FOX on Tech – .What?: Internet Extensions Growing

Earlier this year, the company charged with managing web addresses around the world began taking applications as part of an expansion of the “.com” and “.net” endings.  They’ve released a list of those who’ve submitted the expensive applications, but it could still be awhile before you’re trying to remember a wider range of URLs.

FOX News Radio’s Jessica Rosenthal reports:

FOX on Tech.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers says it’s received nearly 2,000 requests for new internet suffixes: .pizza, .porn, .google, .app.  You get the idea.

Those who want to oppose certain requests have seven months to do so, and yes, some companies have applied for the same “dot” ending.  It cost nearly $200,000 just to apply, and that’s just one of the things that’s bugging critics, who also argue that some will get an unfair advantage.

ICANN says this increases innovation and choice.  But still others say maybe too much choice, it could get confusing.

Jessica Rosenthal, FOX News Radio.

Editor’s Note: Among the roughly 2,000 applicants are some that are expected: organizations such as AAA and AARP requesting .AAA and .AARP, respectively.  Apple applied for just one extension (.Apple), while Amazon applied for 76 different ones (such as .Amazon, .App, .Author, .book, .deal and .Zappos).  A number of domains received multiple applications, including .app (13 applicants), .home (11) and .book (9).

CLICK HERE to see what FOX News picked as the 10 strangest domain applications.

CLICK HERE to see the full list of applicants, as released by ICANN.