I must say that I agree with Ari, domain names are a very
important part of a merchadisees tools only because the consumer is
pushing it that way. Robert Elz mentioned that by deregulating the .au
domain names that you will allow huge foreign companies in who will buy
up all the "GOOD" domain names.
        Surely we can set up some criteria were by we can protect
Australian business. I am only suggesting that we deregulate within
Australia, surely the aim of this exercise is to support Australian
businesses, to promote Australia on the internet. Perhaps one of the
criteria would be that the parent company must be located in Australia
to own a .au domain name, their has to be a way that we can have a
compedative advantage over the rest of the world in our own
country."Australia must have access to .au generic domain names" before
we lose the continuity of them. Someone now has .au.com. The consumer is
going to get confused as to what, where and how to search for what they
want.
    I think what is concerning Ari, myself and many other people is that
there seems to be a feeling that everybody is equal but some are more
equal than others. Currently their is ademand for something that we cant
have, but people are finding ways aroud that eventually with enough
pressure things will undoutably change. I think that the alarm bells are
ringing now so lets not make the mistake now.
Shuan LeCornu