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Why dot-eco domain names may be hard for businesses to claim

By | August 6, 2009, 2:40 PM PDT

I totally missed out a few weeks ago when Facebook offered vanity URLs. It was too late at night for me to care and my 40-something brain keeps forgetting to do it when I’m online. But the Facebook URL-grab may have nothing on the frenzy that is likely to transpire when the dot-eco domain application process moves forward.

First, let me say that I am putting the cart way before the horse in writing this blog right now since the organization that will manage the names, called Dot Eco LLC, doesn’t plan to apply for the .eco top level domain through ICANN until early 2010. But you can’t deny the eco-chic. Hmmm. How about heatherclancy.eco for all of my writings about green technology and the environment?

I would imagine that there are plenty of corporate marketing types watching the process with interest. Think about it: How cool would it be if your company’s environmental programs or foundations were flagged with the dot-eco extension?

Before you get too excited, you might want to read this branding “Green Paper” from Dot Eco LLC that outlines who will and who won’t be granted the right to use a .eco. You’ll actually have to prove your commitment to the environment and agree to certain founding principles set forth by the .eco. I have a hunch that the greenwashing filter will be run at forth strength against applications.

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Heather Clancy

About Heather Clancy

Heather Clancy is a contributing editor for SmartPlanet.

Heather Clancy

Heather Clancy

Contributing Editor, Business

Heather Clancy has written for United Press International, ZDNet, Entrepreneur, Fortune Small Business, the International Herald Tribune and the New York Times. She holds a degree from McGill University. She is based in New Jersey.

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Heather Clancy

Heather Clancy
Writing publicly about what the high-tech industry is actually doing to help itself and the world get greener or more sustainable is one way I figure I can contribute more meaningfully to said effort. I'm also a big OMG-kind-of-fan of smart leadership, which is why the goodly folks who publish this blog let me go on about this topic and why I am always on the hunt for forward-looking business management ideas.

My daily writing is focused on looking for topics for my blogs, GreenTech Pastures and Business Brains. I also write often about emerging technology trends such as mobile computing, unified communications and cloud computing. Occasionally, I will pop up at an industry conference in some sort of speaking capacity. In cases where a speaking engagement involves a sponsor that may be covered in this blog, that fact will be disclosed in coverage as appropriate.

My corporate writing work usually consists of crafting research white papers about some aspect of technology. In the event that my commentary (in written, audio or video form) mentions a company for which I have provided consulting advice, I will disclose that fact. However, there is no connection between these projects and the topics that I'm covering in my blog.

She writes for SmartPlanet and is not an employee of CBS.

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