What I Am Thankful For As A Domainer

Almost by pure coincidence, the day that I didn’t type a blog entry doubled as a day of reflection.  December, January and February are all star months for me as a domainer and with all of this activity I chose to sit back a bit and think about several occurrences which have happened to me in such a short period of time.  The domaining industry has truly embraced me and for that I am thankful.  Here are a few of the things I am thankful for as a domainer:

1.  A Close Knit Community

I can speak of this first hand.  If you’ve ever been around a group of domainers, one thing you will notice is that they are very open and honest with each other.  You can ask them anything about the industry and they will do there best to answer you objectively.  You can walk up to just about anyone, whether it be the CEO of a company or a domain veteran who would be more than happy to tell you his or her story.  This alone is one of my fascinations with the industry.

2.  Embracing New Ideas

Although it may not be a completely new idea, the Southern California Domaining Group had its first domaining meetup in December of 2009.  People have tried to start groups like this before within our region, but 2009 represented the dawn of a new era where domainers realized the potential of such a group and decided to fully embrace the idea.  This is a true testament to the power of a regional based group.  The group has rapidly grown and the (SCDG) co-founders all owe this to local domainers embracing the idea!  I am thankful for this and look forward to all of our future meetups!

3.  Conventions Like DOMAINfest Global

I paid to attend DOMAINfest Global and would do it again in a heart beat.  The convention represents our industry well.  Not only is it informative, but it also allows outsiders looking in to see that the domaining industry is here to stay.  I am thankful for all of the informative sessions, live domain auctions and network opportunities.  Not to mention many friendships were created along the way!

As you can see all of the things I am thankful for as a domainer tend to revolve around the culture of our industry.  This brings me to another important point.  For those of you that attended DOMAINfest do you remember the keynote speaker, Tony Hsieh?  He said a few things which were noteworthy, but the main point he continued to reiterate was building a culture for your business.  Now, I believe it doesn’t just have to be for one business!  I feel that this process can be applied to an entire industry.

In fact the domaining industry is undergoing a cultural revolution!  We as a whole are merging our talents and ideas together to better the industry.  Each and every one of us want to see healthy growth continue in this industry.  When the shill bidding scandal occurred I saw a number of domainers shun the activity and when enough attention was spend, we all decided to move on.  Banding together in this matter makes us a force to reckon with!  Some of us have downplayed the need for future gTLDs and have continued to argue our point to ICANN.  Regardless if a .food is welcomed or not I am sure we will all group together and make it through this domaining evolution process.

That brings me to my last point for this blog entry!  If you attended DOMAINfest Global 2009, then take Tony Hsieh up on his offer!  He said that everyone in the room during his keynote would have the opportunity to receive a free 2009 Zappos Culture Book.  Guess what?  I have already received mine!  To receive the free book do the following:

1.  Send an email to CEO@Zappos.com

2.  Include your full name and address

3.  Make sure to state that you attended the DOMAINfest Global 2009 conference

I’ve only read a few pages of this book, but I am already noticing how this book could benefit me as a domainer.   Make sure to get a copy of yours soon!