WordPress announces 100-year domain registrations

nice post i loved it

Major corporations might want to register their domain names
for 100 years.

I don't think that small, independent businesses or internet
marketers would spend that much money on a single
domain, when most of them have dozens of domains.

I predict the price will come down in the next few years as it
is a bit much.

Makes me think of the 99 year lease for Hong Kong from China. It ran well, and one day expired. I'm sure 99 years seemed a long time to the Brits at the start.

> Businesses that have demonstrated longevity

> Domains with high valuations unlikely to drop (valued for more than 5 years at $100K+ I'd imagine)

The thinking is that this is a long term asset. Something you're going to give to a successor, or your kids. Maybe the assets (domains) are in a trust.

The weird thing about this from my perspective is to start considering the question: Will domains be relevant in 100 years? The platforms we used in 1923 ... are they relevant in 2023? Newspapers and cable TV networks are still a platform and an asset, but nowhere near as powerful as they were in, say, 1953. So are you paying for the maintenance of the intellectual property?

IMO at $38K this is only valuable for domains that already get lots of traffic and are monetized.

At $10/mo hosting for a domain, that's 10 X 12 X 100 = $12000. So this is for the hosting only. Domain registration: $18 X 100 = $1800. Somewhere, WP believes they are adding over $24000 in value here. Sure, security plugins and unlimited bandwidth have value. But $240/year? Maybe.

This is likely an "exclusive" service for those who want The Best. I don't think it's a terrible deal, but you have to be the right customer.

THAT is the question, isn't it?



I suppose for Coke, Microsoft, eBay, Amazon....100 yrs would be logical though I think it's a stretch and not a bargain. The businesses likely to last anywhere near that long are not ones that would forget to renew a domain every few years.


Will Wordpress last 100 years? Crystal Ball time? If you put $38k into an interest bearing acct or CD...the interest would probably be enough to pay for the domain registration when it's time to renew.

Click bait attention gimmick.

They do work.

GordonJ

I agree with Gordon. I think it's a gimmick.

But if it is for real...

My first question would be does it come with a guarantee?

What happens if Wordpress goes belly up in 10 years, do I get 90% of my money back? Or will I have to spend twice that amount trying to sue a company that doesn't exist anymore...

Like the 'lifetime' guarantees - I always wonder whose lifetime we're talking about.

100 years is a long long time. Just look at the history and check how many businesses have survived 100 years? I am not saying that it isn't useful but this looks like a little bit too much for normal person. Not trying to be pessimistic but the question is that will this registrar remain after 100 years?

Anyway its nice news.

I don't think anyone seriously believes WordPress is even going to be a thing in 100 years, or that technological changes, geopolitics and increasingly mercurial global markets aren't going to significantly impact on how businesses are structured within the next few decades, let alone a century hence.

In the short term, I suppose some brands might exploit the marketing angle - and there'll always be individuals with too much money looking for a vanity or legacy token. At least it's cheaper than cryonics.

As a lifetime member of MySpace, I can say this is a great idea.

Seriously though, I see this as an attempt to raise funds. If only 1000 people do this they will raise $38,000,000.00.

A free option is to just use the Wayback Machine and look at a website from beginning to end.

Personally, if I click on a website and it's outdated and old (like a lot that are no longer maintained), I click away because I know there's no new information there.

38k seems like a pretty steep price to pay if I'm being honest.

If you have a high-priced or high-value asset and you want to protect it for a long, long, time, then It could be very useful and worth the investment.

Oh and $38k to throw around

For the vast majority of small businesses or marketers it is just overkill.

May be some big brands go for hundred year registrations. I am sure, no individual will go for this offer.

This quote from one great book came to my mind:

REALLY? nice good news

100 years, big deal

not ideal for individuals