RE: [ga] WLS & and the Transfers TF

["Jeffrey J. Neuman" <jeff@neumanfamily.us>]

To be fair, there were a number of other parties that spoke out in favor
of the WLS in the public forum, not necessarily because they liked the
service, but rather for the points that were raised by the gTLD
Constituency.  In fact, when the transcript for the public forum is
published (hopefully soon), you will see a strong statement of support
for allowing the WLS to be introduced from Bruce Tonkin, a Names Council
representative speaking on behalf of the MelbourneIT registrar
supporting the notion of allowing the service to go forward.  In
addition, I understand that in the Registrar Constituency a vote was
taken on whether to support the report or not and the result was 13 in
favor of it, 10 against.

So, with the gTLDs, Snapnames, 10 of the 23 voting registrars, the IPC
(who is actually neutral so long as the Grace Period is implemented),
and ccTLDs (who I understand abstained in a TF vote on whether to
support the report) not opposed to the introduction of the WLS, can it
really be said that a consensus exists in favor of having the Board
reject the service?




-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ga@dnso.org [mailto:owner-ga@dnso.org] On Behalf Of Don
Brown
Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2002 7:17 PM
To: owner-ga@dnso.org; DannyYounger@cs.com
Cc: ga@dnso.org; mcade@att.com
Subject: Re: [ga] WLS & and the Transfers TF

Danny,

WLS has been debated on the GA list for months. A review of the
archives will show that many on the GA list are steadfastly opposed to
WLS and that I am one of them. Therefore, Marilyn's conclusion about
my silence is correct and on-point and I'd guess the same would be
true of the others who oppose WLS.

As for those in favor of WLS, like the gTLDs, IPC, VeriSign Registry,
SnapNames, SnapName partners, VeriSign Registrar, VeriSign's Registrar
subsidiaries, VeriSign partners, their law firms and lawyers, their
shills who spoke in Bucharest and posted canned statements to the
ICANN comment forum, and the other folks who actually are pursuing
their own independent agenda, they have not been silent, as you have
noticed and pointed out below.

There has already been opportunity for comment, as you have also noticed
and pointed out below, and careful reading of item 3 of the "Schedule of
Events" posted at
http://www.dnso.org/clubpublic/nc-transfer/Arc00/msg00331.html will
disclose a plan for another 10 day public comment period.

The TF has been criticized on matters of form, but not really on
substantive issues.

For instance, perhaps, as the gTLDs pointed out, the TF should not
have considered the wholesale price of a WLS to the Registrars, but
it's difficult not to do so in light of a $6 cost to register a domain
name and a $24 cost for a WLS option. That's particularly true in
light of all of the documents spewed by SnapNames justifying an even
higher price. Let's not forget that the proposed WLS price used to be
much higher than the current $24 WLS proposal, as well.

Perhaps, also, the TF should not have discussed whether an additional
registry service can be introduced by the registry, totally ignoring
SnapNames long and convoluted legal diatribe about how the registry
can't be prevented from introducing WLS and, of course, how everyone
would get sued unless SnapNames' customers were given preferential
treatment.

However, considering that other people made those points a part of the
equation for consideration, I think the TF would have been negligent
if they had not addressed them.

I think, therefore, that the process behind the report either fails your
comprehension or that you have not carefully researched your position
and, as a result, are too petulant to criticize.

WLS has two fatal flaws: (1) WLS is anti-consumer because it
eliminates consumer choice. Instead of multiple services in an already
available market at differing prices, the consumer will have only one,
take it or leave it, service. (2) WLS is anti-competitive because it
will effectively kill the current market of services which are already
available.

Since part of ICANN's mission is to promote competition, WLS should
fail on its face, because of those two fatal flaws alone. Everything
beyond that, is just marketing spins, noise and rabbit trails. ICANN's
BoD vote in favor of WLS will be a vote approving a Monopoly, which
contravenes the very reason for ICANN's very existence.

Thanks,


Wednesday, July 10, 2002, 1:00:41 PM, DannyYounger@cs.com
<DannyYounger@cs.com> wrote:
Dcc> Marilyn,

Dcc> In your letter to the Transfers TF you write:  "To date, while
input was 
Dcc> received pre-status report, there has been very little feedback
from the 
Dcc> community, constituencies and GA on the status report, or the
recommendation 
Dcc> proposed by Grant Forsyth. This should indicate that the draft has
wide 
Dcc> support within the constituencies/GA".  

Dcc> Your conclusion is flawed.  Silence does not equate to
acquiescence.  Your TF 
Dcc> has still not produced a final set of recommendations, nor has the
public yet 
Dcc> been invited to comment upon such a final set of recommendations.
To 
Dcc> conclude that a lack of comments on an incomplete proposal is an
indication 
Dcc> of support is nothing more than wishful thinking.  

Dcc> The gTLDs have already indicated that they do not support your 
Dcc> recommendations, as have many that spoke at Bucharest and many that
have made 
Dcc> their comments on the Public Forum list.  By the way, I have seen
no 
Dcc> indication that any members of your TF have ever once looked at the
public 
Dcc> forum comments (if so, you would already have the URLs for the
SNAPNAMES 
Dcc> documentation that you are now requesting).

Dcc> I share the concerns of the gTLDs regarding "the process behind
producing 
Dcc> that Report", and would encourage your TF to more responsibly
attend to your 
Dcc> obligations.
Dcc> --
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Dcc> Send mail to majordomo@dnso.org to unsubscribe
Dcc> ("unsubscribe ga" in the body of the message).
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