The company behind WordPress is opening up the .blog domain

The company whose software helps to run a massive number of mainstream media sites and personal blogs alike, Automattic (the organization behind WordPress), has announced the rollout of its .blog domain.

On Tuesday, company founder Matt Mullenweg made the announcement by changing his own personal blog to point a .blog TLD (top-level domain). 

As for availability, Mullenweg said that .blog will be rolled out over the next few months and revealed that he has “one of the first ones live on the internet.”

SEE ALSO: Tumblr users will soon see ads on their blogs in a move to generate revenue

Automattic won the right to control the .blog TLD last year for around $19 million, a hefty price tag that the company likely is hoping will be offset by user interest in the new domain dynamic. 

Those interested in registering new site names under the .blog TLD can pay a $30 registration fee and a $220 application fee for early consideration. However, if they don’t land the domain they’re hoping for, applicants will be able to receive refunds. That’s an important point, because some popular domains are already pretty pricey, including computer.blog, priced at $100,000, smartphone.blog, priced at $5,000 and internet.blog, priced at $10,000. 

Another important point is that using WordPress will not be required — the domain registrations are open to anyone, regardless of publishing platform. 

Domain speculation remains a lucrative practice, but as internet activity continues to migrate to mobile, the chances that the .blog TLD (the term “blog” itself somewhat outdated) will catch on seem optimistic at best. 

Nevertheless, anticipating heavy interest in marketable names, the registration site has outlined the name acquisition process, stating, “If others apply for tech.blog, it will go to an auction, with no price limit. If tech.blog contains a trademark, the owners may register it in a separate process, cancelling out your application.”

Early applications are open until Nov. 9 and the .blog domains will officially be available for $30 each to the public on Nov. 21.