Subject-specific thread: Fairest .uk release mechanism?

[Edwin]

This thread is ONLY for discussing competing .uk release mechanisms ("oldest first", ".co.uk first", "pairing", others)

Could we perhaps use this thread going forward to focus discussions around which release mechanism is the fairest way to allocate .uk domains (assuming it goes ahead)?

Please use the thread linked below to discuss stopping .uk from happening:
http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/uk-do...002-subject-specific-thread-no-direct-uk.html

 

[foz]

"Fairest" an oxymoron, as whatever way it gets sliced up, someone is going to get shafted.

 

[Edwin]

"Fairest" an oxymoron, as whatever way it gets sliced up, someone is going to get shafted.

Thanks for starting this off so productively! Sigh...

 

[Rob_F]

First refusal given to .co.uk registrants except where the .org.uk pre-dates the .co.uk AND the registrant on record is a registered charity. .me.uk registrants have no rights.

- Rob

 

[afx]

first refusal given to .co.uk registrants except where the .org.uk pre-dates the .co.uk and the registrant on record is a registered charity. .me.uk registrants have no rights.

- rob

+1

 

[Systreg]

First refusal given to .co.uk registrants except where the .org.uk pre-dates the .co.uk AND the registrant on record is a registered charity. .me.uk registrants have no rights.

- Rob

I think that would work well, by far the best suggestion I've seen to date and one I wold be happy with, it keeps the .co.uk holders happy by not diluting the UK space, keeps charities on org.uk happy, and to hell with me.uk's who shouldn't even be in with a shout.

 

[Retired_Member38]

No surprise that domainers are voting for rob_f's plan.

If you want to start building in charity specific rules, how about allowing them to apply for an exemption from the predating and being given a .uk based on it being for the benefit of the general public.

Ie the Queens charity (QEF.org.uk) doesn't lose out to a parked for sale domain.

Any legitimate charity or non profit site (bear in mind a non profit doesn't necessarily have to be a charity) could apply for this and automatically take the .uk.

I would also apply this to tourist attractions and things like http://www.nhm.ac.uk/ on ac.uk domains. Any site that can reasonably say it would be in the general publics benefit should be able to take the .uk, regardless of extensions or registered on dates.

 

[Rob_F]

No surprise that domainers are voting for rob_f's plan.

No surprise you are against it, what with you ending up with paydayloans.uk under the current proposals.

- Rob

 

[Retired_Member38]

No surprise you are against it, what with you ending up with paydayloans.uk under the current proposals.

- Rob

And I'm one of the few people posting here who openly say what domains will be affected, and make suggestions that would clearly not benefit me personally.

If these suggestions were put into place, I'd gift paydayloans.org.uk to a debt charity tomorrow, just to make sure another affiliate didn't get the .uk.

 

[PoshTiger]

Modification of Robs that you'll all probably hate

First refusal given to .co.uk registrants except where there is a site on the .org.uk and the .co.uk is parked.

.me.uk registrants have no rights.

 

[Retired_Member38]

Modification of Robs that you'll all probably hate

First refusal given to .co.uk registrants except where there is a site on the .org.uk and the .co.uk is parked.

Another idea that will be universally hated on in a forum with 'domain' in the title. But if you ask any reasonable person without a personal financial interest, they would mostly agree with you re the parking issue.

 

[Retired_member41]

So all the businesses that may have spent lots on dropped .co.uk domains since say 2003 could lose out, not fair.

There is only 1 fair solution.

.co.uk owners get first refusal on .uk

The org and me extensions are exactly that already, chosen extensions following nominees own release guidelines, orgs are for org's and me for personal, even though nominet allow other uses, the fact is, the owners have purposely chosen them, so they are not losing out that much.

As for .co.uk, this has been the flagship and commercial domain, the .uk would bump this, so the only reasonable solution is to let .co.uk owners have first refusal.

Maybe after a period, nominet could give org me.uk a second refusal or auction.

 

[Retired_Member38]

There is only 1 fair solution.

I think as soon as anyone says 'there is only 1 fair solution', anything else that they type can be ignored as either ill informed nonsense, or self serving garbage

There clearly isn't 1 fair solution at all. If there was, that other thread wouldn't be approaching 100 pages now...

 

[viceroy]

First refusal given to .co.uk registrants except where the .org.uk pre-dates the .co.uk AND the registrant on record is a registered charity. .me.uk registrants have no rights.

- Rob

Got there first, I'm with this...

 

[Retired_Member38]

That's very magnanimous of you Monkey, how would you decide which was the most deserving

The thing is, do I even have to? Clearly the site *is* a non profit one right now.

With it being a non profit site, and the earliest dated, why shouldn't I win here?

 

[addz123]

I pretty much develop all of the premium domains I invest in anyway but I still think the parked domain feature is unfair and wrong.

Regardless of your views of domainers, there are plenty of legitimate reasons for a domain being parked (e.g. site being developed in the background, owner raising investment for his site, recently purchased domains etc).

Furthermore, I don't see the difference between a 10 page affiliate site that's "in use" and a parked domain. Why would someone who's built a low quality affiliate site deserve a domain anymore then the other 3rd level domain which is parked? Also, a business that owns a premium domain of considerable value will have it listed on their balance sheet and it will therefore form a strategic asset in the business. It is therefore "in use".

I also think that given Google regularly evaluates websites based on the quality of their content, people that own premium domains are better off parking them until they have a plan to properly develop them.

 

[Retired_Member38]

Furthermore, I don't see the different between a 10 page affiliate site that's "in use" and a parked domain. Why would someone who's built a low quality affiliate site deserve a domain anymore then the other 3rd level domain which is parked

A 10 page affiliate site could need 5 minutes updating twice a year, and make £5 in that same time period.

Or it could employ half a dozen people full time, and generate £5m+ a year.

So it would seem near impossible to try and categorise them, and give 'good' affiliate sites any sort of preference based on use.

 

[addz123]

A 10 page affiliate site could need 5 minutes updating twice a year, and make £5 in that same time period.

Or it could employ half a dozen people full time, and generate £5m+ a year.

So it would seem near impossible to try and categorise them, and give 'good' affiliate sites any sort of preference based on use.

Exactly that's my point. So the "in use" classifier should be irrelevant in my opinion.

 

[AssetDomains]

Just so its here as well

Pair the .co.uk .uk permanently you can resolve the domain to either .uk or co.uk the other for as long as you may wish. but only one way at a time

This this remains the premier domain as dictated by the market (94% registry)

.org.uk remains the secondary domain (doesn't lose out)

.me.uk the tertiary (doesn't lose out)

For all intents and purposes the status quo remains

Pros
Uk namespace gets its shorter extension
No issues with cybersquatting
No added cost to domain holders
No threats of lawsuits
No confusion in the namespace
Nobody who's invested money in the primary domain (As nominet and us domain resellers have told them to) Loses their place at the table to another reseller. (Lets forget the older registration charity argument we all know if anyone squatted on the name of a real charity they would lose it via DRS in a heartbeat)

Cons
Doesn't open up the namespace.
No windfall for nominet

 

[RobM]

They should all be sent to auction. That way the deepest pockets can get them. I don't see why the system has to be 'fair' at all considering nobody asked for it. I would personally do a lot better if I could buy what I wanted. Oh wait am I supposed to be pretending that I care about uk businesses?