Back in the old days, when we had an idea (for a website, service or application etc.), the first thing we did was check -and claim- all the available domain names and social media handles.
It is the expression of a nasty FOMO variant: Fear of Being Beat by Someone Else.
Some ideas were lucky and ended up being used. Most ideas, however, ended up on some mental backlog with a yearly administrative fee. This administrative fee, the yearly invoice from your registrar, might hurt a bit or take up a bit of mental space, but often it is not bad enough to take action.
And after all…
They’re not hurting anyone?!
I could be saving it for a rainy day.
Digital hoarding
Domain names are not just notes in your head or notebook; they are bits&bytes with a paper trail. And in many cases, there are multiple variants involved. It all adds up.
It might be a good idea, next time you receive a renewal invoice, to say goodbye to your precious collection of unused domain names. Even better, go through your domain name list now and cancel before the domains are up for renewal. With that, you’ll save money and mental space. Just let go and accept it wasn’t your momentum. Rainy days are rare nowadays.
Or…
Look at it from this perspective: don’t claim things just because you can.
Don’t hoard just because you can hoard. Take what you need and leave the rest for others. And if you don’t need it… you don’t need it.
Thanks for reading. You are amazing, you know that, right?!