!! Snap out of it!! Wake up. You are in the epicenter of the most dynamic business on earth right now. Your self doubt is killing your business not the opportunities out there.
It' no secret that when it comes to Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH) proactive is an understatement to describe my efforts. I am on a personal and professional mission to SHAME these folks in such a manner that folks will figure it out before I have to publicly tar and feather them. Not your style, then get used to bending over.
I get this email over the weekend with a THREAT.
I don't take kindly to THIEVES.
My company **************, LLC. owns the trademark for ************(United States Patent and Trademark Office Serial Number ***********). We would like to inquire about a friendly transfer before we pursue a legal course.
My style cuts thru the bullshit of life.
Read this before you make a FOOL of yourself in public and I OWN your reputation.
Go ahead use this as evidence when you try and REVERSE HIJACK a DOMAIN you have no rights to. I am going to make you famous! Everyone you know will know you are a THIEF!
You got 1 HOUR to apologize or you will be on my blog TOMORROW!
Want to play FUCKER??
Lets do it!!
I get a response 9 minutes later.
Dear Rick,
I apologize and I did not mean to offend you in any way. I was misinformed about the coverage of our trademark, and again I am sorry for my first email. If there is anything else I can do please let me know.
Best,
John
Now I am glad John learned his lesson before I had to do what I do. Domainers need to grow some BALLS and stop being AFRAID of THIEVES and treat THIEVES like a THIEF should be treated.
This will become more and more common place and Howard and I have decided to take the next THIEF to Federal Court and we are going to have even stronger cases and more costly cases to point to. The next CLOWN that even comes NEAR a domain he has no rights to is going to get a lawsuit on their desk and they are going to be made an example of.
With each passing day, there is less an less excuses to engage in Reverse Domain Name Hijacking. So the Law firms engaged in this will be soiled just as much and maybe even more than the would-be thief. They know better. They KNOW what they are doing and so I will be opening a special section just spotlighting the law firms engaged in this practice. They KNOW better! That makes them an ACCOMPLICE!
The 'Test of time' is another big thing to me. To prove something it must be able to stand up against time. So does the following post still stnd up years later? Not 100%......but more than ever!!!
A few weeks back my friend Frank Schilling asked me to write a guest column on his very popular 7mile.com blog. Frank started in domains around 2000. Others had already decided that all good domains were taken. They were wrong and they defeated themselves before they even began. Along came Frank and not listening to the naysayers, built a portfolio that earns more than any other single domain owner in the world today. So like I will tell you a little bit later....'If you believe you CAN....you are RIGHT! If you believe you CAN'T....you are also RIGHT! Which way your 'Right' is will depend on the decisions you make and how you think. So I am going to republish the post I made for Franky cuz I think folks here will enjoy it and maybe it gives you a little peak into my inner workings and what makes me tick.
I usually write very straight forward and basic. It is rare I write things that are cryptic though it is always important to read between the lines. Here is a mixture of both. Some rambling thoughts designed to make you STOP and think. I’ll ruffle a few feathers to get you there. The first thing you need to do in life to change course, to change your destiny, is to STOP IN YOUR TRACKS, take a deep breath and re-evaluate where you are and where you are going. If you don’t start at a STOP, you lose before you begin. (Got that?)
Everyone runs around and says they want to make a million dollars. But that is truly silly. It is the same thing as climbing to the top of a building or a mountain without a staircase, ladder, elevator, gear or some device to get you there incrementally. The map to making a million dollars is not making a million dollars. It is making a dollar a million times. It is making a PENNY 100 million times. So if you are STOPPED as I suggested, this is your first change. When you make a core change like that it affects other decisions down the line so now you have to reanalyze many things. Invent once and then repeat, repeat, repeat. The more you repeat and the faster you repeat it will determine everything else. $1 million, $10, million, $100 million, it’s all based on the same recipe.
There is “No courage in Corporate America.' That's what I learned at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. EAST 2006 and how true those words are. No spine, no vision, no dreams, no ideas, no nothing but spineless jellyfish only interested in a paycheck on the 1st and 15th. No courage is something that may be able to be exploited. I see so few great IDEAS out there. I think they are coming. I think a foundation is being laid. I think sparks can and will be created. But corporate America won't care until you can lose $100 million and they can pay $500 million to rescue your company. They have such an interesting way of overpaying and make everyone think they are so smart. So my next piece of advice is don’t look to corporate America to sweep you off your feet and bring you to the promised land. They would rather knock you off your feet and bury you once they figure out how badly they goofed and how they missed the single biggest opportunity in any of their lifetimes, their father’s lifetimes and their grandfather’s lifetime. While Wall Street and Main Street traded manipulated and sometimes worthless stocks and Madison Avenue ignored us, they missed the commodity that has gone up faster in value than any other commodity ever known to man. No gold, no diamond, no land no nothing has ever gone up faster and further than a great domain name. Besides that, they lost the most magnificent self maintaining lead generation system ever devised. Imagine getting a million qualified leads for $6 a year. Imagine that? They can’t!! But IMAGINE how it will change the landscape when they actually do figure it out? When they STOP in their tracks and see what many of us see.
My current mission is to make a $1 a day domain be a $20 a day domain and then a $200 a day domain and then a $2000/day domain. Can you imagine what it would be like to multiply your entire income by 20 or more?
Yeah I know it can't happen, it won't happen blah, blah, blah. And to that I would say it CAN happen and it WILL happen and it HAS already happened. It will take on many forms and it will be duplicated 1 domain by 1 domain but the folks that can make that happen are soon going to meet each other and a new day is going to dawn. I have watched payouts go from 1/10 of one penny to many dollars. So the leap I described above is not as far as the ones we have already accomplished.
But, if you can't dream it and you can't believe it, then you can't do it. I accept that and completely understand it. But it does not affect me whatsoever. Not only do I believe it, I know I am actually underestimating what is soon to happen. Hey listen, I don't expect anyone to agree or even see what I see, but all I can do is share what it is I see and just how strong I see it. This will raise all of our overall net worth's. Your holdings are going to do very well IF you have good commercial domains or social domains with lots of eyeballs. Like anything else….If you believe you CAN’T….you are 100% right. And if you believe you CAN……you are also 100% right. YOUR CHOICE!!
If today is your first day of being a domain investor, good luck. Your job is to copy old paths and forge a new path. A new direction. You are never too late so don’t defeat yourself. The publisher of this very blog “Came to the game too late” and was able to outperform all others that got here before him including me and every other domain investor in the game. He had no excuse and neither should you. With a solid plan and a few bucks in your pocket you can still get into the domain game and have it transform your life. I will tell you what I have told everyone before. “Your first domain is your most important domain.” If you choose that one right it makes your future easier than if you don’t. Take the time to learn what makes a good domain and a worthless domain. They likely cost the same. There are a lot of decent domains to be purchased on the secondary market for $500 to $2500. Learn how to pick out the gems and you will never look back. Good luck!
Before I put you all asleep, I’ll leave you with this. My famous “Truck story” and why helping each other has great benefits. With the spirit of giving in your heart you will receive more than you can ask for. That’s the “Magic” in approaching life from this side of the equation.
The 18 Wheeler Story……and The Crest of The Hill.
Years ago [in the domain business] many of us walked around searching for meaning. We knew we had gold and diamonds but were not sure how to turn them to cash. So the net was a true NET. We were forced to help and cooperate with each other for our very survival.
I have always seen the way things could and should unfold in a more uniform manner. Of course that is not possible but the way I have always seen it is in this picture I draw.
IMAGINE there are 10 trucks. All 18 wheelers and all lined up parallel. NONE of them have the power to get over the crest of this steep hill. Each truck has a driver and a helper. You see 10 trucks with drivers and you see 10 trucks with a guy behind it doing everything he can to push the truck over the crest. ALL are failing. Not a one has budged. They are stuck. Paralyzed in time.
The thing they don’t understand is that they have the power and resources right there to change their destiny and overcome the huge obstacle they are facing. Instead they are grumbling and frustrated and are losing money by not getting the goods to where they need to go. If they were to think a little more unselfishly they could easily garner the power they need to get moving again.
What if…..What if you took 9 of the 10 drivers and put them behind just ONE truck and what if you got all the other 10 helpers to also push that one truck? Well you would get the result they all wanted by cooperating and then they could go right down the line and REPEAT the process and formula and push all the other 9 trucks until they are all rolling again.
The day I created this story I also had a vision for a way to apply it. Maybe there is still a way. We talk about “Development” and I think that is what most of us ultimately are. Some develop at different speed, at different levels and for different reasons.
IMAGINE…..10 domainers with like minds get together. Their mission is each month, develop one domain name owned by one of the other members of the group and built by all other members as they donate a little time and talent and knowledge to the effort. At the end of the year each would have a site developed by some of the very sharpest people we know with talents beyond most and 10 chances to hit pay dirt. Imagine dozens of groups doing the same thing. Starting with a great domain, identifying a void, figuring a way to profit from that void and creating something that we would be proud of and move in a direction we all would like to go. We all have great land and nails and wood and brick and cement in our arsenal. Together we can build houses. Alone we may build frustration and feel like those truckers until they figure it out.
This leads to other things and I could see dozens of groups like this pulling this off. One domain at a time and success after success after success.
Just a vision I have had for a very long time and never have the mind or time or PATIENCE to put it on paper and explain it in a way that could be understood and embraced. I know I have tried several times. But I have not successfully articulated what is in my mind and heart.
Lastly, don’t listen to the naysayers. They are the ones sitting on the sidelines cheering for your failure. They build themselves up by ripping others down. Don’t fall into that trap. Don’t become a person on that side of the equation. They are mad at the world and the frustration built up in them is used to try and defeat you. Don’t let them. Your triumphs are illustrations of their failures. They have the power to change that at every moment of their life, but the first thing that has to happen is the first thing I mentioned. They have to STOP and reanalyze, rethink, and set the course. Something we all have in common and something we should all do periodically to make sure we are still on course.
I will leave you with my most important thought. When you leave New York and set sail for London and you end up on the shores of Africa…..your problem did not occur when you landed in Africa, it happened before you even set sail for New York. Point is……99.9% of ALL failures are due to a bad or quick decision in the beginning or the planning stage. So the likelihood of any success can easily be determined before you even begin. Usually a SIMPLE change can also change your entire future fortunes. If you walk east looking for the sunset you will likely become disappointed, angry and frustrated. Their frustration boils over and they last out at the world. Especially anyone telling them they are wrong. Just a 180 degree shift on one thing can change your destiny. But before you do that you MUST STOP. Stop in your tracks. If you don’t start at a STOP, you lose before you begin.
So welcome to my little world and to a MIND that just keeps them guessing!
Just because someone says they are a domainer does not make them a domainer. Take this case and let's make it clear to the world that this is NOT A DOMAINER but in fact a CYBERSQUATTER. We as an industry need to take the lead on things like this.
Now I am the first to admit there is a fine line and it is the fine line that we are disputing and fighting the good fight over. The fight is exactly where that line is drawn. In my view of the world this is clearly cybersquatting with a malicious intent. It is WAY over that fine line that is slowly being defined with these Reverse Domain Name hijacking decisions as well as bona fide complaints of trademark holders.
The CNN.COM Article brings Donald Trump on one side and what I clearly see as a cybersquatter on the other. However the entire industry of 'Domaining' has been used with the same brush and that is worrysome. So I want to be clear of where I stand on this case.
The court will rule and I have a hunch it will cost this chap $400,000 for his business tactics. JMO and we will see. Maybe they we settle before it gets that far. I kinda doubt it.
'Yung, a self-described 'domainer,' acquired four Trump-related domain names, including trumpmumbai.com and trumpindia.com, in 2007, the year the Trump organization announced plans to build Trump-branded hotels and condominiums in Mumbai and Bangalore, India.'
But there is clearly a difference between a domain owner, domain investor, domainer, domain developer and an actual cybersquatter. They are not the same and those that try to lump all together usually have an agenda behind their actions.
So, on the record, for the record to the general public......This young man is NOT a domainer in any way, shape or form. He, in my professional opinion, is one degree worse than a cybersquatter when you add in his particular use. We will follow up on this when a ruling or settlement comes down.
Sadly, there are many, many, many more cybersquatters than there are professional domainers. Professional domainers and others that RESPECT and UNDERSTAND trademarks and laws surrounding them as well as the intent and the spirit of them.
When there is reverse domain name hijacking they need to be called out and when they are CLEARLY violating a trademark they must also be called out.
You can sell an asset many ways and you can sell to many people. But at the end of the day it comes to money and/or passion. Money is the simple way but passion comes with more opportunity.
Passion is one of the only things that can substituted for money. Passion has value. But only when matched up with something you know and have enjoyed some success with. Passion is the main ingredient in a domain lease not money. Less money gives the seller more opportunity to share in the upside.
It saddens me to see domains sold that I KNOW can be leased for the same amount in just 1-2 years. That is desperation or shortsightedness. Not all great domains are lease-able. But many are and my eye can tell the difference.
I could have sold candy.com for 3x what I paid for it. But holding on to it gives me 2.5x what I paid for it EVERY year and it is increasing. Plus I now own 10% of the comany. Plus I share in the next sale of candy.com at an even higher percentage rate. Which was better to do? Is it easy? Nope? Can it be done? Yes. Is it easier to lease today than 5 years ago? By a mile!
So before you sell, you should at a minimum ask me if the domain has a lease potential. Transform a $10,000 one time sale into a $1000/month revenue generating machine. I am sorry, but anyone not seeing the upside is missing the boat. AGAIN!
When I check my stats each day one of the things I look for is domains that all of a sudden get traffic. This morning was no different. I was surprised to see a domain that usually gets virtually no traffic got 442 visitors yesterday and poised to get much more in the days ahead. I registered Sandycam.com back in 1998.
The first thing I did was change the keywords so I would get relevant results and I expect the click thru rate will go way up today. Since this is going to be an historic storm, it will be interesting to watch what happens.
So just sitting here at the Finish Line waiting for events to catch up with 1998.
And if you are anywhere in the Northeast coast and inland areas, FLOODS and TREES are what is your enemy. Do not underestimate flooding and flash floods etc.. Remember, most people die AFTER the storm is over. Hope to see you online during.....This IS history in the making. This is breaking records and will be talked about for decades to come. A slow motion tragedy getting stronger not weaker. There is nowhere to run once the storm starts as roads will be blocked by down trees and electric lines. Been there...........Be safe!
There is low tide and high tide in both life and in business. They all have their place. They all have their advantages. They all have their disadvantages. When you see those tides clearly and know they exist and adapt to each, there is no such thing as bad times. There are just different times.
Good and bad things happen during any and all of those times. Of course if you don't look at it that way, it becomes hard to play the game and you will likely drown regardless of the tide. It is the understanding of these tides that separate the groups that thrive from the ones that struggle. I invest a lot of time in my life trying to show my readers the way to thrive. The only way to thrive is understand and be master of the 8 inches between your ears. Every win or loss or failure or success comes from within that 8 inch space.
The past 4-5 years have been a lowering of the tide. Still many made their fortunes regardless. If you look back I write extensively about it as the tide began to recede and I planned for these tough times. Part of my plan was how do I parachute over 5 years and still be financially strong while others became financially weak. Then at the depth of the weakness to be able to grab that low hanging fruit? How do I do that at a time when domains were at record selling levels? That keyword 'Patience' just keeps popping up because the tides are about patience. The seasons are about patience. Life is about patience. I am not a patient person. Not by any stretch. But somewhere along the way I was able to define patience. In different situations the time you alot to patience is different. Most bad things happen because somebody ran out of patience a bit too soon in that 8 inch space.
These are challenging but also very exciting times. Let me be clear as I have said for years. There is more opportunity at this very second than all of history glued together. But if you don't know the difference between opportunity and a shadow, then you lose. If you can not master your mind, you lose.
Then it all circles back to decisions. That is the defining point of life. Making good decisions. No matter how big or how small, any decision can lead to good or bad places. Where do those decisions happen? In that 8 inch playing field.
So when I look at life and the future through my eyes, I always see beyond the current tide. Beyond the current conditions. Beyond the cycles that are happening. They are just factors to deal with. When there is a storm your job is to hunker down and be patient.
I have never stopped buying domain names. But they have to fit my definition to tie my dollars up. I can just as easily go out spend and enjoy that money. When I go through my lists of domains I have bought on the secondary market most domains I buy are $100, $500, $1000 and up to $5000. That is MY sweet spot. That is the game that the formula I use fits the best. And it does not matter if it was 17 years ago or today. I still look for the same keys.
Think about it. In most cases you are buying something that nobody else on the planet wants at that moment in time. So the upside MUST be there. How do you find the upside? By looking at it through the eyes of others. Through the eys of different tides. Through the eyes of different decades. Through the eyes of progress and how things might unfold. I place a bet on an assumption based on what I have learned and what I am aware of. I look for the finish line first. I start at the finish line and work backwards to the beginning. Always have. Always will. Find the answer first and then figure out how to get there without bending reality or kidding yourself.
2012 has been a great year in that there has been a lot of movement and folks online are getting more sophisticated and business is starting to understand that it is SALES that will either keep them in business or put them out of business. The website is no longer the hobby. It is the lifeline of nearly every living and breathing business and entity and person.
When I negotiate it is not about what they see. It is what I see. But when the two merge, great things happen. These mergers of the mind are now with much less headwinds. I know about those headwinds fighting for 17 years in something still few believe in or truly understand. But that can not sway me because I start at the finish line and the key is patience. To know that a certain journey will take a certain amount of time. See when you start at the beginning you really can't judge where the finish is nor how long it will take to get there. But when you start your journey at the finish line and trace the trail back to today, you can be pretty damn close to predicting how long that journey will take including the wrong turns along the way.
I was sad to read the post by Eric Borgos at Impulse the other day. He has been around a very long time and has/had a great portfolio of very valuable names. Somewhere long the way he made decisions that just did not pay off. The time and expense and loss of 4000 mini-sites among others. Like I say, sometimes doing nothing is just much better. Sadly, this is an example of what I have talked about all these years. Sadly folks are resorting to selling domains from need and not a point of strength. That's why I look at the weekly domain sales reports through different sets of eyes.
Great domains will not go down in value for anyone reading this in their lifetime. Circumstance will FORCE sales that are less than their value and a weak market, low tide, will allow that to happen. But only if you participate in that game at this low tide cycle.
See in the next 12-18 months I am seeing an explosion of business. Now let me also say that the tide will get lower before it begins to rise but the rising tide is now well within sight and those that make it there are all going to be very well rewarded.
It's been over 2 weeks since TRAFFIC ended and I have yet to get back on my feet. I spent a few hours in the hospital on Monday and still days away from fully recovering, but I am no longer sick.
Our health is everything. But I am also so happy that I constructed a life when I was incapacitated from a bad back back in 1988. It was then and there that I knew I had to construct a life and income stream capable of producing income whether I was healthy or not. Old or young. Working or not. Until then, if I did not travel, I made no money. I was a akin to a waitress. When you don't show up and wait on tables, you don't earn, you don't eat, you can't survive.
So I look at the last 2 weeks and while I have not taken care of all of my business, I was able to piece meal about 95% of it a few minutes here and there. Probably my 2 most productive weeks of the year. So many seeds planted over those years that they sprout 24/7 on their time line not mine. Low tide, high tide. Sick or well. The path to the finish line passes right by my front door because I started at the finish line and planned for that to happen even when that finish line was a dream on the shores of the unknown wilderness. More news to follow.
Has Google let the Golden Goose out of the cage? I am sure as hell going to make a case that is exactly what has happened. Let's be blunt, because domainers have been financially raped by Google over the past 5 years, domainers have abandoned parking in droves. The best domains have left. The most trafficked domains have left. And that has left Google holding the bag. Now domainers are not without blame, they allowed themselves to take less and less because we were spoiled by the easy money.
It was a great model for us back then. But when the dollars started drying up on payouts even tho Google kept charging the end user more and more, it was only a matter of time before resourceful domainers looked for other options. And so we did and so the BEST traffic has left Google for greener pastures. For bigger opportunities. For bigger payouts.
In 2007 nearly 100% of my revenue was through Google/Yahoo and parking. By the end of last year I was down to 50% and by the end of this year it will be 33% and declining. When you own the land, you get to build what you want and how you want. Each time a domain leaves the confines of parking, quality of Google traffic suffers and that traffic can NEVER be replaced. NEVER!
Let me be clear. Type in traffic is THE most potent traffic on the Internet and I will be DAMNED if I will change my view on that because the evidence is there. Now of course there are only a few hundred domainers that have this golden traffic and we are up against legions of MILLIONS of SEO and others that will feverishly argue against that. What else would you expect from them? They must protect their turf or we will all find out it is a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
See where I come from, one SALE has more value that 1 MILLION visitors and many will argue for the 1 million. Matter of fact, most will. 1 Million visitors have COSTS associated with it. One type in visitor that turns into a sale has virtually no cost in comparison. Those that ignore sales will be looking for a new profession in time. No company can exist without some form of sales.
For 17 YEARS I have argued with techies. Guess what? They lose and NOW it will soon be recognized. It takes 20 YEARS to bust a myth this big and wide that so many have bought into. But rest assured that myth will and IS being busted. The end user is not an idiot. He KNOWS it is all about sales.
Google messed up by letting PURE domain traffic out of the cage. Google messed up by overpaying for SHIT for so many years. Google put folks into business because they bought WORTHLESS traffic and mixed the shit with gold and then lost track of which was the shit and which was the gold. They paid for trademarked traffic they had no business paying for. They paid for invented traffic of mini sites that would use SEO to gain the system. They outsmarted themselves and I am here to tell you there are long term ramifications for short term gains and that is what we are seeing.
They once owned all the gold and now they don't. Type in traffic is Destination Traffic. Folks that have been failed by search looking for a direct alternative. Type in traffic has no equal. It's a fact few recognize but a FACT it is. Just like water runs down hill, PURE and specific type in traffic turns into sales more than any other traffic. It is not a debatable subject for me. You are free to disagree but I am also free to reject it as I have for so many years. Point is, I will soon be recognized as being right all these years and THAT is a problem many will have to deal with.
The traffic from the best domains in the world no longer go to Google. Instead they let the birdie out of the cage and they will never have an opportunity to get that traffic back. Of course some of those domains are now full fledged businesses that might or might not use Google. As time goes on we are seeing more and more options and Google just may be the last on the list for us. We are shit bums to Google and as such have been treated like we are toe jam.
Somebody at Google fucked up and they fucked up bad and fucked up long term. They can NEVER get this traffic back again. Arrogance has a cost. When an end user pays Google $5 and we get 1/2 a penny that is getting fucked because they can. No other reason. Now there are alternatives and in the coming year we are going to see more and more BLOOD spilled by Google.
Just as a refresher.....when the market crashed in 2007-2008 Google was at a high of $750/share. Now they finally got back to par while other stocks have doubled and tripled in value. $750/share? Not any more. Apple at the time was under $200 a share. Amazon under $100. Sirius Radio was pennies. That makes Google one of the worst performing stocks over this time and it may not be that rosey from here.
And in the next 5 years some think Google will lose the reign....Read this. I don't know if that will happen but there are indications of very strong headwinds ahead. So far Google has survived by buying the threats. That was why I was happy Groupon said 'No'. I don't care about Groupon. I care about competition. And while Groupon may not be a huge threat, Apple most certainly is.
Nobody has to believe me or agree with me. But on the same token, NOBODY can make me change how I see things unfolding. NOBODY can derail my 20 year plan. NOBODY can force me to abandon a plan I have stayed staedfast to for all these years. During that time theroy has turned into fact and I have used those facts to build on and to illustrate what I see, why I see it and how it all unfolds from here on out. I just ask a simple question. Is my vision today closer or further from reality then it was in 1995? Nobody has to get it 100% right. But certainly many along the way got it 100% wrong.
Recent Comments