Brace Yourself for the Onslaught of Sites Employing Google's Recently Launched .meme Domain Extension
Google has recently released a new top-level domain (TLD), .meme, providing an exclusive space for individuals, content creators, and brands to showcase and share memes online.
The .meme TLD is designed to cater to a niche community, offering a distinctive internet space for meme culture and digital expression. It is available for registration through ICANN-accredited registrars, such as name.com, which markets it as suitable for personal websites, blogs, or agencies focused on memes and social content.
Large corporations are the likely target audience for the .meme TLD, as they continue to increase their popularity through active social media campaigns using trendy memes and sassy attitudes. Brands looking to get involved with meme culture can turn to meme marketing companies like marketing.meme, which advises brands to stop overpaying for meme media plans.
However, the concept of Google's .meme TLD has raised some concerns within the meme community. Some view it as disrespectful to meme culture, as it appears to commoditize internet culture. The .meme TLD does not consider memes as ownerless ideas that originate organically on the internet.
Despite these concerns, the .meme TLD offers an opportunity for website creators to express themselves and spread ideas. Websites such as grumpycat.meme, nyancat.meme, and keyboardcat.meme have already been created under the .meme TLD.
During the early access period, the price for a .meme domain was higher than its base annual fee. For example, maxzeff.meme was priced at $12,520 on GoDaddy.com. However, the price decreases every day until December 5th, when the base annual fee will become effective.
It's worth noting that the .meme TLD does not seem to be owned or operated by Google itself. Instead, it appears to be part of the broader ecosystem of new generic TLDs created to cater to niche communities and interests online.
Internet users can now create their own .meme domains, contributing to the growth and expansion of meme culture online. However, marketing.meme warns against forcing brands into unrelated conversations and advises brands to approach meme marketing thoughtfully and authentically.
References: 1. ICANN 2. name.com 3. marketing.meme 4. GoDaddy.com 5. license.meme
- Tech enthusiasts on Gizmodo have been discussing the potential impact of Google's .meme TLD on the future of social media and entertainment, with some raising concerns about the commercialization of meme culture.
- The .meme TLD has attracted several websites such as grumpycat.meme, nyancat.meme, and keyboardcat.meme, reflecting the growing interest in meme culture from various tech-related platforms.
- As large corporations increasingly leverage memes in their social-media strategies, entities like marketing.meme are advising brands to navigate meme marketing carefully to maintain authenticity and avoid alienating the meme community.
