[ncdnhc-discuss] About Marketing Practices in .ORG

[Kent Crispin]

On Wed, Dec 26, 2001 at 10:31:08PM -0800, Dave Crocker wrote:
> At 10:17 PM 12/26/2001 -0800, Kent Crispin wrote:
> >That doesn't follow.  Low prices are good for commercial users and
> >speculators,as well.
> 
> commercial sector generally gets into more complex trade-offs than just the 
> benefit of low-cost.  such minor items as cachee' (cachet?) and 
> brand-equity warrant the leverage than can be gained from marketing the 
> containing TLD.
>
> In fact, there is the potential for a NEGATIVE commercial effect if the 
> price is too low, because then the business starts looking like it is too 
> cheap to conduct business properly.
> 
> (I'm not defending these points, merely citing them as factors in 
> decision-making.)

Both of these points affect non-commercial entities as well -- the Red
Cross probably would rather not be in a registry with a reputation for
being cut-rate.  

A non-profit registry that made low prices a primary goal could probably
get the wholesale cost of registration down to around $1/year, and
retail at perhaps $2/year, perfect for highly automated registration
processes.  It seems highly likely to me that the character of
registrations would change significantly under those circumstances,
though it is hard to predict how.  .org domains could become promotional
giveaways.  To me that is essentially letting .org turn into the
dungheap TLD, and personally, I would really rather not see that happen. 

> >One could ask precisely the same question about .com.  I don't see the
> >need for marketing .org, but I do consider restrictions as not only
> >desirable, but necessary.
> 
> Were .org brand new, then restrictions might make sense, but the horse is 
> long gone from this barn, so this is simply wrong that we spend energy 
> putting locks on the doors.

Obviously, I don't agree.  I think the phrase "simply wrong" is gloss
over a very complicated issue. 

In fact, as I think about it now, I don't see how .org can maintain
anything like its current character without restrictions of some kind. 

Kent

-- 
Kent Crispin                               "Be good, and you will be
kent at songbird.com                           lonesome." -- Mark Twain