GoDaddy Makes .CO the Default for New Domain Names
 

Heads up for GoDaddy Customers


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GoDaddy Makes .CO the Default for New Domain Names

Domain names ending in .COM are in short supply, so popular registrar GoDaddy has changed the default domain name extension from .COM to the just-launched .CO ? a sign that the alternative to .COM already has momentum.

Note that you can still register domain names that end in .COM ? they?re just not the default anymore, and these days you?ll be lucky if your first (or second or third) choice isn?t already taken.

.CO domains cost more but they?re given out and resolved the same way as domains ending in .COM, and they?re already recognizable to users in some countries (the United Kingdom and Japan, for example) so they?re a viable alternative if every .COM domain you want is held by either a legit company or an unmovable URL squatter.

Twitter (Twitter) uses a .CO extension for its URL sharing service, and shopping site Overstock.com recently launched a campaign to promote its alternative URL at ?o.co.? Will you be jumping on the .CO bandwagon with your next website?
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http://mashable.com/2010/11/13/godaddy-co/

they're just trying to sell...yuck.

1. .co registry likely spent a buttload of their newfound profits to get GD to do this.
2. Imagine the refunds once average joe realizes that great domain he just got is in fact a .co and not a .com.
3. .co is more expensive.
4. .co still isn't really worth getting. No evidence of staying power beyond the hype any more than past extensions like .cc.

this will fail just like .me and .ws etc

I agree and have no intention of registering any, it also seems like it will be confusing to the average surfer if they see a non clickable URL with a .co and assume its a typo and really a .com

And it gets worse ... if the domain searched for is already taken in .COM, GoDaddy doesn't show .COM at all anywhere in the list. Talk about deceptive!

Many could easily be mislead thinking .CO is the best choice and/or think they're getting the .COM when in reality they're not!

GoDaddy must be desperate - from what I've read, GoDaddy may be up for sale and is seeking to bulk up its numbers to make itself look more appealing to perspective buyers. On a related note, according to some domainers, GoDaddy has cut / outsourced some of its customer support in recent months.

Ron

Also to add, country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) are NOT governed by ICANN policies.

ccTLDs are a whole different breed with their own unique rules and policies. The ccTLD delegated country, which in the case of .CO is the country of Columbia, has total control - the registrant has little to no recourse; ICANN likely can't help.

Most .CO registrants don't fully realize the risks with the biggest ones being:

* The country of Columbia could change policy at any time and take away many domains (it's happened many time before in numerous ccTLDs, including with .TM, such as Sex.TM, and even with .US as in the case of FuckCensorship.US that was retroactively deleted - google for more details).

* Can charge any price they want - so that .CO domain one registers for $29.95 today at GoDaddy could potentially cost far more in the future to renew; no rate caps nor restrictions on variable pricing - .CO can raise prices to whatever it wants anytime for all or selectively (ie. own a real nice .CO and you could be looking at a huge renewal bill; not unheard of either - read up on .TV variable pricing practices).

Bottom line is ccTLDs are not the same as gTLDs. Buyer beware!

Ron

Making it the default seems really shady. Think about the Average Joe who is just going to register a domain for their personal site or business and mis-reads .co as .com.

This is a customer service clusterfuck waiting to happen.

They've always been TrickDaddy.com

I think most people who selected it by accident would notice upon checkout, but it does seem as though they are hoping people don't.

I dont like godaddy at all. At one point I registered a few domains with them, but got fed up with their upsells, so I moved my business to namecheap

Oh, and if people don't think this is GD trying to pull one over on customers, right under the search bar is:

"New .COMs only $11.99* per year · *Plus 18¢/yr ICANN fee Express Buy
Domains for just $1.99* · $7.49* .COM transfers"

You click that and see rates of various top extensions, .CO NOWHERE ON THE LIST!

This is horrible. :(

Edit: Oh, and their $1.99 w/ purchase of non-domain product deal plastered on their front page...doesn't work with .co. Oops. I hope they get huge backlash from this despicable practice.

Wow! Its true just checked, that BS.

Come on guys, you all know that this is the work of a rogue programmer!

.co only Just $29.99/yr:1orglaugh

that's some bullshit

but godaddy had sexy babes on their commercials. this can't be true. go daddy.

just tried to register some )

ERROR: PORN.CO is unavailable and has been removed.
ERROR: PORNO.CO is unavailable and has been removed.
ERROR: TEENPORN.CO is unavailable and has been removed.
ERROR: BESTPORN.CO is unavailable and has been removed.
ERROR: FREEONES.CO is unavailable and has been removed.

.co is only good for typeins

mother fucking .co