|> -----Original Message-----
|> From: dns-bounces+dassa=dhs.org§dotau.org 
|> [mailto:dns-bounces+dassa=dhs.org§dotau.org] On Behalf Of 
|> Skeeve Stevens
|> Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2005 11:05 AM
|> To: '.au DNS Discussion List'
|> Subject: Re: [DNS] Time for the rules 
|> tochangeregardingtransferring domainname licences
|> 
|> The local market is suffering from its own rules.
|> 
|> I assist some hundreds of domains being registered per year 
|> (not much compared to some).  In 90% of occasions I 
|> recommend that they get global .com/.net/.org/.info domains. 
|>  Why? Because .com.au/.net.au cost at least double that of a 
|> US domain, and doesn't even take into account you have to 
|> spend $100+ on a business name.  Also, many people are 
|> wanting personal domains for family websites, blogging, etc 
|> etc etc and couldn't care less about the worthless .id.au 
|> namespace so they also get global domains.
|> 
|> Hence, in my experience, and I am sure Vic would agree... 
|> That .au namespace is losing tens of thousands of domains 
|> per year to overseas TLD's simply because of the cost and 
|> simplicity of dealing with them.

Where is the public good in opening up the .au namespace so that Registrars
can sell more domains in it?  For those serious about having a place in the
namespace there is plenty of opportunity for them to do so.  As it is, the
namespace has some real meaning without being cluttered up like the global
ones where the actual TLD doesn't relate to the content exposed at the URI
relating to them.

There may need to be more marketing done to sell the namespace but to my mind,
having a less cluttered namespace adds value to it.  Knowing there are actual
businesses involved in the .com.au namespace is better IMHO than having it
free for all and hostnames in the namespace that don't relate to the TLD or
ccTLD.

Bigger isn't always better.  Can you demonstrate to me how having more
hostnames in the namespace would be better?

Darryl (Dassa) Lynch