> One outcome I'm anticipating:  The IRAs and INGs plan to close up
> shop once they're subjected to a CoC

Its possible the establishment (and enforcement) of Codes of Conduct will
have no effect on dodgy operators trying to make money out of renewing
people's domain names.  I believe a technical solution would be more
effective than a 'management' solution.

The problem with a Code of Conduct solution is that it must have a sanction
for it to work - i.e. "if you don't toe the line, we'll do X to you".  That
may work fine for accredited Registrars, and for accredited Re-Sellers, etc.

But you don't have to be an accredited Registrar, or Re-Seller, to register
domain names.  The domain name renewal situation is analagous to renewing
business names, company names etc.  You can do it yourself, or you can pay
someone to do it for you.

So I could send out a gazillion letters to domain name holders offering to
renew their domain names for them, and set my charges at whatever I like.
The domain name holders are simply paying me a fee to look after a chore for
them.  As many businesses do today with their Accountants - they pay their
accountants to look after their business name / company name registration.

I don't have to be an 'accredited Re-Seller'.  I don't have to be a
Registrar.  And I fail to see on what grounds a Registrar could refuse to do
business with me if I want to renew someone's domain name for them.

Instead, I recommend a solution to the issue that is primarily technical,
built around the following recommendations:

1.  Change the view of all whois databases (i.e. AUNIC and any operated by
Registrars and authorised re-sellers) so that the 'Creation Date' is not
displayed.  Make the creation date only visible in the domain name edit
form, for which people need the domain name registry key.
2.  Change the view of all whois databases so the street number is not
displayed.  Make the street number only visible in the domain name edit
form, for which people need the domain name registry key.  This will end the
paper mail snowstorm.  Note that the ASIC company / business names database
displays neither street number or street name, so they've solved this
problem.  It doesn't solve the problem for all time, as the contact person's
email address is visible, but the situation in the community at large at the
moment is that an email offer to renew the domain name is likely to be taken
more skeptically than a paper one.
3.  Ensure that the domain name renewal process requires that the person
renewing the domain must have the domain name registry key.  This will tend
to make domain name owners check the status of their domain name, and many
will check with their existing hosting service, etc, before just sending
money off to someone.

It may not be worth introducing these changes into the existing systems, as
they're all about to change with the introduction of competition (which I
must say is proceeding faster than I had expected), but I believe they
should be included in the design of the new systems.

I think this is one of the (rare) occasions when some technical changes may
be more effective than a 'management' solution.

Regards, Mark


Mark Hughes
Effective Business Applications Pty Ltd
effectivebusiness§pplications.com.au
www.pplications.com.au
+61 4 1374 3959





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