http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/ Domain King's® thoughts on domain names, web traffic, increasing web sales, success, life & plain old business & marketing 101. Nothing happens until a sale is made. en-US Tue, 21 May 2013 06:26:16 -0400 http://www.typepad.com/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification ricksblog/VVoJhttp://feedburner.google.com http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/final-traffic-auction-list.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/final-traffic-auction-list.html Morning Folks!! The following is the Final Auction List for TRAFFIC Next Week. There will be NO online bidding. But we tried. I explained the reasons on the comment section of this post by Elliot. Below is a note DIRECT from the Bellagio that illustrates my concerns. Even for the most expensive hotel ever built. Now for folks that do not believe that connectivity at hotels is a problem, let me share an email from YESTERDAY from the Bellagio and THEN you MAY understand. "As for the WiFi, we are all set with the SSID and Access Code. I spoke with our IT guys about the importance of delivering a product meeting your expectations, and they gave me a warning... Rick Schwartz Tue, 21 May 2013 06:26:16 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/if-you-want-to-be-a-successful-investor-stop-being-a-whore.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/if-you-want-to-be-a-successful-investor-stop-being-a-whore.html Morning Folks!! If you can't handle the truth then stop reading and go buy a comic book. I have stated for years that the bar to entering domaining is very low and when you look at how some look at their business it becomes obvious. Even domain flippers are selling collectible and unique assets with an income producing potential with a global presence. Except many of them don't know it. They think they are selling a PRODUCT they buy for $100 and sell for $200 or $300. They mark it up like inventory. Inventory?? So this caught my eye. "You devalued your domains by offering them everywhere for sale: forums, brokers, flippers, your mom. Hold them locked up like a... Rick Schwartz Sat, 18 May 2013 09:32:40 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/office-of-medical-scientific-justice-inc-guilty-reverse-domain-name-hijacking-rdnh.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/office-of-medical-scientific-justice-inc-guilty-reverse-domain-name-hijacking-rdnh.html Morning Folks!! As reported by TheDomains.com last Friday...... Office of Medical & Scientific Justice, Inc. represented by Matthew H. Swyers of The Trademark Company, LLC, Virginia, USA. was just found guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH) in attempted theft of the domain names hivinnocencegrouptruth.com and hivinnocenceprojecttruth.com by a one member National Arbitration Forum UDRP decision. So Office of Medical & Scientific Justice, Inc. joins the other GUILTY PARTIES below. Matthew H. Swyers of The Trademark Company, LLC, Virginia, USA should have known better. So as time goes on BOTH the company and the attorney are tagged in this. I BELIEVE that by virtue of these decisions they are CO-CONSPIRATORS. They BOTH engaged in activity that was deemed as hijacking.... Rick Schwartz Fri, 17 May 2013 07:41:11 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/the-domain-industry-the-industry-that-doubts-itself.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/the-domain-industry-the-industry-that-doubts-itself.html Morning Folks!! How can it be?? How does it happen? An industry of such strong willed folks that are also strong doubters in what they themselves do. It is so sad to see folks reacting in a short term manner in what is a life long marathon. There is NO OTHER INDUSTRY ON EARTH with such a low bar to enter and how quickly you can change your destiny. But unfortunately most folks are clueless when it comes to what makes one domain have great value and one that will just rot until you drop. Worse is when I see domains of GREAT VALUE being sold for chump change. So the opportunity is out there. But if you are not... Rick Schwartz Thu, 16 May 2013 08:39:27 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/traffic-embraces-waternight-vegas.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/traffic-embraces-waternight-vegas.html Morning Folks!! And we have a winner!!! Everyone!! T.R.A.F.F.I.C. has invited WaterNight to be the official T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Premiere party on May 30th, 2013. The WaterNight Vegas event announced a few days ago has been moved from May 29th to Thursday May 30th and is now the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. WaterNight Vegas Charity Party sponsored by NameCheap. The venue remains unchanged: PBR Rock Bar! All T.R.A.F.F.I.C. attendees MUST sign up for WaterNight at www.WaterNight.org! Everyone has to be on the guestlist to attend and have a TRAFFIC badge. Get on the guest list now atwww.WaterNight.org As you know, WaterNight is a fundrasing event for WaterSchool and in an industry first, T.R.A.F.F.I.C. has generously offered to make a donation of $50 to WaterSchool for... Rick Schwartz Sat, 11 May 2013 07:46:00 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/no-way-jose-zero-tolerance-at-traffic.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/no-way-jose-zero-tolerance-at-traffic.html Almost 10 years ago, before the first ever T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Conference, there was no Domain Industry - just a bunch of guys, and a few gals, hunched over their computers, trying to make some money buying, selling and monetizing domain names. But the first T.R.A.F.F.I.C. and all that came after created and sustained an industry that has given charities like Waterschool an opportunity to raise funds for good causes. This didn't come easy. Howard, I and our families have worked very hard and have put our necks out to hotels and suppliers for millions of dollars over the years with nothing to sell except the furtherance and development of the domain name industry. During these years, there have been those who... Rick Schwartz Mon, 06 May 2013 14:57:24 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/why-do-you-put-it-in-the-oven-for-20-minutes.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/why-do-you-put-it-in-the-oven-for-20-minutes.html Morning Folks!! I thought of something the other day and how many folks may mistake things. For example I don't think people know the difference between STUPID and SIMPLE when it comes to people. Many label simple people for being stupid. The funny thing is many have it backwards. Their life is so complex that simple makes no sense to them but simple works. Simple works because it is simple. So why would you put bread, for example, in the oven for 20 minutes? Well if you do it for anything less for the exact size loaf you are making it won't turn out right. It will still be raw inside. And if you cook it too long it is... Rick Schwartz Thu, 02 May 2013 07:45:26 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/thursday-night-at-the-bellagio-159rooms-thin.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/thursday-night-at-the-bellagio-159rooms-thin.html Morning Folks!! It's May Day!! T.R.A.F.F.I.C. is now on the radar screen and it starts 4 weeks from TODAY!!! As you know Thursday is the middle day and the day we sell most rooms. We are looking thin now on Thursday as well as the days before the show. We are in single digits left there and we can't add to our block. At $159 you may save staying somewhere else but the diggs are not as good, you will waste a lot of time in Taxi lines and you will end up paying more for less and getting less out of the show. If there are any problems, please lmk. We won't run out of tickets but we will... Rick Schwartz Wed, 01 May 2013 09:53:47 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/avaya-inc-found-guilty-of-reverse-domain-name-hijacking.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/05/avaya-inc-found-guilty-of-reverse-domain-name-hijacking.html Morning Folks!! And we can ask this. If Donald Trump and this company, Avaya Inc with 17,500 employees, tried to HIJACK one of his properties, what do you think the response would be?? I think I am FAR from being harsh. I think he would take this company to task publicly and shame them and each of those 17,500 people that are standing by as this was allowed to happen and now where are the repercussions?? Who made the decisions to HIJACK a domain name? So from now on we must ROAST these Reverse Domain Name Hijackers (RDNH). Ah you say but Rick what have you been doing if you are not already roasting them? Well there are some innovative... Rick Schwartz Wed, 01 May 2013 07:20:24 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/traffic-las-veags-poll-9am-start-or-noon-start.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/traffic-las-veags-poll-9am-start-or-noon-start.html Morning Folks!! Simple question today. Normally we start T.R.A.F.F.I.C. at 9AM. But in Vegas we are thinking of starting as late as noon. So the question is when would you like to see the show hours. Please take the poll below and let us know what you think. On May 1, I start working on the schedule in earnest and want to give you what you folks want and fit into the Vegas nightlife. NOTICE: I have gotten wind of a couple companies, company teams and a few individuals setting up shop in Vegas to leach off of TRAFFIC during the show. Your reputations, not mine. Just one level above RDNH for me. JUST TO BE CLEAR So if you... Rick Schwartz Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:43:14 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/pg-buys-swashcom-after-being-convicted-of-reverse-domain-name-hijacking.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/pg-buys-swashcom-after-being-convicted-of-reverse-domain-name-hijacking.html Morning Folks!! As reported by DomainNameWire.com, P&G finally stepped up to the plate and bought the domain that just weeks ago they had been found guilty of trying to Reverse Hijack with THIS DECISION and many follow up posts by yours truly. I think we will reach a watershed moment this year and while attempted hijackings are up, they will crest and then begin to recede as so many decisions are against them. Plus they are realizing that there is more than a loss involved. ME! I am the SOB that is out to destroy them just like they were out to destroy some unsuspecting domain registrants and their dreams. So when it comes to REVERSE DOMAIN NAME HIJACKING we... Rick Schwartz Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:01:37 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/breaking-bing-maybe-you-shouldnt-trust-google-for-anything.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/breaking-bing-maybe-you-shouldnt-trust-google-for-anything.html Morning Folks!! Bing has Balls!!! They have been going after Google and BRANDING "Scroogled" for months. I wrote about it back when they started the campaign. It is brilliant. Here are my on record statements and posts about Bing. And in one of their latest commercials they actually state "Maybe You Shouldn't Trust Google for anything!" See it here Rick Schwartz Rick Schwartz Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:13:08 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/the-man-that-traveled-a-million-miles-to-attend-traffic.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/the-man-that-traveled-a-million-miles-to-attend-traffic.html Morning Folks!! What if I told you that one of our attendees that most of you know has traveled a MILLION miles to come to TRAFFIC shows over the years. You would probably think I was exaggerating. So let's count. Each trip I count as 12,000 miles. 24,000 miles round trip. So if he went to 10 TRAFFIC shows that would be 240,000 miles. 20 shows would be 480,000 and when he attends the Vegas show which will be 24 out of 25, he will be well over 1/2 million miles and well on the way to 1 MILLION miles. So is Michael Gilmour insane? Ok, please don't answer that. Anyone that actually likes me is a bit insane. But... Rick Schwartz Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:45:43 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/how-to-prevent-a-reverse-domain-name-hijacking.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/how-to-prevent-a-reverse-domain-name-hijacking.html Morning Folks!! It' so secret that when it comes to Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH) proactive is an understatement to describe my efforts. I am on a personal and professional mission to SHAME these folks in such a manner that folks will figure it out before I have to publicly tar and feather them. Not your style, then get used to bending over. I get this email over the weekend with a THREAT. I don't take kindly to THIEVES. My company **************, LLC. owns the trademark for ************(United States Patent and Trademark Office Serial Number ***********). We would like to inquire about a friendly transfer before we pursue a legal course. My style cuts thru the bullshit of life. Read... Rick Schwartz Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:31:24 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/this-domain-is-for-sales-vs-the-jointventurescom-pitch-page.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/this-domain-is-for-sales-vs-the-jointventurescom-pitch-page.html Morning Folks!! Progress does not happen overnight. Except last night. That's when we threw the switch and opened the FIRST PHASE of the JointVentures.com Pitch Page. What's a "Pitch Page"? It's more than just putting a sentence and letting them know it is for lease or sale or joint venture. May I introduce you to the first one. We now have about 2 dozen completed and Danny will be heading back to the cave soon to complete even more. The first one is pretty complete but still need to do a few things to clean up the page but you'll get the idea. The second one is the shell ready for more things to be added. We will be rolling... Rick Schwartz Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:16:02 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/from-her-death-bed-in-2010mom-turns-90.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/from-her-death-bed-in-2010mom-turns-90.html Morning Folks!! A little over 3 years ago my mother was on her death bed. I had sent her and her friend on a cruise which was something I did for her 1x or 2x a year since my dad died about 15 years ago. She took very ill on the cruise in 2010 and she had to be flown home by a medical ambulance. If you go on a cruise, always get the insurance. That was a $25,000 expense we did not have to incur. Doctors wrote her off and could not bothered with an 86 year old. That was until I hired and wrote about NURSE RATCHED and put those doctors on notice that we were watching every... Rick Schwartz Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:43:47 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/the-invisible-man-in-domains.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/the-invisible-man-in-domains.html Morning Folks!! So we are talking with a lease candidate. We know they are having folks whisper SHIT in their ears. Each deal will come down to MONEY! Every one. We have lots of room to find the right mixture like gas and a carburetor in a car. This could be a closing pitch perhaps. Look, how do you see this dovetailing with your current business and budget? This is the main question for each company. So the accountants chime in and no accountant supports an expenditure like this. Nor do they understand sales and marketing. Plus they can not see past December 31, of any given year. That is how they are wired. Don't get me wrong. I love... Rick Schwartz Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:59:38 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/the-2009-post-that-started-jointventurescom.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/the-2009-post-that-started-jointventurescom.html Morning Folks!! It was September 22, 2009 that I made my first post about JointVentures.com that I can find online and date stamped. It talks about what I plan to do in 2009 and I state in that post that my vision would take 5 years to manifest itself. So while others jack rabbit all over the place, my head is down, my goal is in mind and in the days and weeks ahead you are going to witness first hand what we intend to do and how we intend to do it. The "Pitch Pages" are being customized domain by domain and soon the first set will be released. It takes incredible fortitude to put these pages together because... Rick Schwartz Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:39:55 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/not-so-fast-mr-berkens.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/not-so-fast-mr-berkens.html Mornng Folks!! The idiots and morons always IGNORE my main point. Because if they actually had to argue the MAIN POINT, they would go down in defeat in the opening round. They have no answer to my main point and they will never have an answer that will hold water. So they have to distract your attention. This is the story of Wantable.CO buying Wantable.COM for a number of reasons. Led by CONFUSION! Not Confucius idiots and morons. CONFUSION! But ahh, you are so confused! You can listen to all types of information. Most is biased. I am not immune. So when REALITY surfaces, that speaks 1000x louder than all the nonsense in between. So open your ears. Deal with... Rick Schwartz Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:01:47 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/where-are-the-top-500-domainers.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/where-are-the-top-500-domainers.html Morning Folks!! I can rattle off 100 names that have not been seen in months or on very limited occasions. Where have they gone? What are they doing? Well most folks greatly underestimate the talents of domainers. Especially the top 500. We were happy to have 3rd parties to work with but as time went on those 3rd parties helped themselves more than us and so domainers started to unleash some of the talents and skills we just have laying around. Just look what has happened in the last 2 years and if you can't see it and you can't figure it out then you have not been paying attention. List the top 4-5 PPC companies 2 years ago and... Rick Schwartz Sun, 14 Apr 2013 07:11:10 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/a-1997-post-my-oldest-ever-found-and-still-online.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/a-1997-post-my-oldest-ever-found-and-still-online.html Morning Folks!! Been a long and rewarding journey in the 16 years since I wrote my "Business Plan". Every once in a while I look back and see the progress and see if I am still on the right path. Time really IS my best ally. Just remember this post is before there was PPC. Before Google was founded. Before mainstream was even viable on the net. http://buildinganempire.com/webfather.html 1997 Business Plan http://www.webmastering.com/busplan.htm Enjoy!! Have a GREAT day! Rick Schwartz Rick Schwartz Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:25:24 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/is-it-time-to-make-a-claim-against-the-rdnh-domain-if-it-is-not-a-com.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/is-it-time-to-make-a-claim-against-the-rdnh-domain-if-it-is-not-a-com.html Afternoon Folks!! So I had a thought. What happens after a company is found guilty of REVERSE DOMAIN NAME HIJACKING? Well I think it opens the door for a suit targeting THEIR INFRINGING DOMAIN NAME. How's that? I believe that will hold water and maybe that is the penalty and we don't need a law. We just need to start biting back and that is EXACTLY what I will use as a strategy on the next case. Imagine taking THEIR domain using the same techniques they did except we actually have a leg to stand on as they copied US. If they start a knife fight we have the right and the ability to go nuclear on them. Have a... Rick Schwartz Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:14:05 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/whoopie-doo-but-i-thought-if-it-first.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/whoopie-doo-but-i-thought-if-it-first.html Morning Folks!! No matter what counterpart of the .com domain others get or got, I thought of each idea before they did. I love that registrations are time stamped. Imagine how much harder it would be without that? So Whoopie-doo, but I/we thought of your idea YEARS before you had a clue about the idea yourself. So fight me/us or join me/us. I/we will win the fight and you will still end up joining me/us. Why? Because it is in YOUR best self interest and the sooner you recognize that the FASTER and STRONGER your company will grow. Or not. Because at some point it will be ME that will be competing against YOU. Or it will be me and... Rick Schwartz Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:11:43 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/cybersquatter-meet-cyberfuckercom.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/cybersquatter-meet-cyberfuckercom.html Morning Folks!! What should be the penalty for a Fortune 500 company that is a cybersquatter on Steroids? Going around calling US names when in fact they are engaged in THEFT? Time to fight fire with fire. We have been called cybersquatters for many years. Now those convicted of REVERSE DOMAIN NAME HIJACKING will be known as CYBERFUCKERS! This evens the playing field! They won't like it! But now at least many companies and their legal representatives are members! Charter Members! Just like us. Except we did nothing wrong and they did. Maybe we will upgrade their name to something more mainstream, but for now they are what they are! They will try and muddy up the water with what... Rick Schwartz Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:41:19 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/horizon-publishing-the-lastestto-be-labled-a-reverse-domain-name-hijacker.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/horizon-publishing-the-lastestto-be-labled-a-reverse-domain-name-hijacker.html Afternoon Folks!! You all know this was coming. I had to go out and buy some more tar and feathers for these folks that many have labeled as THIEVES and I now call FUCKERS! CYBERFUCKERS from now on. For those DOMAINERS that have to go out of their way to tell me that they are sick of these posts, you ain't much better than the cyberfuckers themselves in my book. So get out of way! TheDomains.com reported this week that Horizon Publishing, LLC of Fort Lauderdale, Florida is the latest to be labeled a REVERSE DOMAIN NAME HIJACKER! Complainant is Horizon Publishing, LLC (“Complainant”), represented by Marc J. Kesten of Marc J. Kesten, P.L., Florida, USA and the domain name... Rick Schwartz Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:44:28 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/mr-presidentare-you-still-an-idiot-who-is-the-chief-moron-at-the-table.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/mr-presidentare-you-still-an-idiot-who-is-the-chief-moron-at-the-table.html Morning Folks!! Funny thing. I can go on the street and find any NORMAL person and tell them just TWO stories about domains, the power of domains and the value of domains and they completely understand it in less than 10 minutes. I tell them about CubicZirconia.com and I tell them about Hotels.com. They instantly grasp what it is we do and why a domain is so important and valuable. But CEO's, Presidents, VP's, they require DECADES. So if you don't know and understand that, you will be very frustrated. Let's think like a moron thinks and see how far it gets us. Mr. CEO...."The factory is on fire!!" Mr. CEO says, "go to accounting and see if fighting the... Rick Schwartz Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:03:52 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/morning-folks-and-have-a-great-day-since-1996.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/morning-folks-and-have-a-great-day-since-1996.html Morning Folks!! And with this I continue a journey that has survived several other homes and mediums for "Good Morning Folks!" and "Have a GREAT Day!" Today RicksBlog.com officially turns 6. But why is this particular post so important? Because when those that don't take to me and my style go back and read my words and see the consistency of which I approach things, I hope to earn their respect someday. I hope they can see the value in doing what I do. The hardest part of ANY journey is the first step. Starting something. The easy part is finishing it when you approach things in a forward leaning and productive manner. 20 year plan? Really? Go away! Well,... Rick Schwartz Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:30:20 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/and-speaking-of-goofoffcom-a-private-letter-to-my-new-attorney-howard-neu-circa-1999.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/and-speaking-of-goofoffcom-a-private-letter-to-my-new-attorney-howard-neu-circa-1999.html Morning Folks!! Shortly after the LadyGodiva.com suit between Campbell's and yours truly and when I had first met Howard, I had another interesting conflict with another very large company. In those days, domain owners just rolled over. Not me. I was going to be the mouse that roared because the Internet as a medium was meant to even the playing field and these SOB's were going to have to deal with the new reality. I do not look for or pick these fights, but I relish them when they come. I relish them because it is these wins that protects my other domains and yours too! "Hi Howard!! In response to Lilly’s offer……I am confused by their lack of understanding.... Rick Schwartz Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:37:00 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/ricks-magnificent-vaccine-how-to-reverse-reverse-domain-name-hijacking.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/ricks-magnificent-vaccine-how-to-reverse-reverse-domain-name-hijacking.html Morning Folks!! Some folks don't like my style. Sure, many domainers don't care about Reverse Domain Name Hijacking because they have no domains anyone would want to steal. So for them, ScrewYou.com. You protect your assets and family the way you see fit and I'll do the same. Except I live in the world of reality and in reality there are still corporate bullies roaming around taking things they are not entitled to legally or morally. I have been defending these suits as long as they have been in the business of filing them. And it is a business. A BIG business. But it is no longer going to pay off and the risk is going to more than any... Rick Schwartz Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:19:09 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/how-i-gave-joetorrecom-to-joe-torre.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/how-i-gave-joetorrecom-to-joe-torre.html Morning Folks!! So it is back in 1964. Joe Torre was the first autograph I ever got as a kid when he was a catcher visiting the Mets at Shea Stadium and with the Braves I think before Atlanta. I was a kid so it ia bit fuzzy. Fast Forward to 1999. I own JoeTorre.com. Joe Torre is the manager for New York Yankee's. The 1998, 1999 and 2000 World Champions I want to get the domain to Joe Torre. What to do? What to do? So I wrote the following letter to the New York Post. Don't think I ever heard back from the post but I did hear back from Joe Torre's folks. I asked nothing in return... Rick Schwartz Sun, 07 Apr 2013 05:44:34 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/why-the-internet-collapsed-at-the-turn-of-the-century.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/why-the-internet-collapsed-at-the-turn-of-the-century.html Morning Folks!! One of the things that surprises me the most is the lack of historical perspective so many have about domains and the Internet. Traffic, traffic flow, what works, what does not and WHY. Are you with me so far? Does this all make sense? Are you ready to see why the Internet collapsed? This was my blog post of April 7, 2007. Nothung I had not written before but now it was in ink. Morning Folks!! Before we go forward we must STOP and look back. In 1999 things were popping and it seemed you could do no wrong. Surprise! I predicted an Internet collapse back then and of course they laughed and thought I was exaggerating. It... Rick Schwartz Sat, 06 Apr 2013 07:27:43 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/posts-that-stand-the-test-of-time-line-in-the-sand.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/posts-that-stand-the-test-of-time-line-in-the-sand.html Evening Folks!! The posts I try to make are ones that can stand up on their own years later and still be relevant. They usually have some assumptions and a theory behind them. For me it is fun to go years back and see what I wrote then and how it has played out since. I have some very strong beliefs when it comes to the Internet and on April 5th 2007 I re-wrote a post I had made many times before but had to do it from scratch. People are free to argue with my points. But just know going in that you are wrong. Period! Not debatable. Why? Maybe after all these years it is time to figure... Rick Schwartz Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:08:13 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/my-entire-1996-domain-portfolio.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/my-entire-1996-domain-portfolio.html Morning Folks!! I am a bit of a pack rate. An electronic pack rat for sure!! My electronic files go back to 1996. Once and a while I will open a file and take a look back. Today I opened a November 1996 file that contained my entire portfolio after 10 months collecting domain names. With the exception of about 59 adult domains, this was the actual list from that time. My first year. NO PPC. No real way to monetize a domain at that time, The adult industry was just starting to sprout. Mainstream wasn't even called mainstream yet nor was much there. But even back then my portfolio was always heavily weighted to mainstream, Main Street type domain... Rick Schwartz Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:52:13 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/information-age-or-mis-information-age.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/information-age-or-mis-information-age.html Morning Folks!! I guess I just see things differently. I like facts and hate bullshit. People swallow the BAIT of mis-information just like dumb fish swallow the bait with a hook attached and then are on a dinner table a few hours later. Guess after a few million years the word has not gotten around to the fish community to stop taking the bait. But are we as humans any different? How much bullshit did you swallow yesterday? I guess if you haven't been paying attention, probably a few mouthfuls! All day long you are bombarded with stuff. So much of that stuff is just some wording to lure you in. Eat it, smell it, taste it, buy it. But... Rick Schwartz Fri, 05 Apr 2013 07:20:50 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/blast-from-the-past-and-the-famous-18-wheeler-story.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/blast-from-the-past-and-the-famous-18-wheeler-story.html Morning Folks!! The "Test of time" is another big thing to me. To prove something it must be able to stand up against time. So does the following post still stnd up years later? Not 100%......but more than ever!!! Chew on this while we get organized From April 4, 2007 Good Afternoon Folks, A few weeks back my friend Frank Schilling asked me to write a guest column on his very popular 7mile.com blog. Frank started in domains around 2000. Others had already decided that all good domains were taken. They were wrong and they defeated themselves before they even began. Along came Frank and not listening to the naysayers, built a portfolio that earns more than any other single... Rick Schwartz Thu, 04 Apr 2013 06:44:36 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/rewind-april-3-2007-domain-king-announces-blog.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/rewind-april-3-2007-domain-king-announces-blog.html Morning Folks!! I guess we can call this my anniversary week/month for Rick's Blog. It all started on April 3, 2007. But of course it really started in 1996. The arguments I made in April of 2007 were valid then, were valid in April of 1997, valid today and valid in 2017. Have a GREAT Day! Rick Schwartz Rick Schwartz Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:20:49 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/domaining-without-pay-per-click.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/domaining-without-pay-per-click.html Morning Folks!! You may want to look at things differently if you PLAN to SURVIVE in domaining. See the dirty little secret is how many folks have failed and gone bye bye in this business. Some rather large players now gone. More will be joining them. Many more. Will it be you? Probably not. But it will be somebody you know. If pay per click went away today so would 75% of domainers. Guess what? I think differently because I did not have the tools or some say the handicap and crutches of things available now that make you see everything differently. Was there Pay per click (PPC) when I started in 1995? NO! Not even a thought if it... Rick Schwartz Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:13:48 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/todays-pet-peeve.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/todays-pet-peeve.html Afternoon Folks!! Yesterday I talked about TRUSTING a site before they get your info. Today I want to talk about another pet peeve of mine. See the Internet is NOT A TV! So advertisers better start to LEARN to stop treating it like one. Learn that a 30 or 60 second spot on a website is INSANELY long! 30 seconds? Imagine waiting 30 seconds for every page to load. That would be like a 300 baud modem. Remember them? Sorry, got off the path. But do IMBECILES really expect me to watch a 30 second diaper ad? Really? 30 seconds. I just want to see the damn CONTENT. Don't waste my time! Don't waste YOUR money or whatever moron is... Rick Schwartz Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:45:57 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/meet-t-dannys-secret-weapon.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/meet-t-dannys-secret-weapon.html Morning Folks!! I wrote this on Saturday when I returned home but wanted to digest a few days before posting it. I wish you folks could be privy to the "Training" that is going on. See, we are not just unleashing 12 people to do whatever. We are training them with a certain amount of strategies and how to approach an end user. They are representing precious assets and they need to do it in an effective manner. They can't just be a bunch of wildcats. That won't work for what we are doing here. Plus we are not DESPERATE for deals. We will only do a GOOD deal where every party wins. We have teamed up with Escrow.com to... Rick Schwartz Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:14:30 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/domainers-are-not-domainers-because-they-say-they-are.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/domainers-are-not-domainers-because-they-say-they-are.html Afternoon Folks!! Just because someone says they are a domainer does not make them a domainer. Take this case and let's make it clear to the world that this is NOT A DOMAINER but in fact a CYBERSQUATTER. We as an industry need to take the lead on things like this. Now I am the first to admit there is a fine line and it is the fine line that we are disputing and fighting the good fight over. The fight is exactly where that line is drawn. In my view of the world this is clearly cybersquatting with a malicious intent. It is WAY over that fine line that is slowly being defined with these Reverse Domain Name hijacking... Rick Schwartz Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:27:25 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/distinguish-your-company-without-the-confusion.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/distinguish-your-company-without-the-confusion.html Morning Folks!! Distinguish Your Company without the Confusion. Isn't that what this is all about? Easy to spell. Easy to remember. Easy to tell others. Passes the Radio Test. Looks good on a billboard. Looks good in an ad. Can be brandable or generic. Does not leak traffic, customers and profits to anyone especially your competition. Stop saying "NO" to a never ending stream of new customers. ARE YOU CRAZY?? What exactly do the folks in charge not get? What exactly do those in charge of their companies say to not even knowing the difference between foundational and strategic marketing? Not even knowing that the decisions they make now have long term consequences and they view things via a short... Rick Schwartz Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:31:42 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/earn-my-trust-first-before-asking-for-my-info.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/04/earn-my-trust-first-before-asking-for-my-info.html Morning Folks!! So the new trend (and not very smart imo) is FORCING someone to open an account and giving information BEFORE anything else and this is just another blunder in a series of blunders being made by DESPERATE websites taking the advice of guys that lose more business than they get. Earn my trust before you ask me for information and those that don't do that. CLICK BABY! That browser is closed and gone forever and so is the website doing it. Never to return. All these "Cute" things that are hurting their business they just are blind to it. Like dropping the .com on your name advertising. DUH! I love it being invested in dotcom, but stupid from... Rick Schwartz Mon, 01 Apr 2013 06:47:13 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/a-key-domain-is-being-part-of-a-recognized-group.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/a-key-domain-is-being-part-of-a-recognized-group.html Morning Folks!! A "Recognized Group" is something I have never written about until today. A "Recognized Group" in domaining is sort of a franchise with no organization or franchise fee. Just a wave that establishes a stream of sorts and credibility at the same time and is memorable. Many of the domains I registered over the years fall into these categories. For example in 2008 "Joe the Plumber" got notoriety and joetheplumber.com was a great domain name that got repeated and and copied. JoeTheBarber.com, JimThePlumber.com, TonyTheWaiter.com. All of these are examples of a train or trail and a branding not done by you but taken advantage by you with the draft of driving behind an 18 wheeler truck. In the... Rick Schwartz Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:22:02 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/on-the-way-home-to-florida.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/on-the-way-home-to-florida.html Morning Folks!! Had a great week with Danny Welsh up in North Carolina and we ended our 5 day pow-wow with a Disney movie last night. Best part. The end where Walt Disney says "Keep Moving Forward" because every day, and at each point of frustration I say all you have to do to reach a goal is keep moving forward. As long as you are doing something proactive to keep you moving forward....it is a GREAT day! The future is exciting and we are going to peel it right in front of your eyes each and every step of the way. Then anyone can come back here later this year, next year and the years after to see our... Rick Schwartz Fri, 29 Mar 2013 07:11:13 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/edward-smith-of-california-guilty-of-reverse-domain-name-hijacking-.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/edward-smith-of-california-guilty-of-reverse-domain-name-hijacking-.html Afternoon Folks!! TheDomains.com is reporting A three member UDRP panel has found Edward Smith of California guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH) in the attempt grab of the domain name Joopa.com I have 36 such cases so far and this resource has 129. Each win will discourage the next would-be hijacker. A tip of the hat to all owners below that fought and a big congrats to the attorney that represented them! I will list any and all cases as I learn of them. In time we hope decisions like these will will make the next IDIOT think twice before they attempt to STEAL something they have no legal or moral rights to. We now OWN YOUR REPUTATION and... Rick Schwartz Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:52:58 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/the-missing-linkneed-want-desiremeet-value.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/the-missing-linkneed-want-desiremeet-value.html Afternoon Folks!! Need, Want, Desire is what I have talked about in length in regards to the elements needed to make a sale. Now let me tell you what is need to CLOSE the sale. VALUE. Once Need, Want and Desire are there, it has to be wrapped up in value and benefits. That my friends is the formula we will be using. And even when one of the elements of Need, Want, Desire are not present at first, VALUE brings that missing element back into the fold because each has to reconsider those elements once you talk about value. The Bullseye is the opportunity all thse elements together bring. Like a great recipe. On their own the ingredients are... Rick Schwartz Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:32:50 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/jointventurescom-and-the-first-email-to-me-from-danny.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/jointventurescom-and-the-first-email-to-me-from-danny.html Morning Folks!! Danny Welsh and I have been working face to face this week for the FIRST TIME since we launched JointVentures.com. Pretty amazing to get this far and have our FIRST face to face discussions nearly 6 months into this project. By tonight we will have spent about 45 hours together getting systems in place and starting next week you will see some visible progress and for the first time you will begin to see the vision we have and what we are going to do to change the lives of every domain investor reading this that have lease quality domain names. I just got his 2011 Christmas card in January 2013 because I only check that particular PO... Rick Schwartz Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:36:15 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/dont-make-me-swallow-sht-and-then-have-me-tell-others-how-good-it-tastes.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/dont-make-me-swallow-sht-and-then-have-me-tell-others-how-good-it-tastes.html Afternoon Folks!! Are you ready to be fed truckloads of bullshit hoping you and I will swallow it and tell others how great it tastes. When will it become old? Probably after .mobi. Right? After .Travel. Right? .biz for sure. Right? How about the dozens you never heard of? Right? So now we are in for a barrage of bullshit the likes we have never ever seen before. The stories will be just that. Stories. Stories they may be able to backup but stories that were orchestrated as opposed to having something natural occur. Bloggers will spread the bullshit they are fed. But when they do they risk compromising their character and credibility as they carry water for others. I... Rick Schwartz Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:55:04 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/if-increasing-sales-and-customer-base-is-not-the-job-of-the-ceo-what-is.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/if-increasing-sales-and-customer-base-is-not-the-job-of-the-ceo-what-is.html Morning Folks!! Let me start where I finished THIS POST because this is the heart of what it is we will be talking about for the next 20 years. This was where I left it on that post. I had to build up to calling folks a "Fool". Today we can start at "Fool" and work beyond that: "What's the value of a domain with type ins that can give you 10 new clients each and every day? 100 new clients each and every day? ONE new client each and every day? Each business and each product can do that simple equation and figure it out. That becomes the FACE VALUE of a domain name. There are so many other... Rick Schwartz Wed, 27 Mar 2013 07:29:27 -0400 http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/hype-ins-vs-type-ins.html http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/03/hype-ins-vs-type-ins.html Morning Folks!! As you no doubt saw yesterday, the "Big Hype" is already starting x 1900 coming soon. Here is where it all goes off the rails. The HYPE vs the real Type-ins that are not and will not be there. The foundation for WHY .com is the leader. Without that foundation, then the dynamics change. But even then there are other foundations left to support .com. Like every major company in the world operating and headquartering ALL operations from the .com. So we are going to have to endure all this HYPE that may or may not be real and will be framed in certain ways. So when you hear the HYPE then ASK the right questions or you... Rick Schwartz Tue, 26 Mar 2013 06:34:50 -0400