This Is A Comment

["Michael Widener" <mwidener@pacbell.net>]

I am a young, technologically-adept web-designer living in California, age 28 with computer experience since age 8.  I've read the planned purpose and scope of ICANN and wish to make a thoughtful comment:

 

The government has determined that registrar competition will be good for customers.  This assumption is based on the old economic model which even today strains to endure (for example the raising price of gas although economic conditions are inconsistent - this is due to cartel-like price-setting resulting from large companies gobbling up small ones).

 

My insight into this, having paid attention to the supposed advantages of 'competition' is that it isn't good if the standards for expense isn't set.  So if you let all these new companies register domain names, they'll start trying to gamble on new technologies, databases, networks, etc. to attempt to out-deliver services to the customer.  All of these gambles will no doubt lead to some competitors loosing money.  The customer always pays the price for be it in over-margined goods which recoup losses or through taxes for bankrupt companies. 

 

I think, and KNOW that you MUST develop an accepted operating budget and force the competitors to work within a reasonable range so they can't run up the expenses.  Otherwise your purpose will suffer the now popular excuse for raising prices which Pac Bell (California) always uses - "We must cover our raising costs."  What they don't say is that they didn't choose the cheapest costs.

 

I hope you're still reading this, here's the summary:

 

If it costs $35.00/year to hold a domain name, then what is the budget that InterNIC used to maintain that price.  Find it out now and memorialize it so new registrars can't lie about the real costs and keep you ignorant of what registering domains really cost.

 

Michael Widener

(510) 334-1334 direct line