Re: Suggestion

[Vince Wolodkin <wolodkin@digitalink.com>]

Leo Smith wrote:
> 
> >: > davidk@ISI.EDUwrote:
> >: > The trick is to use meaningfull names. .SEX is a nice example of such
> a
> >: > name. You can be sure that many people don't want to be associated
> with
> >: > such an gTLD while others do want to be associated with it.
> >: >
> >: > The problem with .COM and .NET was that they are *not* meaningfull so
> >: > nobody gets a feeling that they are registering at the wrong place.
> >:  David Collier-Brown replied:   I quite agree.
> >
> Suggestion: To satisfy the needs of both the Internet User and the For
> Profit Registry, why not create a registry system that offers the
> registrant a choice between FREE registration for a nondescript gTLD such
> as .com, .inc, .biz, or .corp, versus a $$$ amount for a descriptive TLD,
> such as .law, .legal, .atty, .medic, .music, .sport, .sex, .gas, .oil,
> .chem., .steel, .iron, etc.
> IAHC or CORE could come up with a set of 3 to 5 generic NON-DESCRIPTIVE
> TLDs for universal, FREE registration.
> If the descriptive TLDs were awarded on an exclusive licensing agreement,
> with all other CORE members as sublicensees, and if all nondescriptive TLDs
> were available for free, then a law firm could choose between lawfirm.biz
> at NO COST, or lawfirm.law for $500 a year. Given the choice between the
> two, I believe that many law firms would rather pay $500 a year for .law
> than to have a common, nondescriptive TLD like .biz. Given an exclusive
> license for .law, an a business might decide to risk capital investment
> needed for startup and operation, based on the projected demand for .law,
> and yet still offer free service for those wanting a nondescript TLD.
> 
> Does this solve the potential abuse problem that some see with exclusive
> licenses?

This is a very good idea, but I don't see how exclusivity becomes
involved.  With the methods you have outlined above, even a shared model
should have a good ROI.  

I just cannot get behind the exclusive model.  I favor competition, and
you just don't have it with exclusivity.  If you have .LAW and I am a
law firm, I either go with you or forget it.  If multiple registries
have access to .LAW, then there is TRUE competition.  You will be
competing on your service levels.

Vince Wolodkin