PAB results

[Hazel Pegg]

Otherwise where this is heading is towards an appointed Select Committee, rather than elected Policy Advisory Body.

I wouldn't support that but I have in past suggested that there should be a certain number of PAB seats allocated to different sectors of the community. But that's far too difficult to put into practice.

Purely out of interest, perhaps you could profile exactly what types of people you think are more inline with your expectations for PAB members, then perhaps we can encourage such types to put themselves up for election in the future.

I don't think there are any 'types' that are more suitable than others and there is nothing wrong with the types that have been elected. I just think that there are now too many of the same type. But as you said - "If one sector proves to be dominant in securing votes, then let the other sectors up their efforts to secure election".

 

[Hazel Pegg]

fundamentally the registrant is concerned that :-

1 They give Nominet too much money by way of registration fees

Some registrants may have that concern. I have met some others who would like the registration price to rise substantially.

 

[fahrenheit]

Some registrants may have that concern. I have met some others who would like the registration price to rise substantially.

Pretty sure there will be uproar if that was the case. I struggle to see how Nominet could currently justify a price increase. It's easier to go down, then up... I think the registration fee is something that everyone will have a view, much like the transfer fee for a domain which is an ongoing debate, and something I personally would like at the forefront of discussion for the newly elected members.

 

[Hazel Pegg]

the transfer fee for a domain which is an ongoing debate

That's another one where a lot of registrants don't have a problem and many actively support the fact that transfers are checked by Nominet and are happy to pay for this service. I can see that the sums will soon add up if trading domains is your business. But I'd expect you to be able to factor that into your costs.

I personally would be strongly opposed to any transfer system that didn't have the checks currently in place and if that has to be paid for then so be it.

 

[rob]

I personally would be strongly opposed to any transfer system that didn't have the checks currently in place and if that has to be paid for then so be it.

I agree for a checks based system, but with more online element.

My issue is the fee, and only with open information will we know if the current charge is correct or not.

£35 was quite quickly dropped when someone did the maths on the volume of registrations x £35 .

 

[fahrenheit]

Hazel - I am not opposed to a fee at all. Like you said, it provides the necessary checks and balances that prevent things like domain hijacking and the other nasties associated with different TLD's from occuring, and adds integrity to the way .uk transfers are handled.

That said, and I agree with Rob, that a better understanding of how these fees are estimated and then assessed is required. As Rob points out, the fee dropped in association with the level of registrations. Surely Nominet's projections are that registration volumes will continue at an exponential rate, and as such the associated transfer fee needs to become more transparent and perhaps accountable inline with this. If the fee bracket moved from £35 to £10 what can registrars expect in the future? Similarly, is anything being done to speed or automate this process? Forgive my ignorance, but does Nominet have plans to go carbon-neutral or at least reduce carbon emissions as other companies have committed to recently? Is there an agenda to speed up the process or automate part of it, whereby the fee that is currently being charged might be reduced as a result of a more automated process?

Like I said, I have no problem with the fee in place, but the lack of transparency causes issues for most people, and I think it is a contentious issue that should be openly discussed.

 

[Hazel Pegg]

If the fee bracket moved from £35 to £10 what can registrars expect in the future?

Probably for the fee to reduce further. Personally I don't care if the fee is £50 or 50p as long as the necessary checks remain in place.

 

[retired_member12]

..Hazel - I am not opposed to a fee at all. Like you said, it provides the necessary checks and balances that prevent things like domain hijacking and the other nasties associated with different TLD's from occuring, and adds integrity to the way .uk transfers are handled.
..

Fahrenheit, i agree with most of what you say, but the above bit is conducted out of sight, reach & control of all but Nominet themselves. What is currently in place to ensure that the 'check and balances' are both managed and conducted to anywhere near an acceptable level?

 

[fahrenheit]

I guess we need to take them on their word that the service they are providing and that we pay for in terms of a fee is supported through the actions that they take. Whilst it would be difficult, and probably unfair to ask for a breakdown of how that fee is used, this is where a greater degree of accountability, and for that matter, transparency, would be useful, so that when we talk of 'checks and balances' we know the full process involved. Hopefully, the remittance form, doesn't just get stamped by someone in the back office and added to the pile, but rather a series of checks and processes occur that fully justify the fee itself...

 

[bb99]

Probably for the fee to reduce further. Personally I don't care if the fee is £50 or 50p as long as the necessary checks remain in place.

I fully agree with the need for security in the domain transfer process. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy

In the olden days Nominet was set up and everything was cost recovery - rightly so. Now though, the volumes of registrations are such that Nominet makes a huge surplus every year.

The cost recovery model isn't necessarily right anymore, especially if you apply it on a per product basis. In my view (some of) the huge surplus on £5 registrations should be put towards subsidising the domain transfer costs. Keep the security, just drop the fee/s - a win win situation

 

[Hazel Pegg]

In my view (some of) the huge surplus on £5 registrations should be put towards subsidising the domain transfer costs. Keep the security, just drop the fee/s - a win win situation

I wouldn't have a problem with that. I'd also like to see a reduction in the cost of re-establishing registrant identity as that has become an issue for many of my clients since forced TAG transfers can now only take place via Registrants Online. So it's a tenner to re-establish identity then another tenner to change the TAG. Though I don't have a problem with the charge for the TAG change and think it would be wrong to remove that.

 

[bb99]

I wouldn't have a problem with that. I'd also like to see a reduction in the cost of re-establishing registrant identity as that has become an issue for many of my clients since forced TAG transfers can now only take place via Registrants Online. So it's a tenner to re-establish identity then another tenner to change the TAG. Though I don't have a problem with the charge for the TAG change and think it would be wrong to remove that.

Agreed on the identity fee.

The charge for the tag change is a bit more tricky - it's a bit of a double edge sword for registrars as a free tag change could be used both for and against us (by devious registrants).

Generally speaking though my current inclination is that the Nominet tag change should also be free through registrants online, and it should have big alarm bells attached for people who may not know exactly what they are doing.

It's all a bit hypothetical at the moment though as pricing isn't specifically under consultation.

Having said that, the surplus and what to do with it is something of a hot topic and pricing plays a part in that. So maybe it will be under consultation soon. 8)