>Just thought I'd provide an update of ADNA progress
>in providing competition in some of the SLDs under .au.
>There are a few pre-requisites to enable this to happen:

Fair enough.

>1. Committment by existing Registrars to support
>competition.  So far, they have made that committment on
>the not-unreasonable proviso that if they give up their
>monopoly, other Registrars also give up their existing
>monopoly at the same time.  Speculation that the Registars
>"don't really mean it" is..........speculation, and can't
>be tested until the following steps are complete.

Forget the speculation, lets meet the pre-requisits.  One can't achieve
anything without negotiation.

Now, does this mean that MIT want CCA to share their resources as well?
What baout other enterants?  What is involved for them?  Does DOT AUS Pty
Ltd have to include MIT and CCA in the registrations of AUS names?  

If so, does DOT AUS also obtain reciprical rights to enter COM.AU and
NET.AU names?

>2. Development of Shared Registry Software (SRS).
>Substantial work on this has been done.  Currently a

Alrady exists and has been running now for over 12 months. It's been on
offer several times under two terms:

1.  That AHNET be permitted to sell names in which case access to the
central databses will be fully sharedand free or royalty, replicated and
administered under privacy agreement with up ito TWO other Registries; or

2.  AHNET will no SELL names, but will charge an administration and licence
fee for use of the SRS Software and code, full auditing will be required on
a monthly basis, generated by the SRS database.

>version is in use and being tested.  Substantial further
>work may be required to ensure it meets User Requirements.

I haven't seen anything about this "version" being tested?  Who is writing
it? What are the specifications? What about Security and Privacy?

>3. Development of Registrar Licence Conditions under
>which multiple Registrars would operate.  Draft document
>is available at:
>
>http://www.adna.asn.au/Documents/RegistrarLicences.html

We will be issuing a resonse shortly, I assume there is no deadline as one
has not been annouced?

>I have received feedback on the current draft and should
>have a revision available in a day or so.

You can't revise a draft without accepting all relevant comments prior to
revision.  This is not a fair and open process.

Can you PLEASE put a DEADLINE for submissions date on comments for drafst
that allows a reasonable time for comments. 14 days woudl be good if you
want fast turn around, you might even get 7 days if i's all cooperative.

>4. Development of a codified, agreed and public policy
>for each SLD with multiple registrars.  Most but not all
>of this work would be common across SLDs, and that
>process is currently being undertaken using .pr.au as a
>first example.  The draft document is available at:
>
>http://www.adna.asn.au/Documents/pr.au.html

Again, no deadline so I expect there won't be any revisions until a closing
date is announced?

>I have received feedback on the current draft and should
>have a revision available tomorrow, plus comments and
>my responses posted to dns§iia.net.au list server.

Here we go again.  No closing date, but lets update it anyway.

I hope you don't run tenders this way?

>5. Actual implementation.  It may surprise some people,
>but going live for the first time with .com.au, a
>domain with over 80 percent of Users in the .au
>namespace, may not actually be a clever strategy.
>Unforseen problems with the SRS, while unlikely, would
>affect a critical part of the namespace.

The zone files don't immediatley have to be affected by the Data in the
SRS, they can be checked for consistancy quickly before deployment.  Gosh a
sinmple report of "new names" and a cross parse between the old zone file
and the new one can be completed using a perl script or for those real
wannabes a Visual Basis script.

If the US is to impliment this in the next 6 months, we are *WE* in
AUstralia still dragging the chain?  Financial Greed perhaps?

>Users have indicated that a requirement for domain names
>related to products and services cannot be met from the
>current SLDs, so .pr.au is being proposed by ADNA to:

Only because of policy, which probably shouldn't be changed.

>One of the major constraints to progress is lack of
>resources.

Then ask and it shall be provided.

>input.  As ADNA does not currently have support from
>everyone in the internet community,

That's a clear understatment.  And judging on the fact that revisions to a
document are being made whilst parties are still putting comment together
seems to lessen the support and credability.  I make this point publicly
and STRONGLY.

>I said that NOIE participation might assist in resolving some
>outstanding issues.

That is possible.  We can learn from the NOIE.  I hope.  Whether that is
good ro bad remains to be seen.  Whether it offers positive or negative
input also remains to be seen.

>The initial response from Paul
>Twomey, although I'm sure it was not intended to be the
>definitive ex officio response, was that existing government
>policy was clearly in favour of self-regulation rather
>than government control.  The expectation appears
>to be for the internet community to resolve the issues.

I strongly agree with this and expect as much most people will be involved
at some level in commenting on a final draft POLICY document and that
notice sufficient to inform mor than 19% of the ISP/CSP community alone
will be provided so that everyone can make a fair comment to adopt or
reject the policy.

Perhaps ADNA needs to do a little more advertising, or become a little more
OPEN as it certainly isn't supporting to community awareness of itself and
certainly isn't enticing public interest, nor gaining support.




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