Simon..
I wouldnt have thought for a second that what I proposed was something of
originality in the scheme of things but I must point out something fairly
relevant points:
- the ltd.uk and co.uk is working for people.
- the situation between now and '5' years ago has changed quite substancially.
cheers
Rohan


At 08:14 AM 9/04/00 +0930, you wrote:
>Easier, surely, to just modify the policy on com.au to straight 
>first-come, first-served.
>
>I would suggest that this might be inevitable once competition is 
>finally, at last, eventually, not a minute too soon, allowed to 
>happen in the com.au domain name space, depending of course on the 
>extent to which the existing registrar is prepared to cooperate with 
>the agreed processes in this respect (and I live in hope, although I 
>don't know why).
>
>The problem with '.co.au' is that it would add huge confusion to the 
>existing situation where, like it or not, people kinda-understand 
>that .com.au is the Australian realm version of .com
>
>Our understandings, here on this list, about allocation policies will 
>never become publically understood. The public's entire interaction 
>with the allocation system is likely to be limited, in general, to 'I 
>want my name, and I want it now' - nothing to do with policy, 
>everything to do with demand.
>
>I'll also note that I tried to introduce such a proposal, oh about 
>five years ago now, called .biz.au (deliberately different to .com.au 
>to avoid confusion between the two, which is what your suggestion may 
>tend to cause, I'm afraid).
>
>Nothing happened. The processes in place to allow a new subdomain of 
>.au were insufficiently formed to allow anyone to even consider the 
>proposal (even though it was formulated in accordance with the 
>'rules' at the time), and, quite literally, nothing happened. Nothing 
>at all.
>
>I predict the same outcome in the case of your suggestion at this 
>time too. The only way to be able to achieve change in this respect 
>or in respect of the allocation policy in com.au is for auDA to be 
>able to achieve workable practical control of the problem space, and 
>then start doing things within in. Everything else degenerates to 
>'wouldn't it be nice if...' and then dies. Trust me on this.
>
>Simon
>
>>I have private emailed to another member of this forum and am happy to
>>share this thought for deliberation.
>>
>>The .com .net .org .co.uk domains and others do differ from how Australia
>>has done ours. In the forementioned you do not neccessarily have to own a
>>business name to enable the registration of the chosen domain - old news.
>>There is good and bad in this method of processing, naturally.
>>
>>I see that there may be room to 'have your cake and eat it too' by
>>introducing another 'level' of domain within Australia that allows
>>'open-market' processes as is done in other countries such as the UK.
>>
>>By introducing a new level, such as 'domain.CO.au', a number of issues may
>>be solved, yet it would depend on how it is packaged and differenciated to
>>the market.
>>
>>Proposed:
>>1 - .com.au remains positioned as a 'registered' Aust business/company
level.
>>
>>2 - .co.au to be more open-market oriented.
>>	- cheaper to purchase.
>>	- no restrictions on naming policies.
>>	- 3-4 companies to sell domain names (hence competition)
>>	- domain names to be freely traded/auctioned.
>>
>>Now, before you right back (if you chose to) I know that some may have
>>strong views against and I know that there are some holes in the
>>forementioned. There may be some that may wish to add to the model too, so
>>go for it.
>>
>>Cheers
>>Rohan
>>
>>
>>--
>>This article is not to be reproduced or quoted beyond this forum without
>>express permission of the author.  You don't know who really wrote it.
>>289 subscribers. Archived at http://lists.waia.asn.au/list/dns (dns/dns)
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>
>
>---
>Simon Hackett, Technical Director, Internode Systems Pty Ltd
>31 York St [PO Box 284, Rundle Mall], Adelaide, SA 5000 Australia
>Email: simon§internode.com.au  Web: http://www.on.net
>Phone: +61-8-8223-2999          Fax: +61-8-8223-1777
>
>--
>This article is not to be reproduced or quoted beyond this forum without
>express permission of the author.  You don't know who really wrote it.
>289 subscribers. Archived at http://lists.waia.asn.au/list/dns (dns/dns)
>Email "unsubscribe" to dns-request§waia.asn.au to be removed.
>
>
>