Patrick Corliss [patrick§quad.net.au] wrote:
> Hi Don
> 
> > is there one good reason (and I would accept just one), why we should not be
> > allocated this domain? - Why we should be branded as potential "Domain
> > Squaters" without even a right of appeal?
> 
> I'm so sorry that you don't listen, really.  You have this wrong-headed idea
> that just sticks in your brain like religious fervour.  You don't accept a
> good reason if it doesn't accord with your view of the world.
> 
> The good reason is that:
> 
> (a)    we are in a rule-based society and that's the current rules,


Patrick and others,

To me that in no way answers the question. Don is asking to
justify the rule, and you have in essence just said "well because...".
he has said he does not fit into any of the categories for which the rules
where set up. he is not cybersquating, he is not profiteering, he is not
doing anything wrong. he is not breaking any laws.  a domain is not a trading name,
a domain is not a trade mark, a domain has no legal weight, it's just a name
which converts to an ip address. why cant he be know on the internet by the name he
wants??? why is he as a patriotic australian citizen forced to register the
name he wants overseas or register a name he doesnt want??

Don the correct answer for you is that you are what is termed: colateral damage.
you are an innocent casualty in a some murky extremely ineffective war on some
obscure perceived evil.

and that is what has really pissed me off about the rules. they are totaly
ineffective at targeting what they are supposed to do, and they catch an enormous
amount of innocent colateral damage.

we have registered well over 2000 domains, more then half in .com.au, I cant tell
you the number of times we have had conversations similar to the following.

"sorry that domain will be rejected"
"we can try submit it anyway, but I guarantee it will be rejected"
"we told you they would reject it"
"we didnt make the rules, we dont like the rules either"
"those domains were allocated before they changed the rules"
"its borderline try .net.au they interpret the rules slightly differently"
"no I have no idea why that domain was allowed"
"no there is no real reason for your domain to be rejected"
"no there is no legal backing for the rules"
"no its not a government body"
"no there is no appeal process"
"no you will need to go buy a business name for that domain"
"no why dont you just register it under .com its faster and cheaper anyway"
"sorry your name must be derived..."
"sorry you need to have an acn/brn"
"sorry you have to be an australian entity"
"sorry there is nothing we can do"
"why dont you go complain to them directly"

no no no no sorry sorry sorry

the vast majority of people caught by the rules are innocent folk who do
not understand why their choices have been restricted, why they simply cant
be know on the internet by whatever name they choose when it doesnt interfer
with any business names or trademarks. doesnt hurt anyone, isnt profiteering.

people who want generic domains often want to set up industry portals,
"oh sorry thats just an evil, go back to satan you horrible profiteering
Servant of Mamon".  people want names of services, products.  etc etc
people want their own names, their kids names, their dogs names, some
people want to set up community portals, they want names of suburbs
or cities. Evil evil!! burn in hell you profiteering scumbags!

we had a distributor for an overseas company with exclusive distribution rights
want to set up a .com.au for an italian company. bzzzzt. sorry no wogs or dagos
here thank you! they will have to come set up a legal entity and do
it themselves. say what? why??? why??? why???

I was told by the people that help created the rules: "you have to explain
the benefit of the rules". what benefit!!!! oh sorry you cant have
that domain because its added some value to the one you can have?!?!?!

oh and make sure you book that benefit in your accounts so you dont skip
paying tax on it!

the benefit of the rules is shit compared to the colateral damage. the rules
constantly waste everyones time and energy having to deal with an incredulous
public, who compare .com rules to .com.au  and ask "why?".

huh because America has a culture steeped in the cherishing the ideas of freedom
and liberty and we are a third world colony with a history of masters who
think they should lord it over a bunch of convicts?  I really have no idea why.

do we have these sort of problems with overseas registries? nope. because
australia is the lucky country! and we should all be thankful we had these
clever dns gurus who know how to shelter us from evil!!

anyone who thinks the rules are effective at stamping out evil can
come and answer my phones for a few weeks and then we will see what they think!

Vic