Adult dot coms, privacy and the Chinese government crackdown

[zaclondon]

I've been buying a number of adult-related Chinese IDNs in dot com and dot net's. The search volume is just too high to ignore even if I'd prefer to be completely mainstream. Some have Baidu index of 6k-8k! This is easily the highest searched keyword domains I have.

The thing is, I am an overseas Chinese(foreign national) with plans to conduct legitimate business in China one day. So worried about being associated with adult domains, I opted for domain privacy with Dynadot. Only later did I find out this is a load of bs as my full name is still shown. I have also read domain privacies are easily wavered and full details provided by the registrar at first sign of trouble.

My plans for the adult domains is to park or earn affiliate income for the short to medium term, and eventually sell high. I don't plan to ever develop them for the same worry of appearing on the Chinese govt's radar.

How would people recommend I play this? I am worries unjustified vis a vis Chinese govt's conduct against adult domain/website owners?

I am thinking of registering a PO Box and setting up a business entity to be used for these domains. I hear that is the best way of masking my identity.

[alpha]

or you could do what a lot of people have done and steer clear of Chinese adult.. as you're asking to be blocked by the GFW.

of course, the flip side of this, is that any niche like this where people fear to tread, mean opportunities for those that do.

but I would question if Chinese adult domains would ever mature and be worth "a lot", with the constant risk of being blocked hanging over them.

If adult is your thing, Japanese is a safer bet.

[zaclondon]

I am primarily buying them for parking income once IDNs receive more type ins and eventual resell value. The domains being blocked isn't my concern. Tarnishing my reputation should future business associates find out is.

I am also hoping as China's economy grows and liberates, the iron grip on adult websites will loosen. Let's see if that happens.

or you could do what a lot of people have done and steer clear of Chinese adult.. as you're asking to be blocked by the GFW.

of course, the flip side of this, is that any niche like this where people fear to tread, mean opportunities for those that do.

but I would question if Chinese adult domains would ever mature and be worth "a lot", with the constant risk of being blocked hanging over them.

If adult is your thing, Japanese is a safer bet.

[alpha]

I am primarily buying them for parking income once IDNs receive more type ins and eventual resell value

but as you know parked domains are blocked inside China and don't resolve, and I can't see that changing, if anything, the grip is tightening not loosening

[zaclondon]

but as you know parked domains are blocked inside China and don't resolve, and I can't see that changing, if anything, the grip is tightening not loosening

No, I had no idea! I'm pretty knew to this game. Can you point me to some info on parked domains being blocked in China? My Google search turned up empty.

[alpha]

No, I had no idea! I'm pretty knew to this game. Can you point me to some info on parked domains being blocked in China? My Google search turned up empty.

Google a little harder, there's a ton of info out there on this.

There are allegedly a couple of parking providers within China that will resolve your domains, but Sedo, NameDrive etc.. forget it. I can't remember who they are, my last attempt at joining one of these told me they were not accepting new members, might have been Namerich - really can't remember. I gave up trying to park and monetize Chinese domains a long time ago.

Maybe someone else more into Chinese monetization can comment on this.

anyway.. my point to all this, is that most seem to agree the route to Chinese monetization is in development, as parking seems to be a no-go. And for adult domains, the usual path is to park, rather than to spend a ton of $ on development only to be later blocked by the GFW.

This is probably why you are finding opportunities in Chinese adult domains.

This is of course just my opinion, and as I said, I'm not in to Chinese, and certainly not Chinese adult - but I have convinced myself I know enough to decide it's worth passing on.

[zaclondon]

There are allegedly a couple of parking providers within China that will resolve your domains, but Sedo, NameDrive etc.. forget it.


You're right. I couldn't access my sedo-parked domain from a China-based proxy. Parking with dynadot is accessible, but the ads are not targetted.



anyway.. my point to all this, is that most seem to agree the route to Chinese monetization is in development, as parking seems to be a no-go. And for adult domains, the usual path is to park, rather than to spend a ton of $ on development only to be later blocked by the GFW.

This is probably why you are finding opportunities in Chinese adult domains.


I thought I found the opportunities due to my creative adult keyword research abilities. haha.

Thank you for your opinions. They are helpful. Partly due to your suggestions and partly due to what I've since found online, I'm going focus more on mainstream Chinese IDNs now. Seems like the easier route to take.

[Asiaplay]

Hi zaclondon,

I would be careful and use a different registrant name for your "adult" IDNs, if at all possible.

What makes me think you should be extra careful about linking your name (or your non-adult Chinese IDNs to the same registrant as those for your "adult" IDNs) in any way, is the following interpretation of black listing which I have read.
i.e. it seems that once a registrant is "blacklisted" ALL of their IDNs / domains will essentially become blacklisted and not resolve in China.

Namely, the following sentance makes me think it is important to not get ones name into that blacklist (as it seems that it puts risk on ALL domains one owns also becoming blacklisted, in regards to resolving in China) - maybe I am wrong, you decide (as I know you can read Chinese).

解读：黑名单意味着曾经在域名使用上有过违法违规记录的持有者，将被永久“踢出”域名注册这一领域。据了解，所有中国的域名注册商均需执行黑名单机制，不论是.cn还是.com的域名注册，都必须将关闭网站的域名持有者纳入黑名单。

See:-
Chinese:- http://finance.bjnews.com.cn/2009/1222/18441.shtml
English:- http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Ffinance.bjnews.com.cn%2F2009%2F1222%2F18441.shtml&sl=zh-CN&tl=en

Cheers - Asiaplay

PS: personally I have chosen to stay away from adult names for China - as I don't think the risk is worth it / nor that it is one of the better online business areas that can be done in China
(i.e. I can not see this public Government policy against porn changing for a long, long time - if ever within my lifetime).

[zaclondon]

I would be careful and use a different registrant name for your "adult" IDNs, if at all possible.


Yes, I agree. I am now going to take steps to protect my identity on these domains.


Namely, the following sentance makes me think it is important to not get ones name into that blacklist - maybe I am wrong, you decide (as I know you can read Chinese).


Haha, my ability to read Chinese sentences is very limited. I will study the article you linked with the help of a dictionary. What is surprising me though is how draconian the Chinese govt is with regard to the internet. Like alpha was saying, the grip of control does seem to be/is tightening.



personally I have chosen to stay away from adult names for China

I am beginning to feel that way. I don't plan to buy additional adult domains.

Thank you for your advice and opinion.