The Rick Schwartz Domain Name and Traffic Blog: RicksBlog.com – Home of The Domain King®

Morning Folks!!

That is a serious question that would be met with eye-rolls. "Who is your Social Media Liasson?" Who is the SINGLE person or the people directly responsible for your Twitter and Facebook? If a company has a presence and they can't answer that they are missing something very big.

If you are silly enough to conduct your business on social media, you better have a seasoned representative on duty 24/7. If not, you are negligent and, much worse!

I don't need to know squat about Social Media to point out the important pitfalls as well as opportunities. But a strategy is key. Having a personality is key. Having someone totally competent is key. A warm body will put you outta business.

It's all common sense. Common business sense. Common sales sense. Common sense not to be lazy. There is always time for lazy once things are set. I am living proof. You have to come and identify each and every element or elements lacking if you expect long term success.

So just like a popular restaurant may have a known host or hostess that they know and trust and have the authority to make things happen, Social Media NEEDS and must have those same attributes and personalities if you use the platform effectively and want constant and long term success.

My expertise is looking at ANY situation and clearly seeing the one or two things that can be implemented immediately and usually without cost. Both will show immediate results. Then you move on to the other things less visible but STILL THERE!!! So don't close your eyes to what you don't like. Open them and change it. Stop being foolish, lazy or unaware. And when it gets pointed out to you, be thankful because you just made more m oney and do it all the time.

Early on in 1996 all these sites would use counters on their sites to see how many unique vusitors were coming thru. But they made a huge mistake that was fixed in 5 seconds. That would increasen their bottom line 15%-25% instantly for FREE!! All I would do is explain that counter should be on the lowest left side on the page. That basically eliminated folks clicking on the counter by at least 15%. Voila. Some of these sites were making millions per month. That was a windfall and it helped me garner a reputation.

The next thing was background color and font color and font size. If you think there is no difference, find another career. We are not talking 1% or 2%. We might be talking 50%. So important to learn these things and experiment.

The next was placements of the links so folks would click on what the OWNER of the site wanted them to click on. Herding traffic is a big part of website flow and monetary success.

Some would get angry at my suggestions. Ok, they win. lol I can't stop a fool for remaining a fool or just being stuck. Not my choice. But if they open their mind a bit, their wallets will get much fatter!

I can tell you that most companies need some fresh eyes RIGHT NOW to look at their sites let alone getting social media right. Most sites could double their sales just from fixing the mistakes that they have right now and don't know about and probably don't even care. What a dumb way to run a business.

But hey, the Internet is the Intersection of the smartest, the dumbest and the most foolish. Those groups don't play well with each other as is on display 24/7.

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

As some of you may know Valentine's Day was especially sweet this year. I can't go into the details, but Capitalism is alive and well. I was able to get my @DomainKing twitter handle and my trademarked name back on Thursday afternoon.

When I left Twitter on 12/312017, there was a note that in 30 days the account would be permanently deleted. However, if you are a verified user with a Blue Check, (which I was), you get 1 year. So I put a reminder on my calendar. 10 months later I tried to reactivate and no way Jose! Maybe I should have tried a direct contact but I don't have much faith in contacting twitter directly.

There are some advantages to having a new and clean Twitter account since anything and everything you say on Twitter can and WILL be used against you. So a Twitter re-birth may be a good thing!

Until the other day, I had been under the impression that once a twitter handle was retired it was never available again. That would have been okay and no need for me to get it back. But just like the 1-year deal, that was not true either. So once it was out there again, I had no choice but to secure it. It's embedded in me. Branding is about not having leaks. If the @DomainKing door does not exist there are no worries. But if the @DomainKing were to bring you to another destination, that is a huge branding faux paux.

Domaining for investing and having a "Domain Strategy" as an end-user is the holy grail of the Internet and what we all do. End-users have a DUTY to protect themselves in every way they can on the Internet. So that includes domains that are close or might be easily misspelled or are confusing.

That's why a gTLD without the corresponding .com exact math is DEAD IN THE WATER. They can point to whatever success they like, any funding they want but they are FOOLS, FOOLS FOOLS and they are FOOLISH when they IGNORE gaping holes in their branding strategy. Would you get on a ship with a captain that wants to leave port with a gaping hole, water pouring in and he just ignores it?? There is NO DIFFERENCE whatsoever! Both are fools and what does it say about professionals that don't realize something so SIMPLE??

For years there has been a battle between Facebook and Twitter. I have to anoint Twitter as the absolute winner as far as identity and business. Facebook is for the family. Everyone I see in print and TV uses their Twitter handle. 2 years ago it was not that way. Facebook led and Twitter was second string. No more! Facebook has been exiled and Twitter rules. The International conversation is on Twitter!

I have 5 pages and many years of blog posts about Social Media and the effects. The way to see the future is by calibrating the past and seeing how it dovetails with the current reality. You will see warnings from many years ago that are clearly evident today. You or I don't have to get it all right. But we do have to get the big stuff right. In business, Marketing, Branding, and SALES are the big stuff followed by LEAKS! Who ignores leaks?? FOOLS! And "Branding" is about circulation and how good your product or service is. My brand is my solid advice and different ways of looking at domains and business and being way ahead of the curve with a record of nearly 25 years. I add to my brand with every post or bit of info that helps me or my readers with valid and tried and true info or when events I predict long in advance actually materialize. On the record, for the record.

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

In the movie "The Jerk" with Steve Martin, he got some fatherly advice on the way out into the world: "You see that? That's shit, and this is Shinola." Basically inferring that now he knows everything to succeed in the real world.

Well in Business everything starts with "No" and hopefully ends with "Yes" or there was no business. Now you know everything about business and sales to go out into the universe. It's the path from "No" to "Yes" that moves the world. Got it?? Remember, nothing happens until a sale is made. Nothing!!!

How do you know a bad deal? It starts with "Yes". Sorry, something is not right when it starts with yes. It's too easy so you have to find out the reason because if you don't, you are about to be s victim of a "Businss Mugging."

Are you shaking your head and wondering wtf I am talking about? I am talking about simple. I am talking about how do you know the difference between real business where everyone wins and one-sided business where you are sure to lose?

Be suspect of the easy deal. Real deals are not usually too easy. There are issues to be hammered out. So when there are issues, and no hammer, "Yes" may not have any meaning. "Yes", maybe a waste of time. When you waste time it could be minutes, hours, days, even months. So, beware of the quick "Yes."

On the other hand, the minute someone says "No" most people think the game is over. Even a so-called professional salesman. "No" is simply the opening salvo to protect yourself from someone else invading your personal space. You have to work up from that resistance. DUH!! "No" means GAME ON! No means YES to a pro!!! No means keep selling I am not there yet. No means keep convincing me. No means they simply don't have enough info or confidence to make a decision and pull the trigger. No to the common man and he walks away with his/her tail between their legs. NO!! STOP!!! NO is the ONLY WAY to get to YES!!! SO SIMPLE!!

Let me repeat....In SALES....."NO" is the ONLY WAY to get to "YES!!!" As long as they are objecting and pointing out the NEGATIVE, you are on your way to a sale. They are doing THEIR job. Are you doing YOURS?

Again, the geniuses of the world have it ass-backward. Finnesse is the way to get from "No" to "Yes." And finesse comes from knowledge. Knowledge comes from breaking the ice after they say "No." Then, without wasting time, a little concoction of humor, banter, finding out their needs and gently getting comfortable with each other. That's the road to "Yes." But every road must start with "No," and that is the wrong time to get discouraged. No is actually an encouragement. They WANT to say yes!!! Your job is to guide them there. Gently, but firmly.

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

There is a choice in life if you are one step ahead you put yourself at risk sometimes, but you also put yourself in a position to be handsomely rewarded. And as that saying goes:, when you are not the "Lead Dog," the view never changes. Aka Always looking and chasing the Ass in front of you instead of setting the pace and watching the scenery change. OUR CHOICE!

Succeeding is an acquired art. For some, it comes more natural than for others. But success and winning is a repeatable recipe. But you can't repeat unless you keep all the key elements in place. The elements acquired over the years. That's why it is so easy to spot a failure so far in advance or success so far in advance. They wear this invisible billboard that only a trained eye can see.

I wish everyone great success because I believe we each have a gift and once we discover our gift, success will automatically follow IF we act and and seize that opportunity It's like water running downhill. It just happens and you can depend on it as long as you have water and the hill.

We are all slaves. Period!! If you want to eat, have shelter, and you were not born into wealth you are a slave. We don't own our own time, and we don't own our own souls, they are mortgaged to the hilt. So we are slaves to these bills. You can be a slave to renewal fees on domains and all your other recurring bills, or you can be Master of your Domain. It's just 2-ways of looking at the same thing and then putting things in order.

Be a slave to a good work ethic. Be a slave to efficiency. Be a slave for your dream idea. Be a slave to your own being, your honor, and your character, and you will be disciplined in many different ways all designed to free you of those mental chains. Slavery today is mental, not physical. If you are a slave to bad habits and wrong-minded thinking, it is you, and only you holding yourself captive. Now you have the key, unlock your mind and critically think about everything you believe and see which thoughts survive with your new found freedom.

My advice, don't be a slave to anyone but yourself and your concept and your work ethic. As a slave, it deprives you of the time and space to think and apply your own ideas. If your boss owns you, and you are not the boss, you are a slave. When you don't own your own time, you are a slave

People think of just one step as nothing special. I am here to tell you that the difference between you being one step ahead or one step behind is life changing. Simple is what makes the world go round.

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

We are business people. The job of a business person is to make money. To make lots of money. To become wealthy. That's the point, and that's the goal. That's why we go to work in the first place so eventually, we don't have to work. The mortgage on our SOUL gets paid off. Losers and those that think they are morally superior will always tell you otherwise. Not only are they wrong, but they are also lying to cover up THEIR short-comings! Don't swallow their poop!

When we are young, we are basically all idealistic. It comes with the territory. We all go thru that phase, and some get stuck in it. Reality is the day you get your ass kicked and realized there is no safety net. It's all on me, and you and the rent is due! Mommy and Daddy did not spend $250k to put you through school and not find a degree of success. The degree of success, not the degree of paper. You are expected to excel. Mediocrity was reserved for folks like ME! But somewhere along the line, I discovered the difference.

I even recall when it happened. It was in stages. The first stage was the eve of my 21st birthday. But the final booster rocket came many years later, around 1993. I had a very successful home business. It was on "Cruise Control." So, I started playing "Duke Nukem" which was the #1 game of the day and at the same time blew my brains out playing options on the stock market. I got upset at myself. I never lost $65,000 in a day at that time. But that was the day I learned to lose money. Losing money is almost as important as making money. Now I have 7 figure swings in either direction as a common event. It still upsets me when I lose or when I am down. But we need to know the foul lines, and we need to know the pain of failure as well as the good feeling of success.

I listened to 4 Tony Robbins cassette tapes and everything in life changed from that moment on. Until then I was an underachiever. I still am to a large degree. But that was the day I became a man of action.

Today, I could really be out there doing things. I don't want to, I don't need to. I don't have the desire to. But few know the difference better than me between being mediocre and excelling whether applied or not. Domaining was my perfect fit, a slow lazy dance to become a millionaire. Took advantage of both of my talents. And so, I gave mediocrity a bad name. :-)

The incredible opportunity that domains offer is still mind-boggling to me. But domaining is a slow track. It evolves slowly. But so many are frustrated cuz they are out of sync and dancing too fast! I watch and what I see is foolish. Maybe folks are financially prematurely into domaining, to begin with. Maybe think about it as an annual contribution to your 401k. Let's say you can contribute $15,000. I would simply buy and HOLD. But buy GREAT domains. They are all over the place because some domainers need to sell right now. That's called opportunity.

It's like last man standing. They can't hold on to their gems any longer. So someone with a longer time horizon can and so they can get a great bargain. I see them daily. I just don't beleive in buying a domain to flip and think that's the most profitable way. It may be for some, but it's not for most. Domains are a slow dance. It's not a fast track. It's not a racetrack.

Most people don't auction their homes, they sell them. The reason being is you would get killed in most markets and maybe only walk with 20-50 cents on the dollar. So auctions don't bring in the most premium prices. It brings a fire sale price. How can you be in this business and not know or understad the difference?

The day you strictly focus on buying is the day that sales will not only take care of themselves, but you will make more money than ever. Just keep picking good domains. Good fruit. Fruit with juice. Not rotten vegetables with mold.

But gee, there are so many ways to make money with domains. You can also just buy one domain that you really believe has a 6 figure value and spend your year focusing strickly on that domain. Chances are if you did that, you could sell it in 8-12 weeks and repeat it 4 more times this year. Slow dance. Don't try to sell 100 domains, buy ONE damn good domain and focus until you sell it. If you are a good juggler, maybe 2 domains at a time. Then 3. But it takes focus and a SLOW dance.

Need, want, desire, value, and now there is upgrading. There are natural "Step-ups." Companies that can easily upgrade and switch to a higher jetstream. That's the group to focus on and watch. Those are the rising stars that you want to match up with. Be in front of.

My job since I got online was simply to earn at least $1 million per year and do it each and every year. But it was a slow dance. It was a 365-day marathon made up of 365 heats. My focus was just moving forward and achieving specific small goals each and every day, week, month, quarter and year. One foot in front of the other with a sense of urgency but also doing it in a relaxed and enjoyable manner as if it was a full-time vocation vacation, intertwined with life and working to fill in the gaps. Amazing how productive one can be by working calm.

The same domain that you are hawking all over the place and end up selling for $400 or $4000 may be worth $400,000 to somebody that actually wants to buy it and has a need. So dance fast and make $400 or $4000 or learn to dance slow and understand that, that same domain is worth much more when you learn to dance slow.

Fast dancing is excellent, but you are in the wrong club, and you are on the wrong dance floor. The rewards in domaining go to those that are patient and truly understand value. The slow dance to becoming a millionaire in domaining is not selling, it's targeting and understanding sprinkled with some sales ability. Targeting in advance, the need, the want, and the desire. Demand will take care of itself when you have quality and demand will put you out of business when you don't. Value only counts in 4 eyes. The eyes of the buyer and the eyes of the seller. And when those eyes meet, the value is set.

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

I have been telling Berkens that I think that eventually Gold and Bitcoin will be priced at the same level. So that means that bitcoin $1250-$1300 is on my horizon. When? Well, I think bitcoin will be going down as we approach April 15th and tax time. I see no reason for it to go up after that and so I see it declining for the remainder of 2019.

I have been out of bitcoin for over a year. Way before the BIG crash. It was a perfect storm in late 2017. Bitcoin got caught up in Christmas, and we saw a phenomenon. Things like that don't often repeat itself. But we all witnessed something extraordinary.

There was still demand for bitcoin for Valentine's Day 2018. Even for graduation time 2018. How do I know this stuff?? I just do. There is n question. It's just an invisible phenomenon that can be seen when you have a trained eye of what to look for. Some think BIG buys drive up prices when it may be quite the contrary. One person buying 1000 coins may not even move the needle. 1000 people buying 1 coin each can send the price to the moon, even if the price is hollow. That's just the way it works. The increase came from SMALL buyers. Guess what?? The small buyers are all gone and the big buyers are on to the next big thing and it ain't bitcoin or any crypto coins. They have their own stable of .Horse. lol

But that's all over now. Bitcoin for Christmas 2018? NOPE! That was a fluke in 2017 and won't even be a thought for 2019. We all witnessed something unique. That's why studying business history is key to YOUR success! It's the onramp to the next big thing. Don't ask what the next big thing is, DISCOVER IT!!!!!

I watch bitcoin "Climb Lower"every time there is an upward spike. That upward spike usually dissipates and then loses ground. Not good!

Bitcoin has a place and a use. But the frenzy is over, and I don't see it coming back unless we have WW3 or there is some significant instability. As a currency, it will stay, but I don't believe it will ever be $20,000 again. I don't even see $10,000. I don't even see $5000. We watched a phenomenon, and now that is just part of history, the history of business. It minted many millionaires and some billionaires. But it also created millions of losers. Bitcoin for them has the most value as a tax deduction. Bitcoin = .com and everything else = GTLD's the way I look at it from the get-go. The problem and the difference was the lasting power. Bitcoin may have been the shiniest object ever!

May go down in history with tulips. The demand is down and I just don't see a bright future. There was a moment and people made fortunes. Moments don't last forever. It was real and you had to participate and take a risk to make $$$. But IMHO, that opportunity is over. And as far as other coins, good luck! Just another money grab. There is always room for Coke and Pepsi. Hertz and Avis. Nike and Addidas. Apple and Microsoft. Study business and there are always 2 great rivals. Rarely, but sometimes a 3rd or 4th. Ford and Chevy. Mercedes and BMW. Toyota and Nissan.

Consolidation usually eats up the smaller and the weaker. Of course, things can change. But look at Venezuela. That would be a perfect place for bitcoin and a boom. But does not seem to be happening. Stay tuned. But I believe Gold and Bitcoin will eventually be priced the same. They both represent something similar. However gold has more uses, but bitcoin will be easier to spend. They are the same to me, but things can change. Governments and currencies can collapse. Bitcoin is a monetary instrument that is the single biggest threat to governments and countries. So I still the importance, just don't see the value because we witnessed a stampede. A Frenzy. It was cool and great and fun to watch! Best thing since the Pet Rock. It was the Hula-Hoop of finance. Hula-hoops are still around, but the frenzy ended 60 years ago.

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Domains are NOTHING but a mere vehicle. If you sell cars, computers, apple pie, or clothing or anything else, THAT is your vehicle. It's the horse that gets you from one place to another in an economic way. You start with nothing or little and end up with a lot or at least more.

So what is the other 98%?? That is about BUSINESS. You need to have a keen understanding of business. Business is based and built on BULLSHIT! Yup, Bullshit! So if you are some purist and you don't know the difference between Bulshit, the truth, and a lie, you don't belong in business. Business has a middle name and it's called "Bullshit." If you don't embrace nd understand this, become a teacher.

People bullshit. Salesman bullshit even more. You don't know the difference between Bullshit and a Lie? Really? Bullshit rules business but lying is never acceptable. Huh? Too complicated? Then that is a symptom of being naive. If you are naive, you should not be in business.

Business is something you study and learn from. Business is one word......SALES! No sales....No Business. So if you don't like sales or selling, you don't belong in business.

Business is copying the success of others in a dignified manner. You start with what they have and improve and build on it. That's business. If you make an inferior copy and charge more, that's bad business.

Business is history. If you want to succeed in the future and you are not willing to study business of the past, you don't beleong in business.

The rules and elements of business are almost universal. They fit no matter the product or service. There are only a certain amount of variables and even less amount of variable variables.

The success I see by myself and most others are based on certain principles. Business principles. So I could write 50 pages, never even mention a domain name and THAT is where ALL the secrets of domaining lie. Intertwined with business.

If you are allowing politics to interfere with your business, you might be thinking "Capitalism" is a bad thing. If so, and you also don't understand the difference, you don't belong in business. You should become a teacher. There is no businessman that should be against capitalism unless they are corrupt or worse. Capitalism is the reason we are all here today. There would be no domaining without Capitalism.

So, if you don't understand advertising, don't understand selling, don't understand math, don't understand capitalism, don't understand history, don't understand BULLSHIT, don't understand the reading capability and memorization capability, don't understand word of mouth, don't understand marketing, don't understand the radio test.......WTF are you doing trying to be a domain investor?? It won't work well unless you are a really quick study and I have not seen one of those folks in many years.

Buying GREAT domains is about understanding and studying business and history and then putting it thru the lens of the future. Buying GREAT domains and owning GREAT domains is something to rest comfortably with. I may have only sold 2 or 3 of my list of 25, but that does not mean the others have no value. They just have not found the right home. Isn't that MY JOB as an investor? I am sure anyone would have sold that list for $12 Million. So I am such a schmuck for selling only 3 off that list for $12 Million. And if you listen to morons, they can only point to the ones not sold after 20 years. My ONLY goal was NOT to sell domains. I think I could sell that list by noon. But when you understand the things I describe in business then you understand VALUE! And domaining is about VALUE!

A 30-second-spot on the Superbowl is over $5 MILLION. The condo's on Central Park selling for over $200 Million. Tiffany's in New York has a $20 Million LEASE of their store. Every domain investor gets to set their own value. If I was an elementary businessman I would have sold that portfolio for $500,000 and felt like a king. How do you think it makes one feel getting $12 Million and still having 22 left worth MILLIONS?? Maybe I am just a bad salesman that can't sell the others?

If you are a person that minimizes anything that is negative or ignores business leaks (some obviously don't even know what a business leak is or how it occurs) or word-of-mouth, or easy to spell as in radio test, then you are not a suitable candidate for business. And if you are not suitable for business then next logical thing to discover is you may not be suitable for domaining. You may be a great techie. You may be an olympic swimmer. You may be a chess champion. But business and therefore domains, may not be your calling.

I want everyone to become wealthy with domains. Plenty of room for everyone. I feel bad for those with the wrong mindset that are lost and on the wrong track. Start again with a different mindset, direction and knowledge and drop all your liabilities. I don't sell cuz I can't get my price. Most others can't sell because there is not a fool on earth that wants their crap. That's the difference in domaining!

I never bought a domain looking to flip and never will. I buy domains with great value or potential great value. My job is to hold out for HBU. That's called BUSINESS and everything else you hear is called BLLSHIT! Bullshit is the language of business. Just look at all the new GTLD Bullshitters! But some have crossed the line and outright lied. Just because some don't know the difference, That's on them and their wallets.

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

I don't care if people know what I paid for my domains. What I buy for and what I sell for have NOTHING to do with each other, and if a buyer were even to try to use that as a bargaining chip, it would be the end of the negotiations. I know most want to keep that info close to the vest. I don't.

This is an adult post. If you can't handle adult issues or adult domain names, then please pass on this post. But it does have historical and valuable information.

These 25 domains ate nearly every penny I had, but it also was the engine that earned tens of millions of dollars without adult content and changed my life in ways I could not even dream of. Little did I know at the time just how life changing those purchases would be.

Remember there was no aftermarket. I had to hunt these folks down one by one. From the introduction to the sale. There was no escrow.com. So, they were all paid on a leap of faith. No contracts. Contracts would lose me more domains that I got because I was not the only one out there fighting for these and a contract would waste valuable time that I could not afford. Besides, I think emails are pretty strong when used in court. It shows intent and much more.

I only sold 2 on the list. Of course, if you were to ask know-nothings the first thing they would accusingly ask is "What have you sold lately?" But they are not smart enough to ask what were the past and current earnings. And of course, those geniuses would have sold all of them for CHUMP CHANGE! They would have bought and then tried to flip to double their money and never learning about the millions locked in those domains.

And since I have not sold them, I am not a good salesman, and of course, none of the ones remaining have any value right? I wish they could teach me the right way. Twenty years and only managed to sell two domains. It was a little over $10 Million and if we counted the $25 million those two domains earned via PPC it adds up a bit more. Then, of course, most of the other domains earned a few dollars. Sexo.com earned over seven figures. Ass.com earned much more.

And there was no mainstream back then. But I took my earnings and bought those mainstream domains because I new one day mainstream would devleop and would dwarf adult.

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Ever notice most so-called experts are clueless? Who deemed them experts when they never get things right? They may be "Professional Experts" because they are social climbers that hang with the Kool Kids. Those are folks that know very little, but they play a part and pretend to know what the hell they are talking about. Most don't have a clue. How many times do you have to be wrong before you lose your title of expert??

Experts come in every field and every walk of life. Some even in the domain business. You can probably name a few right off the tip of your tongue. The pretenders.

They say things according to what the Kool Kids like and want them to say. Puppet and Ventriloquist. Countless in domaining over the years. I call them "Intellectual Body Snatchers".

But to understand what goes on in domaining you have to be acutely and keenly aware of the motives of everyone you speak or listen to. If you don't do that as a habit, you are basically getting into the car of a man with candy when you were 3 years old. Maybe it's time to grow out of that trait or at least recognize that trait when you see it.

Advertising was "Weaponized" decades ago. The Beef industry vs. the Poultry industry. That was the first one I ever recognized and is still invisible to most humans.

Another famous one was Las Vegas Vs Orlando and Disney. Those are the top 2 destinations in the USA and each tried to hurt the other. It's been going on for decades. Billions of dollars are at stake each and every WEEK! Maybe, DAY!

The Insurance industry fights with humor. I like that! They sell sizzle with a little steak.

McDonalds advertises by inspiring as does Nike and others.

The single worst offender may be The National Weather Service. Back in the 1980's they changed their software and ever since then their predictability levels have gone down 75% or more. Want the weather, the Farmers Almanac from 200 YEARS ago has a better predictability rate. There are national motives and local ones. Misinformation moves millions of people to plan perhaps not to go to the beach cuz they say it will rain. That keeps people and MONEY in the city. That's called a MOTIVE!

There are silent wars and there are loud wars.

AT&T vs Verizon is an example of a loud war. Other companies go after each other. Hertz and Avis for example. But that was before weaponization of advertising.

But now let's get to Jobs and Progress. Progress never lost a job. It reinvented and created new and better and safer and more rewarding jobs. It has done that throughout history. It may displace some in the short term. It will enrich in the long term. It always has and always will.

The point of all this is to illustrate some of the invisible crossfire that is and has been happening all around us. You can choose to be aware of all this or not. But as a business person, as a domain investor, as someone looking to better their lives, these are important things to develop not ignore.

When you can see what can't be seen with the naked eye, you will find an opportunity. Lots of opportunities. They will cross your path all the time. It's another dimension! Oh, I forgot, they don't teach that to you in College. They can't. How can they teach what they don't know and don't see? Higher education?? Maybe not!

And that is why on the days or weeks or months that I decided to find a great domain, there is always one to be had and millions not worth looking at. But the good domain jumps off the page. They stand out from the crowd. Domain trophy hunters recognize them in an instant. Have Berkens, Shilling, Rosener and myself look at a list of 1000. Bet we would pick the same 3 domains almost every time. Allow the masses of domainers to do the same thing, they will won't pick the same ones.

The latest shiny object is marijuana domains. There will be some of value. But let's say 1 million of these names have been registered. Maybe 10 million. So many domains start with "420". Less than 100 have value and even less will be bought by end users. You better have something really good. Just cuz it starts 420BLAHBLAHBLAH.com does not give it value.

I have some of these type domains. GetStoned.com for example. Which leads me to "Prefixes" and "Verbs" and "Nouns." "GetWhatever.com" is a domain "Vein." You can put "Get" in front of so many words, goods, and services. Same with "Visit." It's a franchise within a franchise — Visitmiami.Com, VisitRome.com, etc. So I would rather see a newbie or others drill down on those that ARE still around than wasting time and money with silly and confusing new GTLD's with no circulation.

Again, this is simply history repeating itself in a different form but with far greater rewards. I have about 15 domains starting with "Get". My first one was GetLaid.com. I guess you know where my mind was at. I immediately saw the great potential online to get laid.

I completely missed the "Visit" franchise. That was a good one!! I had to settle for visit domains using .co and not .com and since there was no demand for .co, I let them all drop and, YEARS later they are still sitting there for registration.

Here is some more history in 2 unrelated fields. Pilots vs Doctors. The ONLY reason we have our health care crisis TODAY is because of WEAK DOCTORS back in the 1950's that acquiesced to the insurance industry instead of having the BACKBONE to stand up to them. Compare that to pilots. To this day a pilot can and WILL refuse to fly a plane that is either unsafe or go up in unsafe weather. The Pilot has the final call. That's a BIG and very important difference and outcome. One group had BALLSm and the other did not!

When you REALLY want to find answers, whether you like what you find or not, simply FOLLOW THE MONEY! Who gains, who loses. You will then be able to unmask motives and define the real situation, not the one painted for you and composed for you. And when/if they get angry, BINGO!!! You just hit a nerve and that means you just got SMART!

Courses are being taught in classes about domain names by people that have never been in the domain industry, and nobody here has ever heard of them. How is that possible? How can that even work? WTF are they teaching them?? Wouldn't WE like to know? And imagine if they are teaching your kid, while you are spending $250k to put them thru college to be guided by people with a lack of experience and credentials. I sure as hell would be concerned. More concerned about that than "Progress" hitting the job market.

When I was in school they were scared that all the computers would put humans out of work. Can't we agree that the "Experts" got it ass-backward? AGAIN! Computers created more jobs and opportunity in places where there was no opportunity for a million years! It provided the greatest financial boon in the history of mankind. It may be up there with Fire, the wheel, electric, the phone! The experts are IDIOTS! Kind of like consultants. They are always between jobs!

When you study history in different forms it creates a blueprint for the future. That is the remedy for chasing yesterday. Don't chase tomorrow, you can untangle things and predict tomorrow with a fair amount of certainty. Then ACT!

Rick Schwartz