I totally disagree with you that people view .com/.net/.org as foreign
domains these days.

Australian businesses with an Australian market do not have to reside in the
.au name space, and nor do I think that it really makes any difference
anymore.

www.cityrail.info
www.countrylink.info
www.sydneyferries.info
www.anz.com



NSW Government - I don't these any of these do business outside NSW, much
less Australia

If I wanted to waste 2 hours, I am sure I could find hundreds of examples of
Australian businesses, organisations, governments/councils that use
international domains.

What a stupid argument.


_______________________________________________________
Skeeve Stevens, RHCE     Email: skeeve§skeeve.org
Si vis pacem, para bellum


-----Original Message-----
From: dns-bounces+skeeve=skeeve.org§dotau.org
[mailto:dns-bounces+skeeve=skeeve.org§dotau.org] On Behalf Of Ron Stark
Sent: Saturday, 24 September 2005 1:31 PM
To: '.au DNS Discussion List'
Subject: Re: [DNS] Time for the rulestochangeregardingtransferring
domainname licences

Interesting way that you assist and advise your clients, Skeeve.

Firstly you don't *have* to register a business name in order to have a .au
domain name.  If the commercial venture is sufficiently viable it may well
be prudent to register the business name - but it's the business viability,
not the domain name, that determines such a step.  In any event as an
individual you can register an ABN at no cost, which confers on you the
commercial status you require.

Secondly, I normally recommend the opposite to you.  If it's an Australian
business with an Australian market, you'd be really foolish to portray
yourself as a global operation to customers who are looking for Australian,
usually local, suppliers.  Such shows considerable naivety in and detachment
from market behaviour.

Thirdly, in the context of other business costs (and website costs, for that
matter) that of the domain name is so insignificant as to be meaningless.
Like yeah, right, I'm going to persuade a customer to come to me because I
can save them 1 cent a day on domain price.  As somebody else in this thread
observed, it's added value that counts.

Contrary to your contention that the .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, I suggest that it's because silly
advice they're getting.

As a general observation, I find it interesting that those on this list who
are in the best position to register and hold potentially valuable domain
names to later resell at profit, also seem to be the strongest supporters of
removing restrictions that currently prevent them from doing so.

My understanding is that the .au space has been less of a victim to chaos
than other spaces.  So why the clamour to change that?

Ron Stark


:  -----Original Message-----
:  From: dns-bounces+ronstark=snapsite.com.au§dotau.org
:  [mailto:dns-bounces+ronstark=snapsite.com.au§dotau.org] On
:  Behalf Of Skeeve Stevens
:  Sent: Saturday, 24 September 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.
:  
:  ...Skeeve
:  
:  _______________________________________________________
:  Skeeve Stevens, RHCE     Email: skeeve§skeeve.org
:  Si vis pacem, para bellum
:  
:  
:  -----Original Message-----
:  From: dns-bounces+skeeve=skeeve.org§dotau.org
:  [mailto:dns-bounces+skeeve=skeeve.org§dotau.org] On Behalf Of Dassa
:  Sent: Saturday, 24 September 2005 8:05 AM
:  To: '.au DNS Discussion List'
:  Subject: Re: [DNS] Time for the rules to
:  changeregardingtransferring domainname licences
:  
:  |> -----Original Message-----
:  |> From: dns-bounces+dassa=dhs.org§dotau.org
:  |> [mailto:dns-bounces+dassa=dhs.org§dotau.org] On Behalf Of Deus Ex
:  |> Machina
:  |> Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 11:07 PM
:  |> To: .au DNS Discussion List
:  |> Subject: Re: [DNS] Time for the rules to change
:  regardingtransferring
:  |> domainname licences
:  |>
:  |> Jon Lawrence [jon§jonlawrence.com] wrote:
:  |> > That's a fair question Kim, but it misses the point that
:  |> there already
:  |> > is (and to some extent always has been) a secondary market
:  |> for .au domain names.
:  |> >
:  |> > Now that auDA has (finally) caught up with reality and
:  |> released the
:  |> > remaining generic and geographic names that weren't
:  |> registered when Mr
:  |> > Elz was away on holiday back in the mid 90's, it would
:  seem a good
:  |> > time to remove another artificial (and ineffective)
:  |> restriction on the
:  |> > development of the .au domain name industry.
:  |> >
:  |> > Perhaps while we're doing that we could also finally
:  |> dispense with the
:  |> > farcical allocation rules (exact match, derived or
:  |> "otherwise closely
:  |> > and substantially connected to the registrant") that
:  serve only to
:  |> > artifically inflate the revenue of ASIC and the state
:  |> business registration authorities.
:  |>
:  |> it would be a positive step forward if the allocation rules where
:  |> retired. allowing names to be sold overseas would be in
:  keeping with
:  |> all other major registries. these are all artificial
:  barriers that no
:  |> longer serve any purpose.
:  
:  The Australian namespace and market hasn't matured enough as
:  yet.  There are a lot of positive outcomes still to be
:  gained by keeping tight controls over .au.  As the local
:  market matures and more businesses and the public adjust to
:  the online environment, then it would likely be beneficial
:  to open up the rules.  At the moment the only people who
:  would benefit to the detriment of the public are a few
:  individuals who would leverage their profits.
:  
:  The value in .au names is partly due to the controls in
:  place.  I see a lowering in value for names already held if
:  the market was widened.
:  
:  Darryl (Dassa) Lynch
:  
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