Comment - Stefano Cimatoribus Italy

[<stecima@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree with the idea of Working Team 2 to offer some kind of "Support for

Build-out in Underserved Languages and IDNs for new gTLDs".

 

I spoke about this at the microphone in Brussels, at the ICANN Meeting:

 

*** 

"Good afternoon.  My name is Stefano Cimatoribus.  I am a new participant,

attending my first ICANN meeting.

 

I just want to support one of the previous speakers who suggested bundling

applications with lower fees for extra languages.

 

I served as commercial manager for a Russian firm based in Italy, operating

in the commerce sector of fresh-cut flowers, retail/wholesale franchising.

And since I've always worked in the commercial divisions, I had daily

contacts with my former Russian colleagues in St. Petersburg.  And I felt

many times that I found some operative obstacles in using Latin characters.

 

I hope that someone will propose a new gTLD such as dot flowers, but I'm

afraid that the dot flowers applicants will not -- are not going to spend an

extra 2-or $300,000 on a Cyrillic dot flowers.  Therefore, I encourage you

on reducing the cost for extra non-Latin IDNs.

 

And one more thing.  My company doesn't want a country-code top-level domain

like dot RU or dot RF, because they don't want to appear as only a Russian

company, I think." 

***

 

At the public forum in Brussels, other speakers made similar points.  I was

glad to hear the Chairman say that bundling "sounds like a good idea".  He

he said also " if someone comes in with a bundle, there should be a

discount". 

 

The Chairman asked staff to look at this idea of bundling.    I am

interested to see how the staff responds to this idea.

 

I note that the majority of costs are expected to be variable (page n.5 of

the gTLD Budget Document).  ICANN staff should adjust the budget for

application processing, so that bundled IDN applications have lower costs

and lower application fees.

 

*Conclusion*

 

I think ICANN should encourage applicants to propose multiple IDN versions

of their preferred TLD string, as in my example of having .flowers in

Cyrillic.  This would allow people to use domain names and emails in their

mother language.

 

But there may not be so many IDN applications unless ICANN offers incentives

or discounted fees on bundled applications that include non-Latin IDNs.

 

Stefano Cimatoribus

Italy

 

 

                                          
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