Re: Limiting the number of registrars and gTLDs

[Dave Crocker <dcrocker@imc.org>]

At 7:41 PM -0800 12/23/96, Alan Sullivan wrote:
>This is fine - if one were to assume that shared registries are a GOOD
>THING. There are

	Sharing is a not a pre-requisite for the Rule of Cautious Expansion
to apply.  It applies to all mission-critical scaling operations.  Sharing
does, of course, make the technical aspects a bit more interesting.

>numerous comments that have indicated the problems of this approach.
>Apparently IAHC has
>decided to go in a direction orthogonal to Draft Postel. Let's hear the
>merits of a shared
>registry - I can be pursuaded - I just haven't heard strong arguments

	Customers of an exclusive domain are entirely dependent upon the
one registrar for that domain.  If there are problems with that registrar,
there is no where else to go... without having to change your domain name.
Having to change your domain name is a Bad Thing.  It is sufficiently bad
so as to be worth trying to provide alternatives.  Sharing is the way of
providing that alternative, since it permits changing registrars without
changing domain names.

	Sharing also is a way to avoid giving preferential treatment to one
registrar over another, on the theory that some gTLDs will be more
'interesting' than others.  Hence, sharing is a way of ensuring a level
playing field.

	This is my own assessment of the benefits.  It is being generated
on the fly (literally; the plane is about to land) and without coordinating
among the committee.  In other words, I'm asserting even more a disclaimer
than usual.

d/


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----------------------------
Dave Crocker, Director                                       +1 408 246 8253
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Also:  IAHC member, expressing strictly (or loosely) personal opinions