Employ Media LLC TLD Charter Amendment

[Margaret Almeida <margaret.almeida@xxxxxxxxx>]

Employ Media Proposed Amendment
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
Attn:  Mr. Peter Dengate Thrush, Chairman
         & Members of the Board of Directors
4676 Admiralty Way, Suite 330
Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6601
By Email


RE: Employ Media LLC’s Proposed TLD Charter Amendment

Dear Chairman Dengate Thrush and Members of the Board:

As an HR professional, SHRM member and small business owner, I am writing to 
urge you to reject Employ Media LLC's request to amend the .jobs TLD charter 
for 
the following reasons:

A) It destroys the spirit of the current .jobs TLD charter
The .jobs TLD was created to serve the interests of the global human resources 
management community by providing a “simple, fast and consistent method to 
communicate the exact online destination of [employer] jobs.” (Employ Media 
d/b/a .jobs & DirectEmployers Association alliance website, 
www.universe.jobs/about.html).  To achieve this goal, the charter specifically 
prohibited the registration of generic, regional and industry-specific names.  


If the .jobs TLD charter is unilaterally expanded, the proliferation of .jobs 
boards and websites will make it extremely difficult for anyone to sift through 
job information in a simple, fast or meaningful way.  


B) It violates the SHRM Ethics Code & creates a monopoly
Employ Media’s requests to 1) register and use non-companyname domains for 
itself and 2) allow third party use of the domains violate the SHRM Code of 
Ethical and Professional Standards Conflict of Interest provision to refrain 
from “using [one’s] position for personal, material or financial gain or the 
appearance of such.”   As the only party chartered to reserve and allocate 
.jobs 
domains, Employ Media would have an immediate, highly-profitable monopoly of 
this online marketplace.  
 
C) It restricts marketplace access and competition
Finally, access to the online talent marketplace by small and niche businesses 
could be severely curtailed if both the eligibility and cost for buying a 
domain 
name would be controlled by a single organization that is, itself, a competitor 
in the marketplace.   On it’s website www.universe.jobs, Employ Media states: 
 “.jobs and DirectEmployers Association have formed an alliance to activate, 
manage and complete the build-out of all .jobs domains” (my emphasis). How can 
businesses compete effectively for domain names if the gatekeeper controls 
access and pricing, possibly to its own advantage?  

One of ICANN's foundational principles is to promote competition in the domain 
name marketplace.  The amendments requested by Employ Media would create a 
clear 
conflict of interest, stifle competition, create unnecessary confusion for job 
seekers and employers and hinder free access to the marketplace by businesses 
of 
all sizes.  Please, reject this request.

Sincerely,
Margaret Almeida, SPHR
Independent HR Professional & Co-Owner, Silicon Valley Music
San Jose, CA