Premium .dev domain with Google costs $850 (twitter.com)

Article summary

Google is charging a renewal price of $850 for a premium .dev domain, which is significantly higher than the normal price of $12. The domain owner had purchased the domain for one of their projects and was surprised by the high renewal price. This pricing practice is not unique to Google and is also seen in other domain registrars. The high renewal price is likely intended to discourage domain squatters and encourage the use of more unique domain names.

Main themes

• Domain pricing
• Premium domains
• Domain squatters
• Alternative TLDs
• Domain registration
• Internet governance
• Scalping and extortion

What commenters say

• The practice of marking domains as 'Premium' and charging high renewal prices is seen as predatory and abusive by some commenters.
• Others argue that this practice can help reduce domain squatters who buy up desirable domain names and hold them for ransom.
• Some commenters suggest that buying domains for longer periods, such as 10 years, can provide stability and protect against sudden price increases.
• The use of alternative top-level domains (TLDs) such as .com is seen as a more reliable option by some, while others prefer more unique TLDs like .dev or .ninja.
• There is disagreement over whether the high prices are justified, with some arguing that they are necessary to maintain the value of desirable domain names, while others see them as a form of extortion.
• Some commenters propose that a non-scalping, dev-friendly TLD could be a solution to the problem of high domain prices.
• The idea of allowing anyone to register any domain with any ending they want, if it's available, is also discussed as a potential solution.