(if you are going to skim my posting---make sure you read at least the last half
(your encouraged to however read the entire posting---new domains will ultimately
be on the way)What is going to happen next week will ultimately determine the
course of history....I hate to sound melodramatic, however nonetheless the world
will hold its breath to see what ICANN does....I just want to put this into record
as I want it to be known that July 15-16, 2000 will be known as a crucial time in
history. It won't rank up there with the signing of the Versaille Treaty, however
I will coin this upcoming meeting as the "Yokohama Treaty"....A day that will decide
if we continue on the same path we are heading on or do we open up new markets, where
there was none to begin with....This is IMPORTANT: We have all focused on what
new TLD's will do for individuals or businesses (whether good or bad), however just
think of the economic effect a new TLD can have on a city, or a country for that
matter. As I stated earlier if a gentlemen from France starts a ecommerce business
Nice.web (NOT to be confused with Nice.net or Nice.com or Nice.TV---you get my point)
after a successful year he hires 25 people, the business grows and he opens up shop
in England and the US and hires, 200 more....If you at all are familiar with Economic
Principles the addition of a quality domain with have a macroeconmic effect on our
global economy which could only do good (if six to 10 new TLD's came out "Scarcity"
would decline and the true value would be in the name itself used for good and service)...(Good
topic for a doctoral disseration....hmmm)..So this Yokohama Treaty to me is more
about economics than trademarks or even stability of the net (with if you read Dr
Mueller's comments is a contradiction in terms in that Stability is relative to the
system itself not the Domain names themselves....
So what would be the outcome
if nothing really happens in Yokohama... I am not a doom and gloom guy, as I don't
see the meetings in Yokohama failing, at least the discussion WON'T end there (we
cannot afford to), nonetheless the pioneer registries, registrants will undoubtedly
lose faith in the power that has been placed on ICANN....This is no threat (I mean
that)...if you think about it, I speak only the truth...those who would like
to have a domain name in a new TLD will seek other means and bodies to get this done....This
is just human nature as we have come to a crossroads...There are no fence sitters
on this very important issue(that is the sign when action needs to take place--either
way)....I myself would begin to lobby my congressmen Senator Daschle (Senate Minority
Leader from South Dakota)...In my letter to him, I would basically give him the history
of the DNS (not from my perspective, but kept very factual)...Then I would speak
in economic terms which Senators can relate to...I would try to convey to him that
as a dot web registrant who legally registered a domain name through IOD, a name
that does not infringe upon another domain, cannot use this name (I could but then
the rest of the ISPs in the world would have to point their servers elsewhere--not
economically feasible) to create jobs in his state....Well I suspect he would be
very curious as to why that would be...He might write ICANN and they would give him
the low down as to why new gTLD's were not approved or that they were and .shop and
.banc are the only choice and/or that I could register names up to 63 characters
long to run my business....he might write me back to say...well they have a point,
but I am curious as to the jobs your business my create (again the economic factors
are the key)...I would tell him that to compete on the internet one MUST have a brand...that
brand I wish to start is called www.killer.web and being a little guy and one that
was a pioneer in getting a generic dot web name, I would like to see it approved
in 2001....I would in a sense be the Frenchmen I gave as an example earlier....He
would have no choice, barring no heavy lobby from the TM constinuency but to start
legislation for the internet policies to be done directly by the dept of commerce
since domain names appear to have taken on economic value which transends local,
state and international lines....I am certain IOD would then get its day in the legacy
roots as it without a doubt has a legal right (if engaged in a legal business) to
conduct commerce in a open and competitive environment....The big thing here is domain
names have taken on a economic value that cross state, and interational lines....I
think that is why the IPC is so invovled, domain name owners and the like...It has
nothing to do with the name, and everything to do with commerce....Unfortunately
certain groups have sent out doom and gloom to disrupt this impending economic giant
from ever coming to being..which call the "new TLD's" ......Yes history is about
to take place...What will the headlines read!!!