WADND
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WADND is an acronym for World Association of Domain Name Developers, an organization aimed at promoting the free enterprise development of internet domain traffic, thus increasing the value of the domain names, themselves. The mission of the WADND has been to help enhance the value of domains for a relatively new group of entrepreneurs who have referred to themselves as internet and domain name investors, according to Rick Schwartz, one of the current board members of WADND. The organization, in its mission statement, indicates it is working to promote a more efficient search process for users whilst enhancing domain name values and advertising potential.
WADND functions as an umbrella organization that is working to educate and inform advertisers, search engine companies such as Google and Yahoo! and other entrepreneurs about the specifics of internet traffic, site visits and the impact of using various landing pages to drive traffic to specific sites. The process of utilizing multiple landing pages across several domain names is known as "targeting traffic".
The free ownership of domain names is one of the challenges currently being undertaken by WADND, which filed a federal anti-trust lawsuit against the International Corporation for the Assignment of Names and Numbers, also known as ICANN, and VeriSign, an internet domain name registry. The organization, in the suit, alleges various violations of the Sherman Act and the Cartwright Act, which are laws of the United States designed to prevent corporate monopolies. The suit, succinctly, claims ICANN and VeriSign have intentionally established a global business practice that would prevent free ownership of domains under the .com and .net Top-level domain, and that individuals who privately own such TLD's could be compelled to forfeit ownership rights to their domains. A copy of the WADND lawsuit against ICANN and VeriSign can also be found at the WADND website at http://wadnd.com/Complaint(ver4).pdf.
WADND, through an associated corporation known as TRAFFIC, holds several conventions in various cities across the USA to discuss current internet user trends, advertising trends and legal matters affecting domain owners, including the aforementioned legal suit. TRAFFIC, which stands for Targeted Redirects and Financial Fulfillment Internet Conference, most recently met in Las Vegas, Nevada; Hollywood, Florida; and New York City.
Keynote speakers for the last two conferences included billionaire publisher Steve Forbes, and Jim McCann, founder of 1800Flowers.com, according to the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. website. Late in 2008, the industry's convention will meet at an international venue for the first time, when the organization meets in Australia during November.
Among WADND's board of directors is a former Ohio television news reporter, Ron Jackson, and the former mayor of North Miami, Florida, Howard Neu. Jackson presently operates a domain-industry news channel on the internet, and Neu is a practicing trademark, contract and liability attorney practicing in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
