Privately Owned Websites Outlawed

Are AdSensers aware of what is happening?

[OptiRex]

There is a very important thread in the Domains forum that requires your urgent attention.

Yes, I know it is a featured home page discussuion however I guess, like me, many are bookmarked to come straight here.

[webmasterworld.com...]

This requires your very urgent reading, meaning NOW!

After Monday 28th it may be too late...you may not have a domain name to renew at affordable rates.

[bnhall]

So if I stay away from .biz, .info and .org I'm ok?

[Khensu]

Just renewed all my .com domains 3 weeks ago for ten years.

Whew!

bnhall

Seems .com & .net are not involved but you never know what could happen later.

[edited by: Khensu at 1:55 pm (utc) on Aug. 26, 2006]

[Webwork]

Domino effect. I very much doubt that variable pricing can be applied to .info, .biz and .org without the same system being applied to .com and .net. The fact that ICANN is, in effect, offering to rewrite the central registry contracts to offer the registry variable pricing - before the conracts themselves even expire(2009 and 2007) - supports the inference that they may be looking to expand their profit base.

It appears that registry pricing is no longer about the costs of running the central registry as a public trust. It's more about the central registry - and ICANN - getting in on the game. You no longer will have to worry about desirable domains falling into the hands of domain speculators. Now, under the new (proposed) system EVERY domain will be in the hands of speculators - even the ones you already "own". Guess how much you will have to pay to renew your domain in the future - because that's all you will know about your own domains renewal costs. It will be a guess, forever hereafter, if this goes through. BS.

Build those domains! Raise their value. ICANN needs to pay for a few more conferences in Tahiti. ICANN likely needs to create many more "make work" jobs for relatives so the money has to come from somewhere.

[edited by: Webwork at 3:08 pm (utc) on Aug. 26, 2006]

[OptiRex]

Just renewed all my .com domains 3 weeks ago for ten years.

Did you read all the way through?

I'm still trying to digest the various implications of it all however a blanket renewal may not be secure enough.

This could have serious implications to all AdSensers, maybe Google will care to comment somewhere?

[Webwork]

Public comments must be immediately sent, using the addresses at:

[icann.org...]

August 28th is the last date that ICANN will be taking public comments.

Send your comments to all 3 email addresses listed at the above link, for all 3 contracts.

You will need to click on a link in an email ICANN will send to authenticate your email. If you fail to authenticate your email your comments will not be included in the the record.

[jomaxx]

Maybe the answer is in one of those links somewhere, but if Network Solutions is holding my feet to the fire for $10,000 in order to renew, what's stopping me from transferring the domain to GoDaddy and paying eight bucks?

[jretzer]

I see a massive class action lawsuit in this one.

[Webwork]

jomaxx, it won't be the domain registrars setting the price. The price for all domains - including the renewal price for any domains you already own - will be set by the central registry - for .org (.PIR.org), .info (Afilias.info) and .biz.

If the central registry believes the annual value - annual registration value - of Example.info (History.info?) is $100,000.00 then that will be the cost that any and all domain registrars will have to charge for registering or renewing Example.info - plus the registrar's mark-up. Remember: It's not a purchase price, it's an annual lease cost.

This will change .info, .biz and .org to pricing a la .TV - where some domains are held for $100,000+.

Once ICANN is cut loose from oversight by the U.S. Department of Commerce what are the chances that the same variable pricing for .Com and .Net will follow?

It will happen. If the logic/rules attach to .Org or .Biz the same will clearly be applied by ICANN - once it is on its own.

[edited by: Webwork at 4:13 pm (utc) on Aug. 26, 2006]

[zCat]

Right, so no-one's "outlawing" private websites, which had me way confused there (sounded like some nefarious government organisation was planning to issue website licences to businesses only). The scary headline should more like this, I'd guess:

Massive ICANN Domain Name Tax Coming Monday

[Webwork]

zCat, I'm certain you have an understanding of the concept "taking without due process" or "condemnation proceedings" - whereby a governing agency seizes someone else's property. Tyically, at least in the U.S., a taking requires a certain fair process and safeguards against the excessive or unwarranted exercise of governing power.

In this case, since you won't know a domain names renewal fee until the charge is levied do you think you have control of "your property", or as the headling suggests - you've got nothing until ICANN tells you you do?

ICANN: "Mr. zCat, we hereby advise you that the cost to continue as registrant of your website address will be $12,575.25."

Mr. zCat: "Ummm . . but it's my website . . and all those inbound links . . and branding . . and . . "

This will get nightmarish for many, many people if it goes through. The illusion that you have ownership and control over your web identity and web address will start to vaporize.

Oh, you think that you will simply renew your domain for X years ahead? That's a nice idea but it assumes that the rules of the game won't allow the registry to impose "actual applied costs" on top of the extension costs.

Did you ever pay a surcharge? Did you ever pay an extra "administrative fee"? Of course it's not a tax or a charge. It's something else.

My trust of ICANN - a body that has been subject to doubt for awhile - has just flown out the window. This proposal is a radical change, yet the public awareness that has been brought to the issue by ICANN is NIL. Nada.

Do you think ICANN feels any particular fondness for .com or .net?

Do you want to wait until ICANN acts as an entirely autonomous body to find out?

[edited by: Webwork at 4:27 pm (utc) on Aug. 26, 2006]

[zCat]

Webwork, that's a good, easy to understand explanation and more or less what I had deduced the situation to be. It was just that the terms "outlawed" and "websites" had me confused at first, as I'd interpreted this to mean "(private) websites to become illegal" - whereas the problem is actually that most non ccTLD domain names could become very expensive very soon. This might be effectively the same but has different consequences for counter-action etc.

[Webwork]

Ya, I kinda understood that you were calling hyperbole hyperbole zCat, but the headline is not that far off the mark and certainly gets the attention of anyone who is sleeping. Frankly, the way ICANN has been approaching this change has effectively kept the world asleep to the issue.

Such a dramatic shift in policy and so little public notice.

ICANN konws better I guess. "Ssshhhh. Don't wake the world. We're in control now . . "

Frightening. Be afraid. You really don't know if you own or control your domain until you get your renewal surprise bill.

"Surprise! It's going to cost you $2,500.00 to maintian your identity this year. Please send your check within 10 days or you will lose your domain, in which case we'll automatically redirect the domain to the central registry's servers - as we have been instructed to do by ICANN, at which time the central registry will place PPC ads on the domain's new landing page, and we'll all (ICANN, the central registry and us, your registrar) will split the proceeds. Have a nice day."

You don't think something like that is in the offing?

You trust ICANN?

Sure, just like you trusted ICANN to give you notice and opportunity to comment about such a dramatic change in the domain name system - so you could comment and have some input about how they handle the public trust of the domain name system.

IF this can happen to .org and .info then .com and various other ccTLDs are certain to follow. This attempted sweeping change in policy will effect every single domain holder sooner or later. People need to wake up and sign in and make their voices heard now. If you don't burn down the house now - by filing a statement with ICANN by Monday August 28th - it may well be your house burnt to the ground in the future.

Everyone of you.

"Surprise . . . $1,250 . . .

[edited by: Webwork at 5:05 pm (utc) on Aug. 26, 2006]

[theRealairness]

Since .info, .biz and .org will be more expensive, I foresee that Search Engine will rank them better. If anybody can afford the domain, it is more trustworthy.

[Webwork]

Ya, if anyone can afford them.

Here's a sample of unregistered .tv domains and the annual - that's yearly - price to register them (or renew them):

Import.tv - $1000/year
Export.tv - $2000/year
Doll.tv - $1000/year
Home.tv - $50,000/year
Webmaster.tv - $5,000/year
Dallas.tv - $10,000/year
Medical.tv - $20,000/year
Baby.tv - $30,000/year

That's the current, undeveloped, annual price. It's not a "pay this price and it's yours to keep" price. I'm not sure where they're getting their "this is what we should charge" information but I guess in the future you may all be facing this reality.

If you sit on your hands.

[ccDan]

Perhaps it would be a good idea to eMail ICANN through an eMail address on a domain you do not own.

And write your senators and representative to suggest that ICANN becoming an autonomous entity might just be a patently bad idea.

[martinibuster]

This thread isn't about the AdSense program itself, although it may be of interest to AdSensers. So I'll leave this thread here, but ask that the discussion please be continued in the domain forum.

[webmasterworld.com...]

Thanks! :)