[LINK] RE: The auDA-Elz Standoff

[Richard Archer]

At 7:16 PM +1000 6/8/01, Tony Hill wrote:

>- the competition model can provide significant benefit to Internet
>users by introducing competition between registrars.  It should be
>implemented as soon as possible.  We do not want anything to delay this
>process.

Indeed the competition model while not ideal is probably the best
outcome that can be expected in the existing situation. It should
certainly be implemented as soon as possible, and work should continue
to introduce further competition if required.

While we're talking about the competition model, I have not seen
addressed the concerns about the impact of the competition model on the
currently free and well-serviced domains such as .asn.au and .id.au. Is
the auDA going to impose a levy on domain registrations and renewals
within these domains? And if so how is an increase in fees for such
domains justifiable?


>- the competition model has little chance of implementation unless
>redelegation goes ahead, while giving Robert Elz the opportunity to make
>a considered judgement.

I mildly agree with most of what Tony has said up to this point,
however I find this comment baffling.

Why is it that kre can't retain the delegation of .AU and authority for
the Australian DNS while still allowing implementation of the core of
the competition policy?

Apart from the few comments in the policy that fall squarely into the
wishful thinking category such as "Only auDA will have authority for
setting domain name policy for .au.", the policy contained within the
document appears to be delegate-neutral.

Or was it the intention of the competition panel to force kre to
redelegate the .AU domain to auDA by devising a competition policy that
had redelegation as a prerequisite?


>- there is a real prospect of introducing new second level domains and
>opening up access to existing second level domains such as .id.au to
>provide greater benefit to Internet users.

Greater benefit how, exactly?

Oh do you mean by allowing registrants to "protect their online
corporate identity" three times as strongly by being able to register a
.com.au, .biz.au and a .firm.au domain name?

The only people benefiting from more 2LDs will be registrars. And auDA
as they presumably take a cut of each domain name registration fee.


>It is essential that these changes are introduced as a package.  You
>can't have the benefits of one without the others.

Of course you can. Just because you don't get two benefits at once
doesn't mean one benefit isn't worth having.


>In the end, the stability of the DNS is of paramount concern.

This is indeed very true. I note that under kre's supervision the
Australian DNS has been very stable, and I for one am willing to
believe that if kre has reservations about the process or the outcome
of the auDA policy making that there are almost certainly some very
real issues to be concerned about.

 ...R.