[Docter]

Do you guys know if there's any traffic related loss as a result of using a non-.com website extension?

I can't ever seem to get the .com of a name I want. My first thought is to just snag the .net or .info or something, but my gut tells me that most people will automatically assume something is .com (and perhaps give the wrong address to people they are talking to).

[FretDancer]

.gov is for government websites, .org is for lucrative/non-lucrative organizations, .net is for sites usually involving community like cisco.netacad.net

Your traffic won't depend on your demain type, at least it shouldnt anyways. But domain types usually give people a 'hint' of what kind of site they are dealing with.

[WanderingSoul]

If you are looking to brand a website and build a readerbase like Roosh has done, I'd really try to get a .com. Use ddwhois.com to get the owners email and drop them an offer if the domain isn't in use. If you are doing affiliate marketing and plan to get the majority of your traffic from search results, a .net or .org is fine. I would shy away from a .info personally.

[November]

I would always go with one of the big three (com/net/org). I think .info, .biz and all the other domains are unprofessional and should be avoided.

Oh, and if you can get a domain hack -- that's also fine (del.icio.us for example).

[Caligula]

The big three are ranked higher by Google for SEO purposes.

November is spot on - unless you're serving a particular country or it's part of a clever and memorable domain name steer clear. Same goes for using .net or .org for a for-profit business you're building.

[Docter]

Well the idea would be value-blogging with some affiliate marketing thrown in, so I'll attempt to find a good .com or .net