Nice idea, but the redirect step is annoying: to do a redirect I first have to setup hosting myself. I'd rather point my dns at your IP, if I wanted to participate.
I don't understand why this is necessary. It's significantly more work for me to just get started and I do t particularly want to have my domains pointing there, for dubious value. I'd much rather just list it, like on flippa.
If you don't want this to turn into a marketplace for squatters, you should really set some ground rules. For example, you may say that people can't post domain names that they're selling for more than $100. That's just one thing, there are probably others that could help this website not turn into a trash collector.
Is it bad to want to sell domains that you are no longer going to use? As I went through my list, I got excited again about a bunch of the original ideas I had for them. The problem, as my grandfather used to say, is that my eyes were bigger than my stomach. That is to say that I don't have the time to create the site and market the business that I'd like to for each of them.
That kind of policy only helps the squatters. If you set a $100 maximum then you'd just get squatters buying them all for $100 and reselling them for much, much more. There's not much difference in paying $100 for something and paying $10 for something, if you're going to sell it for $10,000 or $100,000.
I've made a living buying and selling domain names and 100$ is a fine price in many cases. I've had days where I've registered 100+ names... if I could get decent liquidity at $100/each, I would be a happy man.
Anyways, about the idea, one of two outcomes is possible:
1. If they domain is worth more than threshold, someone will buy it and take advantage. I don't see a difference of a startup benefiting versus someone else reselling it. the difference in value is still being captured.
2. Garbage names, nobody cares and the site dies.
I know I am not the only domain investor reading HN and if there is quality, someone will buy them.
Squatting is infringing other people's trademarks. If I bought micros0ft.com and covered it in software ads, that would be squatting.
If I bought hotels.com and planned to sell it for money to a big hotel chain or something, I've not infringed anyone's rights. Generic/descriptive names are normally OK.
of course if there is a company using the generic for a non-generic purpose and I grab a typo/another extension and use their non-descriptive purpose, that is also squatting. For example, if I owned amazon.net and tried to sell books that would infringe on amazon. Or if I bought apple.net and sold computers. However, if I advertised amazon rain forest trips or sold apples that would be ok (not squatting).
Of course, lots of money and lawyers can change what is and isn't right (checkout nissan.com)
I've been cooking that idea the whole week. Here is what I'd do to improve it:
- Get a reseller deal with godaddy so you can sell domains and get some extra cash to keep the business going from day one.
- Divide the screen in two sections: one to auction domains, the other one to ask for domains based on a business idea.
- So if I want to start a business about toys, I can poll the audience for toy related domains. People make money, you make money, the user gets satisfaction.
- Spice up the auctions. We all know auctions on ebay get hot in the last minutes only, so set up the auctions to last just two minutes and use the latest websocket technology to broadcast the auction in real time.
If you are interested in a partner, or if anybody wants to set up such a business, let me know by replying here.
What's the purpose? How is this any different from parking the domain (apart from not earning any money)?
Or is this meant as a domain marketplace, only for low price? That's a new idea! Oh wait...
Added apidoc.info, boof.me, methodize.me, projectify.me, and tweetsoncrack.com (yeah I went on a little bit of a .me domain buying spree when they came out). Just waiting for DNS to update now.
The idea with this project is when you're hunting for domains, it's a nice list of leads for domains that developers might be willing to sell / swap / donate for the right project.
Also, I would feel bad if people on freedns started using my domain and I wanted to take back my domain to use for a project.
