Ask HN: what unwanted domain names are you sitting on?

Re:Ask HN: what unwanted domain names are you sitting on? by thorax on Thursday June 11, 2009 @01:42PM (#653182)

Has anyone considered changing their parked domains to say:

"This domain is free to anyone who will develop it into something. All that is required is that they feature a link to my other project/site %s for the first year."

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Re:Ask HN: what unwanted domain names are you sitting on? by patio11 on Thursday June 11, 2009 @08:18PM (#653917)

I bought a domain name (actually, the big three) for a phrase that would be instantly recognizable on HN, with the intention of using it for a weekend project. Halfway through the weekend, before it was publicly accessible, I got an email from a chap in Italy saying it was his heart's desire to use that name for his software company, and could I please give him the domain name.

I'll mention to you what I mentioned to him : if you have hearts desire, you can afford $10 for a reg fee the SECOND you think of that domain name. (This is why I routinely buy them for weekend projects.)

But I am a softie for small software companies, so I made him a deal: I'd keep the domain pointed at his DNS servers for a year, meaning he gets 100% practical use out of the domain. If, at the end of the year, he had a software company active on the site, I'd transfer it to him gratis. If not, I'd keep it.

I think that everyone wins for that, except my weekend project. (Sure, I could technically screw him over, but I value my reputation far more than my domain names, even a pretty nice one.)

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Re:Ask HN: what unwanted domain names are you sitting on? by medianama on Friday June 12, 2009 @02:05AM (#654258)

Its a bad deal for him... What if his company takes off and you don't transfer the domain at the end of the year.. huge risk for him..

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Re:Ask HN: what unwanted domain names are you sitting on? by adrianwaj on Thursday June 11, 2009 @01:50PM (#653199)

Once the deal was done, they could shaft you. The only thing you could do was keep ownership and grant technical administration over to the new domain user for a year. Would they want that?

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Re:Ask HN: what unwanted domain names are you sitting on? by stevejalim on Thursday June 11, 2009 @02:43PM (#653334)

Would they want that?

Well, if I knew the domain holder personally, fine for them to keep the reins, but if I didn't, I prob wouldn't/couldn't take the getting-held-to-ransom risk if things took off. I don't have investors, but I bet people who do would say the same thing, only more emphatically

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Re:Ask HN: what unwanted domain names are you sitting on? by Brushfire on Thursday June 11, 2009 @02:47PM (#653347)

I agree with you, but the amusing thing is that all of these problems could be solved with a simple contract. Lease with option to buy at set price, or guarantee to sell unless breached, etc.

Its probably a 1 page contract, even. The real issue is trying to enforce it if someone defaults on that contract - it could get impossible/expensive if they are out of the country.

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Re:Ask HN: what unwanted domain names are you sitting on? by adrianwaj on Thursday June 11, 2009 @02:52PM (#653360)

You'd need a central provider.

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Re:Ask HN: what unwanted domain names are you sitting on? by reidman on Thursday June 11, 2009 @08:54PM (#653952)

Hmm, a domain leasing agent...paying rent for a domain name, kinda like renting office space. Has this been done already?

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