I am working on a product. One of the issues is a name and domain
name. I came up with something, but the domain name is not available.
It is almost the kind of name that you would get with random keys and
it is not being used. It is four letters long, which means something I
suppose. Anyway, does anyone have experience buying such a name? (I
assume it is held by a squatter, not by someone planning on using it
soon.) If so, any clue about the price I might expect? Or should I
just keep looking?


--
Matt Silberstein

Do something today about the Darfur Genocide

http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org

"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"

If I'm going to spend money, I'd rather buy a domain name answer. Of
course, that's just me....

;-P

--
MGW
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've
always got.

Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nospam@ix.netcom.com> writes:

4 letter domain names are fairly primo since lots of companies might
have 4 word names that map onto it, and everyone loves a short domain
name.

Not sure of prices. Can vary all over the map. If it's a specific
one yer after, it'll cost no less than what the current owner is
willing to sell it for, is about all you can say.

Looking for one that's available (and using an engine that you can
kinda trust to do so) is the route I'd take. godaddy.com is a good
registrar.

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

"Matt Silberstein" <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nospam@ix.netcom.com> wrote
in message newsg8ds11rnkbi2liodis7vtokn2ff462vdu@4ax.com

If it's truly just a random combination of letters I'd offer $100 and
see what happens.

I'd also look for an alternative, either a "com" or a "us" tld.
--
Red

"Matt Silberstein" <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nospam@ix.netcom.com> wrote in
message newsg8ds11rnkbi2liodis7vtokn2ff462vdu@4ax.com...

It really depends on the domain name, but most cybersquatters are usually
asking for $500 for a domain name. Really good domain names can go for alot
more, while lame domain names can for alot less.

For your domain name I would probably first check to make sure it can't be
linked to anything. What might look like 4 random characters might mean
something else to somebody: it could be the common shorthand name for a
popular computer game, the call letters for a TV or radio stations, the 4
letter code/name for a hospital, or a word in another language.

If the domain can't be linked to anything then you might want to go to a
service like Network Solutions and use their "make an offer on this domain
name" feature, offering them $100 to $200 on the name.

The reason you would want to consider using a service to make an offer
instead of just emailing the owner directly is because it puts you in
control of the situation. When the domain owner receives the offer they are
just told an offer is being made on the domain and for what amount. They
don't get any information about you (not even your name, email or anything
else) and they get the option to either say "YES" or "NO" to your offer.

The advantage here is that it puts you in control of the situation. If you
email him directly with any offer it tells him whats the minimum he can get
on the domain name. He'll probably come back with another offer to find out
just how interested you are... and if you aren't that interested he can
always fall back to your original offer.

By using an intermediary service it takes away the sellers option to
negotiate... he will probably have to look at where if he says NO you might
make a counter offer... but then again you might not and he wouldn't have
any way of tracking you down. So he might just take your first offer rather
than lose the chance to sell a domain name.

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 13:52:58 -0500, in alt.www.webmaster , MGW
<mgw1979@hotmail.com> in <fb9ds1dk7sm9ghtgmqgqppsj7nl6i5kteh@4ax.com>
wrote:

42. I'll sit by the mailbox waiting for the money.

TIA.


--
Matt Silberstein

Do something today about the Darfur Genocide

http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org

"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"

"Auggie" <Imperial.Palace@Rome.It> wrote in
news:Iqzxf.54088$km.1220@edtnps89:

Wow, best advice I've seen in a long time!

Adam

On 12 Jan 2006 13:19:18 -0600, in alt.www.webmaster ,
comphelp@toddh.net (Todd H.) in <84u0c9tft5.fsf@ripco.com> wrote:

I agree though this is sort of like lmqk, that is, it is not a word or
pronounceable or any known company name.

Yeah, I was hoping for some sense of the market value.

That's what I use, but thanks anyway. I don't need four letters, I
need a name for my product that has a reasonable available domain
name. That is what I can't come up with.

--
Matt Silberstein

Do something today about the Darfur Genocide

http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org

"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 20:59:20 GMT, in alt.www.webmaster , "Auggie"
<Imperial.Palace@Rome.It> in <Iqzxf.54088$km.1220@edtnps89> wrote:

Good idea. I was so "obviously" nothing that I did not even bother to
look and I should.

Sounds like $100 is a reasonable starting point. Then the question is
how much is it worth vs. more time to come up with something else.
That is my problem though.

Thanks. I had wondered about that question.

Makes sense. Makes me wonder about another domain I had wanted as
well. I was only willing to spend a little on that, but it might be
worth an offer through a service. I had not fully considered the value
such a service provides.


(Oh, and a general comment. At first this question had not gotten any
response. No problem except I wondered if people had thought my "make
million$" was serious and not a joke. I have that problem a lot. That
it was not funny is expected, but I did not want to offend. I guess I
didn't.)





--
Matt Silberstein

Do something today about the Darfur Genocide

http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org

"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"

"Adam Leinss" <aleinss@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9749C42739752aleinsstechie@toughguy.net
I guess. I wonder though; what's wrong with a little negotiation over
the price?
--
Red