Nominet announces programme for evolving the .uk domain name space

[Murray]

Did they make the first proposal so bad so that when they brought this one out it would almost look acceptable?.

 

[websaway]

Did they make the first proposal so bad so that when they brought this one out it would almost look acceptable?.

Looks that way, dangerous tactics though.

 

[GreyWing]

Looks that way.

Some experienced people on here seem to have fallen for it to.

 

[mark]

It's certainly an improvement on the previous proposal!

 

[websaway]

Its still a disruptive proposal. Businesses still need to cover themselves and pay for re-branding. I don't see new players obtaining a fresh new domain from this, a lot of replication will take place. For the sake of dropping ".co".

It's still nonsense but, it takes away those dark clouds that the previous proposals left hanging.

 

[Edwin]

Did they make the first proposal so bad so that when they brought this one out it would almost look acceptable?.

It does look acceptable. It looks like they incorporated the bulk of the changes I suggested in my counter-proposal to their original direct.uk fiasco document.

Let's be very clear: there is NO WAY to roll out .uk without disadvantaging someone. So if you start from the idea that there will be a .uk, then what Nominet have put on the table this time around is close to the least worst way of implementing it. It favours the "right" interests (those who have put in the time and the money to stay invested in the namespace for years/decades) and doesn't create a crazy extra tax (at .co.uk-equivalent registration/renewal costs, the pricing's fair enough).

The biggest "winners"* are the portfolio holders who got in at the very beginning and held their nerve all the way through to today. Make no mistake, some of the larger portfolio holders are in it for well over £1,000,000 in cumulative renewal fees by now. Indeed, I imagine there must be a few nudging close to the 8 figures in "sunk" costs. I get the impression that some of the people posting on this thread have literally no idea at all of the magnitude of the investment a lot of the early adopters have had to put in to get to their current situation.

*and rightfully so

 

[foz]

It also benefits the owners of old generic names. They will be able to make use of both names, either to point at the same site, or two different sites. Or keep one, sell one. As I said, it rewards those who placed the most faith in the UK namespace (by renewing names again and again and again over the years)

Why would you wish to use two top tier domains? Bloody confusion for years to come for the general UK public.

You feel rewarded were you will have to pay another £35K per year just to protect your current portfolio? Seems crazy to me.

 

[mark]

there is NO WAY to roll out .uk without disadvantaging someone. So if you start from the idea that there will be a .uk, then what Nominet have put on the table this time around is close to the least worst way of implementing it.

This is the way we're looking at it ...

 

[GreyWing]

It's still nonsense but, it takes away those dark clouds that the previous proposals left hanging.

Not for us mate, we are launching DomFinance.com next week for financing domain names and offering loans against existing domains and websites, .co.uk .org.uk .me.uk won't be allowed on it.

 

[anthony]

To be honest, I think Nominet have scored a hit this time. Expect some very interesting purchasing announcements of .me.uk and .org.uk domains in order to nab some low hanging fruit in the future.

Fun times ahead!

 

[websaway]

It does look acceptable. It looks like they incorporated the bulk of the changes I suggested in my counter-proposal to their original direct.uk fiasco document.

Let's be very clear: there is NO WAY to roll out .uk without disadvantaging someone. So if you start from the idea that there will be a .uk, then what Nominet have put on the table this time around is close to the least worst way of implementing it. It favours the "right" interests (those who have put in the time and the money to stay invested in the namespace for years/decades) and doesn't create a crazy extra tax (at .co.uk-equivalent registration/renewal costs, the pricing's fair enough).

The biggest "winners" are the portfolio holders who got in at the very beginning and held their nerve all the way through to today. Make no mistake, some of the larger portfolio holders are in it for well over £1,000,000 in cumulative renewal fees by now. Indeed, I imagine there must be a few nudging close to the 8 figures in "sunk" costs.

Yes, it's less unnaceptable.
How can the big portfolio owners be winners, they already owned the business namespace, they don't need a duplicate, with additional costs ?

 

[foz]

Did they make the first proposal so bad so that when they brought this one out it would almost look acceptable?.

Have they the intelligence for such games

 

[Edwin]

You feel rewarded were you will have to pay another £35K per year just to protect your current portfolio? Seems crazy to me.

Absolutely. Because then we can advertise the names for sale in pairs. I imagine that will bring MANY more sales (enough to more than counterbalance the additional renewal fees).

Not to mention the fact that we probably won't be keeping 7,000 names - I'd much rather have 3,500 pairs of names (keep the better half) and spend the same on renewals that we are spending now

 

[Edwin]

I imagine this could be the catalyst for some major portfolio consolidations over the next year or so, as some players double down and others get out of the market entirely. Suddenly domaining looks like it could be fun again - and it's been quite a while since that was true!

 

[TinkyWinky]

It also benefits the owners of old generic names. They will be able to make use of both names, either to point at the same site, or two different sites. Or keep one, sell one. As I said, it rewards those who placed the most faith in the UK namespace (by renewing names again and again and again over the years)

Sorry I don't agree - I actually think this is a clever by-product of the proposal.

I think it simply encourages those who have most influence (because as of rights they have been in the market the longest) to back this ridiculous bonus scheme for Nom directors and Nominet - at the expense of all of us!

I have been around for many years and would probably secure all of my generics, but it doesn't make me agree with the scheme nor want it - but then I may be a minority here which is EXACTLY what they want to do.

TW

 

[monaghan]

Reg fee has doubled, but at least they're not handing over the domain names of all those who registered early to those with the deepest pockets. Good to see that those on org/me are not left out in the cold, no mention of the non-Nominet managed names, will an old ac.uk outrank the co.uk?

Still don't see the point though, once the .uk is gone then the next company has no choice other than to register in another TLD, adding more SLD's to .uk gives wider options to the UK brand.

 

[AssetDomains]

It also benefits the owners of old generic names. They will be able to make use of both names, either to point at the same site, or two different sites. Or keep one, sell one. As I said, it rewards those who placed the most faith in the UK namespace (by renewing names again and again and again over the years)

I can see your point but it also stifles development of domains at least on anything that has dropped in the last few years.

I've just had £1000 offer turned down (thankfully now) on a nice .co.uk that dropped a few months back I wanted to develop.

What happens to people who plan to develop these names It's impossible to sink any money time or effort into such a co.uk now If someone just sitting on the org.uk me.uk can come and take the premium name in a few months time.

This proposal might be slightly fairer but it still makes a mess of the UK namespace until this is all sorted.

Anyone care to estimate how long this could drag on for

 

[websaway]

Sorry I don't agree - I actually think this is a clever by-product of the proposal.

I think it simply encourages those who have most influence (because as of rights they have been in the market the longest) to back this ridiculous bonus scheme for Nom directors and Nominet - at the expense of all of us!

I have been around for many years and would probably secure all of my generics, but it doesn't make me agree with the scheme nor want it - but then I may be a minority here which is EXACTLY what they want to do.

TW

You might be in the minority but you are not alone.

 

[GreyWing]

Anyone care to estimate how long this could drag on for

Years in lawsuits mate, years and years and years

 

[foz]

Anyone care to estimate how long this could drag on for

To release 12 to 18 months?

For folk to get use to it 3-4 years.

Some will be holding .uk's for very very very long time while the public adjust, another win for Nominet.