Domainlore blog

[Siusaidh]

There is no reason why something technical shouldn't be made easier, which in turn opens up opportunities to the masses.

The best way of opening up registration of dropping domains "to the masses" would be to make all dropping domains available to everyone to bid on.

It's very simple.

You don't actually need a drop catching system at all, if the names are auctioned off at the point of drop.

I know that may not be a popular view here, but it lays to rest all issues of fairness or unfairness.

 

[Gill]

@Trauiner answered this
Think of web hosting, web design, IT support, etc

That simply created another question rather than addressing the original. In a perfect World, everyone would be honest, Nominet would offer the only hosted catch solution and all the honest people would have one membership. In the real world 4 or 5 people offer a hosted catching solution and take 50% of any sales caught using their system, added to that is the fact that some people have multiple memberships fronted by people with no interest in domains. The point I'm making is that we don't live in a perfect World and the current system is being abused by a minority that just happen to be using a dominant system.

The real irony about this whole debate is that it was Denys that created the first hosted catching service but limited the number that could use his system - which was VERY dominant. You then have Rob who called everyone cheats, crooks, charlatans and collaborators when he couldn't compete and now some fool has given him the keys to the safe, he's taken the very thing he supposedly disagreed with to new lows.

 

[PoshTiger]

That's still greed and controlling the market for no other reason to benefit a small select few.

That's the point, there's no-one could control the market like what's happening now!

Let me guess - you use a hosted system?

 

[timter51]

Fuck me, I feel like I've missed out on this whole hosted chasing thing

 

[Gill]

Fuck me, I feel like I've missed out on this whole hosted chasing thing

You do alright, now go and crawl back under your rock

 

[timter51]

You do alright, now go and crawl back under your rock

But it's lonely under my rock chasing one domain at a time

In all seriousness, I guess that whatever changes Nominet are planning for droplists might nerf the whole catching malarky anyway.

 

[Gill]

The best way of opening up registration of dropping domains "to the masses" would be to make all dropping domains available to everyone to bid on.

It's very simple.

You don't actually need a drop catching system at all, if the names are auctioned off at the point of drop.

I know that may not be a popular view here, but it lays to rest all issues of fairness or unfairness.

The costs would be too great, we're in a purple patch so as is usually the case, greed rears its ugly head but lets be honest, there's a few £000's at stake here. The staffing of a auction system would be a loss maker so why bother.

I think the moral of the story is that most people think something should be changed ONLY when it starts to affect them.

When they benefit they don't care. When it starts to hurt their profits, hurts how many domains they catch etc, they care all of a sudden and say the system is broken.

It's all about greed, plain and simple!

 

[Gill]

But it's lonely under my rock chasing one domain at a time

In all seriousness, I guess that whatever changes Nominet are planning for droplists might nerf the whole catching malarky anyway.

You've got enough nuggets saved by now so go and do something more fun and productive, assuming you aren't already. Drop catching in its current guise needs putting out of it's misery and replacing with a system where people chase one name for days and weeks at a time with very limited resources.

 

[Siusaidh]

The costs would be too great, we're in a purple patch so as is usually the case, greed rears its ugly head but lets be honest, there's a few £000's at stake here. The staffing of a auction system would be a loss maker so why bother.

It's being considered.

 

[Gill]

It's being considered.

As it should be

 

[Siusaidh]

Gill (Sean): "The staffing of a auction system would be a loss maker so why bother."

Trauiner: "If a domain dropping is open to everyone to bid on, you would likely get higher domain prices. Yes, the domain is now available to bid but people will moan that it's now not fair because they can't afford the current £20,000 bid for the domain, whereas before they had the chance to buy it for $50 through a hosted catching system."

You can't both be right!

 

[Gill]

If a domain dropping is open to everyone to bid on, you would likely get higher domain prices. Yes, the domain is now available to bid but people will moan that it's now not fair because they can't afford the current £20,000 bid for the domain, whereas before they had the chance to buy it for $50 through a hosted catching system.

It isn't Nominet or end users that are benefitting from the current system, it's a select few, especially the ones that control the code. I understand and agree with Siusaidh's argument that it would be better that Nominet auction the domains but I just don't believe that's the route they'll take.

 

[Gill]

You can't both be right!

You're right, we can hopefully educate him

 

[Siusaidh]

My point is that actually there would be sufficient revenue for Nominet to cover the costs of an in-house auction system, outside unusual months like this one, or the upcoming one in June, where they'd obviously make a killing compared to the £4 they presently get in return for being bombarded with scripts.

Create a minimum bid price to trigger each auction and that way you'd be running a relatively small-scale set up, with just the more lucrative domains being auctioned off.

The present system is f*cked. An auction opens access at the point of dropping to the largest number of people. You want it. You buy it.

I've been in quite a lot of phone conversation and correspondence with Nominet staff and they are considering a detailed model, along with other options.

What's clear is that the present system is chaotic and very obviously limits who gets access to names as they drop. Many of those just end up in warehouse.

I very much doubt the status quo will hold. Whether they opt for auction I think no-one can say, but it's on the table.

Let's wait and see.

 

[dee]

The best way of opening up registration of dropping domains "to the masses" would be to make all dropping domains available to everyone to bid on.

It's very simple.

You don't actually need a drop catching system at all, if the names are auctioned off at the point of drop.

I know that may not be a popular view here, but it lays to rest all issues of fairness or unfairness.

Then it just becomes the realm of the fattest wallet

 

[Gill]

My point is that ...

I agree and I hope you're right but get ready for the fireworks to fly around here if that's what happens!

 

[webber]

I've been in quite a lot of phone conversation and correspondence with Nominet staff and they are considering a detailed model, along with other options.

Such a system will surely be profitable and potentially a lot fairer. A single point where domains will be auctioned will avoid confusion and end users can take part with equal opportunity as the "investors".
My only problem is where these profits will go to? Nominet's board bonuses for bringing in extra revenue?
Nominet shouldn't be a for-profit entity!

 

[Gill]

Then it just becomes the realm of the fattest wallet

That's what it's always boiled down to, the question is whether it's better for Nominet to take the money and maybe distribute any profit amongst a list of charitable causes (maybe let the winning bidder decide who should benefit) or a select few drop catchers?

 

[dropsnatcher]

MELITAWEB rob morrison triq il-gjacinti san gwann malta
MARKETSEARCH richard slate triq il-hida san gwann malta

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Triq+Il-Hida,+San+Ġwann,+Malta/La+Rovesciata,+Triq+Il-+Kampanella,+San+Gwann,+Malta/@35.9094388,14.4755909,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x130e454ffcafa2f5:0x481bc7eaf2b957c3!2m2!1d14.4840279!2d35.9087102!1m5!1m1!1s0x130e455791c0708d:0xbde96a3e25d16b77!2m2!1d14.474249!2d35.909777!3e0?hl=en&authuser=0

thecrouchendproject.co.uk 08/01/2020 name servers caught.with.hostedchasing.com domain.at.ukbackorder.com
johnpickering.co.uk 12/01/2020 name servers caught.with.hostedchasing.com domain.at.ukbackorder.com
theequalitiesreview.org.uk 14/01/2020 name servers caught.with.hostedchasing.com domain.at.ukbackorder.com

 

[Gill]

MELITAWEB rob morrison triq il-gjacinti san gwann malta
MARKETSEARCH richard slate triq il hida san gwann malta

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Triq+Il-Hida,+San+Ġwann,+Malta/La+Rovesciata,+Triq+Il-+Kampanella,+San+Gwann,+Malta/@35.9094388,14.4755909,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x130e454ffcafa2f5:0x481bc7eaf2b957c3!2m2!1d14.4840279!2d35.9087102!1m5!1m1!1s0x130e455791c0708d:0xbde96a3e25d16b77!2m2!1d14.474249!2d35.909777!3e0?hl=en&authuser=0

thecrouchendproject.co.uk 08/01/2020 name servers caught.with.hostedchasing.com domain.at.ukbackorder.com
johnpickering.co.uk 12/01/2020 name servers caught.with.hostedchasing.com domain.at.ukbackorder.com
theequalitiesreview.org.uk 14/01/2020 name servers caught.with.hostedchasing.com domain.at.ukbackorder.com

Oh! What a tangled web we weave