First off, congrats to Rick Latona on his great personal accomplishment – he quit smoking and hasn’t had a cigarette in 3 weeks. Three weeks might not seem like a long time, but it is forever for a smoker, especially considering all the stress that comes with managing businesses. The first few weeks after quitting smoking are generally the most difficult when the body craves nicotine, and once over the initial hurdle, the rest is just mind over matter, and we know Rick is a determined person.

From a domain perspective though, Rick’s decision to launch a website on KickTheHabit.com is also equally good. When you build a website on a topic of interest, it makes it much easier to write articles and provide insight, which is something people will surely find interesting. Rick will be able to parlay advice from his quest to quit smoking, and others will be able to learn from this.

Soon enough, with a strong (and growing) user base, Rick may be able to sell products like books, patches and other products to help others kick their habits. This will further motivate him to continue not smoking, as people will look to his success to create their own success stories (not as if he needs added motivation though).

Double congrats to Rick, and all the best to him in both efforts.

Despite it’s short time on the market, an alternative to .Tel is already available (and is just $.99 at Godaddy!). I know some people are predicting that business cards will go the way of postal mail and printer paper when the computer was introduced… err… I mean, I know that some people think that business cards may become obsolete because of .tel, but anyway, enough chit chat. Let me present you an alternative to .tel that’s cheaper.

Drumroll please…

I present to you…   DOT INFO

Check this.   Not everyone has a “tel” and not everyone knows what a “tel” even is. Sure, it’s probably the root for some Latin word, but isn’t Latin dead? Universally, “info” is known by all. “Info,” of course is short for “information,” a word in the English language that is alive and healthy (unless you listen to the naysayers who think English will disappear like the dollar in favor of a universal world language or some other BS the negative Nancies are spewing these days). Anyhow, if you visit a site with the .info extension, you expect… information.

BEHOLD: ElliotSilver.info… voila – a virtual business card! I know you can’t “click to call” but all you need to do is look at the number and press those buttons on your mobile phone. Sure, it’s cumbersome, but isn’t these days? I sure h8 reading posts by ppl tryin to keep em to 140 charactrs or < on Twit – that’s cumbersome too, no?

Now I know the information isn’t stored in the center of the Internetical universe or wherever the .tel information is locked down, but for Pete’s sake, you can save a boat load of money, which can be reinvested into other great up and coming extensions like .mobi and .eu.

Happy hunting on this fine April 1 day.

***POST EDIT***

This was an April Fools Day post.

This silver AIG-branded piggybank is my favorite memento from when I worked at AIG.

Now that I am committed to attending the GeoDomain Expo in San Diego next month, I want to make a few suggestions about what I’d like to see on the agenda to get the most out of the conference. There are many changes that have taken place in the geodomain business, and I think this is going to be an important conference.

There are a lot of successful websites doing a variety of things, and I think it will be great to hear about the various tactics that are working and aren’t working.

Here are a few suggestions for discussions:

– Socia Media – How are some of the biggest brands integrating social media tools into their websites? Are sites using discussion forums, Twitter/Digg/Facebook/StumbleUpon icons, comment submission, and/or other tactics? Are their particular companies that geodomain websites can work with cost effectively (such as Pluck)?

– Newpaper Model – Although most geodomains are used for tourism, have any small businesses jumped into the newspaper/media industry to provide relevant news content? Do they use content writers, professional journalists, amateur writers who are readers, or syndicated content?

– Fresh Content – How are geodomain owners keeping their websites updated regularly with relevant content? Who is responsible for creating and adding the content?

– Ad Sales – For non-local geodomain owners, how are advertising sales made locally?   What strategies are working and what aren’t working? What is the key to advertising sales if you don’t live in the area?

– Search Engine Strategies – Google/Yahoo can be the key to a site’s thriving or failure.   What is the best way to get rankings for your primary city keywords, site links, and long tail keyword results – and ensure that they are kept? Are there good link exchange strategies that I can employ?

– Event sponsorships & Memberships – Where should the geodomain owner spend funds in the local community?   Should the geodomain sponsor sporting events, cultural activities, or make contributions to local charities? Is the local Chamber of Commerce or the Rotary Club a necessary membership?   How about others?

What else have I missed that should be discussed?

For the last few weeks, well before the questions about the Expo arose, I’ve been trying to figure out if I will attend the GeoDomain Expo. Don’t get me wrong, I had a fantastic time at the GeoDomain Expo in Chicago last year.

The issues I am trying to resolve are multi-faceted. I’ve flown across the country 4 times since January (and I dislike flying), I am trying to preserve cash because my domain sales are down, I will need to be in Burbank for a week soon after the show, and I have three weddings to attend in May. All of this has made me second guess whether I will attend the show I need to attend.

Anyhow, I’ve been exchanging emails with a number of Associated Cities/Geos members as well as a few geodomain owners who are not part of the organization.   Just about everyone I know and correspond with in the geodomain business has confirmed with me that they are attending.

It’s not that the panels are a whole lot different than other conferences, it’s the people who attend the show. Most of the most successful private geodomain owners attend the GeoDomain Expo, and almost everyone I spoke with in July was more than willing to sit down and give advice. There was no hollow “here’s my card, call me” BS.   There was a lot of “here’s what we did to make it work” type of conversations, and “how can we help you generate revenue?”

While my geo websites aren’t making a ton of money yet, primarily because I haven’t been actively seeking clients in Lowell and Burbank, I have seen traffic grow considerably, as well as interest in the websites from businesses in those cities. I have taken advice from the show and applied it to my sites, and that has helped fuel their growth.

After much internal debating, I’ve made a decision about the show.   I have to be there. Flights will be booked today, and I look forward to seeing my friends – I know I have a whole lot to share with them from what I’ve learned this past year.

Tickets for Associated Cities’ 2009 GeoDomain Expo, scheduled for April 23-25 in San Diego, California, are now on sale, and the early bird registration fee through March 15 is just $595/person.Registration after March 15 is $695, and registration on site is $995.

I believe this is the best conference for people who own geographic domain names and/or geographic websites.   Last year’s conference was held in Chicago, and I found it to be a great learning experience.   Most of the successful geodomain owners are engaging individuals who seem happy to share advice and tips with others.

There is much more networking and sharing of information than other conferences, and the price of attendance is less than just about all other domain conferences.   If you own a geodomain, this is a conference you should attend.