Tracking back to my July list, and checking about 100 of them, I just don't see these names, not recall them at the time. It's quite interesting looking back at those July registrations. Yes, the system was weighted in favour of the 'big spenders' with the largest quotas, but overall there seemed to be a wider range of catcher success, and I don't see the kind of hoovering up that you can see by the alleged cartels this January. This gives me the impression there may be greater collusion to game the system.
Of course, one needs to bear in mind that the big registrars last time were able to operate through multiple tags through their sub-companies. Maybe someone can spot some registrations by one of the tags you refer to, but I haven't seen them, and I was checking pretty generic words. Of course, since last June names could have been sold on and switched to other tags, but as the game-plan seems to be to retain most of them in order to monetise them, I'd expect to see a lot of names pooled.
I've got a list of the .uk names from last summer, after the July drops, and if there's an identifying nameserver I could search the whole lot. But I suspect that what we're seeing this January is a new development. The thing is, if Nominet will not intervene, and enforce, and suspend registrations in cases of collusion, why wouldn't countless other people pool their tags and funnel them to one platform in time for the big drop this coming June?
It's quite extraordinary really. I'm very averse to conspiracy theories, but I do understand why some people wonder if this whole fiasco is being allowed to run its course, to justify an impending change of system. I don't personally think so, but I can at least understand why other people do.
Of course, one needs to bear in mind that the big registrars last time were able to operate through multiple tags through their sub-companies. Maybe someone can spot some registrations by one of the tags you refer to, but I haven't seen them, and I was checking pretty generic words. Of course, since last June names could have been sold on and switched to other tags, but as the game-plan seems to be to retain most of them in order to monetise them, I'd expect to see a lot of names pooled.
I've got a list of the .uk names from last summer, after the July drops, and if there's an identifying nameserver I could search the whole lot. But I suspect that what we're seeing this January is a new development. The thing is, if Nominet will not intervene, and enforce, and suspend registrations in cases of collusion, why wouldn't countless other people pool their tags and funnel them to one platform in time for the big drop this coming June?
It's quite extraordinary really. I'm very averse to conspiracy theories, but I do understand why some people wonder if this whole fiasco is being allowed to run its course, to justify an impending change of system. I don't personally think so, but I can at least understand why other people do.
