Is this true?

aZooZa · Sep 12, 2007

Having noticed that I wasn't subscribed to [nom-steer], I've just been advised that there's a good chance that dropcatching as we know it will be no more shortly, and that Nom are perhaps going down the 'auction' route. Without trawling through the entire archive, can anyone here confirm that this is (could be) the case? Comments anyone please?

mxm · Sep 12, 2007

how can you be so cruel

50/50 on that ditty aZ...

even if they did the actual term / job / facility etc of "dropcatching" is still going to go on, as even if by some stroke of luck anyone/everyone was told to go down an auction route... multiple access via other pre-nom lists would always be possible via other access points.. 18 years of lists will not change... so we feel it is a safe bet for the future... unless registrars all group together and stop queries that is!

thoughts

aZooZa · Sep 12, 2007

mxm said:
50/50 on that ditty aZ...

even if they did the actual term / job / facility etc of "dropcatching" is still going to go on, as even if by some stroke of luck anyone/everyone was told to go down an auction route... multiple access via other pre-nom lists would always be possible via other access points.. 18 years of lists will not change... so we feel it is a safe bet for the future... unless registrars all group together and stop queries that is!

thoughts

Unfortunately Nominet know the difference between drops and new registrations - after all, they have the entire database. So if they adopt an 'auction' approach, there will be no drops available to catch.

mxm · Sep 12, 2007

french kisses and a suntan hat

valid point... but before june 21 1994 they did not have a full database... so if they try and enforce anything that affects "all" .UK access / releases / new regs / drops etc, they will have an uphill battle trying to get everyone to use an auction... as all the older "owners" will cause a right admin headache... but then again they do have money to burn now

plus a change in the DAC access terms and conditions would take an age to get approved... not really worth Nic's effort as most older domainers already have "most" of the good generics and most DN'rs would not let them drop... we hope!

GWing · Sep 12, 2007

What on Earth are nominet going to do with all that money?

£50,000+ for a domain name entering nominets coffers,

Hopefully this isn't an incentive?

aZooZa · Sep 12, 2007

GWing said:
What on Earth are nominet going to do with all that money?

£50,000+ for a domain name entering nominets coffers,

Hopefully this isn't an incentive?

They'll probably move again; get a new database system and hire a few more tech staff.

aquanuke · Sep 12, 2007

What gets said on nom-steer is just the views of a small group who on the whole are very anti domaineer.

Maybe theres a possibility of a waitlist service but only the prime names would get bidded on so 99.9% would still go to the drop.

mxm · Sep 12, 2007

go go jonny go

aquanuke said:
What gets said on nom-steer is just the views of a small group who on the whole are very anti domaineer.

Maybe theres a possibility of a waitlist service but only the prime names would get bidded on so 99.9% would still go to the drop.

spot on aqua... we guess that is what we were trying to say in more words

aZooZa · Sep 12, 2007

aquanuke said:
What gets said on nom-steer is just the views of a small group who on the whole are very anti domaineer.

Maybe theres a possibility of a waitlist service but only the prime names would get bidded on so 99.9% would still go to the drop.

Chris - thanks. That's more encouraging! There's enough to do in the day besides following nom-steer politics I think, and that's why this came as a bit of a broadside to me.

aquanuke · Sep 12, 2007

Yep indeed MXM, it would be a pointess exercise now as so little of value will drop now. 1 or 2 a day would not be worth the costs of introducing wait lists or an auction system.

Then on top of that Nominet would need to release some kind of zone file to keep it fair so joe bloggs knew what was dropping.. or it would only be domaineers using the auction/wait lists.

End of the day Nom spend all that money and time.. it would only be domaineers with the money and sense to speculate using the service.. so only the same group gets those names anyway.

tifosi · Sep 12, 2007

It may be a small anti-domainer minority, but they hold most positions on the PAB.

I've made my position clear, and ruffled a few feathers into the bargain. I've also said that I won't be adding any more to the discussion, and stated my disappointment in the lack of response from the domaining world.

Many of the positions on non-steer are personal ones. I think they're wrong in many respects, right on some. How they map into policy and the trends of the uk namespace only time will tell.

If you want your voices heard then don't come on here and bitch. Think about your answers and make them constructive.

S

stevebrowne · Sep 12, 2007

Cheers Nominet. I pay £500 to be able to dropatch (amongst other benefits) and then you talk about changing the whole model? Great.

aquanuke · Sep 12, 2007

Well I do agree with tifosi I have made an effort in the past to post on nom-steer regarding this but no one else does

grantw · Sep 12, 2007

I made my first ever attempt at a post a short while ago, we def. need more domainers on there as its currently populated by a bunch of people who have some influence on Nominet and seem determined to put an end to dropcatching/domaining by any means!

Random quote:

I'd think it would be very rare if a domain name auctioned by Nominet went for over £100

Grant

aZooZa · Sep 12, 2007

Random quote:

Didn't SEDO hold an auction of domain names last week in London? With
profits presumably split between themselves and the domain registrants?
Many of those registrants may have 'caught' the name up for auction by
using a dropcatching system and then paying a fiver to Nominet.

Didn't these people contribute to the Nominet coffers after investing many thousands in software and systems, and many, many hours of programming? Was I ever told that by investing in membership and DAC access, that I'd lay myself open to being summarily severed?

aquanuke · Sep 12, 2007

What makes it very difficult posting on nom-steer is most of them have no knowledge of dropcatching or the secondary market as they refer to it. For us its like having a conversation about drop catching with our mum. Its very frustrating there lack of knowledge with there know it all attitude.

Johnp · Sep 12, 2007

Perhaps someone should put a post on there, to say that to be fair to all concerned e.g. existing registrants, potential new registrants etc, Nom. should produce a list of all names to be cancelled in the next 30 days and the date and time of cancellation.

I am sure everyone on this forum who think this would fair to everyone. Given what has been said on this thread - they might think that this too was a good idea.

JohnP