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Pizza.com Domain Name Auction Shoots to $2.5 Million Dollars

Craig — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:23:55 +0000

I stay pretty close to what’s going on the domain name industry these days. The current 7-day domain name auction of Pizza.com on Sedo is attracting a lot of interest. I’ve been writing about it a lot on my Dot Com Domain Names blog, and started watching it when the sales price rose to $403,500 during the first day of the auction. With 3 days and 15 hours to go, the sales price has skyrocketed to $2,505,000 with 63 total bids.

Sedo is also the action vendor of choice for the owners of Attorney.org and Autos.net. These two domains are currently sitting at $60,000 and $49,999, respectively, with each having a total of 6 bids. Attorney.org has just over 2 days left on its auction and Auto.net still has 3 days and 15 hours, the same as Pizza.com.

USDA Grants Open Range Communications $257 Million Loan to Bring Broadband to Rural Communities

Craig — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:29:59 +0000

Here’s a news item that appears a bit fishy, though great news for rural America. It should be filed under “your tax dollars at questionable work.” I’ve just learned that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to loan a startup company called Open Range Communications $257 million dollars to bring broadband to 518 rural communities.

I grew up in rural America, but moved to Houston, our fourth largest city, 24 years ago. When I visit my parents in rural Louisiana I am reminded just how slow dialup Internet connections really is these days because websites are being designed for broadband access, not dialup access. Just loading up a page on Godaddy with an average connection speed at their house of 42 to 50 K mbs takes minutes, not seconds. I gave up surfing the web from my parents home 3 years ago. So, I can really appreciate our government taking an interest in bringing broadband to rural communities. Notice, I didn’t say I agree with it or think it will be a moneymaker, I just said I can appreciate it.

So why I’m I knocking or questioning the USDA’s action. Take a look at Open Range’s website and you’ll know first hand. Just visit http://www.openrangecomm.com/ for a second and you’ll see it’s nothing more than a one-page place holder with an email address on it. The email address is for a PR guy with a small company called Percepture.com. Is this a wise investment of our tax dollars? Gee, I wish I could come up with and idea and a placeholder domain and get $257 million dedicated to my next cause.

Check it out and tell me what you think.

Welcome to URL1.com – The First Internet Address

Craig — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:05:00 +0000

URL1.com — the name says it all, the first url address online. URL1.com is a blog about life, your life and mine. URL1.com is a growing website about American lifestyles, current events, what’s right and what’s wrong about America and the world. If it’s controversial, we’ll likely tackle it — no holes barred. So drop in often to read about our take on life and the news, and don’t be afraid to register and submit your takes and comments as well.