Thanks Adam,

I'm going to try and not be too verbose in this response, however anyone
uninterested in this topic might want to click delete now :)

Some basic assumptions -

1/ .asn.au domains are available for the use of associations - usually
not-for-profit (or non-profit) entities offering some form of community or
social service within a predetermined framework.
2/ .asn.au domains were freely available up until (?) and will now incur a
cost
3/ The reason for the new charge is an auDA policy (??) aimed at recovering
the cost of providing the service
4/ .asn.au domains will not be replicated by some other freely available and
comparable domain naming service
5. .asn.au was the only free domain available for nfp associations

If these assumptions are correct...

The matter of Internet commercialisation  -v- free and equitable access to
information and services (such as should be expected by NFP associations),
is a component of a subject titled 'Community Informatics'. Broadly
speaking, CI is the study of community-based informatics technologies and
the various ways and means of using these to improve community development
opportunities.

An underlying component of CI is the means by which excessive service
charges can be reduced in rural and remote communities - charges not
normally faced in urban communities. Perhaps the prime example of CI
methodologies in action is the policy to provide local-call Internet access
to  all Australians (something many people here may, or may not agree
with!). However these policies are realised in acknowledgement of one simple
fact... Rural Australians are far more reliant on community and NFP
associations for the provision of many of life's essential services - for
the simple reason that these services are not available to the extent that
they are in our cities.

The matter of Associations and NFP's in this equation, is that most
initiatives are realised by community (NFP) groups and associations acting
in concert with Government agencies. Some examples include Adult Learning
Australia; The Downe Syndrome Association;  many local Chambers of Commerce,
and of course, numerous Churches. Frequently these associations have very
limited income streams, and survive on the same volunteer ethos, and for the
same set of values that made .asn.au Domains freely available in the first
place. What a shame if we should now lose this culture of supporting those
who in turn, freely support the development of CI initiatives! (only one of
which is to realise more people and computers connected to the Internet).

Last year I had a paper published by the Central Queensland University where
I outlined the value of Social Capital to CI. One highly important aspect of
this was the acknowledgement of a group of assets known as "The Commons".
These are community assets used to strengthen and support community
development projects - and without a doubt one asset that fits the
description of a "Common" is the .asn.au namespace - Something that (was)
freely available for the use of community associations wishing to extend
themselves, and their communities, into the modern information age.

As others have done, I would also offer my services to maintain the .asn.au
domain on a voluntary basis... however perhaps a degree of analysis might be
prudent before we all make this pledge -

Will NFP associations accept paying a fee for an .asn.au domain, or are they
more likely to simply move to a .com? - and will charging for .asn.au
domains encourage new NFP's to identify themselves within the .au namespace
at all?

Will NFP's view the introduced charges as supportive? (unlikely), and
considering that many have very close ties with Government, what are the
likely political ramifications to auDA?

In short, will these new charges in fact result in a profit at all - or are
they more likely to turn into a financial burden when consideration is given
to the accounting and administrative costs associated with managing  a
(politically challenging) charging regime on a market with numerous free
alternatives available to them?

Regards, Don Cameron


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