No. What we have a problem about is the seemingly haphazard/biased way domain
names are allocated. news.com.au, etrade.com.au, etc. all seem to be
registered by certain organisations, but equally generic names blocked to
others.

In nothing I have said do I advocate open slather on domain names. Just an
open clear system. Reserve all the generic names and keep them aside for
"special use". Just let everyone know what they are. I do not advocate
deregulation, but rather a clearer regulation of the current system.

I have proposed an idea before that all such generic domain names be
registered by the relevant DNS body and linked to an information site and the
relevant pages of several search engines. Surely that would not stretch
anyone's resources?

Malcolm suggested a variation of this where specific index pages with links
are created. This could work if an income stream is generated to support this
project, but even if it were not feasible, simple links to search engines
achieve most of the goals:

- clarity in which generic domains are not registerable
- safekeeping by a public body of these domains for some perceived future use
- education of the public not to use the DNS as a search engine
- minimal cost

Enough from me on this issue. I think my point of view is clear. What else is
a topic of conversation on this list?


Ari Maniatis


On Tue, 6 Jul 1999, 2:31:48 AM GMT Anthony Hill wrote:


>I just dont understand what people are hoping deregulation will gain for
>the internet community at large. Rules that make it easier for one person
>to register a domain, will make it impossible for the next person who
>wanted that same name. Open-slather will mean that more people miss out
>on names that represent what they do rather than less (IMHO anyway).
>
>I think many of the deregulation arguments are comming from individuals
>and organisations hoping for a cut of the profits that are to be made, and
>that until now, have been restricted to a chosen few. I understand this
>point of view, but I dont understand what the internet community is going
>to gain from increasing the chosen few domain rego organisations to a
>chosen score. 



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