.Pro in shambles

[izopod]

Richard isn't a member of the real ICANN "At Large" Committee (which has been a total failure, in any event). See:

http://www.icann.org/committees/alac/

for the real members. Richard's just in an independtly-organized (and not offically recognized) group that uses "at-large" in their domain name.

Many of Richard's points are valid, though. .pro was not intended to be an unrestricted gTLD, and the current Encirca moves have had the effect of doing an end-run around the restricted nature of that TLD.

Five points:

1) Richard has been using this "At Large" group status to write articles, etc to indict Encirca in the court of public opinion. He has also done this on the GNSO mail board, cc'ing his rants to Vint Cerf, et al. The appearance of collusion with this "indepedent" group and "ICANN" is a problem. Encirca deserve to be heard before being assailed in public.

2) I agree with you that .Pro (the 3rd level) String was intended for professionals. However I disagree that the (2nd level) String was intended for professionals only. If that was the case, you'd then have to believe ICANN intended for www.p*ssy.pro to be registerd by a OB doc, or a gynecologist, or www.garbage.pro to be registered by a Prosecution Lawyer. This doesn't meet the logic test, and therefore opened the door for Encirca to allow registrations to happen.

3) What makes .pro a professional name is the 3rd level string identifier (KEY). Without the .med.pro, or .eng.pro, you have no distiction with respect to the field the professional is in

4) Encirca must be allowed the opportunity to show that they have created a "useful" and "helpful" service which will not harm 3rd string dot pro owners. Take a look at dot us, ICANN set precedence when they allowed the 2nd level string to open up. I dont' see any US school districts or gov't agencies crying out for for [email protected] to be shut down. The reason is [email protected] is different than www.washington.wa.k12.us. Much like www.drthompson.med.pro, and www.template.pro

5) The minute we don't allow companies who service the internet community to "innovate" or change to better meet market needs is the day, the internet starts to die. It's why the US government has shied away from taxing the internet. It's why they have been careful not to meddle (up to a point). Encirca is to be applauded as at least they have instituted some measure to protect the .pro space by adding extra protection (TM, false representation, etc).

 

[GeorgeK]

I cc some of my GNSO GA list posts too --- as long as folks are writing the truth, or an opinion (i.e. not spreading lies, defamation, etc.), they have the freedom in our society to express their views however and wherever they want.

I can assure you that Richard's "At Large" in no way is taken seriously by anyone that matters, though, as an organization. They have no official standing, and are in no position to "collude" with anyone, least of all ICANN, lol.

Some of your arguments are the same VeriSign would use for SiteFinder....the community spoke up loudly and clearly, though, in that case, and got it shut down.

P.S. I have no interest in .pro one way or the other.....I see it as Radistar does in the 5th post in this thread.

RegistryPro could go and try to get it opened up as an open/unrestricted gTLD, with ICANN approval, and I wouldn't mind. (although all those companies who they were bidding against way back when would howl) I was in favour of .name opening up the 2nd level too, although that didn't seem to do much for .name.

 

[izopod]

Some of your arguments are the same VeriSign would use for SiteFinder....the community spoke up loudly and clearly, though, in that case, and got it shut down.

Ah, sorry, nope. I am talking about creating services where internet users will have a choice to use such a service. Sitefinder was different in that Verisign tweeked misredirects to a page of their choosing. The consumer didn't have a choice once they "mistyped" a word to where they would be sent. In otherwords the "innovation" wasn't helpful to the community at all.

That's the key. Creating services that are helpful, and innovative which people CHOOSE to use. Encirca has created such a service, as many internet users have choosen to use an otherwise untapped resource that wouldn't have otherwise been used.

I was in favour of .name opening up the 2nd level too, although that didn't seem to do much for .name.

Dot Name and Dot Pro are in different leagues. I think everyone understands why dot name has and will fail even though it opened up the 2nd level to users.

 

[seeker]

I tend to see a lot of potential with .pro
Not so much for reselling, but for development of my own business sites as a professional, in the different (specific) fields my company operates under.

 

[lionheart]

Thomas Barrett to IcannWatch and CircleID:
"All EnCirca .pro registrations have verified credentials prior to the activation of their domain name"

EnCirca customer:
"There was absolutely no verification performed by Encirca as part of the process. It was simply sign up, pay $49, and 'viola'."

Excuse me, but how do you square that circle? The customer's .pro domain was registered and activated. His credentials were not checked at all.

But the whole point of the .Pro registry being established is that credentials are established in advance.

And if you say, "Well, EnCirca are the Registrant and its their own credentials that are verified" then you are admitting that the domain owner who gets the domain doesn't actually have to profess a profession at all, there's no checking of them, it's all up to them...

That is the *opposite* of what the ICANN Agreement intends!!!

You may as well let everyone get a domain, and it's OK, because the registrar have some kind of credentials.

... And that is exactly what appears to have happened.

EnCirca seem to have over-ruled the concept of .Pro as a "restricted" TLD and opened it to everyone. Very democratic, but not what this particular restricted TLD is supposed to be for.

Personally I believe that ICANN should define its own Agreements - the Agreements should not be routed round and subverted by an individual registrar.

If you don't agree with my view, that's your prerogative and I wish you well.

However, I believe EnCirca have acted in defiance of the real intent and purpose of the .Pro Agreement - they are distributing .pro domains to anyone and ignoring ICANN's wishes that each customer should be carefully verified. You get your domain without any verification at all.

There are other gTLDs for that approach, but .Pro is not supposed to be one of them.

I just don't think it is for EnCirca to decide that the policy of scrupulous verification should be abandoned.

I'm not sure ICANN will accept it either. Nor should they.

Yrs,

Richard H

 

[izopod]

EnCirca seem to have over-ruled the concept of .Pro as a "restricted" TLD and opened it to everyone. Very democratic, but not what this particular restricted TLD is supposed to be for.

So do you think only doctors and lawyers should be able to register www.internet.pro type names? What does Bret Fausett's law profession have to do with an internet podcasting site. Oh, and before I forget would it be o.k for a CPA to register, [email protected]? According to your standards they should.

In reality, ICANN never approved the 2nd level dot pro name for professionals. So why did they open up the 2nd level space? I'm sure in hopes to spur on more registrations. Did that work? You tell me:

http://www.icann.org/tlds/monthly-reports/pro/registrypro-200411.pdf

btw: You really ought to consider developing poetry.info, it's such a shame it sits there, especially since you fought so hard to get it.

 

[Theo]

izopod, broken link

 

[fundraiser]

Personally I believe that ICANN should define its own Agreements - the Agreements should not be routed round and subverted by an individual registrar.

How about by a registrant? If I have second level domains backed by two different credentialed employees, can I do what I want with dot pro domains? Are you really suggesting that ICANN dictate precisely what can be done with domains once they are registered? Where do you draw the line? If the design of the site doesn't look professional, should it be pulled? If a professional decides to register second level domains, who decides what they can do with them? Can they sell shoes? Can they only advertise their services? Can they incorporate e-commerce? Can they contract with nonprofessionals to provide services like web hosting, design, content creation? That would mean a nonprofessional would be creating a web site registered by a qualifying professional. Is that not allowed?

Most businesses are formed with articles of incorporation that purposefully provide for conducting any and all business deemed legal. How would you suggest ICANN and the RegistryPro dictate and monitor what verified professionals or businesses do with the domains? Sports agents are often lawyers so can an agent sell autographed memorabilia from his clients on Sports.pro while also using it as the primary email address for his legal services? Was that the intent? Should the domain be subject to cancellation?

Subleasing seems like a good and legal business considering the use of a dot pro domain. Would it be ok if I leased one of my registered domains for a cut of profits from use of the domain. That would seem a good business decision to partner with a web site manager to develop a domain.

The registry disclaims any responsiblity for the expertise or credentials of even verified professional registrants because they realize that once registered, the use of domains cannot be controlled.

 

[izopod]

izopod, broken link

oops! Fixed it, thanks...