Like Ari I've also been thinking of ways to open the au space to 
encourage the wider population to get publishing on the web. While 
Ari proposed the .firm.au space, I see no reason to restrict an "open 
registration" space to commercial or registered entities.

May I propose that the .info.au space be used for generic 
information, and set up so that registration is free and automatic. 
All existing companies, councils, departments, institutions, NGOs and 
government registered entities would have an entry from day 1.

The info.au server would be set up to return results whatever the query.

Any entity (individual, company, council, whatever) could register 
themselves under one or more of the subdomains.

For example, the request http://hornsbyplants.info.au would simply 
return a page with basic registrant information and the link to the 
"real" site, on geocities, yahoo, .com, .com.au, whereever.

More generically, I could ask that my information also be registered 
under http://plants.info.au and http://hornsby.info.au

And anyone could ask to be listed on any subdomain, so 
http://plants.info.au would return all the plants related sites in 
Australia.

The registrant information area could include links to other services 
(ASC, webwombat, white and yellow pages, answers, ATO) as applicable.

While there are many arguments for and against using the DNS in this 
way, I think the nation could benefit by having a government service 
that makes these linkages community-wide.

Additionally, by providing a browsable, searchable interface similar 
to http://fed.gov.au we would start to get an allover view of the 
content and services available online in Australia.

There are a grand total of 14 info.au subdomains, and most don't work 
at present.  The use of the existing .info.au space in a more 
generically utilitarian way could greatly enhance the public's use of 
the existing spaces as well as provide a valuable information tool 
for "networking the nation".

My view is that there's value in the .com.au naming restrictions, and 
the fact that you must pay for the additional business validation 
that the domain infers. Let's keep that (with pricing competition), 
and open up an existing resource to meet the needs of those wanting 
generic names.

I'm sure I've raised many more issues than I've covered, but I feel 
strongly that the AU policy should provide a no-cost way for any 
Australian entity to found on the net.

Just my $0.02 (US$0.01)

	George

PS - Thanks all for a very lively debate.

-- 
--
George Bray
CEO
Email: mailto:george.bray§linkalarm.com.au
Phone: 02 9484 9911  Fax: 02 9475 0999

Link Alarm Australia
PO Box 202
Hornsby NSW 2077
Australia
Web: http://linkalarm.com.au

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