Re: Transfering a domain

[davidk@ISI.EDU]

Michael,

> Michael Dillon writes :
> 
> Why shouldn't the user have total control over the db records? They are
> the ones publishing the information, aren't they?

I fully agree with this.

> Now, how does a domain name owner authenticate themselves with a new
> registrar? Well, when CORE emails or snail-mails the renewal notices, they
> include a key number. The user presents this key number with their payment
> and the registrar then registers the payment with the key number. If a
> domain name owner needs to make a change for some reason the same
> procedure applies. For instance, their ISP fails so now all email
> addresses and DNS information on their record is invalid and needs to be
> updated. The user must now satisfy CORE that they are the legitimate
> domain name owner. The easy way to do this is for all new domain name
> owners to receive a similar key that is reserved for information changes.
> They pull this key out of the file and supply it to the registrar with the
> new information. Once the new info is recorded, the key is expired and a
> new key is emailled to them for the next change. 

This is an interesting idea. I just happened to have a simular thought
but a little bit less complicated (and in line with my light-weight
repository ideas ;-)):

The end-user can specify an Acknowledgement E-mail address. The registrar
can send this E-mail address along with the other minimal set of data to
the repository. The repository registers the minimal data set (not
including the Acknowledgement E-mail address) and sends a signed E-mail
to the Acknowledgement E-mail address with all the information that is
registered in the repository. The end-user will not receive mail when the
Acknowledgement E-mail address is faked by the registrar or will get back
a message (from the registrar) with the wrong signature since it doesn't
know the repositories private key.

> The cost of postage for CORE to snail-mail all the notices is not a valid
> complaint because this cost should be part of the overhead fees charged to
> the registrars. There are ways to handle international mailing by doing
> bulk shipments to another country for remailling there and the accuracy
> and timing of such mailings can be monitored quite easily by including
> bogus notices to helpers in various countries who email CORE when they
> have received their bills. The registrars are the front-end customer
> service reps, but CORE is the maintainer of the registry.

The notices should be mailed by the registrars. It's their choice to use
E-mail and/or snail-mail. Registrars are also better in this, they are
supposed to work local in the country. It's the responsibility of the
end-user to choose a good registrar ... (or a cheap one that doesn't
provide this service),

David K.
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