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Episode 171 contains the notable Digital Marketing News and Updates from the week of July 24-28, 2023.1. Google and Microsoft Ad Revenue Up: What Does This Mean for Marketers? - Google and Microsoft both reported strong earnings for Q2 2023, with ad revenue growth outpacing overall revenue growth. Google's ad revenue was up 3.3% year-over-year (revenue increased by $1.85 billion from the previous year, while YouTube ad revenue was $7.67 billion, up from $7.34 billion in 2022), while Microsoft's ad revenue was up 8%. Google's ad revenue growth was driven by growth in Search and YouTube. Microsoft's ad revenue growth was driven by growth in Bing and LinkedIn. LinkedIn's overall revenue increased by $197 million, driven by stronger interest in its Talent Solutions recruitment offerings. But LinkedIn saw a decline in overall ad spend in the most recent period, though Microsoft also reduced its overall marketing spend to offset this. On another front, LinkedIn is also still reporting that it has 202M+ users in United States.Based on LinkedIn's reports from earlier this year, is that the platform has seen A 22% increase in views of updates in the main feed year-over-year A 25% increase in public conversations in the app YoY Newsletter creation increased 10X in 2022 What you really need to know, however, is who of your target audience is active in the app, and for that, you can use LinkedIn's Audience insights, and/or your company page analytics, to glean more info on your specific active audience. Taking into account that LinkedIn is seeing ‘record levels' of engagement, these types of data notes can help to inform your strategy, and reach the people that are engaging with your business.2. Meta's Ad Revenue Up 12% In Q2 - Meta's ad revenue increased by 12% in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the year-earlier period, surpassing expectations.Advertising revenue for Q2 2023 was $31.5 billion compared to $28.2 billion in the same period in 2022. This success helped drive total Meta revenue to grow 11% year-on-year from $28.8 billion in Q2 2022 to $32 billion in Q2 2023.Meta's Q2 2023 performance also showed impressive growth in user engagement. Facebook's daily active user count increased by 5% to reach 2.06 billion. The number of monthly active users was 3.03 billion, up 3% year-on-year. The “family of apps” category, which includes Instagram and WhatsApp, saw a 7% year-over-year rise in daily active users, totalling 3.07 billion. The number of monthly active users in this category also increased by 6% to 3.88 billion. This is the first time that Meta has achieved double-digit growth since the fourth quarter of 2021, with much of its strong performance driven by growth in ad revenue. This sends a clear message that digital advertising is bouncing back after it took a setback due to the economic downturn. Now, forecasters are predicting increased ad spend for later on in the year, which will create more opportunities for marketers.3. Google: DSA And GDA Advertisers Should Upgrade To Performance Max - Google announced two voluntary upgrades to Performance Max for Dynamic Search (DSA) and Google Display (GDA) advertisers. The AI-driven platform optimizes performance across channels by allowing users to customize their inputs, making it more responsive to individual business needs. Advertisers have seen an average increase of 15% – 20% in conversions after upgrading to a unified campaign strategy.One of the recent enhancements in Performance Max prevents your campaign from serving ads on traffic related to certain brands. This would offer more control over search results. Advertisers can now specify landing page URLs or exclude certain URLs at the campaign level, offering greater customization via brand settings.Performance Max customizes your entire Search ad to match consumer intent better using automatically created assets. These automatic assets will soon appear in the asset reporting table, giving users more control. Performance Max also simplifies the implementation of audience strategies through goals directly integrated into the campaign, like new customer acquisition. Google plans to add re-engagement goals in Performance Max later this year to help retain existing customers. Instead of manually managing complex user lists and exclusions, Google will automatically distinguish between new and existing customers.Although voluntary, the self-upgrade process is highly recommended to start with Performance Max for DSA and GDA campaigns. Advertisers who choose to upgrade can use best practices offered by Google to ensure new Performance Max campaigns are set up for success.4. TikTok Text Posts: A New Way to Express Yourself - TikTok has announced a new feature called "Text Posts" that allows users to share text-only content on the platform. Text Posts can be up to 1000 characters long and can include images, stickers, and hashtags.The introduction of Text Posts is a significant development for TikTok, as it allows users to share more creative and expressive content on the platform. Text Posts could also be valuable for businesses as they present a new avenue for content creation and customer engagement on TikTok.5. Google Merchant Center Adds Customer Support: What You Need to Know - Google Merchant Center is a free service that allows businesses to manage their product listings on Google Shopping. Google has launched a new customer support feature on Merchant Center. The new tool enables retailers to input their customer support information and returns policy. Merchant Center is then able to share these details with shoppers without them ever having to leave the program.Google explained the importance of providing customer service information via a statement issued on Merchant Center: "Customer service is important for your business and your customers because it allows you to help customers solve any issues with your product or service. "It also helps you build trust with your customers. So it's important that your customers know how they can reach you for support." Here's how Google said retailers can add their customer support information: Log into Merchant Center. Once on the Home page, navigate to the Add customer support info card. Select Add info. Input the following customer support information: Customer service telephone number Customer service email address Customer service web page URL (i.e. link to a customer service form) Select the “Live chat support available” toggle if your business supports this Select the “Chat bot support available” toggle if your business supports this After providing the relevant information, select your preferred contact method. Once these steps are complete, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click ‘Save'. 6. Google Cracks Down on Automated and AI-Generated Reviews - On August 28, 2023, the “Product Ratings policies” will be updated.. The updated Product Ratings policies addresses the issue of automated and AI-generated content in reviews. The new policies state that reviews that are primarily generated by an automated program or AI application should be flagged as spam using the attribute.The rules clearly state not to submit reviews that stem from conflicts of interest or contain inauthentic remarks. This includes reviews paid for, employee-written, or composed by individuals with a vested interest in the product.This is to ensure that users see genuine and helpful reviews when they are making purchasing decisions. To ensure compliance, Google combines automated and human evaluation methods. Machine-learning algorithms will support this effort while specially trained experts deal with more complex cases requiring context. Actions against violations can range from disapproving violating content or reviews, issuing warnings, or suspending accounts for repeated or severe offenses.You can read the updated product ratings policy here.Businesses can now use a new tool called the "Review Spam Report" to submit spam reviews to Google for review.7. Google Expands Site Names Support for Subdomains: Improve Your Visibility in Search - Google has expanded support for site names on subdomains through the alternateName property, allowing websites to display their preferred site name in search results. This is a significant improvement for websites with multiple subdomains, as it can help them to improve their visibility in search results.Previously, Google would only display the main domain name in search results, even if a website had a preferred site name for a subdomain. This meant that websites with multiple subdomains could be difficult to find in search results, as users would have to know the exact subdomain to visit the website.With the expanded support for site names on subdomains, Google will now display the preferred site name for a subdomain in search results if it is configured correctly. This will make it easier for users to find websites with multiple subdomains, and it could lead to an increase in traffic for these websites.As a reminder, the best way to indicate a preferred site name to Google is to make use of WebSite structured data, as explained in their site name documentation.Find out more in the blog post and in their documentation.8. Are .AI Domains Good for SEO? - There are two kinds of domain names. There are gTLD and ccTLD. A gTLD is a Generic Top Level Domain. These kinds of domains are not associated with any country and can be used worldwide. Typical gTLDs are .com, .net, .org, .biz, .xyz and so on. A ccTLD is a TLD (top level domain) that is associated with a specific country. Google uses ccTLDs to localize the websites that use them with the countries those TLDs are associated with. The .in TLD helps Google to determine which country that domain name is relevant to. This aligns with how people of the world generally expect the Internet to work..AI domains are country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) that are associated with the island of Anguilla. However, they are also becoming increasingly popular for use by businesses and organizations around the world. In the July 2023 Google SEO Office hours session, Google's Gary Illyes answered the question about whether there was a downside to using the .AI domain since it's associated with the Caribbean island of Anguilla. “As of early June, 2023, we treat .ai as a gTLD in Google Search, so yeah, you can use it for your global presence””Gary's answer calls attention to the importance of verifying if a domain extension chosen for a website is treated as a ccTLD or a gTLD because that could make a difference in the website ability to rank worldwide.There are a few reasons why .AI domains may be a good choice for SEO. First, they are relatively short and easy to remember, which can make them more likely to be typed into search engines. Second, they are associated with the concept of artificial intelligence, which is a growing field of interest.However, it is important to note that .AI domains do not have any inherent SEO benefits. Whether or not they help your website rank in search results will depend on a number of other factors, such as the quality of your content and the number of backlinks you have.Google publishes the list of ccTLDs that are treated by Google as generic top level domains. The list shows that ccTLDs like .eu and .asia are treated like gTLDs. Other international domains that are treated like gTLDs are .ad, .co, .fm, .tv and of course .ai.9. Google's John Mueller: Programmatic SEO is Spam - Google's John Mueller has called out "programmatic SEO" as a form of spam. This type of SEO involves creating large numbers of low-quality landing pages that are designed to rank for specific keywords.Mueller said that programmatic SEO is often used to target "hyper-specific" keywords, such as "songs about dogs" or "maps of schools." These keywords are often not very competitive, so it is easy to rank for them with low-quality content.Mueller warned that programmatic SEO can lead to penalties from Google. He said that Google is "trying to get rid of this stuff" and that it is "not something that we want to see in the search results."
Episode 164 contains the notable Digital Marketing News and Updates from the week of June 5 - 9, 2023. And the show notes for this episode was generated using generative AI. And like always, I curated the articles for the show.1. Google's Structured Data Validator vs Schema.org -During June 2023, Google SEO Office Hours, Google's Martin Splitt answered a question about structured data validation and how Google's validator can show different results than the Schema.org validator.Both Google and Schema.org offer tools for validating if structured data is correct. Google's tool validates structured data and it also offers feedback on whether the tested structured data qualifies for rich results in the search engine results pages. Rich results are enhanced search listings that makes the listing stand out on the search results. The Schema.org Schema Markup Validator checks if the structured data is valid according to the official standards.Per Splitt, “Schema.org is an open and vendor-independent entity that defines the data types and attributes for structured data. Google, as a vendor however, might have specific requirements for some attributes and types in order to use the structured data in product features, such as our rich results in Google Search. So while just leaving out some attributes or using some type of values for an attribute is fine with Schema.org, vendors such as Google and others might have more specific requirements in order to use the structured data you provide to actually enhance features and products.”In conclusion, Google's validator has a purpose that is different from just checking if the structured data is valid. It's checking to see if the structured data that Google requires (for potentially showing a webpage in enhanced search results) is valid. The Schema.org validator is just checking for standards and has nothing to do with how Google uses structured data.You can watch the June SEO office hour here.2. Google's Latest Search Console Update Makes it Easier to Fix Video Indexing Issues - Google has released an update to its Search Console, aimed at refining video indexing reports. This enhancement promises to offer you more precise problem descriptions and actionable solutions to help boost the visibility of your videos in Google Search.Previously, users encountered a generic "Google could not identify the prominent video on the page" error. Now, Google has decided to provide more specific details to overcome this problem. Here's what you need to know: Video outside the viewport: If your video isn't fully visible when the page loads, you'll need to reposition it. Make sure the entire video lies within the renderable area of the webpage. Video too small: If your video is smaller than desired, you should increase its size. The height should exceed 140px, and the width should be greater than 140px and constitute at least one-third of the page's width. Video too tall: If your video is taller than 1080px, it's time to resize it. Decrease the height to less than 1080px to comply with Google's new guidelines. While you might still see some old error messages for the next three months, Google plans to phase these out, replacing them with these new, more detailed notifications.By adhering to these updates, you can maximize your video's prominence on Google Search and enhance user engagement. Happy optimizing!3. Navigating the World of Domains: A Google Insider's Advice - Let's delve into the world of domain names and how they can impact your business's digital reach, guided by insights from Google Search Advocate, John Mueller.Mueller recently clarified the differences between generic top-level domains (gTLDs) and country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), following Google's decision to reclassify .ai domains as gTLDs, breaking away from their previous association with Anguilla.In essence, gTLDs (such as .com, .store, .net) are not tied to a specific geographical location, unlike ccTLDs (like .nl for the Netherlands, .fr for France, .de for Germany) that are country-specific. Mueller pointed out that if your business is primarily targeting customers within a certain country, a ccTLD might be the way to go. On the other hand, if you're aiming for a global customer base, a gTLD could be the better option.Importantly, Mueller also highlighted the need to consider user perception. He posed a question to consider: will users click on a link they believe is meant for another country's audience?Furthermore, Mueller also cautioned against using TLDs that may appear spammy, as it can harm your site's credibility.His advice underscores the importance of strategic decision-making when registering your domain, reminding us that the choice of a domain name is not just a technical one, but a business decision that can have a significant impact on your online presence.4. Google's Verdict on the Impact of Security Headers on Search Rankings - In your quest for a secure website, you may have come across HTTP headers - bits of data that offer valuable metadata about a webpage to browsers or web crawlers. The most well-known among these are response headers, like the infamous 404 Error or the 301 redirect.A subset of these headers, known as security headers, play a critical role in fortifying your site against malicious attacks. For instance, the HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) header mandates that a webpage be accessed only via HTTPS, not HTTP, and ensures the browser remembers this preference for the future.While a 301 redirect can guide browsers from HTTP to HTTPS, it leaves your site exposed to potential 'man-in-the-middle' attacks. An HSTS header, on the other hand, ensures your browser requests the HTTPS version directly, effectively bolstering site security.A question was recently posed to Google's John Mueller about whether integrating security headers, like HSTS, could influence website ranking. Mueller's response was clear: the HSTS header does not impact Google Search. This header's purpose is to guide users to the HTTPS version of a site. As for deciding which version of a page to crawl and index, Google uses a process known as canonicalization, which doesn't rely on headers like HSTS.So, while security headers might not boost your site's search ranking, their importance in maintaining a secure browsing experience for your users cannot be overstated. Remember, a secure website is a trusted website, and trust forms the foundation of any successful online presence.5. Debunking 'Index Bloat': Google's Take on Effective Web Page Indexing - In a recent episode of Google's 'Search Off The Record' podcast, the Search Relations team at Google tackled the topic of web page indexing, putting a spotlight on the much-discussed theory within the SEO community: "Index Bloat."This theory, often cause for concern, refers to a situation where search engines index pages that aren't beneficial for search results. It includes pages like filtered product pages, printer-friendly versions, internal search results, and more. Advocates of the index bloat theory argue that such pages can confuse search engines and negatively impact search rankings. They link this issue to the concept of a crawl budget, which is the number of URLs a search bot will crawl during each visit. The theory proposes that index bloat can lead to an inefficient use of this crawl budget, with search bots wasting time and resources gathering unneeded data.However, Google's John Mueller challenged this theory, stating there is no known concept of index bloat at Google. According to Mueller, Google doesn't set an arbitrary limit on the number of indexed pages per site. His advice to webmasters is not to worry about excluding pages from Google's index, but instead, focus on creating and publishing useful content.While some supporters of the index bloat theory have pointed to issues like accidental page duplication, incorrect robots.txt files, and poor or thin content as causes, Google asserts that these are not signs of a non-existent "index bloat," but simply general SEO practices that require attention.Some have suggested using tools like Google Search Console to detect index bloat by comparing the actual number of indexed pages to what's expected. Google's stance implies this comparison isn't indicating a problem, but is instead part of routine website management and monitoring.Google's official stance dismisses the idea of index bloat. Instead, the emphasis should be on ensuring the pages submitted for indexing are valuable and relevant, thereby enhancing the overall user experience.6. Controlling Googlebot: Decoding Google's Search Relations Podcast Insights - In the latest episode of the 'Search Off The Record' podcast, Google's Search Relations team, John Mueller and Gary Illyes, delved into two key topics: blocking Googlebot from crawling certain parts of a webpage and preventing Googlebot from accessing a website completely.When asked how to stop Googlebot from crawling specific sections of a webpage, such as the "also bought" areas on product pages, Mueller emphasized that there's no direct method to achieve this. "It's impossible to block crawling of a specific section on an HTML page," he clarified.However, Mueller did propose two strategies, albeit not perfect ones, to navigate this issue. One involves utilizing the data-nosnippet HTML attribute to stop text from being displayed in a search snippet. The other strategy involves using an iframe or JavaScript with the source blocked by robots.txt. But be wary, as Mueller cautioned against this approach, stating it could lead to crawling and indexing issues that are difficult to diagnose and solve.Mueller also reassured listeners that if the same content appears across multiple pages, it's not a cause for concern. "There's no need to block Googlebot from seeing that kind of duplication," he added.Addressing the question of how to prevent Googlebot from accessing an entire site, Illyes provided a straightforward solution. Simply add a disallow rule for the Googlebot user agent in your robots.txt file, and Googlebot will respect this and avoid your site. For those wanting to completely block network access, Illyes suggested creating firewall rules that deny Google's IP ranges.To sum up, while it's impossible to stop Googlebot from accessing specific HTML page sections, methods like the data-nosnippet attribute can offer some control. To block Googlebot from your site altogether, a simple disallow rule in your robots.txt file should suffice, though you can take further steps like setting up specific firewall rules for a more stringent blockade.7. Sweeping Changes to Google Ads Trademark Policy: What You Need to Know - Google Ads is making significant changes to its Trademark Policy that could impact how your advertisements are run. Starting July 24, Google will only entertain trademark complaints that are filed against specific advertisers and their ads. This is a shift away from the current policy, where complaints can lead to industry-wide restrictions on using trademarked content.This change is a response to feedback from advertisers who found the previous system frustrating due to over-flagging and broad blocks. The new policy aims to streamline resolutions, making them quicker and more straightforward. In addition, it will provide greater clarity and transparency for advertisers, a much-needed improvement many have been advocating for.As explained by a Google spokesperson, "We are updating our Trademark Policy to focus solely on complaints against specific advertisers in order to simplify and speed up resolution times, as opposed to industry-wide blocks that were prone to over-flagging. We believe this update best protects our partners with legitimate complaints while still giving consumers the ability to discover information about new products or services.”Do note that any trademark restrictions implemented before July 24 under the current policy will continue to apply. However, Google plans to phase out these limitations for most advertisers gradually over the next 12-18 months.You can learn more about these changes by visiting the Google Ads Trademarks policy page here.8. Double Menus, Double Fun: SEO Unaffected by Multiple Navigations - In a recent SEO office hours video, Google's Gary Illyes made it clear that the presence of multiple navigation menus on your website doesn't affect your SEO performance - be it positively or negatively.The question arose during the video discussion, asking whether having two navigation menus - a main one featuring important site categories and a secondary one focusing on brand-related extensions - could potentially harm SEO performance.Illyes' response was reassuring. He stated that it's highly unlikely that multiple navigation menus would have any impact on your website's SEO. In other words, whether you have one, two, or even more navigation menus on your page, Google's algorithms are sophisticated enough to recognize these elements and process them accordingly.So, rest easy and design your website to best serve your audience. Remember, whether your navigation is on the top, left, or bottom of your page, Google's got it figured out!9. Google's Eye on XML Sitemap Changes: Resource Efficiency in Action - Google's own Gary Illyes recently reaffirmed that the tech giant is diligent about scanning XML sitemaps for updates before launching the reprocessing protocol. This practice is rooted in the desire to conserve valuable computational resources by avoiding unnecessary reprocessing of unchanged files.When asked whether Google compares current and previous versions of XML sitemaps, Illyes's response was a resounding yes. He explained that Google refrains from reprocessing sitemaps that have remained the same since their last crawl - a measure designed to prevent wastage of computing resources.However, any modifications in your sitemap, whether in the URL element or 'last mod', will trigger a new round of parsing and generally initiate reprocessing. Illyes pointed out that this doesn't automatically guarantee that the altered URLs will be crawled, as they must still pass through the usual quality evaluations like any other URL.Importantly, if a URL is deleted from the sitemap because it no longer exists, it doesn't imply that it will instantly be removed from the index or prioritized for crawling to expedite its deletion. Keep this in mind when making changes to your sitemap.10. Boost Your Search Rankings: Google's Advice on Consolidating Pages - In a recent SEO office hours video, Google's Gary Illyes brought up a valuable point about web page consolidation. He discussed 'host groups', a term used when Google displays two results from the same domain in search results, with one listed below the other.Illyes suggested that when your website forms a host group, it indicates that you have multiple pages capable of ranking well for a particular query. In such cases, he recommended considering the consolidation of these pages, if feasible.This advice aligns with Google's host groups documentation, which recommends setting one of these pages as the 'canonical' if you'd prefer users to land on that page over the other.The concept of a host group comes into play when two or more consecutive text results from the same site rank for the same query and hence, get grouped together.The rationale behind Google's recommendation for consolidation could be understood as an attempt to prevent your pages from competing against each other. When two pages vie for the same ranking, consolidating them could potentially boost the ranking of the remaining page.From an SEO perspective, having two listings could increase your click-through rate. However, the idea of consolidation is to create a more streamlined user experience and possibly enhance your page's ranking.Keep in mind that this is an approach to consider and may not suit every situation. Always consider your unique context and audience needs when making SEO decisions.11. Unlocking Video Thumbnails in Google Search: Key Insights Revealed - Recent changes to Google's approach to video thumbnails in search results have prompted many queries. These alterations ensure that video thumbnails are displayed only when the video constitutes the main content on a webpage.This doesn't imply that the video must be the first element on your page. Instead, as Google's Gary Illyes explains, the video should be immediately noticeable — it should be "in their face right away." This user-centric approach enhances the user experience, eliminating the need for them to hunt for the video on the page.Illyes encourages web developers and SEO experts to consider the user's perspective. When visitors land on your page, they should not have to actively search for the video. It should be prominently displayed, akin to the approach of popular video platforms like Vimeo and YouTube.Remember, the aim of these changes is to reduce confusion and streamline the user experience by ensuring that videos are easy to find and view. Take inspiration from major video sites to better understand what Google's algorithms are seeking.12. Enhanced Conversion Tracking with Microsoft Advertising's New Cross-Device Attribution Model - Microsoft Advertising is set to enhance its tracking capabilities with the introduction of a Cross-Device attribution model. Revealed in Microsoft's latest product update roundup in June, this model promises to provide more accurate insights into customer conversion journeys across multiple devices and sessions.With this new feature, if a customer clicks an ad on their laptop and later completes a purchase on their phone, Microsoft Advertising will attribute the conversion to the original ad click on the laptop. This development will ensure that your marketing efforts are accurately credited, regardless of the device where the conversion ultimately occurs.As a result of this new tracking model, marketers may notice a slight uptick in the number of conversions reported in their performance metrics. If you observe an increase in conversions, the new Cross-Device attribution model could be the driving factor. Keep an eye on your reports to understand the full impact of this latest update on your performance data.13. New Verification Mandates for Microsoft Ads: Everything You Need to Know - Starting August 1st, Microsoft Advertising will be implementing a new policy to enhance transparency and security. Only ads from verified advertisers will be displayed on the platform. If you haven't yet met the Microsoft Ads verification requirements, it's crucial to complete them before August 1st to ensure your ads continue to run smoothly.The Microsoft Ads Advertiser Identity Verification program, which was launched in June 2022, is rolling out the following important dates: As of July 1st, all new advertisers must be verified before their ads can go live. If you haven't received an email from Microsoft about account verification by July 15th, you should reach out to Microsoft support. Starting August 1st, Microsoft Advertising will exclusively display ads from verified advertisers. Once verified, all ads will showcase: The name and location of the advertiser. The business or individual responsible for funding the ad. Additional information explaining why a user is seeing a specific ad, including targeting parameters. In addition to these updates, Microsoft Advertising is also launching a new feature - the Ad Library. This will enable all users to view ads shown on Bing that have gained any impressions in the European Union. Users will be able to search for ads in the Ad Library by using the advertiser's name or by entering words included in the ad creative. The details of the advertiser will be displayed in the Ad Library.Stay ahead of the game and get your account verified to enjoy uninterrupted ad delivery with Microsoft Advertising!14. Unleashing New Opportunities: LinkedIn Introduces Direct Messaging for Company Pages - In a bid to foster more professional connections and interactions, LinkedIn is set to expand its messaging tools. The platform has now introduced a new feature that allows Company Pages to send and receive direct messages (DMs). This marks a major development as previously, one-to-one messaging was only available for individual LinkedIn members.LinkedIn's new feature, termed Pages Messaging, paves the way for members to directly contact brands. Conversations can cover a broad range of topics from products and services to business opportunities. To handle these two-way conversations, organizations will be equipped with a dedicated inbox, enabling them to manage and prioritize incoming inquiries that are most relevant to their business.As a result of this feature, companies might see a significant increase in messages inquiring about opportunities. However, LinkedIn's 'focused inbox' system, which segregates DMs based on priority and topic settings, can help manage the influx. In addition, companies have the option to disable the Message feature if they wish.LinkedIn has been quietly testing this feature with a select group of users in the past month. Considering that over 63 million companies actively post on their LinkedIn Company Pages, this new feature could potentially revolutionize direct interactions and unearth fresh opportunities.Furthermore, LinkedIn is exploring the integration of an AI assistant to aid in lead nurturing. This could be a significant asset, allowing users to research the person they are communicating with without the need to manually browse through their profile or posts.While it might not be a 'game-changer', the new Company Page messaging feature, which is being rolled out from today, is certainly a noteworthy addition to consider in your LinkedIn marketing strategy.15. Apple Amps Up Privacy: A Glimpse at iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma - In a continued commitment to user privacy, Apple has introduced fresh security enhancements in iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma, aimed at curbing intrusive web tracking. The new Link Tracking Protection feature is at the heart of this upgrade.Activated by default in Mail, Messages, and Safari (while in Private Browsing mode), Link Tracking Protection zeroes in on tracking parameters in link URLs, which are often used to monitor user activity across different websites. The feature scrubs these identifiers, thereby thwarting advertisers' and analytics firms' attempts to bypass Safari's intelligent tracking prevention functionalities.Typically, these tracking parameters are attached to the end of a webpage's URL, bypassing the need for third-party cookies. When a user clicks the modified URL, the tracking identifier is read, enabling the backend to create a user profile for personalized ad targeting.Apple's new feature disrupts this process by identifying and removing these tracking components from the URL, ensuring the user's web page navigation remains as intended. This operation is quietly executed during browser navigation in Safari's Private Browsing mode and when links are clicked within the Mail and Messages apps.To strike a balance, Apple has also unveiled an alternate method for advertisers to gauge campaign effectiveness while preserving user privacy. Private Click Measurement, now accessible in Safari Private Browsing mode, enables the tracking of ad conversion metrics without disclosing individual user activity.In conclusion, Apple's latest efforts reflect a renewed commitment to user privacy, promising to make online experiences safer and more secure across their operating systems.
On this edition of the ESW news, we're all over the place! Funding and acquisitions are a little sad right now, but AI and TikTok bans raise our spirits. The hosts are split on feelings about the new .zip gTLD, there's a new standard for scoring an "AI Influence Level" (AIL), and lessons learned from Joe Sullivan's case and other Uber breaches. Also, don't miss the new AI tool DragGAN, which enables near magical levels of ease when manipulating photos. What's even real anymore? We might not be able to tell for long... The reality is no organization is insusceptible to a breach – and security teams, alongside the C-suite, should prepare now to make the response more seamless once a crisis does happen. Based on his experience working 1:1 with security leaders in the private and public sectors, Jon Check, executive director of Cyber Protection Solutions at Raytheon Intelligence & Space, will share the critical steps organizations must take to best prepare for a security breach. This segment is sponsored by Raytheon. Visit https://securityweekly.com/raytheonrsac to learn more about them! While companies utilize dozens of security solutions, they continue to be compromised and are continually searching for their real cybersecurity gaps amongst the overload of vulnerability data. A primary issue security teams face is that they lack a way to continuously validate the effectiveness of the different security solutions they have in place. Automated Security Validation is revolutionizing cybersecurity by applying software validation algorithms, for what was once manual penetration testing jobs. It takes the attacker's perspective to challenge the integrity and resilience of security defenses by continuously emulating cyber attacks against them. This segment is sponsored by Pentera. Visit https://securityweekly.com/penterarsac to learn more about them! Security teams are always on the lookout for external threats that can harm our organizations. However, an internal threat can derail productivity and lead to human error and burnout: repetitive, mundane tasks. To effectively defend against evolving threats, organizations must leverage no-code automation and free analysts to focus on higher-level projects that can improve their organization's security posture. This segment is sponsored by Tines. Visit https://securityweekly.com/tinesrsac to learn more about them! In today's hyper-connected world, devices are everywhere, people are online constantly and sensitive data has moved to the cloud. Given these trends, organizations are making digital trust a strategic imperative. More than ever, companies need a unified platform, modern architecture and flexible deployment options in order to put digital trust to work. This segment is sponsored by DigiCert. Visit https://securityweekly.com/digicertrsac to learn more about them! Bill Brenner, VP of content strategy at CyberRisk Alliance, and Cisco storyteller/team leader/editor Steve Ragan discuss the issues security professionals are sinking their teeth into at RSA Conference 2023, including: Threats organizations face amid geopolitical strife (Russia/Ukraine, China, North Korea) What SOCs need to respond to a world on fire (training for cloud-based ops, XDR) Challenges of identity and access management (zero trust, MFA, hybrid work environments) Challenges of vulnerability management (finding the most critical flaws in the cloud, key attack vectors in 2023, ransomware) This segment is sponsored by Cisco. Visit https://securityweekly.com/ciscorsac to learn more about them! Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/securityweekly Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/secweekly Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw319
On this edition of the ESW news, we're all over the place! Funding and acquisitions are a little sad right now, but AI and TikTok bans raise our spirits. The hosts are split on feelings about the new .zip gTLD, there's a new standard for scoring an "AI Influence Level" (AIL), and lessons learned from Joe Sullivan's case and other Uber breaches. Also, don't miss the new AI tool DragGAN, which enables near magical levels of ease when manipulating photos. What's even real anymore? We might not be able to tell for long... The reality is no organization is insusceptible to a breach – and security teams, alongside the C-suite, should prepare now to make the response more seamless once a crisis does happen. Based on his experience working 1:1 with security leaders in the private and public sectors, Jon Check, executive director of Cyber Protection Solutions at Raytheon Intelligence & Space, will share the critical steps organizations must take to best prepare for a security breach. This segment is sponsored by Raytheon. Visit https://securityweekly.com/raytheonrsac to learn more about them! While companies utilize dozens of security solutions, they continue to be compromised and are continually searching for their real cybersecurity gaps amongst the overload of vulnerability data. A primary issue security teams face is that they lack a way to continuously validate the effectiveness of the different security solutions they have in place. Automated Security Validation is revolutionizing cybersecurity by applying software validation algorithms, for what was once manual penetration testing jobs. It takes the attacker's perspective to challenge the integrity and resilience of security defenses by continuously emulating cyber attacks against them. This segment is sponsored by Pentera. Visit https://securityweekly.com/penterarsac to learn more about them! Security teams are always on the lookout for external threats that can harm our organizations. However, an internal threat can derail productivity and lead to human error and burnout: repetitive, mundane tasks. To effectively defend against evolving threats, organizations must leverage no-code automation and free analysts to focus on higher-level projects that can improve their organization's security posture. This segment is sponsored by Tines. Visit https://securityweekly.com/tinesrsac to learn more about them! In today's hyper-connected world, devices are everywhere, people are online constantly and sensitive data has moved to the cloud. Given these trends, organizations are making digital trust a strategic imperative. More than ever, companies need a unified platform, modern architecture and flexible deployment options in order to put digital trust to work. This segment is sponsored by DigiCert. Visit https://securityweekly.com/digicertrsac to learn more about them! Bill Brenner, VP of content strategy at CyberRisk Alliance, and Cisco storyteller/team leader/editor Steve Ragan discuss the issues security professionals are sinking their teeth into at RSA Conference 2023, including: Threats organizations face amid geopolitical strife (Russia/Ukraine, China, North Korea) What SOCs need to respond to a world on fire (training for cloud-based ops, XDR) Challenges of identity and access management (zero trust, MFA, hybrid work environments) Challenges of vulnerability management (finding the most critical flaws in the cloud, key attack vectors in 2023, ransomware) This segment is sponsored by Cisco. Visit https://securityweekly.com/ciscorsac to learn more about them! Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/securityweekly Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/secweekly Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw319
On this edition of the ESW news, we're all over the place! Funding and acquisitions are a little sad right now, but AI and TikTok bans raise our spirits. The hosts are split on feelings about the new .zip gTLD, there's a new standard for scoring an "AI Influence Level" (AIL), and lessons learned from Joe Sullivan's case and other Uber breaches. Also, don't miss the new AI tool DragGAN, which enables near magical levels of ease when manipulating photos. What's even real anymore? We might not be able to tell for long... Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw319
On this edition of the ESW news, we're all over the place! Funding and acquisitions are a little sad right now, but AI and TikTok bans raise our spirits. The hosts are split on feelings about the new .zip gTLD, there's a new standard for scoring an "AI Influence Level" (AIL), and lessons learned from Joe Sullivan's case and other Uber breaches. Also, don't miss the new AI tool DragGAN, which enables near magical levels of ease when manipulating photos. What's even real anymore? We might not be able to tell for long... Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw319
This episode features the fabulous Dhruv Mathur. Dhruv is the founder of Perfect Digitals. Dhruv has a keen eye for International SEO. He explains how language and translation are one of the USPs for his international SEO and we discuss whether a company's website is best to use ccTLD, subdomains, subdirectory, gTLD with language parameters or different domains. He highlights what software you need to make of both novice and expert marketer levels. This episode is perfect for anyone wanting to understand technical SEO at an advanced level and learn from an expert in this field.
Der Global Domain Report beleuchtet den weltweiten Domainmarkt. Mit Marco Hoffmann von InternetX spreche ich im #SEODRIVEN Podcast über die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse der Analyse. Dabei gehen wir auf folgende Fragen ein: Welche Domainendungen (TLD) wachsen überhaupt noch? Was macht .de als ccTLD so erfolgreich? Wie steht es um die Vielzahl an new gTLD wie .shop oder .bar? Was sind die wertvollsten Domains und wie ermittelt man den Domainwert überhaupt? Welchen Einfluss haben Trends wie Clubhouse oder der Krypto-Boom auf den Domainhandel? Ein Gespräch, dass jeder Domainer nicht verpassen sollte. Wie viele Domains hast Du und was sind sie wert? Schreibe einen Kommentar! ➡️ Ermittle den Wert Deiner Domain mit dem Domain Price Check: https://pc.domains/
In dieser Folge sprechen wir mit Vuksan Rajkovic über die ccTLD .me und wie Montenegro es geschafft hat, ihre ccTLD weltweit als eine gTLD zu vermarkten. (01:04) Begrüßung in Montenegrin (01:23) Aufstieg der ccTLD eines sehr kleinen Landes zur weltweit gefragten Brand (04:33) Einfache Registrierung als Schlüssel zum Erfolg (07:23) Zielgruppen von .me (12:31) Premium Domains bei .me (15:26) Highlights des Premium Domain Report 2021 (18:09) .me auf Konferenzen 2022
About Monte Cahn and RightOfTheDot: Monte is Founder / President of RightOfTheDot, LLC, a licensed business & premium domain auction and brokerage firm, providing Internet consulting and advisement specializing in new and existing TLD strategy, Contention Resolution Services, board advisement, premium domain market positioning, sales and services. He was Founder and CEO of Moniker.com, a leading ICANN Accredited Registrar and he was former President of SnapNames.com, a leading domain auction and expired domain business. He is also an active investor in Diamante Eco Adventure Park in Costa Rica, HaciendaDiamante.com - luxury villa/estate rental property in Costa Rica, Desktop.com, S3 Restaurant on Ft. Lauderdale Beach, FL, Bidtellect.com an online native advertising & marketing firm, WeedClub.com, and the Marriott Courtyard in Jupiter, FL, among others. Monte has been pioneering domain and aftermarket services since 1994/95. During his time, he helped many new and existing TLD's have successful launches through registrar promotions, sales & auctions of premium domains through marketing, brokerage and sales. Monte has more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare, high technology and Internet fields. He was one of the early pioneers and started investing in domain names in 1994/95 and started the first online domain brokerage business in the industry. Success includes more than $550,000,000 in domain sales & brokerage, including the industry's first domain name sale for over $1 million dollars with the sale of Wallstreet.com and the industry's first $2 million dollar domain sale with the sale of Autos.com in 1999. Later, he sold the highest dollar domain in history with the sale of Porn.com for $9.5M and Slots.com for $5.5mm. He is also the visionary behind Live and online Domain Auctions. He was also the creator of domain appraisals, domain escrow and Whois Privacy services, for the industry. Monte was voted into the 2010 Domain Hall of Fame by industry peers. He has spoken and presented at more than 150 industry conferences. Monte graduated from University of Kentucky with degrees in marketing, biology, and business administration. Specialties: Merger and Acquisitions in the Internet Industry, Domain name Registrations, Domain name sales and Auctions, appraisals, and escrow of sales, Domain name acquisitions, Corporate domain name management, Online branding, identity services and web presence, Health care and medical device sales. ROTD (RightOfTheDot™) is the brainchild of one of the domain name industry's true pioneers and Domain Hall Of Fame member, Monte Cahn. RightOfTheDot is an Internet consulting and advisement firm specializing in selling, brokering, acquiring, auctioning, appraising premium domain names in new and existing TLDs. We also specialize in strategy, board advisement, premium domain and market positioning, sales, stealth acquisition, and consulting services. We are the only company with a professional auction business license specific to the domain name industry. RightOfTheDot.com is focused on gTLD domain names and ROTD.com is focused on premium domain name brokerage and the premium domain name auction services provided by the company. We have sold more than $560,000,000 in domains since 1995! That is more than any other company in the industry.
This week's Network Break discusses the jaw-dropping $3.5 billion purchase of Pluralsight; welcomes a new network OS to life, the universe, and everything; debates whether ICANN was cautious or tardy in implementing DNSSEC for gTLD name servers, catches up on the SolarWinds hack, and more tech conversation.
This week's Network Break discusses the jaw-dropping $3.5 billion purchase of Pluralsight; welcomes a new network OS to life, the universe, and everything; debates whether ICANN was cautious or tardy in implementing DNSSEC for gTLD name servers, catches up on the SolarWinds hack, and more tech conversation.
This week's Network Break discusses the jaw-dropping $3.5 billion purchase of Pluralsight; welcomes a new network OS to life, the universe, and everything; debates whether ICANN was cautious or tardy in implementing DNSSEC for gTLD name servers, catches up on the SolarWinds hack, and more tech conversation.
This week's Network Break discusses the jaw-dropping $3.5 billion purchase of Pluralsight; welcomes a new network OS to life, the universe, and everything; debates whether ICANN was cautious or tardy in implementing DNSSEC for gTLD name servers, catches up on the SolarWinds hack, and more tech conversation. The post Network Break 315: Pluralsight Sold For $3.5 Billion; Dent NOS Hitchhikes To The Edge appeared first on Packet Pushers.
This week's Network Break discusses the jaw-dropping $3.5 billion purchase of Pluralsight; welcomes a new network OS to life, the universe, and everything; debates whether ICANN was cautious or tardy in implementing DNSSEC for gTLD name servers, catches up on the SolarWinds hack, and more tech conversation. The post Network Break 315: Pluralsight Sold For $3.5 Billion; Dent NOS Hitchhikes To The Edge appeared first on Packet Pushers.
This week's Network Break discusses the jaw-dropping $3.5 billion purchase of Pluralsight; welcomes a new network OS to life, the universe, and everything; debates whether ICANN was cautious or tardy in implementing DNSSEC for gTLD name servers, catches up on the SolarWinds hack, and more tech conversation. The post Network Break 315: Pluralsight Sold For $3.5 Billion; Dent NOS Hitchhikes To The Edge appeared first on Packet Pushers.
Ryan Colby and is a premium domain broker that has transacted more than $75 million in domains for clients over the past decade. Ryan specializes in helping C-suite, startup founders, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs manage their domain portfolios. Ryan has brokered domains for an extensive list of well-known brands, including Instagram, Tune, Ookla, and Rags. Ryan sits down with Chris Snyder to discuss how the domain industry is evolving and how a great domain can be a gamechanger.
今天跟大家講 terminology,有三組字。 第一個是 gTLD,都跟 domain 有關,gTLD 或 ccTLD 這些聽起來很深奧,知道是什麼就不然了。 gTLD 是 Generic Top Level Domain,就是 .com / .edu / .gov / .net / .org / .mil,是 1985 年剛開始有互聯網登記時的六種 domain,主要是一般機構使用。 第二個是 ccTLD,也是頂級的域名,cc 代表 Country Code,例如美國是 .us,中國是 .cn,香港是 .hk,台灣是 .tw。 現在多了第三個,還是叫 gTLD 頂級通用域名,不過是 ’New’ 新式的,因為現在多了很多種類的頂級域名,如.blog/.store。 主要就是以上三類不同的 domain,下次再聽到這些專業名稱,就知道不外乎這六個種類的其中一種,ccTLD 是地方性的,new gTLD 可以是任何種類,因為現在已經有很多種類的域名可以使用。 分享到此,有問題請隨時提出,我有 Facebook 和 Youtube channel,歡迎訂閱。 我們下次見!
Bill Hartzer explores how domain names fit into search engine optimization (SEO). He discusses the results from recent testing and research regarding keyword-rich domain names and keyword-rich new gTLD domains. You'll learn why certain domain names and website content perform well in the search engine results, while others seem to have difficulty getting visibility. Learn how search engine crawling and indexing work, and how you can jump-start the search engine ranking process using the latest SEO techniques.
Welcome to this episode of Kickstart Commerce podcast where we interview Bill Hartzer — a Technical SEO Consultant and Domain Name Consultant, founder of Hartzer Consulting, and a contributing writer to a number of industry-leading, search marketing brands and websites. In today’s episode, Bill and I discuss: How he got his start in domain investing and development When a brand should and should not consider gTLDs Detailed development case studies of .cars, .diamonds, and .attorney websites The biggest threats to the future of domain names In closing, don’t forget to subscribe as you enjoy this week's episode via iTunes, GooglePlay, Stitcher or how ever you desire to listen.
In Snapshot #17 nehmen wir das grüne Engagement von InterNetX unter die Lupe. Da Energieverbrauch in Hinblick auf unsere Umwelt ein großes Thema ist, soll es ganz konkret um das InterNetX Rechenzentrum in München gehen. Wir haben nachgefragt: Wie grün kann ein Rechenzentrum sein? Und was tut InterNetX dafür, dass möglichst grün gehostet wird? Ist die Kühlung energieeffizient? -------------------------------------- 01:25: Wie (und an welchen Stellen) kann man ein Rechenzentrum grüner gestalten? 04:58: Wie funktioniert das Prinzip der Kaltgangeinhausung? 06:37: Wie kann gewährleistet werden, dass der verwendete Strom zu 100% ökologischer Herkunft ist? 08:29: Trend der Nachhaltigkeit: Nicht nur im Bereich Lebensmittel, sondern auch auf das Hosting übertragbar 09:19: Wie energieeffizient ist unsere Hardware? 12:20: Was passiert mit alter Hardware, für die keine Verwendung mehr besteht? 13:12: Gibt es Zertifikate für ein grünes Data Center? 14:40: BREAK 15:25: Intro Caspar von Veltheim 15:49: Wie ist der Caspars Werdegang von der Filmbranche zu TLDs erfolgt? 16:59: Wer steckt hinter “MMX”? 17:36: Was macht die geo TLD so besonders? 19:02: Welche interessanten Projekte sind schon durch .BAYERN vertreten? 20:38: Wie komme ich an eine .BAYERN Adresse? 21:23: Genießen geo TLDs regionale Vorzüge in Bezug auf das Suchmaschinenranking? 22:49: Geo TLDs wie .BAYERN finden vor allem bei jungen Unternehmen anklang -------------------------------------- ➡ Diskutiere mit uns zum Thema: www.snapshot.fm ➡ Downloade unser Green Paper: www.internetx.green
Meet the team of SEO experts behind last year's record-breaking new gTLD acquisition of Online.Casino. Hear how gTLDs are performing in SEO, how they make brands stand out, and how these serial entrepreneurs think outside the box.
Welcome to this episode of Kickstart Commerce podcast where we interview Colby May, Founder of LIT LLC — a social venture firm leveraging energy management as a catalyst to provide sustainable change to the most vulnerable parts of the world. In today’s episode, Colby and I discuss the following: Why and how LIT educates and empowers churches, businesses, and ministries to discover and realize sustainable solutions and savings. Why LIT choose to develop and promote a secondary .church digital presence The impact of building a .church digital presence to reach religious organizations Don’t forget to subscribe as you enjoy this week's episode via iTunes, GooglePlay, Stitcher or how ever you desire to listen.
If you're an entrepreneur who plans to disrupt an industry- or you want to learn to become one- spend some time listening to the out-of-the-box thinking of resort industry veteran Mike Kugler. Mike's company, Vacarent, LLC recently acquired the Vacation.Rentals premium gTLD, purposely paying the most ever for a public gTLD acquisition. Entrepreneurs like this who surprise and confuse us are often visionary thinkers. We don't need to do the exact same thing, but we can definitely benefit from learning about Mike's perspective and seeing where to apply that in both our domain name search and entrepreneurial endeavors. Brooke Hernandez also joins us to share about the UniRegistry brokerage process for premium domains and this particular sale.
Productive Insights Podcast — Actionable Business Growth Ideas — with Ash Roy
Suzi Dafnis on The Secret To A Successful Rebranding Campaign Suzi Dafnis from herbusiness.com is an entrepreneur, blogger, a podcast host and a public speaker who’s spoken at events all over the USA and Australia. She’s co-founded a boutique publishing company which has sold 1.2 million books including the longtime bestseller Rich Dad, Poor Dad. She started this business in a spare room in her apartment in 1994. She’s believed in using the power of business to create freedom and express passion while making a difference in the world. For the last 20 years, she’s been committed to helping women in business and has a built a thriving community of more 30, 000 women and men around the world who are stepping up and taking action by starting and growing business and lives they love to help them have breakthroughs in their business. Her community delivers life-long learning tools to its members. She was already a featured guest in the Productive Insights Podcast episode 62. Share this Episode: Click to Tweet Links Mentioned: Click here to download the podcast shownotes HerBusiness.com/Freebies HerBusiness.com/Podcasts www.CallAshRoy.com www.Youtube.com/ProductiveInsights https://productiveinsights.com/134 Related Episodes: 001. Neil Patel (Kissmetrics Founder) On How To Make Better Decisions Around Client Selection, Branding and Investing 054. The 3 Keys to Community Building, Authenticity & Long Term Business Success — With Mackenzie Fogelson 062. Suzi Dafnis On How To Find Your Ideal Mentor And The Value Of Mentorship 110. How To Create The Right Social Media Marketing Campaign For Your Business – with Jeff Bullas (Part 2 of 2) 116. Brian Clark — Founder of Copyblogger — On How To Create Content That Converts, Empathy Maps, How To Use Content To Build An Eight Figure Business and Lots More! 126. Rand Fishkin (Wizard of Moz) And I Discuss One vs Multiple Domains; One vs Multiple Product 128. International News Anchor — Julie MacDonald — And I Discuss Actionable Strategies Around Key Points and Insights 5:11 - Why branding is important to your business? Why brand strategy is an important part of your business strategy? 7:47 - The importance of grabbing domain names with the .com Getting both .com.au (ccTLD - country code Top Level Domains) and .com (gTLD - generic Top Level Domain) 9:44 - Should a small business be brand conscious? 13:26 - Brand personality and Brand consistency 14:07 - Personal brands vs Business brands (should you promote your personal brand or your business brand)? 17:36 - Consistency of results 18:17 - Branding identity portfolios 21:50 - Rebranding (from) AustralianBusinessWomenNetwork.com to HerBusiness.com 24:33 - Factors to consider when rebranding 31:49 - Summary / recap of key insights Actions and Insights 33:32 - Don't over think your brand 33:53 - The brand should call out the audience or the product or both 34:54 - A good brand attracts the right people AND repels the wrong people 35:03 - If you are trying to say everything to everyone you will end up saying nothing to anyone 35:24 - A brand / product should call out a solution to the problem the audience is facing (your products should aim to solve your target audience's problem) 36:26 - Clarity always trumps cleverness when it comes to content Key Points to Consider when Rebranding Know the purpose of your business Identify your target market Know how you want your business to be perceived
Anyone who says all new gTLDs are a waste of money is just plain wrong. On this Profitable Flip show, we talk to Jon Arsenault, a part-time domain name investor who forgoes the traditional .com expired domain drop for opportunities in the new gTLDs. In this episode, Arsenault shares valuable lessons learned on his domain name investing journey and his successful sale of Prop.bet for $6,500 – a purchase he made just 11 months prior for $111.
Click Here Or On Above Image To Reach Our ExpertsSecurity Expert Talks About ICANN, Verisign And The Demise of Free Speech On The InternetThe U.S. government plans within weeks to end much of its oversight of the California nonprofit that helps run the internet, a move with broad international support. But recent business deals by the nonprofit are threatening to roil those plans.Under the deals, the nonprofit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, known as Icann, is set to give significant new business to its largest contractor, Verisign Inc., under circumstances that some say show favoritism.One of the deals would give Verisign a no-bid extension on its current contract to run the huge dot-com domain. In the other deal, Verisign emerged as a surprise potential winner of the contract to operate the new dot-web domain by quietly putting $130 million behind another firm's bid in an Icann auction.Icann denies that it has given special treatment to Verisign, saying its focus has been promoting the internet's stability and security. Verisign, which is based in Reston, Va., is widely viewed as a highly competent manager of the domain-name system.The deals open a window into what is a netherworld to most users—the structures and firms that keep the chaotic-seeming internet running smoothly.Icann handles the internet's technical operations, including the crucial domain-name system, under a longstanding arrangement with the U.S. government. Icann also oversees the firms that run many of the internet's top-level domains, such as dot-com. Verisign currently runs the dot-com domain as well as dot-net, and also helps maintain the domain-name system. It makes money by receiving fees paid by people who register websites, while ensuring the registry's operation is smooth, stable and secure.The Obama administration is preparing to end much of its oversight of Icann on Oct. 1. The government hasn't intervened lately in Icann's operations, but its authority to do so has been seen as a backstop should something go wrong.Many high-tech firms view the shift as essential to maintaining international support for the internet's governance, as foreign countries increasingly bridle at the U.S. role. But some conservative critics, who have long worried that Icann could fall under foreign control, are seizing on the recent business deals as they try to block the government's move. They are hoping the deals will raise concerns among congressional Democrats, too.PRO-DTECH II FREQUENCY DETECTOR(Buy/Rent/Layaway)Critics including Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) say Icann's recent deals with Verisign show it to be a feckless regulator.“Where there's smoke there's fire,” Rep. Sean Duffy (R., Wis.), who has lined up with Mr. Cruz, said in an interview. The lawmakers have called for a Justice Department investigation.Icann denies favoritism. Regarding accusations that Icann is too cozy with Verisign, Akram Atallah, president of Icann's global domains division, said, “‘Cozy with Verisign' is an oxymoron,” in reference to the firm's reputation as a tough bargainer.Critics face an uphill fight to derail the government's planned transfer.CELLPHONE DETECTOR (PROFESSIONAL)(Buy/Rent/Layaway)Icann has proposed giving Verisign a no-bid extension of its long-running contract to operate the dot-com domain, two years ahead of schedule. Verisign's current contract is set to expire in 2018; the extension would last through 2024. Verisign has had exclusive control of the dot-com registry since 2000. Starting in 2006, Verisign's contract with Icann has had an automatic-renewal clause, meaning no bidding is required so long as Verisign meets basic performance standards. Other domain operators have received similar deals. PRO-DTECH III FREQUENCY DETECTOR(Buy/Rent/Layaway)Critics say Verisign's hold on the dot-com domain already has made it an effective monopoly. Mr. Atallah says the contract extension is less significant than it appears, since Verisign would be entitled to automatic renewal in two years anyway.The agency that oversees Icann, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, hasn't yet endorsed the contract extension. Noting that it hasn't yet been approved by the Icann and Verisign boards, an NTIA spokesman said, “We have not been presented with anything to consider at this point.” NTIA would be able to keep price limits in place for the duration of the contract extension.PRO-DTECH III FREQUENCY DETECTOR(Buy/Rent/Layaway)In the second deal, Verisign covertly provided most of the funding for a winning bid in a recent Icann auction for the right to run the potentially lucrative dot-web domain.The Verisign-backed bidder, Nu Dot Co LLC, won the July 27 auction with a bid of $135 million. Then Verisign disclosed that it had put up $130 million of the bid and said it expected Nu Dot Co to hand over the dot-web deal to Verisign. Nu Dot Co didn't respond to a request for comment. Such assignments aren't unusual.In a lawsuit against Icann in federal court in Los Angeles, one losing bidder, Donuts Inc., accused Icann of using its authority “to unfairly benefit” an applicant.Mr. Atallah said Icann and its ombudsman investigated the suspicions ahead of the auction but no action was merited. “Now we have some other evidence that is surfacing, and we are looking again,” Mr. Atallah said. “What happens, I cannot project.”United Nations Might Take Control of InternetWhen the Obama administration announced its plan to give up U.S. protection of the internet, it promised the United Nations would never take control. But because of the administration's naiveté or arrogance, U.N. control is the likely result if the U.S. gives up internet stewardship as planned at midnight on Sept. 30. On Friday Americans for Limited Government received a response to its Freedom of Information Act request for “all records relating to legal and policy analysis . . . concerning antitrust issues for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers” if the U.S. gives up oversight. The administration replied it had “conducted a thorough search for responsive records within its possession and control and found no records responsive to your request.”PRO-DTECH III FREQUENCY DETECTOR(Buy/Rent/Layaway)It's shocking the administration admits it has no plan for how Icann retains its antitrust exemption. The reason Icann can operate the entire World Wide Web root zone is that it has the status of a legal monopolist, stemming from its contract with the Commerce Department that makes Icann an “instrumentality” of government.Antitrust rules don't apply to governments or organizations operating under government control. In a 1999 case, the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the monopoly on internet domains because the Commerce Department had set “explicit terms” of the contract relating to the “government's policies regarding the proper administration” of the domain system.Without the U.S. contract, Icann would seek to be overseen by another governmental group so as to keep its antitrust exemption. Authoritarian regimes have already proposed Icann become part of the U.N. to make it easier for them to censor the internet globally. So much for the Obama pledge that the U.S. would never be replaced by a “government-led or an inter-governmental organization solution.”Rick Manning, president of Americans for Limited Government, called it “simply stunning” that the “politically blinded Obama administration missed the obvious point that Icann loses its antitrust shield should the government relinquish control.”The administration might not have considered the antitrust issue, which would have been naive. Or perhaps in its arrogance the administration knew all along Icann would lose its antitrust immunity and look to the U.N. as an alternative. Congress could have voted to give Icann an antitrust exemption, but the internet giveaway plan is too flawed for legislative approval.As the administration spent the past two years preparing to give up the contract with Icann, it also stopped actively overseeing the group. That allowed Icann to abuse its monopoly over internet domains, which earns it hundreds of millions of dollars a year.Earlier this month, an independent review within Icann called the organization “simply not credible” in how it handled the application for the .inc, .llc and .llp domains. The independent review found Icann staffers were “intimately involved” in evaluating their own work. A company called Dot Registry had worked with officials of U.S. states to create a system ensuring anyone using these Web addresses was a legitimate registered company. Icann rejected Dot Registry's application as a community, which would have resulted in lowered fees to Icann.WIRELESS/WIRED HIDDENCAMERA FINDER III(Buy/Rent/Layaway)Delaware's secretary of state objected: “Legitimate policy concerns have been systematically brushed to the curb by Icann staffers well-skilled at manufacturing bureaucratic processes to disguise pre-determined decisions.” Dot Registry's lawyer, Arif Ali of the Dechert firm, told me last week his experience made clear “Icann is not ready to govern itself.”Icann also refuses to award the .gay domain to community groups representing gay people around the world. Icann's ombudsman recently urged his group to “put an end to this long and difficult issue” by granting the domain. Icann prefers to earn larger fees by putting the .gay domain up for auction among for-profit domain companies.And Icann rejects the community application for the .cpa domain made by the American Institute of CPAs, which along with other accounting groups argues consumers should expect the .cpa address only to be used by legitimate accountants, not by the highest bidder. An AICPA spokesman told me he has a pile of paperwork three feet high on the five-year quest for the .cpa domain. The professional group objected in a recent appeal: “The process seems skewed toward a financial outcome that benefits Icann itself.”The only thing worse than a monopoly overseen by the U.S. government is a monopoly overseen by no one—or by a Web-censoring U.N. Congress still has time to extend its ban on the Obama administration giving up protection of the internet. Icann has given it every reason to do so.PRO-DTECH IV FREQUENCY DETECTOR(Buy/Rent/Layaway)The U.S. Commerce Department on Monday delayed for at least a year its plans to give up oversight of a key component of Internet governance.The department said it would renew its contract with the Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers for one year. Icann administers the Internet's domain-name system, through contracts with the companies that sell website names and addresses.Commerce Department Renews Contract With The Internet Corp. For Assigned Names And NumbersCommerce has overseen Icann since the organization was created in 1998. Last year, the Obama administration said it planned to transfer Icann oversight to an unspecified group of international stakeholders by September 2015.Critics of the plan have expressed concerns that it may open the door to influence by foreign governments that aren't committed to Western principles of free expression, and may want to impose different rules for administering the Internet in different parts of the world.Wireless Camera Finder(Buy/Rent/Layaway)“It has become increasingly apparent over the last few months that the community needs time to complete its work, have the plan reviewed by the U.S. government and then implement it if it is approved,” Assistant Commerce Secretary Lawrence Strickling wrote in a blog post.Mr. Strickling wrote that the government plans to extend its contract with Icann for one year to Sept. 30 of 2016, with options to extend it another three years. Mr. Strickling said Commerce informed Congress of the plan on Friday.Commerce said the extension will provide time to work out additional details on how a “multistakeholder” governance approach might work.Icann Chief Executive Fadi Chehadé said in May he plans to leave in March 2016 to work in the private sector. Mr. Chehadé has championed greater independence for the group. In 2013, he praised Brazil's call for the U.S. to relinquish oversight of the agency in the wake of disclosures that the National Security Agency monitored Brazil's leaders and businesses online.“This is an important step,” said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R., Mich.) and Reps. Greg Walden (R., Ore.) and John Shimkus (R., Ill.) in a statement. “The administration is recognizing, as it should, that it is more important to get this issue right than it is to simply get it done.”In June, the House passed legislation to give Congress oversight of the Obama administration's plans to transfer stewardship of Icann.“We appreciate the administration's efforts and look forward to working with them, and the global Internet community, to get this done right,” the Republican legislators said Monday.Tuesday, Icann Senior Adviser Theresa Swinehart said in a statement that the agency is “pleased” by the contract extension. Ms. Swinehart said there has been progress in devising a new governance structure, but “additional time is necessary for the global community to complete its work and for Icann to implement the community's proposals.”MAGNETIC, ELECTRIC, RADIO ANDMICROWAVE DETECTOR(Buy/Rent/Layaway)The US government has formally approved a plan to transition control of the internet's administrative tasks to the private sector.In an announcement Thursday, the National Telecommunications And Information Administration (NTIA) gave the green light to a plan developed over two years by the internet community to hand control of the critical Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) contract to Californian non-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)."Today's announcement marks an important milestone in the US government's 18-year effort to privatize the Internet's domain name system," said Commerce secretary Penny Pritzker. "This transition ensures that the Internet continues to flourish as a platform for innovation, economic growth and free expression."ICANN has run the IANA functions – which cover the highest level of internet: the DNS, IP addresses, and internet protocols – since the day it was incorporated in 1999, but through a contract awarded repeatedly to it by the NTIA.This plan moves the contract into ICANN's hands and so removes the US government from its position of direct control – an important change in an ever more global internet.Following the formal approval, the transition is in line to be completed by the end of the current IANA contract – 30 September 2016.COUNTERSURVEILLANCE PROBE / MONITOR(Buy/Rent/Layaway)
Advice Local announced world-renowned search engine optimization (SEO) expert, Bill Hartzer, will join their corporate team to lead Agency Services. Jim Hedger and Dave Davies speak with Hartzer about the move. "I'm very excited about joining Advice Local," Hartzer said. "I get to bring my local and technical SEO experience to this progressive digital marketing agency. I look forward to helping companies, from small businesses to large enterprise organizations, become more visible on the Web and get a better ROI from their online marketing efforts."Hartzer is a frequent speaker and expert discussion panel participant at various search engine marketing and Internet marketing conferences. He has more than 20 years of website marketing, SEO and domain name experience; and he has been recognized internationally for his groundbreaking research on marketing using new gTLD names.Hartzer's SEO expertise is shared on his blog, www.BillHartzer.com and he is also a regular contributor to industry publication, Search Engine Journal. His thoughts on local can be found in posts on Practical ECommerce magazine, where he serves as the local SEO columnist. Hartzer was also recently named to a list of Top 14 Dallas Marketers by Agency Spotter.
Advice Local announced world-renowned search engine optimization (SEO) expert, Bill Hartzer, will join their corporate team to lead Agency Services. Jim Hedger and Dave Davies speak with Hartzer about the move. "I'm very excited about joining Advice Local," Hartzer said. "I get to bring my local and technical SEO experience to this progressive digital marketing agency. I look forward to helping companies, from small businesses to large enterprise organizations, become more visible on the Web and get a better ROI from their online marketing efforts."Hartzer is a frequent speaker and expert discussion panel participant at various search engine marketing and Internet marketing conferences. He has more than 20 years of website marketing, SEO and domain name experience; and he has been recognized internationally for his groundbreaking research on marketing using new gTLD names.Hartzer's SEO expertise is shared on his blog, www.BillHartzer.com and he is also a regular contributor to industry publication, Search Engine Journal. His thoughts on local can be found in posts on Practical ECommerce magazine, where he serves as the local SEO columnist. Hartzer was also recently named to a list of Top 14 Dallas Marketers by Agency Spotter.
Today’s podcast features EmigrantManifesto.Irish, a website set up to campaign for the right of Irish emigrants to vote in elections at home, something which is increasingly provided for by many countries in the world. 123 countries allow their citizens abroad to vote – including 25 of 28 EU countries. Compounding the issue is the fact […] The post Episode 6: EmigrantManifesto.Irish appeared first on TrailBlazers.Irish.
(Aired November 23, 2015) Sex.guide, Higher.education, Design.center, Genetics.com, Night.club, GGG.xyz - Get into the minds of the Sherpas with the DomainSherpa Review! In this show: An investor's new gTLD portfolio is reviewed and appraised; Domain names going to auction at NameJet are valued; a quick "Name That Price" game; and more!
Feargall Kenny founded Digital Irish in New York in 2013, with the goal of promoting the expansion of Irish startups in North America, by providing access to resources and networking opportunities. It has grown to over 900 members with more than 65 startups having presented so far and recently launched a programme to help Irish J1 students secure internships […] The post Episode 5: Digital.Irish appeared first on TrailBlazers.Irish.
“The word ‘Irish’ is worth 10 bonus points, right away… I think it’s vital to get that word ‘Irish’ in the domain name. I think it must be worth many thousands of extra eyeballs … and .IRISH makes it easy to get that word ‘Irish’ in there” Click on the player above to hear today’s podcast, or […] The post Episode 4: TheWildGeese.Irish appeared first on TrailBlazers.Irish.
D’fhoilsíomar agallamh in mBéarla cúpla lá ó shin le Eoin Ó Conchúir ón suíomh Bitesize.Irish. Ach tá Gaeilge líofa ag Eoin, agus bhí comhrá i nGaeilge againn freisin. Má’s mian leat éisteacht leis bain usáid as an seinnteoir thuas, nó buail ar an nasc seo. This is an Irish-language version of the interview we published […] The post Bonus Episode: Bitesize.Irish – Irish Language Version appeared first on TrailBlazers.Irish.
"The service is an online programme for learning to speak the Irish language in bite-size pieces", explains Dr Eoin Ó Conchúir, founder of Bitesize.Irish. He's our guest this week on Episode 3 of Trailblazers.Irish. The post Episode 3: Bitesize.Irish appeared first on TrailBlazers.Irish.
Welcome to the first episode of the Trailblazers.Irish podcast. Hosted by Conn Ó Muíneacháin, the guests are Michele Neylon, CEO of Irish domain registrar Blacknight, and Gene Kearon, Global Head of Registrar Relations at dotIrish LLC. Click on the player above, or download here. Subscribe to the podcast The post Episode 1: Welcome! appeared first on TrailBlazers.Irish.
Bill Hartzer, Senior SEO Strategist at Globe Runner SEO returns as our guest on Domain Masters. Bill brings new data related to paid search marketing conversion rates, comparing the advertising value of .com domains with the new TLDs. Bill also be shares some of the most current SEO best practices to help you drive more traffic to your website.
Bill Hartzer, Senior SEO Strategist at Globe Runner SEO returns as our guest on Domain Masters. Bill brings new data related to paid search marketing conversion rates, comparing the advertising value of .com domains with the new TLDs. Bill also be shares some of the most current SEO best practices to help you drive more traffic to your website.
New TLDs VS. .com domains with Bill Hartzer, Senior SEO Strategist at Globe Runner SEO. Bill discusseswhich is the better value when it comes to search marketing; the .com or the exact match TLD. Bill also talks about which new TLDs have the most sites built compared to number of registrations.
Victor leads a discussion on how opportunities are limitless for new gTLD registries, but challenges will be difficult without expert assistance, according to guest Minds + Machines CEO Antony Van Couvering. Plus, Jothan welcomes Peter Celeste of Domain Sponsor discusses what the company does for its clients in the areas of domain name monetization, pay per click and online advertising, plus how domain owners and registrants are referred to as publishers.Related articles across the webGeoDomain Development and ExpoReport from Seattle Domain Name RoundtableWomen's Ecommerce Assoc and Ron Jackson from DNJournalUDRP and ICANN process UpdatedSorting and Monetizing Domain Investments; Managing Taxes with Domain OwnershipHow To Become a New gTLD RegistryConverting Domain Assets Into Effective Online Businesses; Domains are The New Real EstateWhy does ccTLD holds value for a longer term?Details on the .XXX Top Level Domain
Many believe the .CO registry is the "poster child" for how a new top-level domain answers all the above questions and is succeeding in the minds of individuals, businesses and entrepreneurs. That makes the top-level domain a better investment than many, if not most, other top-level domains other than .com. With new gTLDs going live every week for the upcoming couple of years, this interview contains critical information that both new registry operators and investors alike should familiarize themselves with.
This show is about domain names. What is going on in the world of domain names and the new Gtld's (generic top level domains). Do you need to run out and grab a bunch of new domain name extensions? Do you need to buy .tv domain names? What are the trademark and brand implications of the proliferation and expansion of the ICANN domain name system? Will these lead to further cybersquatting and domain name infringement or will this be yet another creative expolision of opportunity for domain brokers and other internet entreprenuers. Internet lawyer atttorney steve (who wrote the due diligence guide to buying domain names) weighs in on this important business topic that every business needs to be thinking about and planning for.
Monte Cahn and partner Michael Berkens have devised ways to reduce the uncertainty in the new gTLD application process for the 145 applicants who have 755 competing applications.
Ecuador grants Julian Assange asylum, jail sentence of four years for linking to pirated content, judge's ruling on a decision goes in favour of Kim Dotcom, Microsoft's rules for naming your Metro app, Saudi Arabia to lodge objection to Vatican's attempt to register the .catholic gTLD, Google Translate app able to translate images of text, Google downgrades search results that contain pirated material, features that Mac OS X Lion users will miss in Mountain Lion, Mountain Lion reportedly harder on battery life.
As ICANN reveals gTLD expansion domain application list. Victor discusses what Google reveals about domains and how they are looking up the new gTLDs skirts.
Some of the new generic top level domains (gTLDs) will succeed, but most will fail if they don't follow the advice Xavier Buck recommends in this interview.
Victor reviews the ICANN gTLD announcement, of 1900 new TLD applicants. RightoftheDot.com founders Monte Cahn and Michael Berkens join Victor to offer discussion and analysis.
Discussing the Silicon Valley-DC Divide with Nigel Cameron CEO of C-PET Also, Bennet discusses the ICANN gTLD announcement with David Mitnick, the Founder and President of DomainSkate and company COO Howard Greenstein.
Now that ICANN has announced the big reveal for the applied Generic Top-Level domain names (gTLDs) is scheduled, Victor ponders what comes next for new gTLD Registries?
Dr. Liz Williams, CEO of Sedari.com provides an exceptional update on the ICANN new gTLD process, and answers Victors questions regarding impact of further ICANN delays, risk to the process, and what to expect in terms of new gTLDs reaching the market.
What does an applicant for a dot Brand need to do to assure that they are successful in the application process and beyond - when operating a piece of the Internet? Gain valuable insights on some of the technical questions that brand builders must address in their applications to ICANN. For more videos on the New TLD program click here. When you’re ready to begin a conversation about your dot Brand, start here.
October 19, 2011, the Columbia Business School's Center on Global Brand Leadership presented a global webinar, “Who Should Invest in a dot Brand? Evaluating the Business Case for a Top-Level Domain Name,” sponsored by Afilias. One of the most important questions from applicants about the new dot Brand TLDs is how much will they cost. The panelists provide useful insights to help you understand and estimate the total cost of a new dot Brand TLD. For more information visit our gTLD Webinar page by clicking here.
On June 20, 2011, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) unleashed a new era of competition designed to create a more accessible, secure and innovative Internet. And unlike any time in history, you can unite your unique community -- your ”niche” – around a top-level domain. For a real-life example, the sustainability community is coming together to create a “.eco” domain. In that same way, perhaps you represent the community of all medical health providers around the world and want to unite around “.health”. Maybe sports enthusiast would like to use an email address that ends with “.nfl” or “.fifa” or – more broadly -- “.tennis” or “.cricket.”? To find out more visit out dot Niche page.
Watch our video on the opportunities created by dot City TLDs. This short video illustrates the many benefits and new approaches that City Leaders can gain with a dot City TLD. Learn more about dot City TLDs and what to expect by clicking here.
The number of generic top-level domains in the Internet's Domain Name System has been increasing slowly since 2000. In July 2011 the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved a long-awaited plan to significantly increase the number of generic top-level domain names. With a specific focus on users of the Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP), this presentation will describe the practical challenges faced by participants in the domain name provisioning ecosystem in the face of evolving domain name management requirements. About the speaker: Scott Hollenbeck is the Director of Applied Research for Verisign. In this capacity he manages the company's efforts to explore and investigate strategic technology areas in collaboration with university partners. Mr. Hollenbeck is the author of the Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP), a standard protocol for the registration and management of Internet infrastructure data including domain names. He has served as a member of the Internet Engineering Steering Group of the Internet Engineering Task Force, where he was the responsible area director for several working groups developing application protocol standards. He received a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master's degree in Computer Science complemented by a graduate certificate in Software Engineering from George Mason University.
The number of generic top-level domains in the Internet's Domain Name System has been increasing slowly since 2000. In July 2011 the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved a long-awaited plan to significantly increase the number of generic top-level domain names. With a specific focus on users of the Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP), this presentation will describe the practical challenges faced by participants in the domain name provisioning ecosystem in the face of evolving domain name management requirements.
Victor's guest is Dr. Liz Williams, CEO of Sedari, a new Registry Management Services positioned to help new gTLD applicants through the ICANN application process to full operation as an ICANN accredited registry. Why going at it alone might prove more costly and stressful. Dr. Williams is a wonderful speaker with much insight to the industry. Listen to this show.
Victor's guest is Dr. Liz Williams, CEO of Sedari, a new Registry Management Services positioned to help new gTLD applicants through the ICANN application process to full operation as an ICANN accredited registry. Why going at it alone might prove more costly and stressful. Dr. Williams is a wonderful speaker with much insight to the industry. Listen to this show.
V Poslanecké sněmovně se hlasovalo o kontroverzním zákonu, ICANN souhlasí s exotcikými gTLD doménami. Světoví hackeři se spojili, Dropbox zažil krušné chvíle.
On this edition of IP Counsel, host Attorney Peter Lando, partner at the firm of Lando & Anastasi, LLP, welcomes Mary Wong, Professor of Law at the University of New Hampshire School of Law, and Director of the School's Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property, to discuss plans of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for new gTLDs and how they will be implemented. Peter and Mary take a look at several concerns raised by the international business community and how ICANN has attempted to address each of these issues.
Ron Sheridan is Director of Business Development for DomainSponsor. Ron has deep experience in internet and online/new media sales and marketing, affiliate marketing and business development for technology companies. He also served as Vice President, Marketing and Sales of DSR Software and founded RGP to provide channel development services to microcomputer consumer software and hardware companies. Jothan leads a wrapup of the Domain Roundtable. Jothan Frakes is the Vice President of Business Development for Name Intelligence, operators of whois.sc and is the executive event producer for the current 2006 Domain Roundtable and 2005 Domain Roundtable Conferences. He has specialized in Domain Name technical operations and DNS since 1993, with a particular career focus on ccTLD and gTLD operations and the ccTLD industry, NANOG, and the ICANN process.