URLs to become personal calling cards

Personal domain names could be about to become the latest hot property on the Web, valued as family heirlooms and passed down from generation to generation. Just like mobile phones, which originally developed as a business-only tool before gaining mainstream consumer appeal, the kudos of having a personal domain name is set to create a new wave of URL owners. But unlike phones and the seemingly endless string of available numbers, there are only a limited number of usable names available -- and that number is shrinking every day. Which means if you want yourname.com -- you'd better hurry because many will have already been snapped up. And if you don't have one it could certainly crease your street cred in years to come. People will be able to meet one another simply by tapping in a URL -- they may even court one another using this digital calling card. No longer would you have to scribble down a phone number on your sweaty palm -- all you'd need to remember would be a name. Tim Ashley, sales and marketing director at NetBenefit believes this could be about to be come the next boom area in domain name sales. Thequeen.com, tonyblair.com, williamhague.com and margaretthatcher.com have already been snapped up. Who knows, people may even decide on the names they give their children depending on the availability of a URL. ®