The charity auction of e.co, sponsored by .Co Internet and Sedo, has started and runs through June 10.
A lot of people have been comparing this auction to that of e.Biz, but I don’t think the comparison makes sense. e.Biz sold for so much because it’s a very common term — eBiz. Just look at the buyer, which owns Ecommerce.com, to understand the value.
So what is the value of e.co? I think most of the value lies in the “eco” or “green” branding of the name. It would make for a great URL shortener for green companies. It would also be a good domain for a portal site about going green. Better yet, a large company might snap up the domain to show off its eco awareness.
Two things that could make this a great auction: it’s getting a ton of press and the winning bidder gets to select a charity (sans religious and political charities) to receive the proceeds (although it won’t be tax deductible).
In order to bid in the auction you need to fill out a pre-qualification form and contract and make a $1,000 deposit.
John Daly is your source for Premium Domain Names