On Sat, Jun 27, 1998 at 12:07:49AM +1000, Mark Hughes wrote:
> >> It discourages end customers from buying directly from NOMINET by a
> >> charging non-members twice the amount it charges members.
> 
> >Why is the rationale for allowing non members to register directly
> >at all?  Why not have nominet act purely as a clearing house for
> >its members?
> 
> Perhaps someone could explain to me why there is a need for any intermediary
> between the User and the entity that maintains the shared registry?  Surely
> the most efficient and simplest method of operation is that the process of
> applying for a domain name is a simple e-form filled in by the user which
> interacts directly with the shared registry software.  There's no logical
> need for intermediate Registrars - they're just an added level of
> complexity.

The main reason there is an intermediate is because most registries require
a primary and secondary DNS to be setup and active for the domain prior to
registration. I guess people have found it to be faster to have the two
steps of "setup DNS primary and secondary" and "register the domain" to
be combined into one step (most ISPs and other organisations actually 
register the domain on behalf of the client - typically because the client
forgets magic words or might offend the registry).

I remember that COM.AU used to have intermediate registration where you could
get the domain registered and have it sitting around as a TXT RR, then you
could delegate the domain to your chosen servers.

tom§interact.net.au