[echelon]

Most people don't understand URLs.

Remember that Google was (is?) trying to remove the URL bar. Not just because it reinforces search as the main product and gateway to the web, but also because URLs are kind of hard for most people.

Which brings us to the original argument: is this a reason to ban gTLDs? Surely the cost of banning gTLDs outweighs the enormous benefits of making it easy for society's productive users to find names they like.

We also shouldn't discount the incredible benefit of having additional namespaces and markets positioned against domain name squatters. gTLDs linearly increase the costs to squatters. Good names can be found with lots of alternative gTLD offerings, which greatly increases the supply side for builders and entrepreneurs.

Ultimately gTLDs probably won't be banned simply because there's money to be made by the ICANN and registrars.

[furyofantares]

Many people do not understand URLs, many people do, and many people have an understanding in between. And they are all targets for scammers.

And I don't think gTLDs should be banned! But I don't like bad arguments even when they support my preference.

[usrusr]

And then there are plenty of companies who put some legitimate part of their business on a wonky gtld domain they only bought so that it's not bought by a scammer. Systems run by the investor relations department might run on examplecompany.biz, some hiring SAAS on examplecompany.work, the CRM on examplecompany.business and the tech support occasionally instructs someone to get a preview update from examplecompany.cc. Not because that's a smart thing to do, but because coordinating namespaces is not easy and dedicating an otherwise unused domain only bought to keep out the scammers is a tempting shortcut. And because training internet users that sometimes wonky TLD are ok is an externality.