How do we break the “squatter” stigma?

This weekend me and my college friends got together for a weekend reunion in DC. It was always and it’s something we try to do every year but end up doing every 2-3 years. That being said, it was a blast and it’s also incredibly interesting to see how all our lives change over time. The best part is, the moment we’re all together it’s like we spend every weekend together.

Here’s us after completing an “escape room” in DC, this one had a VR component to it.

the-cmu-crew

At dinner last night I was talking with one of my friend and he shared his experience getting the domain name for his startup. They do very cool things with VR and 360 video and if you’re looking to do a VR promo video for you company I highly recommend you check them out at Foundry45.com.

My friend then said to me, “the problem with buying a domain is that there are so many people squatting on all the good .COMs” Of course as domain investors we’ve heard this all the time, so I asked him to go a step further to explain what he meant by a “squatter” – his definition was similar to what I’ve heard before, essentially anyone that owns a domain name and isn’t using it.

I used an example that I use all the time, “can’t people buy land, a house, heck even an island, and not use it, or do what they want with it and then re-sell for a profit?”

It’s strange isn’t it? If you bought a house in Malibu 20 years ago and sell it for 10x what you paid you’d be called a successful real estate investor. If you bought a domain name 20 years ago and sell it for 10x what you paid for it, you’d likely be called a squatter.

When will people start appreciating digital assets? Why do people praise buying and selling physical assets for a profit and not digital ones?

More importantly, how can we as domain investors break the “squatter” stigma? I’d love to hear ideas from you, comment and let your voice be heard!

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton