For Sale Why I am strongly in favor of the WLS

[morel]

I am strongly in FAVOR of ICANN's Wait List Service.

I believe that the proposal will even the playing field for expiring domains. It is true that it will give Verisign a monopoly on expiring domains, but it is better for the small speculator (i.e you and me) for it to be that way.

As it stands now, a really good expiring domain will almost certainly end up in the hand of buydomains.com or ultimatesearch.com. This is because they have sophisticated technology that is not available to us to register domains miliseconds after they expire. Their technology is better than snapnames or anything else, because it is not pooled among a great many users. WE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS TECHNOLOGY. Thus the small speculator is shut out of the market almost entirely.

However, with the wait list service, ANYONE can get their hands on an expiring domain, even us. It is just a matter of being able to FIND the domain first and being willing to shell out the $40/year to be on the wait list. Thus with the WLS, buydomains and ultsearch will have to share the great domains, because their technology will cease to be relevant. They will be able to find great names, but so can we.

We all hate Verisign, but it really is just a question of picking the lesser of two evils. Would you rather the situation as it is now, where you simply can't get the good expiring domains? Or would you rather have a Verisign monopoly where you can get good domains?

I prefer the latter.

 

[Cartoonz]

with WLS you will never get near a top quality domain as the WLS on it will have been grabbed long before you by the very folks you are rallying against.

 

[morel]

That may be the case, but it will still be an even playing field. You see, buydomains and others do not have an overwhelming advantage when it comes to spotting domains. The small speculator can put himself on the WLS just as easily as the big speculator. The point is that technologically speaking, no one will have an advantage.

 

[Cartoonz]

you are so wrong on this it is not even funny.

they won't have the "technological advantage"?

OK, on second thought it IS funny!

 

[mole]

A round-robin allocation of WLS bids will be good. That should throw a spanner into whatever technology the insider traders have.

 

[uncle]

dmorel, either you're affiliated with the supporters of WLS or you don't know what you're talking about

the second the WLS is open to the public, you and people who think like you are gonna realize that 'all the good names are taken' and that the GAME IS OVER because you will have NO OTHER WAY to get the names.

the only thing you'll be able to do then will be take your molds and sifters and go back to your sandbox crying. you will be able to play on your levelled field then

A round-robin allocation of WLS bids will be good

there will be no round robin, what in the hell are you talking about??

 

[mole]

A FRRR, or Fully Randomised Round Robin system, is the only way to help prevent (not eliminate) Verisign from giving all the best names to their uncles and aunties, nephews and nieces.

If more than one bid for the name is received, it automatically goes into a FRRR bin.

Right know, snagging of the best names is blatently done through insider advantage. Nothing could be worse than that.

Bring on the WLS!

 

[krisblade]

I agree with Cartoonz, WLS will only give more advantage to the top players...

 

[uncle]

A FRRR, or Fully Randomised Round Robin system, is the only way

ok, but is the WLS going to be introduced this way or on a first come-first served basis?

 

[mole]

It should be approved with this condition. Whether it does or not remains to be seen. Expired domains is nothing more than rereleased domains into the marketplace. When you formalise that release, then it becomes LL all over again. And LL procedures should take over.

 

[uncle]

WLS proposal
6. Effects on Interested Parties
d. Effect on registrants:
vi) Subscriptions would be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

VERISIGN GRS WLS PROPOSAL:
Final Comments and Statements
“We have proposed a first-come, first served policy with regard to the WLS as well, and believe that
the WLS provides all registrars with an equivalent chance to serve their customer on a first-come, first
served basis. This is preferable to the way registrations of just-deleted names are currently
happening, where those who a have elaborate automated systems have the best chance and the
average end-user/registrant is left with uncertainty and a lower probability of success”.

It should be approved with this condition. Whether it does or not remains to be seen.

what do you mean by 'it should be approved with this condition'? that you would like it to happen.?

I may be missing something, but was the issue of round robin allocation of WLS slots on the agenda in Bucharest? Because in the documents I found it says clearly there will be no round robin system. The subscriptions will be allocated on a first come-first served basis.

Do you have other information, Mole?

 

[mole]

This is preferable to the way registrations of just-deleted names are currently happening, where those who a have elaborate automated systems have the best chance and the
average end-user/registrant is left with uncertainty and a lower probability of success

Exactly.

To minimise insider trading and monopolistic practices, I recommend the FRRR as conditional to the WLS. It should have been done in the Afilias LL2 once the closed queue scam was exposed. Now look what's happening.

Face it, the domain industry is now run like a mafia cartel. Every little voice of protest for a better system helps.

 

[uncle]

Mole, something is seriously wrong with you..

 

[mole]

Yes, I support the WLS

 

The wls is a parallel registration model - that precludes any form of round robin by its very nature. Its effectively a registry for domains like with .com now, except that the registrations don't become "real" domains unless the original "real" domain is deleted.

In the same way you can't round robin current registrations, neither can it work with the WLS.

To the original comment about it being an even playing field - that's not true. Under the WLS there are a few factors that will determine the success of the players:

1) Money - this allows for volume of WLS's and also for more speculative WLS's (e.g. on domains that have yet to pass expiry or sooner after expiry than the average speculator would feel comforable paying reg fee

2) Technology - being able to determine liklihood of a domain hitting the WLS. This will involve more than just subscribing to a drop list.

3) Time - the big one. Being able to go through masses of domains in one go to determine the domains you want to WLS for the coming months. The normal 5-6 day window will be removed and people will need to be able to scan and forecast for a much longer period which will take much more time.

If you aren't competitive currently, and you aren't making money from expired domains under the current system then when the WLS comes along - you will need to find another business entirely.

At least under the current system you can work on improving your technique and the odds **IF** you can be bothered to put the effort in.

Despite my not liking the WLS, I will find it interesting reading the posts the first week after its launch when people start waking up and realizing that the domain game is a real business where people are differentiated by more than just registrar deals.

 

[uncle]

IMO it would be possible to process requests for WLS slots exactly the same way the pre-registration requests were randomized during the launch of .info and .biz

Nevertheless, it's not going to happen, so there's no point fantasizing about it

 

Yes, they could do that - but it wouldn't be a parallel registry if they did.

 

[mole]

Originally posted by uncle
IMO it would be possible to round robin requests for WLS slots at registrar level before the launch of the WLS exactly the same way the pre-registration requests were randomized during the launch of .info and .biz

Nevertheless, it's not going to happen, so there's no point fantasizing about it

How sure are you of this?

Round robin creates more revenue for registrars. A popular dropped name could generate many times more revenue potential than a first-come-first-served. And how many really good dropped names are there?

If the WLS is to be approved, registrars need to be assured it means significantly more revenue for them, and not just Verisign.

What will essentially happen is that the cost of acquiring good dropped names will go up significantly. Even the big players will begin to reconsider if it it really is worth all this hassle.

 

[uncle]

What will essentially happen is that the cost of acquiring good dropped names will go up significantly. Even the big players will begin to reconsider if it it really is worth all this hassle.

But you do support WLS ??

Need I say more?

 

[mole]

The small player looks for very specific names to snap. The big player snaps everything that looks remotely commercial.

That's the big difference.

By raising the bar, the big player will hopefully be more discriminating, allowing room for the shrimps to grow in the weeds.