Local cost related to running a TLD

[David Cake]

At 11:31 PM -0400 17/3/10, Avri Doria wrote:
>Hi,
>
>The issue is that when one complains about this cost, the reply is
>that the 185,000 fee is nothing when compared to the cost of running
>a registry. So when one responds that in developing areas, the cost
>of running a new registry, especially a small  one with a slow ramp
>up will be much lower, we are asked to prove it.  And to date have
>not had the figures to do so.
>
>I..e when I make the argument that it cost less to do a proper
>regisrty in Cambodia or Kenya, I am just handwaving, because I do
>not have the financial facts.

	Even in expensive developed countries,  even taking into
account Jorges estimates of what it takes to run a registry, the
estimates of what it takes to run a registry are all basically
nonsense.
	Why?
	Because the cost of running a registry operation may be
large, but what is the marginal cost of running another domain for
someone who already runs a registry, and already has the hardware,
support and contracts in place?
	The reality is the 'oh, it takes a lot of money to run a
registry' line is one of those lines that gets waved around a lot by
people who already have a profitable business - but the reality is
that for those folks, the question of how much is costs to run a
registry is very much a flexible question. But given their relatively
low marginal cost for running an additional registry, it is in their
interest to keep the barrier to entry to the business quite high.
	Regards
		David