The lovely "Love Train" video...

Probably the most interesting thing, about domain extensions, are the activities of the supporting communities of the domain extensions.
It basically does not matter, how your domain extension looks like, for it to be successful:
What depends and matters, is how it is promoted.
Follow the history of .com, and you will understand, how and why it got strong and popular.
You can follow the history of promotion and forum-support of any domain extension, and you might be able to discover parallels of smart endeavours, time (-line) and success. (Only love, provided by a fan community, is not enough, to make a domain extension succesfull. See .mobi, for example. It is viable, respectively still alive, because of the love it gets, but to be able to be sucessful, it will need some more support, by the powerful companies, that are supposed to be backing it up. And so, same with .tel...)
Basically, it is always common sense, that saves you, a project, or anything in progress that happen to be in a awkward situation.

What counts, are costly and smart pomoting, time and common sense, that must always be used.
The non usage of common sense and brains, it the death to anything.
The non usage of money, won't help promote, because promoting costs.
The cultivation of plein stupidity may be bad, in times, may be good in other times, because people are sometimes stupid, and trained by media and advertising, not to think, but only to consume, what is offered. The language of stupidity is a language, mankind has learned over the years, and understands. Whatever way you are able to make your self understood: You can earn money, if people understand, what you are selling.

The mixture, of intelligence, stupidity, sex, common sense, etc., is what sells.
Try to sell a perfect and usefull product, only by explaining how it functions, and for it is good: Consumers are not used, only to get dry facts served. They are spoiled, and used to get a daily dosis of adverts, that contain sex, crazyness, stunning effects, etc., and where they do not have to think, but only consume.

And now, here you are with the dot tel domain, in our world today: How are you going to sell it?
The „Love Train“ was popular, because it is funny and sexy, and only explained a minimum of the technology, idea, and features about .tel.
If you will, the „Love Train“ is a promotion video for dummies, that just want a good lough, and some sexual stimulation. Well, the „Love Train“ did the trick, and worked for a short while, and only for a few.
But who are the consumers of .tel?...: All sorts of people and groups. Speak to them (and about their needs and dreams) individually. Make ten completly different videos, addressed to ten different groups of consumers...
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Anyway:
Here is the code for implementing the (premium qualitiy version of the) video within your blog (however, it is still a stunner and a eye catcher, and nevertheless, a lot of fun):
(Just copy and paste...):


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.Dot tel domains might look somehow confusing, but the dot tel girl puts it pretty simple.

However, here is the more confusing part of the issue:

If you would compare what the registry of the dot tel domain has done for its domain and community within the first year, and what other registries have done in their first year since the launch of their domain extension, than you might be able to conclude and see, that this is simply outstanding and extraordinary. And no other registry and community has made so much effort before, to develope and market its domain within the first year since launch.

I guess that marketing of a mobile domain, has to be done in a similar way a for example as it was done for the iPhone.

.Tel should look upon dot mobi (.mobi), as its brother, because, as far as I know, it is the only other mobile domain that exists. If you will, it is also early days for dot mobi. Wheras dot mobi offers nothing else, than its domain extension „.mobi“ (but which might be very fine, too), the dot tel domain does not only offer its domain extension „.tel“, but also a practical and useful interface, where you not need to have a website, or any hosting, which means, also, that you save money on webspace and the cost for hosting.

We got to learn from our "brother" (.mobi), about the good and the bad, about the pros and cons.
Despite all the negaive talk and the naysayers: Dot mobi is still there, alive, has a demand for it, and gets sometimes some very nice prices at auctions.

Furthermore: Same as with .tel, there are a lot of people who don't get, what .mobi is about, and why a registry had lauched it, and why it has a lot of companies that are backening it financially.
For many things, .mobi won't be able to be of much use, but in some other situations, it is the perfect solution.

Neither .mobi, nor .tel is probably the „one size fits all solution“. But it might fit, for you, or for him, or her. Just tell them about it, and why it might fit and suit them.

Personally, it think, you either have a love affaire with a name or/and extension, or you don't:
Some names with „.com“, or with „.mobi“ just look darn good. I am not sure, about if a name looks better, if it has „.tel“ instead of a country extension, etc., but it sure will feel darn good.

So that is where .tel will have to be good at: At providing a great feeling and experience.

As we all know: „.com“ stand for „commerce“, and „.mobi“ stands for „mobile device, or mobil phone“. But „.tel“?...: Can you go to your telephone, and use „.tel“? However, „.tel“ means „telecommunications“. But if there would be a person having no clue about the meaning of „.com“ he could think as well, that „.com“ meant „telecommunications“. Why not? Or should it be more like „.comm“ for „communications“? - Commerce, as well as communications start both with "com", and "com" could therefore also stand for (tele)communications, if it had not been promoted for the cause of (e-)commerce.

Anyway: „.tel“ might confuse some people with its extension, because they might not be able to figure out, for what „.tel“ is supposed to stand for.

It might be easier for them, if they get a chance to look at a .tel page.

You could even go so far, and say: Well, if you wan't to put it right, according to common sense, than „.mobi“ should look like the dot tel domain. Because „mobi“ stands for mobile and telecommunication.

Imagine, if „.tel“ had only its extension to offer, like „.mobi“...: People would have to develope a mobile version of their website, and change their „.com“ extension for a „.tel“ extension.
This might have even worked better than with the extension „.mobi“ (if .mobi was .tel, and .tel was .mobi).
- If the extension ".mobi" hadn't been already taken by a other registry, would of possibly Telnic chosen that extension for its interface, that was designed mainly for mobile purpose? Would that of made more sense, having the mobile and electronic business card named "company.mobi", instead of "company.tel"?

However, I think it is just important, that users know, for what „.mobi“ and „.tel“ stand for, and how they can be used in the most efficient way. So that it will then be up to them, to decide, if they could benefit from such a extension/domain, or not.

As we concluded: „.com“ or „.tel“ could quasi stand for anything (communications or telefon, etc.).
The strength of the „.mobi“ name might just be, that people are most likely to easily figure out, that the domain name with such a extension is for mobile devices. Maybe even soon, for smartbooks (smaller mini laptops, that are smaller than netbooks).

Why is „.tel“ not better named ".tele", or „.teleco“, or „.telecom“ (dot tele, or dot teleco, or dot telecom)? - Would there be less confusion? Is „.tel“ confusing?
„.Tel“ probably will mean nothing to the user, until he gets his hands on .tel, and realizes, how awsome this „.tel“ is.

With the registries themselfs, it is also a case fo "first com, first serve" (served by ICANN), because the extension ".com", as well as ".mobi" would of been perfect for the electronic business card that Telnic had launched a year ago. However, as soon as a extension is properly branded and marketed, it will work, no matter, if the extension makes sense, or not, for its cause and usage (see the dot com domain, after a period of twenty five years). Because ".com" could mean this, or that, or also that. Who thinks, every time he uses a ".com" that it means "commerce"? - The only thing they know, is that they can do business with that domain, and that it is not a non-profit website, like you can find under a domain name with the extension ".info", ".museum", etc.

So, what is the message?:
We got to get people to know, for what the domain name extension ".tel" stands for, and they might want to take a look at it. Otherwhise they might say: "Why bother and do "try and error", and possible waste some time? After all: Isn't it ".mobi", that is for mobile phones? Is there something else, as well?" - Tell the world...
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But seriously, folks: The DotMobi registry and Telnic better make some sort of a deal..., becaus the one registry has the name, and the other one has great functions and features, and will have the looks (very soon).

It is not the first time, that two important companies have merged together, to be more successful, in hard economic times, and in a market with a lot of competition, etc. - All those mobile phone users, and the potential ones to come: We don't want to confuse them, but we want to give them something, that they can use, and that is easy to get and to use.

Merry Christmas!

Créer son domaine .tel en 10 étapes

View more documents from ToutPointTel.

Laura Haddock: The interview

So where do you see yourself in the future?
I’d love to go to Hollywood, and try my luck there.

Why? Do you feel in the UK you’re losing your sense of… porpoise? He he.
And that was it: with a single, wholly unoriginal fish pun, we’ve blown it. And blown it with one of the most beautiful actresses we’ve met in a while, too – a 5’8” cut-glass English Cameron Diaz, who just happens to have a slightly silly name. There’s a pregnant pause, as 22-year-old blue eyes glare at us critically. “Well,” she finally murmurs. “Now this is a little… awk-cod, isn’t it?”Fortunately, it turns out Laura Haddock is as forgiving as she is crap at aquatic wordplay. Better still, she’s also strikingly pretty in the flesh, great fun and a little bit posh. And disconcertingly rude, too. By the end of the interview she will have growled “I love the *****!” into FHM’s dictaphone, recorded a breathy, erotic message to our work experience kid and persuaded her own mum to send some bikini pictures to the FHM office. Oh, and she can also drink like a… well, thirsty person: six hours into our 45-minute chat, she’s ordering a fourth bottle of wine, cancelling her taxi and inviting over her friend Minger. “Don’t worry – I can only call her that because she’s so hot,” she explains. All of which unpretentiousness bodes well for her career, of course. Already, ITV1 viewers will have gawped happily at her playing wannabe model Kacie in criminal caper comedy Honest, and as Lady Arabella in royal soap The Palace. And this month she plays Bethan in The Colour Of Magic, Sky One’s big budget adaptation of the Terry Pratchett Discworld novel. Sprinkle on a few vague Hollywood rumblings in the pipeline, and suddenly phrases like “the new Keira Knightley” are flitting about her, like sycophantic wasps. And all of which in turn, of course, begs our very first question: with colossal fame beckoning, why did she never change her marine surname? “I’ll say this until I’m blue in the face,” she yells. “It’s memorable! If I go to a casting and introduce myself as Laura Haddock, they’re bound to remember me for my name, if not anything else.”

Even so, you must have been ribbed about it…
Fish face, trout pout… no wait, that’s Lesley Ash. But yes, I’ve had it all. It’s my dad’s name though – I’m not going to be ashamed of it.

You have a sex scene in Honest – are you worried your parents will be ashamed of that?
No, I have a plan. On the evening of that episode, I’m going to take my mum and dad out for dinner instead. Or fake a heart attack. Or an escaped tiger. Anything to stop them seeing it. ?I was terrified before we filmed it, due to the crew being there, rather than being in my undies. But it’s actually quite comical. I’m not naked in it, just… underwear-naked.

None of that nonsense in The Colour of Magic, we take it?
No – that couldn’t have been more fun. I mean, as well as David Jason, Sean Astin is playing Twoflower. I kept looking at him and shouting “Goonies! Goonies!” Or something from Lord Of The Rings: “Poh-tay-toes!” I think I was kind of annoying. But then, in one episode, he has a line where has to say the word ‘potatoes’ in an American accent. And he physically couldn’t do it. “I can no longer say that word in my own accent,” he kept saying.

Did David Jason do the ‘falling through the bar’ gag when the conversation died?
No. Never.

Shame. Still: with two new primetime shows, you’ll be recognisable. Are you careful not to get drunk when you go out?
I’m drunk now. Not really! But this industry is weird - you feel like unless you’re being photographed, nobody cares about you. And any publicity seems to be good publicity. Falling out of a taxi without knickers on is bad publicity – but it still means you’re in a magazine.

So you’re not planning the ‘Lindsay Lohan’ route to fame?
No! I want so much more for myself – I don’t want to mess it up by falling out of a nightclub. You never see Dame Judi Dench doing that. Anyway, my nan always told me to wear two pairs of knickers. So whatever happens I’ll have that second pair on and you won’t see anything.


Your character Kacie in Honest is also fame-hungry. What’s your inspiration?
There’s a scene where I get into trouble with the police for throwing a stapler at a guy’s nuts – so Naomi Campbell was perfect to base that on. But I was also looking at lots of ‘It’ girls and how much they want fame. They have real naked ambition – it’s ruthless. If they want to marry a footballer, they’ll marry a footballer.

Nice. But acting-wise, you must have done The Bill…
No! I was actually rejected by The Bill. Worse than that – I’ve been rejected five times.

Whoa! Everyone gets on The Bill. Are you, like, really bad at auditions?
I must be. And the fifth time it was for an actual regular role – a new policewoman I think. And every time I’d come out, call my agent and go, “It’s in the bag, baby!” And then they’d say no, over and over again. I’ve been for roles like ‘Girl Shoplifter’. Or this girl who’d been in a car crash, but had a mystery medical condition…

Are you sure this wasn’t Casualty?
No. I was never even put up for Casualty. That’s how bad it was.

Jesus! That’s, like, the Lidl of soaps. They’ll take anybody as a victim.
I know! It doesn’t bode well, does it? But it was definitely in The Bill. I remember now: the girl was diagnosed with Addison’s disease.

What – she’s infected with a taxi firm?
That’s Addison Lee, you dick! Addison’s disease where the victims starts having convulsions, and all your internal organs start failing. And you go yellow. But I wasn’t the right colour.

Racist. Maybe you’re too Scandinavian-looking to be a fictional delinquent.
Possibly so. Perhaps I should go for the Swedish version. Da Billshk, or something. But look: I don’t care. I got to be in My Family instead. And that’s in front of a live audience, with Robert Lindsay. That’s a lot better than the fucking Bill.

There’s a fair few ‘English Rose’ actresses about these days. Who’d win a fight between you, Lucy Brown and Billie Piper? Keira Knightley’s reffing.
Me and Lucy could take Billie. Although Billie would give me a right biting. But I’d like to think that I’d win it. Because I fight dirtier. If there’s an Oscar up for grabs, I will take them down. Ha ha! I’m kidding. Is this like an FHM Bloke Test question? Can I do a self-portrait?

If you want to. Draw your favourite body parts…
I like my lips the best. I quite like my boobs, not too big, not too small. My least favourite part, though, is my arms – because most actresses, particularly American ones, have really toned arms. I don’t like my bingo wings. But don’t worry: they’ll be amazing and toned by the time your 100 Sexiest poll starts.

We hope. Because you look like Pete Burns in your sketch.
Hoi!

Hey – don’t get tench! Wasn’t us that b-roached the subject. We’ll skate over it…
You’re an idiot.

Original interview by Chris Bell in the April 2008 issue of FHM UK magazine