So it's recently been announced domain names are to be relaxed in 2009 link. Owch.

I'm not sure I like the idea and not even sure it makes sense. I'll be able to get domains like jon.robson and we'll probably be seeing lots of businesses grabbing domains such as orange.mobile and porn.xxx. So what does this mean for the end user? It won't be a simple case of is it thatwebsite.com or is it thatwebsite.co.uk, they'll have to think is it that.website or thatwebsite.www etc.. etc... The web could get a more confusing place. Also what's to say everything that ends in .search will actually be a search engine. More confusion... We already have situations where we have .com websites that are not companies nor based in the USA, this is going to spiral with new domain names.

However, I guess we're used to a scattered web. After all the domain name is usually found through a search engine.. so will it really matter what it's actual address consists of?

I put to you the domain name is extinct. I rarely use them. Most of the time you google or find a url through collaboration on web platforms like Facebook, del.icio.us and even old fashion world of mouth. If you're like myself you use firefox and type a word into the nav bar, and firefox fires of an "are you feeling lucky request". I never use "http://www.google.co.uk" I just use "google". So why change this? Why do we need more web addresses. The only gain is brand, and to me it's not important. A url is not going to effect your brand.