> Indeed we must be careful in our speech. *All* TLDs are monopolies.
> This is unavoidable -- DNS creates natural monopolies. Therefore: It
> is *true* that CORE is a monopoly.
>
> What distinguishes CORE from the multiple monopoly scenario is that
> CORE is in effect a *regulated* monopoly. It is a *non-profit*
> monopoly.
The word "regulated" has a conventional meaning in this context.
It means that the monopoly concerned is under the supervision of
an arm of the government or a quasi-governmental agency.
In the UK the agency responsible for monopolies took a good look
at Nominet because they recognized that it was a monopoly. They
decided to leave it alone because it was (a) small, (b) well-managed,
and (c) operated on a cost recovery basis.
If NSI were in the UK it would almost certainly be regulated.
> The issue of whether multiple *non-profit* registries with different
> policies will be more responsive to public policy input than a single
> *non-profit* registry is open to debate -- I suspect that multiple
> policies will just create confusion, and that policies won't change
> for competitive reasons. But at this point you have to examine the
> details of any given proposal.
My advice is: don't bother. If CORE is to get anywhere, it has to
specify a set of achievable goals and concentrate its energies on
them. If you argue against the GP's five registries because they
are competing with one another, what you say will be ignored. If
you argue that they will be unregulated monopolies which will be
operated so as to extract the greatest possible return from consumers,
you will be listened to.
> As I have said, I personally don't care if there are multiple
> registries or there is one registry -- the crucial point is that gTLD
> registries be run in the public interest, and I think the unavoidable
> conclusion of that principle is that they be non-profit.
I would pay less attention to principles and more to winning
arguments.
There is a war going on. NSI is winning hands down at this point.
They are winning because they don't care in the slightest about
principles; they just want to win.
-- Jim Dixon VBCnet GB Ltd http://www.vbc.net tel +44 117 929 1316 fax +44 117 927 2015