Domain Tasting / Squatting

["Brad Staszcuk" <killbrad@xxxxxxxxx>]

This is of course a discussion of domain "tasting" which ultimately
comes down to domain 'squatting' for the purposes of generating ad
revenue.  While ICANN cannot do much about third party individuals or
companies profiting this way, it can surely prevent the registrars,
who are able to get a couple days worth of traffic statistics out of
the 'tasting' to tell if it will be profitable.

For example, an new shop owner of "Charles' Bakery" tries to register
charlesbakery.com, only to find that it is already taken - not for
legitimate use - but by a registrar who is only serving up ads and
offering to happily sell charlesbakery.com for a mere $500.  Why $500?
 Well cause they are making a residual monthly income of $20 from
people clicking on the 'links' trying to find the site they actually
wanted.

Now, what is the right thing to do for the sake of the internet?  Let
registrars fill every unclaimed corner of the internet world with spam
to further pad their extremely greedy pockets?  Or putting a system in
place that PREVENTS registrars from holding domains after they expire
and PREVENTS registrars from scooping up every conceivable domain
under the sun to get a "taste" of their value from adverts.

I think the answer is clear.


- Brad Staszcuk