With the domain name motherlode running out of English language ore, we challenged readers to submit new suffixes for Web sites, so called "top level domains" (TLDs). Many serious and worthwhile name schemes were submitted, most of which we promptly filtered out. And in a sign of how well trained you are, most submissions used only three characters, though we did not impose this limit, nor does ICANN, which administers the domain system.
We'll forward our winning entry to ICANN as soon as someone steps forward with the $50,000 application fee.
THE WINNER
.not
www.microsoft.not
www.harvard.not
The .not top level domain (TLD) is intended for sites that criticize or parody the sites in the other TLDs. The sites in the .not TLD will thus constitute a parallel or shadow Web, commenting on the "real" Web. A person or organization will not be permitted to own a domain name in the .not TLD if he owns the same name under a different TLD. For example, the Coca-Cola Company is prohibited from registering cocacola.not.
-- David Radcliffe
HONORABLE MENTIONS
.cat
To incorporate the vast swath of the Web currently devoted to blurry photos of people's kitties alongside excruciating eulogies on their eating, scratching and small-animal disembowelment habits.
-- Nick Sweeney
.bor
www.picsofmycats.bor
A suffix that can (and should) be utilized by all those wanting to have personalized domains for the rather banal and BORing sites.
-- Edward W. Abbott III
.moc
For parodies of "legitimate" dot-com sites.
--Rafe Brox
.dot
Because I want to start a company called Ellipsis that sells those extra pauses at the end of sentences, and my URL could be "dot.dot." -- Tarleton Gillespie
.dash
www.dashdash.dash
When your cool name is already taken, the .dash top-level domain allows you to express it in Morse Code.
-- Bob Glickstein
.www
Catering to fans of palindromes (www.level.www) -- Rafe Brox
.ego
www.tomdavidson.ego
Intended for use by those with self-gratifying home pages consisting mainly of personal photographs, diaries, lists of links and other self-involved musings.
-- Tom Davidson
.gon
the Internet businesses that spent all their advertising budget on one Super Bowl spot.
-- Ange Albsmeyer
.guv
Cockney, Aussie and Kiwi governmental domains., like www.parliament.guv.nz.
-- Rafe Brox
.borg
www.microsoft.borg
Resistance is futile!
-- Eli Glaser
.gas
www.grudge.gas
To separate all political commentary and conspiracy-theory Web pages. This is estimated to free up to 10 percent of current domain names.
-- Hank Hruby
.doh!
www.Firestone.doh!
The .doh! domain is reserved for companies that have thrown foresight and common sense out the window, often with humorous results.
-- Christopher Rusho
.doa
www.pathfinder.doa
www.boo.doa
How about a suffix to denote casualties of the new economy? Hundreds of names would qualify, but these two stand out as having been essentially "dead on arrival."
-- Matt Cameron
.mer, .ven, .mar, .jup, .sat, .nep, .plu
We need to get those extraterrestrial Web sites going.
-- Bernard J. de la Cruz
.etc
The kitchen sink and so much more.
-- Bernard J. de la Cruz
This is not my idea, but it's a good one, and avoids getting ICANN into the content business: TLDs should be created for each and every possible combination of three letters, and their purposes should be left up to those who choose to use them.
-- Virginia Postrel
.die
This domain is for Web sites that are obituaries. The .die domain allows for the construction of a virtual cemetery. Sounds a little creepy but it could be interesting.
-- Najz Ventura Medina
.foo
www.devnull.foo
The .foo domain is designed for technical explanations that are intentionally unintelligble to non-initiates.
-- Bruce Reznick
.xxx
www.yourchoiceofsmut.xxx
The .xxx domain is intended to help one-handed mouse jockeys find what they're looking for, and to help parents and educators block objectionable material without the collateral damage of current filtering schemes.
-- Tony Droege
.biz
www.thisisgross.biz
Think business is the future of the Internet? Maybe, but the bizarre is the Internet's heart and soul. The Net's vast sideshow of bizarreness deserves the .biz domain. If you've set up a live Webcam of snakes mating while dressed up as Sonny & Cher, you might want to consider relocating to the .biz domain.
-- Tony Droege
.kom
For Communist countries.
-- James Cole
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