Hasty Treat - The TLD Game

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: A lighthearted Syntax “hasty treat” episode centers on Wes and Scott playing a custom TLD guessing game. They compare domain extensions as countries, businesses, costs, and availability for their names, while also discussing domain-name oddities, premium pricing, and the broader world of niche top-level domains. The episode is mostly playful banter with practical domain trivia.

Main Topics: Custom TLD guessing game: The hosts introduce and play a rules-light game where they identify whether a TLD is a country or business, guess its purpose, estimate annual registration cost, and determine whether Scott and Wes can register matching domains. Domain name trivia and real-world constraints: Wes shares a story about owning boss.af and the complications of sanctions and service restrictions, motivating the game and highlighting how domain ownership can be surprisingly complex. Country-code TLDs and geographic regions: Several rounds focus on country or region-based TLDs such as .bo, .bzh, .kr, .aw, and .im, demonstrating that some extensions map to countries or culturally specific regions rather than commercial categories. Generic and brand-based TLDs: The discussion covers business-oriented or branded extensions such as .baby, .moto, and Banana Republic, showing how some TLDs are sold for niche industries or are tied to corporate ownership. Scoring and game mechanics: The hosts create a golf-like scoring system where lower scores are better, with penalties based on how far off the price guesses are, and small deductions/bonuses for domain availability guesses. Future use of the game: They conclude by suggesting the TLD game could become a live audience format with timed rounds and access to country lists, indicating potential for a recurring segment.

Key Arguments: There are far more top-level domains than most people realize, including many that are niche, branded, or geographically specific. Some TLDs are technically country-code domains but represent regions rather than sovereign nations, like .bzh for Brittany in France. Domain pricing can be highly variable; premium or restricted domains may cost far more than expected, and some are unregisterable. Real-world availability matters: even if a domain extension exists, matching names like scott.tld or wes.tld may be taken, unavailable, or priced differently. The game is entertaining enough to revisit and could work well as a live interactive segment with the audience.

Data Points: boss.af annual registration cost: about $100/year - Wes mentions owning boss.af and says it costs around a hundred bucks a year to register. .bo annual registration cost: $199.99/year - During the first round, the hosts reveal .bo costs $199.99 per year. .bzh annual registration cost: $69.99/year - Scott guesses close, and Wes reveals .bzh costs $69.99 annually. .baby annual registration cost: $80/year - The hosts note that .baby costs 80 bucks a year. Scott.baby premium price: $300 - Wes says Scott.baby would have cost $300, compared with West.baby at $80. .kr annual registration cost: $50/year - Wes says the starting price for .kr is 50 dollars. Scott.vip annual cost: $600 - Wes mentions Scott.vip would cost 600 dollars. .moto annual registration cost: $50/year - Wes states .moto would cost 50 bucks a year, though he notes it is not available yet. .aw annual registration cost: $90/year - Scott guesses 60; Wes reveals .aw starts at 90. .im annual registration cost: $20/year - Wes says .im costs 20 dollars a year. TLD application cost: about $100,000 - Wes says applying for a new TLD a couple years ago cost around 100,000 dollars.

Pivotal Quotes: "There’s no rules. This is our podcast. We do what we want." — Wes: Used during the setup of the TLD game to emphasize flexible, improvised podcast format and scoring rules. "I own boss.af and I was telling them how much of a pain in the butt it is because it’s Afghanistan and there’s like a sanction in the US against doing business with Afghanistan businesses." — Wes: Explains the personal anecdote that inspired the TLD trivia game and the operational hassles of certain country-code domains. "We should do a live TLD game with the audience." — Scott: Closing discussion about turning the segment into a recurring live format.

Implications: Listeners get a fun primer on how TLDs work and why some domains are expensive, restricted, or region-specific. For web developers, it’s a reminder that domain strategy can involve legal, pricing, and availability surprises.