Quoting Nick Andrew on Wednesday January 16, 2002:
| 
| It's never been possible to tell which names MelbIT will
| consider "generic" in advance of them actually making that
| determination. So it is not possible for anybody to state
| definitively that a name is available for purchase, before
| actually trying to do so.

Exactly.

| > Thanks for your hypothetical, but how do you propose would be a fairer
| > way to release the generic domains?
| 
| Register the name for free to the first prior applicant. If they
| don't want it, continue down the list until you find an applicant
| who wants it. If no applicants want it for free, then release it
| for general registration.

This is flawed. Firstly, there is no complete record of failed
submissions. Secondly, it penalises potential applicants who read the
rules before applying and didn't waste everyone's time by putting in a
doomed application. Rather, it rewards those that didn't read the rules
and applied anyway.

kim