Different from other top level domains (TLD), the .eco domain name registrants will be paying part of the domain costs to charities. There will a set of environmental and ecological non profit organizations that will receive the fund to support green viable initiatives.

Mr. Gore said:

We fully support Dot Eco LLC in its efforts to secure the .eco top level domain through the ICANN application process and look forward to working with Dot Eco LLC to promote .eco. This is a truly exciting opportunity for the environmental movement and for the internet as a whole.

The approval by ICANN (the governing body of domain registrars) must still pass but chances are high for Dot Eco LLC to receive the new domain extension.

What remains to be seen is how the .eco domain will be regulated. It is intended for green companies, environmental non profits, wildlife and ecological communities, and people supporting the green revolution. But, will people abuse it and create crazy domain names just as everyone else has done with .mp, .us, .sg? Regulation and information will be set up to guide the process once it is cleared.

Little Know-How

This makes even less sense if you keep in mind that web hosting customers are generally very needy. People are launching websites everyday, often without any knowledge in server hosting or the ability to host their own sites. The demand of good service in web hosting should hence be a critical requirement. But still we stick dutifully to our web hosts because in this business of domain re-directs and advanced configure parameters, changing to a new and better host means simply too much hassle.

The hassle of moving your domain

Much of the “hassle” with a web host change is not buying new storage space or enrolling in a new hosting plan. No, what is perceived a problem by many is in fact the domain transfer. Depending on the current web host the process of bringing your registered domain name with you can be either very hard or done by 2-3 mouse clicks. Unfortunately, if you’re stuck with a bad web host they might be less than happy to help you move, declining to offer any assistance at all.

Furthermore, hosting plans can have the right to hold your domain on their server for several months before allowing it to moved. An example is the blog host Blogger that does not allow registered domains to be moved to another host within 6 months after registration.

Bridging the gap

Since most web hosting customers today lack the know-how when it comes to web hosting and they find the prospect of switching web hosts quite complicated, there is really only one way to solve the “freedom of choice” problem.

Web hosting companies must come down from their pedestals and understand that the web hosting experience right now is paralyzing their customers with incomprehensive technical terms and other mumbojumbo.

“Freedom is not a matter of choice, it is a destined path, an undying yearning for the peace of one’s soul until attainment.”  /Unknown

Sedo’s UK Operations Director,  Nora Nanayakkara, tries to attract more businesses and individuals to the process:

“The UK is forecast to spend around GBP13bn(i) on presents in the online Christmas shopping period, more than any other European country. By purchasing a generic co.uk Christmas Internet domain name at auction, organisations can capture a bigger chunk of the growing UK online festive spend.

“With over 27 million online shoppers in the UK, owning a quality generic Christmas co.uk Internet domain name will attract a large volume of natural traffic. As well as improving search engine rankings, a generic Christmas co.uk Internet domain name also strengthens a company’s online brand. We expect Sedo’s Christmas co.uk domain name auction to attract plenty of watchful eyes.”

A full list of the domains available is listed at http://www.sedo.co.uk