The numbers don't lie: people are hand registering more domains now than ever before. In the third quarter, people registered 13.1 million new .com and .net domains. That was a record for Verisign, beating the previous record set just three months earlier. Sure, some were expired domain backorders, but many weren't.

Earlier this year, domain investor Josh Reason came on the show to talk about his formula for hand registering 7,500 domains and his early results. Today, Josh returns to provide an update. He shares his results and discusses which keywords have been winners — and which haven't panned out.

We also discuss the launch of the DNX domain registrar.

Also: .Web, Escrow.com sales, ccTLD rule changes

Sponsor: Spaceship

The board of auDA, the group that oversees the .au namespace, just voted to make a sweeping change to registration rules for .com.au domains. It could mean a million or more domains lose their eligibility in a namespace of 3.3 million.

On today's show, Erhan Karabardak, a former auDA board member and IP attorney, joins me. He was one of the seven people on the panel that came up with the recommended rule change, and one of three who voted against it.

Erhan explains what happened and what it means for domain registrants.

Also: Verisign pricing lawsuit, Aruba and ShortDot new TLD plans, IONOS layoffs, drop time changes

Sponsor: Namecheap

Verisign is introducing .web this year, but the idea for the domain dates back more than three decades. Today's guest was there at the beginning.

Chris Ambler, Director of Domains for Registered Agents, Inc., discusses the long and winding history of .web and his role in proposing the domain years ago.

Nah, he's not bitter at all about not getting the domain.

Even though Chris isn't involved with Verisign's .web, he is participating in this year's round of new top level domain expansion. Registered Agents, Inc. applied for six domains, including .epic, .identity, .mark, .private, .registeredagent, and .verified.

Chris explains the thinking behind these strings, updates listeners on domain registrar Epik, and discusses why the company decided to build its own Registry Service Provider, Astronym Registry.

Sponsor: Sell your domains with Sav.com domain landers