Re: [ga] VeriSign to auction deleting domains!

[George Kirikos <gkirikos@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

--- Richard Henderson <richardhenderson@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> A registry administers the supply of domain names already. I can't
> see for
> the life of me why it can't just sell deleting domains as well. If

By that "logic", we should eliminate registrars, too. Cut out the
middlemen, and deal with only the registry. That's a step backwards to
the "bad old days" (well, "good old days" for VeriSign), when they
owned NSI, and NSI had no competitors like OpenSRS, eNom, Dotster,
GoDaddy, etc.

> You and I both know that if you try to register a deleting domain
> manually,
> the chances of getting that domain are minimal and probably 5000-1.
> Before
> you know it, Buy Domains or someone else has got the name half a
> second
> after it dropped, via some obscure shell registrar.
> 
> You call that system good?

BuyDomains or other consumers have just as much right to the domain
name as you do. You don't see me crying if they get to a name first, or
them crying if I happen to get to a name first. A sign of competition.
Why should VeriSign get first dibs on all names, instead of me?

How are deleted toll-free telephone numbers handled? Do you see
Neustar, the administrator of that database, auctioning off the
desirable ones?

http://www.nanpa.com/

I don't think so.

VeriSign is simply a database administrator, albeit one with delusions
of godhood. Their duty is to hit the delete button, following the
existing deletion procedures, and then wait for the next registrant to
step forward, through a registrar, via the "ADD" command. Nothing more.

Anyhow, this is just the WLS debate all over again. There's almost no
chance VeriSign will get the necessary consensus to approve such a
measure. Any political capital they used to have was destroyed when
they brought in SiteFinder.

The folks at ICANN aren't completely stupid. They've quickly learned
that being on the opposite side of VeriSign's positions is a way to
ensure their success and popularity. The drive for self-preservation
puts them naturally against the abusive positions put out by VeriSign
now. VeriSign did not get anything they've wanted since then (and
they've not had any luck in their legal case against ICANN and the
"co-conspirators"), and are unlikely to in the future unless it has
BROAD appeal to all constituencies. With VeriSign's bunker mentality
and lack of real outreach, they'll continue to see their influence
whither. Just need to make sure ICANN doesn't expand to fill that
void.....that's the Big Question of 2005, I think -- who will gain
power, as VeriSign is slowly emasculated? Some of that will be answered
soon, as we see who wins .net.

Sincerely,

George Kirikos
http://www.kirikos.com/