Thread: Managed domains vs free domains ...

So I was looking for some .ie info on this forum and it got me thinking about the registration policy of the Irish domain register ( or whatever they're called ).

I guess there's nothing wrong per se with managed domains. Although I do think that it's a tad bureaucratic and too much of a nanny-state mentality for my liking.

Admittedly though, the .com TLD is now officially an absolute joke, with web content creators being squeezed by greedy, sleazy domain parkers that take up practically every word in the English language ( and others ).

I think a nice solution would be to bump up yearly subscription fees on a .com domain to 30-40 USD. That would trim back alot of excess fat when it comes to domain parkers.

If you're running a .com that doesn't make 30-40$ a year. Then you should move your site off the commercial channel and leave space for others IMO.

The problem with managed domains however, is what to do about common nouns ( eg. bus, shoe, car ). I've been looking at the sweet.ie domain for a while now. A year or so ago, it looked like the domain had actually been registered by the Irish domain registry themselves. Obviously it's a nice domain cause it's a synonymn ( sweet & sweetie).

Now it appears that it's been registered by two upstanding Irish citizens by the name of Gabor Varga and Jozsef Petho ! They're using it to redirect traffic to Allirishlinks.com - Shopping,Shopping centre,shopping center,online shopping,buy online WTF ???

Doesn't that break at least two or three of the most basic rules for IE sites ?

The managed aspect of .ie makes no difference really. Anyone can register a business name for €20 and get any domain they want. As you said, Gabor Varga and Jozsef Petho have registered all kinds of domains which they probably shouldn't be allowed have.

And then you have my situation - the word porn is immoral (according to the IEDR) so one of my adult websites has to be hosted on a more child friendly domain.

Really the only thing the IEDR have done is make it slightly more difficult (registered business name) to get a domain.

Silly really...

Originally Posted by dbee

Doesn't that break at least two or three of the most basic rules for IE sites ?

No. It doesn't

The problem with a managed ccTLD is not in the concept but rather the execution. IEDR's checking process was quite obviously flawed and there are some domains that were registered that should quite clearly not have been allowed. The Varga/Petho case is one of the reasons, I think, why IEDR were stripped of the policy making process in the new legislation governing .ie ccTLD that went into force in May this year. IEDR is now effectively just a service company running .ie ccTLD. The real administrative power is with ComReg.

There has been a clear pattern of abusive and bad faith registrations by Varga/Petho that affected the integrity of .ie ccTLD.

Regards...jmcc

John

I won't agree with your or disagree with you

I think part of the issue stems from the policy review / management processes or the distinct lack of them.

As things stand there is no policy advisory board nor is there any formal method to suggest or implement change.

If policies change the IEDR either has to instigate the change or take on board suggestion / complaints from their more vocal stakeholders. They then consult with the resellers before passing the change to the board, which as we both know has no industry representation.

The EUBrowser situation was crazy, but I think even the IEDR knew that - though they couldn't do a lot about it without retroactively changing the rules, which would have been madness.

Originally Posted by blacknight

John

I won't agree with your or disagree with you

Yep Michele,

I think part of the issue stems from the policy review / management processes or the distinct lack of them.

If they had a proper board rather than a bunch of planks, there would have been such a review aspect. As for the management - Curtin is doing a good job and has brought the registry into the 21st century. It is the board that is the main problem.

If policies change the IEDR either has to instigate the change or take on board suggestion / complaints from their more vocal stakeholders. They then consult with the resellers before passing the change to the board, which as we both know has no industry representation.

I've always been critical of the board of IEDR - they are just a bunch of flunkies without real industry expertise. In any real registry, it would not be permitted. But this is Ireland so the board of the national registry is comprised of people not known for their domain/hosting industry expertise but rather for whom they know.

The EUBrowser situation was crazy, but I think even the IEDR knew that - though they couldn't do a lot about it without retroactively changing the rules, which would have been madness.

They could have rejected the obvious attempts at abusive and bad faith registrations. What kind of moron doesn't realise that sundayindependent.ie is an attempt to cash in on the Sunday Independent newspaper? Or that Bebo.ie is an attempt to cash in on Bebo? Are the people in IEDR really that stupid? IEDR has the power to refuse registrations.

Regards...jmcc