Re: Tired of Waiting

[Jim Dixon <jdd@matthew.uk1.vbc.net>]

On Tue, 14 Jul 1998, Fred Baker wrote:

> At 09:54 AM 7/14/98 -0400, Noel Chiappa wrote:
> >(If you don't see why for-profit, but competing, Registries don't work,
> ask yourself how you'd feel once your snappy URL
> http://my_name.new_tld/foo/bar is embedded in 10,000 web pages world-wide,
> and your for-profit Registry then ups the rate to $1,000 per month....)
> 
> Explain to me what we don't have the same problem with Visa and Mastercard?
> They are both essentially shared registries composed of competing
> for-profit registrars.

If that was a serious question:

*	Domain names are necessarily unique.  They can be of great and
	increasing value to the holder.   If registries are not 
	regulated, they can abruptly change their policies, effectively
	hijacking the name.  The holder is weak and the registry is 
	strong.

*	Credit cards are not unique; you can have lots.  They can be of
	great and increasing value to the registry, but actually cost
	the holder money to possess.  If credit card companies change
	their policies in a way to disadvantage their customers, the
	customer can stop using the card or cancel it.  The holder is
	strong and the bank is weak.

So at the end-user level, these are completely different in nature.

At the bank level, yes, there are only a few good names (VISA, MC, 
etc), but banks are free to invest the odd billion and make their own.

--
Jim Dixon                                                 Managing Director
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