Re: domain registrar?

On Thu, Oct 16, 2003 at 11:52:37PM -0500, Andreas Pour wrote:
> Seems like most people look only at the price and web interface :-).  I spent
> quite some time looking for a registrar based on the agreement and settled with
> domaindiscover.com (which also is not too expensive and has a nice interface and
> also can handle email and DNS if you like).
> 
> Most registrars, and I am pretty sure Tucows is one of them, are derivative of
> NetSol and hence use the NetSol "We own the domain and if you lick our boots and
> pay us lots of money maybe we let you use it so long as we feel like it" type of
> agreement.  Domain discover makes it clear the domain is yours and they are
> merely your agent.  Compare e.g. 
> 
>   * http://domaindiscover.com/registration_agreement.html (look at Section 7,
> which states quite clearly, "The person or organization listed as the
> organizational contact at the commencement of this agreement will be considered
> the 'owner' of the domain name.")

"'owner'", not 'owner'. A domain name is not physical property.. it's not
owned: you have a contract to list a name in the most widely used registry.
Alternative registries do exist if you can convince people to use
alternative or extra root servers (see for example
http://www.opennic.unrated.net/).

<snip offtopics>

> https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/legal_agreements/domain_registration_GD.asp?isc=&se=%2B&from%5Fapp=&prog%5Fid=GoDaddy
> is very clear that all you are paying for is registration services and that
> nothing belongs to you.

Sounds fair to me. For one thing, if you did "own" the domain name, you
wouldn't have to continue paying registration fees. If you're convinced
there is any domain name you "own", why would you even bother to put it in
their registry? Perhaps you'd support a one-time fee for registrations and a
lower, yearly fee for inclusion in the registry, so one could own domain
names without having them in DNS, but that just sounds silly.

> Just show people your proof of ownership and Also Go Daddy has a whole
> host of reasons why it can terminate your domain name, just read Section
> 7, including using the site for anything "objectionable" or which violates
> any "law" or which may be "unlawful" - i.e., broad enough that pretty much
> any site can be delisted at their whim

Yah, it's pure theft. If I were you, I'd make sure to stick to IP addresses
or if you don't trust those, arrange peering agreements with the rest of the
Internet for your own addressing scheme. Maybe a fun project for you local
WiFi group.

Rob
-- 
Rob Kaper     | "In the name of sheer pity, won't someone operate on
[email protected] | Chairman Arafat and put that poor cancer into a cleaner
www.capsi.com | environment? -- Rick Brookhiser

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