As some of you will know the Australian DNS Action Group
<http://dnsaction.terminus.net.au> in conjunction with the Australian
Public Access Network Association <http://www.apana.org.au> prepared a
tender for the operation of the .org.au, .asn.au and .id.au domains,
with the aim of offering a community-based service provided by
volunteers which would (with a little give and take from auDA) allow for
the continued free availability of .org.au, .asn.au and .id.au domain
names at a registry level (but with fee-based registrar services for
those who wished to pay for a higher level of service).  We saw these
domains as being much more likely to contract than to expand if they
were commercialised.

Regrettably the tender was slightly late and auDA decided not to allow
our tender for consideration on its merits.  It is a matter of judgment
as to when one should take a heavy-handed approach in procedural
matters, and when one should look beyond strict legalism in order to
remain open to options that offer a better outcome for non-profit and
individual domain registrants.  Far be it from me to second-guess that
judgment, or to suggest that every possible encouragement should be
given to a voluntary effort that seeks to surmount technical and
financial hurdles that are almost risibly extravagant in the context of
such small non-commercial domain spaces.

Regardless of that, for what is is worth, the would-be tender is now
available unprotected in HTML/ASCII and PDF formats at
http://dnsaction.terminus.net.au.  For now, its two first avenues of
action having been frustrated, the DNS Action Group will be offering its
support to those tenderers whose tenders encompass a scheme for the
continued free availability of non-profit and individual domain names,
to Board members and applicants for Board membership whom we believe can
initiate measures to turn the tide of anti-volunteerism in Australian
Internet management, and will be considering legal measures in support
of Robert Elz' principled stand against the forcible reallocation of
subdomains validly delegated by the then-incumbent .au domain registrar.

-- 
JEREMY MALCOLM <Jeremy&#167;Malcolm.wattle.id.au> http://malcolm.wattle.id.au
Providing online networks of Australian lawyers (http://www.ilaw.com.au)
and Linux experts (http://www.linuxconsultants.com.au) for instant help!
Disclaimer: http://www.terminus.net.au/disclaimer.html. GPG key: finger.

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