I use a .io domain and I get why .com isn't sufficient, but I really fail to see the value that this, along with most of the other cute new tld's, bring to the world.
More than anything, I fear that it will teach my parents that domains can look like anything, so that link in the email is probably fine.
You get a fair bit of defense for it around here, but ultimatly it's just rent seeking. Keeping younger generations out from having decent name just because you arrived earlier doesn't really promote a healthy web, nor provide real economic value.
Of course, most squatters would respond "I was planning on using that domain", so it's easier politically to just flood us with new ones.
My company name is squatted on several tlds ( by different people, obviously no intention to use them ). The .com owner wanted to charge me $40,000 or $1000 p/m. Fuck that. I used an alt tld.
More than anything, I fear that it will teach my parents that domains can look like anything, so that link in the email is probably fine.