Ding Ding! Round 2: WordDial's OTHER challenger emerges

Hands down, WordDial won the first round against Mobile Ventures' FindbyNumbers.com/8e8.mobi wordnumber directory service that - at blogging time - still hadn't added any content to any of its portals. So when it seemed that at the onset of Round 2 we would see more of the same (WordDial signing on more content partnerships and 8e8 collecting dust), a new contender emerges: Numbers That Work.

Jamptap is a bit slow to learn about this new kid on the block, however that is not for lack of trying. After coming across many registered domains like this one 1-466453.com, why, we asked, is some guy buying up dotcom wordnumbers with a one and dash prefix? We didn't go any further. Just shrugged.

And now we see that there is a website behind all of this: Numbersthatwork.com. To start, first, let's dispel any disbelief that these guys are serious. Yes, they're serious. They even have attached copyright claims to their brand name and certain marketing phrases (I assume they mean to say they intend to trademark their brand and those taglines).

Second, what is the '1-' (one dash) thing all about? Per the website: 'Like phone numbers, 1-Dial Domains begin with the number “1”.' Oh-ok. 'The 1- mimics a phone number so it’s a great memory trigger for people using a phone to connect to the web.' Even better. 'Pre-fix a common word with 1- to make it look like a phone number so that it will appeal to mobile users...A 1-Dial Domain consists of numbers converted on a phone keypad, looks like a phone number and spells something.' Okay-doke...though I'm still wondering what this is all about...

Third, it appears Numbers That Work is not just about wordnumbers in the dotcom, but also dotmobi, and also letter-only domains too. Still reading?

Fourth - okay before this goes too far, we should note that although Numbers That Work owns a portfolio of '1-' domains, its domains including 1-wordnumber.tld's are parked (not set up with any content). What this is all about is pushing for a naming convention that will never catch on. It is a '1-Dash Naming convention' that the founder hopes to popularize and cash in because they've been nuts enough to buy lots of one-dash domains and think they'll be right on the money. In a similar regard, if I bought generic words and wordnumbers according to a bizarre naming convention using the prefix 'diyb-' (do it yourself better), what would I do? I'd buy diybpizza.tld, diybgolf.tld, diyb466453.tld, etc... and buy-up the rest of the top generics and wordnumbers and then market my new 'convention' like mad. I'd be making claims of how popular this convention will be, and that the aftermarket price of these domains will soar when it becomes all the rage, and blah blah blah.

Certainly the 1- convention has more promise than diyb-, and the Numbers That Work founders have made a good effort at marketing and taglines ('Home of domain names that look like Phone Numbers!'), however we're not sold. But before Round 2 is over, you didn't chow down that hotdog for bad entertainment; all is not lost, friends. Numbers That Work is the creator of 'KeyPad Golf,' a free 'text to phone keypad converter.' I know. You were thinking: 'I was going to do that!'