I owned and ran Domainer.com.au from 2018-2021. Domainer was a community-driven website that was mostly visited by professional Australian entrepreneurs and Domain Investors. We openly and honestly talked about buying, selling and developing Australian domain names, most notably, “.com.au” domain names.
Over three and a half years, I wrote hundreds of articles that peeled back the good, bad and ugly layers of buying and selling domain names and commented on the governing rules. My intention was always to help raise the serious questions that could hopefully cause the Australian domain name industry to get stronger, better, fairer and more transparent.
There were many people along the way who supported my intentions, but a few who didn’t want certain subjects being talked about. Either way, toward the middle of last year I realised I had done all I could for the small domain investor community, and wanted to do something bigger and better.
Along with my fellow friend, entrepreneur and domain investor buddy, Ed Keay-Smith, we published 35 “Domainer Shows” while I ran Domainer. Around the middle of 2021 I spoke with Ed about the possibility of doing something “bigger and better” than just domain names. Like, why don’t we explore the whole digital assets niche? After all, domain names were the first popular version of digital assets and NFTs that we’re only just starting to see enter the mainstream today.
With that in mind, on the 8th of November 2021, I sold Domainer.com.au back to its original creator, Ned O’Meara, and wished him the best in continuing to build and nurture the website for the best interests of the domain investor community.
I wrote a blog about selling it to Ned on Domainer.com.au on 8 November 2021.
44 days after I wrote that post, Ned on-sold the website. However, Ned agreed at the time that all of my posts would be removed before he sold it, so I could reprint them on any future website I created. And now I’ve done exactly that on this website 🙂
This means that many of the most important old “Domainer” articles from 2018-2021 now appear on this website, re-posted as their original date, including ALL the “Domainer Shows” Ed Keay-Smith and I recorded over the years. We interviewed domain name investor royalty such as Rick Schwartz, Mike Mann, Morgan Linton, Fred Schebesta, Ron Jackson, Andrew Rosener, Shane Cultra, Braden Pollock, Kate Buckley, as well as many, many more…
You can go back and watch all the Domainer Shows any time on this website by clicking on the “Domainer Shows Archive” under the “Domains” menu tab.
I’m proud of how I helped shaped the Australian domain name landscape during that period, with a few loyal friends and colleagues. Anyhow, that’s enough of living in the past.
Not only are Ed and I going to continue discussing the Australian domain name industry on this new website that we’re launching today, we’re also going to introduce all kinds of new digital assets to the Australian public, including a beginner’s guide to entering the cryptocurrency and NFT metaverse, as well as all the other popular domain name extensions Australian businesses can buy, instead of just the same old “.com.au”.
Welcome to Assets Australia.
We can’t wait to get reacquainted with some of our old friends, make some new ones, and dive deep into all kinds of new digital assets that are becoming available to Australian businesses and entrepreneurs.
Awesome, great to see you back.
Thanks Kyle.
Are you here just for the domain names news, or are you also into this crazy crypto and nft world yet?
Thanks Kyle 🤘😁👍
Great to have you back on the scene Rob!
Thanks Luke, I didn’t really go anywhere, just had a little rest from writing blogs 🙂
I know you’ve gotten into crypto and NFTs last year too, so I’m excited to be talking about those digital assets here too!
We’ll need to get you on the new show to talk about your Bored Ape too Luke. Many of our new readers will have no idea what this is, but they should, if for no other reason than they need to be paying attention to NFTs. Actually, that gives me an idea. I reckon we should get another Aussie legend on the show too to talk about his Bored Ape….
Welcome back Rob. Good to see you put one of your excellent domains to good use. I’m looking forward to hearing more from you. But please improve the commenting system so that people don’t have to continue adding their name and email each time they make a post like on domainer (my biggest bug bear).
Hi Rudy, thanks mate, and good to hear from you.
Noted. We’ll check out the commenting system and see if we can’t implement something fresh.
Great stuff Rob & Ed! Good to see you guys back in action with Aussie domain name news and the addition of Crypto & NFT🤑 Rock on🤘
Good to hear from you mate! Ed and I are excited. There are so many digital assets to invest in, but so many that are fake. I think building a strong local community will help weed out the great ones versus the wastes of oxygen.
Hey James
Thanks mate, we hope to have you on the show too ASAP if you can?
Cheers
Love the site, especially the additions of assets besides domains. I was disappointed domainer.com.au turned into a ghost town but it’s nice to see a fresh, active community site to learn from.
Good luck!
Thanks Cam!! Hope to catchup soon.
Exciting times ahead Rob.
Let the journey begin!
Ed
DropCatcher.com.au – did you get your auda registrar approval? Is that likely to happen?
Any country that gives one company a monopoly on drop catching is so bad. I haven’t bought at the drops for such a long time out of principal now.
Not yet Rudy and it’s almost a year into the process.
If it sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is. I’ll drop you an email shortly 😉
That’s simply crazy. I’m going to make contact with Rosemary Sinclair CEO and Bruce Tonkin COO at auDA and report back. Anti-competitive!! I wonder if the rest of the auDA board know what’s going on here?
It was a great surprise to see your newsletter in my inbox. You guys had me worried for a second. Welcome back 🙂
Cheers Ricky.
Good to be back, thanks Ricky 👍
Great news as I was a bit bored of seeing the merry christmas post on the now defunct domainer. Now we continue to have independent commentry on the Australian domain industry and I’m sure you guys will keep auda and those pesky drop catchers on their toes.
Like the new logo and the domain. You 2 the real assets.
Good to hear from you Nobby! Ed and I will continue to report on domain name news, but we’re also excited to share what we’ve been learning about the crypto and nft spaces here also. And blockchain technology, that doesn’t ram your face into the ground with over complicated, outdated and unnecessary regulations. Lots to come! Look out for our new show coming here soon…