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ICANN moves to end "domain tasting" ICANN, the non-profit company responsible for the global coordination of domain names, has announced its intention to end "domain tasting" - a move that could see millions of domain names released.Domain tasting exploits a loophole in the domain name registration process that effectively allows individuals and companies to register names without ever paying for them. Currently, the registration of a top level domain name (TLD) such as a .com includes an Add Grace Period (ADP). This is a five day period following the initial registration of a domain name when the registration may be deleted and a credit can be issued to a registrar. The ADP was originally introduced by registries so that registrars could avoid costs if a domain name was mistyped or misspelled during the registration process. It is part of the registry contracts for .com, .net, .org, .info, .name, .pro, and .biz domains. A domain taster will register a name and then see if it gets any traffic or earns any revenue from being parked. If it does it will be kept. If it doesn't it will be deleted - often for a related individual or company to register the name. After five days the cycle starts again. The sheer size of this problem cannot be underestimated. In January 2007, an incredible 47,824,131 .com and .net domain names were deleted - and a whopping 95% of them were deleted by the top ten domain tasters. ICANN is hoping to end domain tasting with a proposal to start charging the annual ICANN fee -currently 20 cents - on registrar domain registrations as soon as a domain is registered. "Domain tasting has been an issue for the Internet community and ICANN is offering this proposal as a way to stop tasting," said Dr Paul Twomey, ICANN’s President and CEO. "Charging the ICANN fee as soon as a domain name is registered would close the loophole used by tasters to test a domain name's profitability for free." The proposal will be part of the ICANN budget process for the coming fiscal year. The early draft version of that budget will be released for and discussed at ICANN’s New Delhi meeting later this month. After public discussions of this proposal and other budget issues, the proposed budget will be released in May and be voted on at the board meeting to be held during the ICANN meeting in Paris in June. ICANN accredited registrars representing two-thirds of fees collected will be asked to approve the proposal. 4th February 2008 |
Five Questions to find out what makes an internet entrepreneur tick?  "I believe some people have a little something in their head that makes them look at things in a slightly different way. Some people absolutely cannot envisage doing anything but working for somebody else - and that is fine. However I believe entrepreneurs are born and will always find a way to do things differently." Kieron Donoghue, ukoffer.com Take one internet entrepreneur - for instance Kieron Donoghue (pictured above) - and ask them Five Questions. Also in the Five Questions hot seat this month is Victoria Vanstone of yourdeathwish.com. Why niche websites are like flowers George Marshall reckons that niche websites are like flowers and need to be nurtured just as you would a plant. more |
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