|> -----Original Message-----
|> From: dns-bounces+dassa=dhs.org§dotau.org 
|> [mailto:dns-bounces+dassa=dhs.org§dotau.org] On Behalf Of 
|> Jon Lawrence
|> Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 10:49 PM
|> To: .au DNS Discussion List; '.au DNS Discussion List'
|> Subject: Re: [DNS] Secondary Market
|> 
|> I disagree completely that removing these restrictions will 
|> drive prices up.  It may have the effect of driving up the 
|> value of a small number of generic and other 
|> highly-desirable names on the secondary market but will also 
|> result in lower retail prices across the board.  This is 
|> exactly what's happened in the .com space and every other 
|> domain space that has liberalised it's restrictions.  That 
|> means that .au domain names would become a more affordable 
|> alternative for the majority, while those that wish to build 
|> a business based around a generic domain name would be able 
|> to do so, if they are prepared to pay something close to the 
|> real value of the name they desire.

I think one of our fundamental differences is what we see as the real value.
I see the real value of domain names as being equal for all and at a price
point which covers costs and enough profit to cover future expansion and
development.  Any artificial inflation of the value is undesirable in my mind.

|> I think you also need to remember that auDA have already 
|> created a secondary market with relatively high sale prices 
|> for domain names through the generic auction process and yet 
|> the sky hasn't fallen in yet.
|> 
|> Which leads me to ask the question, how is it equitable for 
|> auDA to sell generic domain names at a significant premium, 
|> while restricting the ability of the companies that bought 
|> those names to sell them on as they see fit?

I haven't always agreed with the actions of AuDa either but in most cases I
believe they have bowed to pressure from the industry and tried to deliver a
compromise.

You are right, the freeing up of the market would cause a price drop on a lot
of domain names.  The names people may want such as the generics however will
be much higher in price and I don't really see a need for it.

Basically I want the small businesses to have a chance to get onto the field
before the market is opened up.  I want more names out there in use before the
changes you advocate are put through.  In other words, I believe it is too
soon to open the market up, I'd rather see it happen when there is a little
more saturation.  That is my current opinion at any rate, as always, it is
open to change when I see good reason to.

Darryl (Dassa) Lynch