.mobi

The domain name .mobi is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) in the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. Its name is derived from the adjective mobile.

This article is about a top-level Internet domain. For the e-book file format, see Mobipocket.
.mobi
Introduced2005 (2005)
TLD typeGeneric top-level domain
StatusActive
RegistrydotMobi (subsidiary of Afilias)
SponsorNone
Intended useMobile content providers
Actual useMobile products and services websites
Registration restrictionsNone. It is recommended adherence to mobile-first style guidelines.
StructureRegistrations are conducted at second level.
DocumentsICANN Registry Agreement
Dispute policiesUDRP
DNSSECYes
Registry websitedotMobi.mobi

The domain was approved by ICANN on 11 July 2005, and is managed by the mTLD global registry. It was originally financially backed and sponsored by Google, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Ericsson, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Telefónica Móviles, Telecom Italia Mobile, Orascom Telecom, GSM Association, Hutchison Whampoa, Syniverse Technologies, and Visa, with an executive from each company serving on mTLD's board of directors.[1][2][3] In February 2010, Afilias acquired mTLD Top-Level Domain Ltd. (known publicly as "dotMobi").[4] In March 2017, .mobi became an unsponsored generic top-level domain, using the same terms offered to new gTLDs.[5]

Operation

DotMobi domain names have been available for registration by the public since 26 September 2006.

dotMobi engaged with the W3C Mobile Web Initiative (MWI) to help formulate the MWI Best Practices for mobile content. The practices outlined a number of ways to achieve good user experiences on mobile Web-enabled devices, and recognized several methods of implementing these practices.

mTLD has released a free testing tool called Ready.mobi (see mobiForge) to analyze the mobile readiness of websites. It does a free page analysis and gives a .mobi Ready score from 1 to 5. This report tests the mobile-readiness of the site using dotMobi's recommended best practices.

dotMobi does not itself mandate any particular technology, but does recommends that .mobi sites produce user experiences consistent with their guidelines and specifically optimized for mobile phones.

Reception

Websites may be optimized for the special capabilities and restrictions of mobile devices, such as smaller screens, device form/size, device input/output options, existence of embedded sensors (acceleration, location, touch, etc.), as well as human factors such as expectations of immediacy of results, context awareness under a shortened attention span (compared to non-mobile device use of the Internet). Although other top-level domains can technically employ the same optimizations for mobile phones, in practice, only a fraction of them do, thus necessitating content adaptation solutions. These retrofit the content to target devices independent from the original process of creating the site.[6][7]

Originally dotMobi tried promote creating two separate device-dependent World Wide Webs, one desktop-based and the other mobile-based, thus risks producing redundant content, according Tim Berners-Lee .[8]

Providing content tailored to particular devices can be done by other means than a specific TLD, such as using hostnames within an existing domain, HTTP content negotiation, cascading style sheets, or other forms of adaptation. The popularization of responsive web design has caused the domain name to be relocated for use on mobile services and mobile apps websites.

See also

References
  1. "Mobile and Web Services – Afilias". Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
  2. "Mobile and Web Services – Afilias".
  3. "Mobile and Web Services – Afilias". Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2008.
  4. "Afilias Limited acquires .mobi domain registry and expands market leadership". dotMobi. 11 February 2010. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
  5. "Renewal of .MOBI registry contract". ICANN. 16 March 2017.
  6. "Dot Mobi Rebuttal by DIWG".
  7. All About the .mobi Extension Archived 18 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Domain Masters Radio Show, interview with Rick Fant, Director of "Internet's Discovery" in Vodafone
  8. Tim Berners Lee. "New Top Level Domains .mobi and .xxx Considered Harmful".
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