[menog] .asia landrush

[jim.mercer at viszo.com]

> From: Baher Esmat <baher.esmat at icann.org>
> 
> Jim,
> 
> The points you raised could be valid from one perspective but there is also a counter argument that the introduction of new gTLDs is about choice and competition - choice for the end user (registrant) and competition among businesses (registries and registrars).

the reality is that the "choice for the end user" is generally gone by the time the landrush starts, and the competition among the registries and registrars hardly justifies the amount of scamming that goes on in the domainname space, of which they directly profit due to renewals.

> By the way, I'm not the best one to defend this argument, probably because I'm an engineer :), but there are voices within ICANN that have been criticizing ICANN not only for the delay in introducing new gTLDs but also for the restrictions that this process may entail.

I'm quite familiar with the process, and the arguments, having sat through numerous discussion with everyone from consumers, registrars and registries, even as far as Paul Twomey himself at the .xxx debacle in Vancouver/2005.

there is serious money to be made with a TLD, and no doubt the lobbyists had wasted no time making their voices heard, either directly or through proxies.

as i said, who really benefits from the existence of a new TLD?

ICANN should be focusing more of its energies on encouraging or enforcing adherence to the standards that make the internet go, rather spending so much of its time and energy on domains.

SPAM is a huge global issue that effects the entire internet, but as the governing body of the internet, i see almost no real contribution to the solution to SPAM from ICANN.

there are certain vendors who encourage people to implement websites using proprietary codes/methods, which erodes the value of the internet by watering down the concept that makes it work, standards.

anyways, i'll save my ranting for when ICANN comes to Dubai.

its much more entertaining in person.

--
Jim Mercer