https://blog.name.com/business/2013/10/why-are-startups-turning-to-io/I may think if this can become the answer for us. But IMO it doesn't has a high accuracy.
The Benefits of Using a .IO:
It’s a unique extension compared to generic TLDs, which can help a startup stand out from a marketing perspective.
It’s shorter than three-letter gTLDs, while being different, which makes it easy to remember.
It’s just starting to become popular, which means it’s pretty likely you’ll get the name you want.
In the tech and software development world, I/O means input/output, so .IO is particularly relevant to that audience.
You can create cool domain hacks with .IO, like scenar.IO or pistach.IO.
Those are the reasons I registered some
.io domains. I will add that
.io has a digital (or all electronic) connotation that stands out from
.com which can include brick & mortar businesses.
But for my project I opted for a
.us domain (for which I paid ~$325 in August including a year renewal), because the
.io and
.org weren't available, the
.net is asking $10,000 and my project is to be a social network (a la
steem.io /
steemit.com), so the "us" applies to all of us. I am still hoping to attain the
.com (or
.org which appears to not be for sale) later which was formerly used but is now registered yet unused by a major company because it was involved in a buyout in 2015.
a more interesting question would be a rorschach test to see what percentage of folks here are nerdy enough to associate with that answer
Which is why I think .
us is better for domain targeting the masses. And .com would be even better. I was happy with my name choice, because I know no troublemakers in this ecosystem could afford to buy the
.com (as
Roger Ver did obtaining
bitcoin.com). Only if the project becomes very successful, can the
.com be purchased later.
Rather than obtaining
.com immediately as
steemit.com did, I decided it was more important to choose a name which is brandable, short, and has the intended meaning in the minds of most people. My
5 letter choice for a name, fits very well those requirements. My name choice is superior (which IMO is of the naming quality of a
Twitter) to
Ark,
Steemit, and
Synereo.
Yours is a brandable name which seems to have mainstream appeal for a social network, but it doesn't really speak to what is unique about the project compared to other social networks.
Ark (
ark.io) has the advantage of being a name that is very short and easy to spell and speak, but its applicability to a social network is IMO dubious. Okay I understand we all need to board the ark, but why board it? Better names speak to what the products does which the user needs or wants, e.g. tweeting on
Twitter. We see the photos of our friends' (faces) on
Facebook.
MySpace was a personalizable social network profile page.
Friendster was where we went to connect with friends and FoF (friends-of-friends). My
CoolPage was where a million users (in 2001!) went to make their own webpage with wysiwyg, drag+drop ease and 1-click free publishing.
.io is just 'hipster' of domains.
These domains are expensive, and a pain in the arse to deal with compared to .com and other TLDs.
They can be registered for $33. I registered some for $20 on sale.
