Hi Elliot, Interesting that Snapnames is now eager to shun their own EXCLUSIVE option (Snapback) in favor of increased revenues. The free market has spoken -- volumes in regards to the WLS option. What's next? An auction at the Registry level with all proceeds going to the Evil Empire?
I do think Tucows can add value here. Clearly, joining the many involved as Snapnames or Pool agents would change nothing. However, allowing us on-demand bandwidth or perhaps a more effective drop service would help us compete with Snapnames and Pool. There is now few ways to avoid auctions for good domains, those we might have secured for $50 from Snapnames will now go for hundreds, even thousands. I'd rather pay for bandwidth and take my chances upfront. At least I won't be summoned to some stupid auction -- against robots! --and some inconvenient date and time (unless I lose at Tucows). Any hope? Anyone else have ideas? Best Regards, Loren elliot noss <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > There are a couple things here worth commenting on. > > First, no one here (that I know of) has ANY sort of ethical issues with > the secondary market. It is a positive sign of a healthy eco-system. > > Second, we made a concious decision to focus on service providers who > used domain registration as part of a solution or a suite of services > for their customers. This segment has specific needs and specific > processes that are different from those of folks who heavily participate > in the secondary market. > > We have a number of customers, George and others, who have chosen to use > our platform to manage their inventories. A small number of our biggest > customers fall into this group. They generally choose us because the > tools fit what they are doing and they trust us with their valuable > inventories. They tend to acquire the names elsewhere and manage them > with us. > > Third, I am quite happy to admit that I underestimated the time it would > take for this market to reach a long-term solution and the size of the > opportunity. Sometimes we are right and many times we are wrong! > > We have explored partnering with some of the folks in this space. We > still may. I am of the opinion that the long-term solution is not even > close to being reached. Also, I honestly don't know that we could add a > lot of value for you guys in the current environment (ie. partnering > with pool, club drop, snapnames, etc.). I would love to hear where you > think we could help you. I hate to waste time where we cannot add value. > > I know that in a world of hundreds of threads we cannot do much on our own. > > Lastly, Chuck, I am sorry to took what you heard as us not wanting your > business. It is much more about where limited focus and resources are spent. > > Comments welcome as always. > > Regards > > > Russ Goodwin wrote: > > > At 07:16 PM 8/9/2004, George Kirikos wrote: > > > >> --- Chuck Hatcher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > >> > > will Tucows/OpenSRS perhaps start pursuing expired > >> > > domains? I'd join a system that would help increase > >> > > my odds of getting the names I desire. > > > > > > Absolutely... I'm astonished they haven't already joined up with Pool, > > Snap, or Enom, et al. Missing out on some big bucks here folks. > > > > > >> > You don't think it would be unseemly for Tucows to promote domain > >> > name > >> > speculation as a legitimate activity? (I always got the impression > >> > they > >> > viewed this kind of customer as sort of like that odd uncle the > >> > family > >> > doesn't like to talk about.) > > > > > > Unseemly? You may not like real estate developers, but Donald Trump has > > made a pretty penny, lost it, and made it back. The same thing is going > > on with domains. As a registrar, Tucows should be partnered up with one > > of the "drop catching" services; in there picking up choice domains > > every day for auction. > > > > > >> How do you know who is a "speculator"? When one registers a domain > >> name, it doesn't ask what your intended use is.... > > > > > > Your intended use doesn't matter as long as you aren't breaching the > > terms of registration. If you are, the injured party will come after > > you via UDRP or the courts and take your domain (and maybe some > > damages), have a nice day, please come again. > > > > > >> Even if we agree on a definition of "speculator" (aside from "he has > >> the domain I want, and won't sell it to me for $35"), in a capitalist > >> society, what makes such behaviour "illegitimate"? Last I checked, > >> Tucows/OpenSRS wasn't a registered charity, neither are most of its > >> resellers. Although I'm sure many of us do give to charity, from our > >> profits on other activities. > > > > > > "Speculation" is part of a healthy market and is here to stay - congrats > > on jukebox.com, George, I hope it's making you a mint. ;) > > > > Tucows could get into the game but apparently chooses not to do so. I'm > > sure Domain Direct could use more customers - especially the sort who's > > willing to pay $10k+ for a single domain. > > > > -Russ > > > -- > Elliot Noss > Tucows Inc. > 416-538-5494 > enoss.blogware.com >
