On Fri, 11 Aug 2006, Vic Cinc wrote:

 > not sure if to laugh or cry.
 > 
 > Vic

Vic, for once I find myself in perfect agreement with you.  Perhaps for
completely different reasons, if that's any consolation!  <&^}=

Frankly, after browsing the website and such a bit, I tend to think the
whole notion is nowadays slightly more funny than it is tragic.  5 or 10
years ago in the net-naive past, this sort of gadget might have flown.

I'm sure a few people will make a lot of money out of it, and gain some
recognition from 'above' as being somehow 'representative' - if there
still exist communities that a) don't already have all sorts of websites
presented by various groups, organisations, businesses and individuals; 
or b) include those seeking a vocation applying layers of hierarchical
control overlay over 'lesser' groups; or perhaps c) don't already have
various mobs politicking hard over 'representative' status recognition. 

It seems basically an attempt to cash in on geography to try to reimpose
server hierarchies over what an open net makes essentially peer-to-peer,
and at a cost way beyond many non-profit community groups imagining, as
Jeremy points out - but it's not really meant for them, is it?

Maybe the next step is to make it compulsory?  That'd boost the bizmod!

Cheers, Ian

 > ----- Original Message ----- 
 > From: "Jeremy Malcolm" <Jeremy&#167;Malcolm.id.au>
 > To: <dns&#167;dotau.org>
 > Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 7:38 PM
 > Subject: [DNS] auCD costs
 > I have been surprised before, and am again, by some of auXX's pricing 
 > decisions.  Compare the cost of an auCD domain and CMS hosting package 
 > over five years to the cost of the nearest alternative:
 > 
 > auCD
 > ----
 > Registration fee, two years (cheapest registrar): $615 x 2.5
 > Hosting and CMS licence, year 1: $2200 + ($1500 x 4)
 > Total: $10,337.50
 > 
 > Alternative
 > -----------
 > Registration fee, .org.au (cheapest registrar): $9.50 x 2.5
 > CMS licence (cheapest easy-to-use CMS, eg. Mambo): $0.00
 > Hosting (a cheap Australian host supporting Mambo): $162 x 5
 > Total: $833.75
 > 
 > Quite rightly, only non-profit groups can apply for auCD domains.  How 
 > many non-profit community Web sites do you know that would have the 
 > budget for an auCD package?
 > 
 > -- 
 > Jeremy Malcolm LLB (Hons) B Com
 > Internet and Open Source lawyer, IT consultant, actor
 > host -t NAPTR 1.0.8.0.3.1.2.9.8.1.6.e164.org|awk -F! '{print $3}'