Niamod

Hello
Don't see much of it anymore; do you see value in ".is"? Thank you.
From Wikipedia;
Introduced in 1987. .is is derived from the first two letters from the Icelandic spelling of Iceland: Ísland. According to McAfee, .is was amongst the 5 most secure TLDs in the world in 2007 and 2008.

Registration restrictions None

As of October 2008 there were 22,327 registered .is domains.
.is is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Iceland.

.IS is fully liberated, with on-line payments and price has been fixed in Euros for foreigners.

TLD type Country code top-level domain
Status Active
Registry ISNIC
Intended use Entities connected with Iceland
Actual use Very popular in Iceland

Alfredo

I see value in .is. But it's a small country and this makes it more complicated.

You can read more information about .is domains in this thread:
.is domains now serviced by the Autonomica Anycast System

Niamod

Thank you for your suggestion Alfredo, I don't think that redirect is in the same scope, poll, or a want to know anymore, except for Iceland and its ccTLD. If anyone wants to be side-tracked with free Champaign, check it out.

I'm trying to understand it, for its values or shortcomings or legacy. You say you see value, but didn't explain. If you could share your point, or throw something into the equation, which would be great, thanks.

Yes, Iceland as a market unto itself, has a small (ethnic) populous. Tuvalu island nation, (also ethnic) population is about 3.8%** of Iceland.

I think when addressing size: it (.is) if you mean population, (I'll try to compare) for the obvious popularity of television (.tv), as a global market for entertainment; same for radio niches .am/.fm. (2) The web, still in its infancy, as television via 'middle-men' satellites, cable (energy consumption) will be phased-out, with tech savvy. We might even have our own/or shared family servers, not too long from now. Remember say 15-20+ years ago or maybe to put this context Windows 3.0-Win95 or a dos text-only browser?

Niches like country/language, mobi, job, travel etc.; may yet be 'watered down' with yearly extensions to come; for various reasons/sub-markets and their own exclusivity. How about other considerations like .art .date or even a worldlier recognisable .h2o?

Perhaps the mammoth Google, will $ubjectively sort/decide for us and/or come up with their own extension...

I still don't know about it (.is) being of value or why its registration (popularity) shrunk. In world English: non-abbreviated common verb/word Yahoo: 21,800,000,000, Google: 2,380,000,000 with many 2 letter domains unregistered & 'currently top five secure’.


**based on wiki stats/my math
Republic of Iceland -December, 2008 estimate 319,756
Tuvalu island nation July 2009 estimate 12,373

Alfredo

Everybody in Iceland use .is domains. It's almost impossible to find a .com.
These domains are much beloved by its citizens: Its value is high but only for them.
They had a high purchasing power before the crisis and have a high degree of Internet penetration.
All the best domains are taken. If you want to invest, go to the secondary market.

Niamod

Hello Alfredo,
I'm not aware of any secondary market (to invest). Do you have any of these ccTLD’s? Do you use them? There are many more, registered (22,327) ‘.IS’, than in use. The numbers could easily cover the (2 if allowed? &) 3 letter domains; if, only just they alone, were/are all registered.
The vast majority do speak their 'native tongue' and might find a difficult time outside of Iceland,
with maybe one exception;Gimli (North of Winnpeg, Canada).
Thank you, Ciao

In Use 7,769 | Rank 67/358 | 05.20.2009
2 letter English combinations 26x26= 676/3 letter 26³ = 17,576

Alfredo

I have .is domains and I don't use.
The .is domains is released a few months ago. Previously it's only for local people.

We expect a few months to see how many domains are registered. And we´ll talk about it.

Niamod

Hi Alfredo,
Where is this 'secondary market'? I found 1 domain on Sedo.Thanks

Viator

.is for hacks, why not! I wouldn't think primarily about a local second market, unless one is familiar with the country.
What is not clear to me: what are the best registrars currently offering .is? ("Best" pricewise...)

__________________
NameTactic - - - Domaines.ws

Niamod

HI Viator,
overall, this registrar looks like a pricey one-stop-shop. They do have a large handy reference list of requirements/by/domain (w/Reg fees). In the long run, if you could afford/want to deal quickly, sounds great to have 1 registrar.

http://www.101domain.com/rules.htm

But back to Iceland
I've seen .is elsewhere at 250/yrUSD

http://www.101domain.com/is.htm
Year Registration $ 149.00
2 Years Registration $ 295.00
Registration Time Frame • 2 Weeks
Requirements • No restrictions.
If you are an Icelandic citizen, please also provide your Kennitala number.
APPLICATION FEE •Included
.is Icelandic IDN Domain Names

IDN http://www.101domain.com/idn/is/icelandic.html

Kennitala - Icelandic person identification number

Viator

Thank you very much for the detailed reply, Niamod! Very useful information. I might consider registering a few .IS names.

__________________
NameTactic - - - Domaines.ws

sam

Skip the crappy registrars and upsellers go to isnic.is. They allow foreigners now, cheaper too!

I have 3:

hope.is
dubai.is
bankrupt.is

All really not local related, except the last one.

Niamod

Yes Sam,they all go through isnic anyway. Thanks for the 'crappy' advice.
ISNIC now has a .Is sold counter -surpassed 25K

Registration/renewal fee.
Payment for a one year renewal of a domain.
Annual fee for a domain: 39.00 ISNIC

Alfredo

DNS have a specific rules and some people have problems with it.

The main sales are private and to end user in Iceland. Possible buyers usually contact through email.


I use isnic.is. Annual fee for a domain: EUR 39.

ISNIC - How do I register a .is domain?

Isnic changed the rules and prices last year.

250/yr USD