GeoTLDs - Benefits

The introduction of a TLD is a small technical step but it can be a measure that encompasses and affects various human, political, cultural, social, and economic aspects in people's daily life worldwide. Therefore the question should be answered which benefits a TLD based on a Geo name will offer to the respective community and the Internet community at large.

[edit] GeoTLDs are of public interest

Of public interest are things and by this TLDs, which directly serve the interests of the general public in a substantial, intellectual and moral area and lead to added value for the community. GeoTLDs fulfil these criteria in multiple ways because they,

• create relevant and long-term attention for the community, not only on the Internet, and thereby strengthen the image and branding of the community,
• safeguard the community's competitiveness against other communities in relation for instance to resources,
• support the community's identity and corporate feeling even if the community is geographically spread,
• increase communicative plurality on the Internet by giving even small communities a voice,
• create virtual namespace for expression of the manifold interests of the community.

[edit] GeoTLDs offer multiple benefits to the respective communities

Since domains and TLDs have been issued they have been used as a clear identificator by individuals, communities, projects or businesses and others. Although the current Domain Name System (DNS) potentially offers names for all each entity or individual wants to have an identificator which is close to him. Similar to number plates, many want to get a number plate with their name, nickname or at least initials on it. The same applies to domains, everyone wants to have a domain which is short, suitable, memorable and descriptive. This covers the second level as well as the top level. For most local communities the gTLDs are too generic and too global, and the ccTLDs are too national, but GeoTLDs and the respective second level domains offer a virtual identity which addresses this demand in a perfect way and is a complementary choice to them. By a GeoTLD communities will benefit in multiple ways:

• Individual Name Space - The limited number of TLDs and domains within some TLDs has created weird competition. Growing numbers of disputes are one of the clues that existing ccTLDs and gTLDs are not sufficient to differentiate between 6 billion individuals, some hundred million organisations and thousands of local communities worldwide. GeoTLDs will calm this competition down, since new and suitable SLD/TLD combinations will be available with them.

• Intuitive and semantic usage – GeoTLDs offer the opportunity to build a TLD with a solid fundament and framework. Due to the possibility to reserve and delegate domains for public and community interest, many important terms could become more intuitively accessible and semantically to use by a descriptive domain. Internet users will find things they are searching for easier on the net, for instance information and interactive services from the local government, administration and institutions.

• Strategic advantage - Today local communities compete for human and economic resources nationally and internationally. An own GeoTLD raises explicit attention for the community, gives the community an independent voice and space for expression, and is also a long-term location factor in terms of Internet infrastructure.

• Local economy - GeoTLDs will stimulate e-commerce and revenues within the community, especially in areas in which the revenues are based on an national or international TLD so far (hotel.com vs. hotel.london).

• Image and branding - GeoTLDs will ease the marketing of the community to prospective residents, tourists, businesses and investors from all over the globe. Websites like jobs.cat, hotels.asia, and offices.london will make the communities resources intuitively and more readily accessible to the world.

• Equality of opportunity - GeoTLDs will establish a focal point for bringing the benefits of the information society to the local community and help combat the rise of a digital divide within and between rich and poor communities.

• Clear differentiation - GeoTLDs create a namespace which is clearly differentiated from others. For instance SLDs with the extension .berlin will be recognised worldwide by Internet users as space where information and services from Berlin, about Berlin or by Berliners is offered. Especially the full community name (if not too long) will foster a semantic understanding.

• Learning curve – Through local academic, educational and research organizations the local community and the global Internet community can learn to leverage the knowledge created by observing the GeoTLD in a scientific environment. This information will conduct a proof of concept on the efficiency of GeoTLDs, one that will provide ICANN with necessary information upon which to judge the validity of issuing additional GeoTLDs.

• Geo name community – Other locations worldwide with the same Geo name, even if small, will profit from the increased visibility of the Geo name (e.g. Sydney (Australia) and Sydney (Canada).

[edit] GeoTLDs are identity of communities

For a community a GeoTLD is much more than technical infrastructure, it will be the community's identity on the Internet, although the identity of a community is quite difficult to describe and conceive. Identity is perceived by the entirety of all individuals and stakeholders, in the community and from outside. The identity can be based on a full name (e.g. in case of Maori), on an abbreviation (e.g. in case of NYC - New York City) or other significations (e.g. in case of BZH - Brittany).

The community's identity is a virtual phenomenon resulting from different perspectives like community's members mood, their personal experiences and satisfaction, quality of the community area, goals and values, pace, architecture, commerce, traffic, stories, community identification, sense of cohesion, language, cultural heritage, and differing individually. By this the community's identity is multi-dimensional, there is not just one community identity, there are characters and personalities. Some of the identity attributes and properties develop slower (like cultural heritage) and some faster by adopting new influences more easily. Even a single event like a World Exhibition can be crucial to the community's identity.

GeoTLDs are likely to develop, move and unify the community's image and identity in many ways. One of the most important changes for the identity of the community will be the perceived identity by the community's individuals. If marketed to the heart of the population first and adopted by them in their daily lives, Geo Name TLDs are likely to trigger the development of identification and pride as well as corporate feeling, which are some of the most valuable changes in the mindset. Marketed to the world outside, GeoTLDs can create a product with a clear branding. Such brands help to build community's identity. Values perceived from outside for communities with an own TLD could comprise modern and traditional attitudes in conjunction: sustainability, diversity, openness, self-fulfilment, prospect, potential, and option.

By Dirk Krischenowski