

Ask HN: Are .net Domains Still Popular or Relevant? - kmfrk

It's been many years since I recall seeing .net domains as the default destination for a website, but nowadays, they just seem like an extra expense to thwart domain squatters.<p>What is the state of .net domains in 2011?
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arkitaip
As long as your product/service rocks you can definitly get away with a .net
domain. Most users simply don't care about what the tld is.

Relevant article from SEOmoz: "Do Search Engines Give Preference to Certain
TLDs (Top Level Domains) Than Others?" <http://www.seomoz.org/ugc/the-tld-
debate-revisited>

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noahc
There are two use cases.

1\. I want to own my own name: "Noah Clark" noahc.net was available and the
best I could do. In that case it makes sense to go with .net or .org as in
sivers.org. Erica of Erica.biz is a big fan of the .biz domain name. I
personally hate it, but it works for her.

2\. Say you're creating a service or website. If you're not tied to what your
parents named you or an already existing business, I would pick a name I could
get a .com for. I would not use any other domain. I'd also buy the .net and
.org as well, but not before making sure I could get the .com

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staunch
No. For the most part they are only good for SEO-based businesses. Anyone
trying to build a brand should avoid them (except to prevent squatters).

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andrewtbham
my understanding was they were created for companies that provide network
services... like isps etc.

