Comment by chx

Perhaps I'm just too cynical but I always see the movement from some more 'obscure' domain name to a 'household' .com / .net as a graduation of sorts.

Given that all the dictionary word .com/.nets got bought out a long long time before many of these startups, started up, a lot of money needs to change hands.

I don't know anything about the history of these particular TLDs, but this page really comes off as 'hey we now have a load of money and can afford to buy the .net we always wanted but it's actually it's for a good reason and we're better than those other hip new companies' - kinda like 'my expensive personalised number plate is actually raising awareness for world peace - your standard one means you don't care' or something.

Again, I'm just a complete outsider here, but that's my initial reaction. Maybe I'm just jaded.

Their lead argument is "because colonialism", which is not a persuasive argument unless you have an ideological axe to grind. In general, people don't give a shit about upholding historical grievances or whatever, they simply want to get things done.