What is the secret?

[FC Domains]

I wasn't expecting anybody to spill the beans.

My point is that the playing field is obviously not level and Nominet refuse to respond to any queries. I don't think there is anybody who believes that a prime domain can be caught as advertised.

The only way to see what is happening would be to examine Nominet's logs and they don't seem to want to do that.
Are they getting Requests before DAC shows a domain as available, that are managing to register it?
Are DAC requests from the more successful TAGS showing any patterns?
Do any DAC accounts requests seem to be locked together?

 

[Paullas]

I wasn't expecting anybody to spill the beans.

My point is that the playing field is obviously not level and Nominet refuse to respond to any queries. I don't think there is anybody who believes that a prime domain can be caught as advertised.

The only way to see what is happening would be to examine Nominet's logs and they don't seem to want to do that.
Are they getting Requests before DAC shows a domain as available, that are managing to register it?
Are DAC requests from the more successful TAGS showing any patterns?
Do any DAC accounts requests seem to be locked together?

Yes nominet are not interested, at the end of the day they are getting the money for the domain so they dont care who gets what. You will also find that nominet never ever say they are doing something incase they are found to be wrong (as if) so they have a say nothing do nothing and it will go away approach.

As a tag holder and member it is frustrating as good luck to guys getting them as they have spent time finding nominets flaws (again) but annoying that nominet preach there systems are not at fault but will never prove it even to tag holders(member).

All i can say is until Jay comes on here and says something then all the tag holders(members) are wasting your time complaining.

my rant over (sorry)

 

[retired_member11]

Nominet = monkey x 3

 

[Jay Daley]

So there is a flaw somewhere in Nominet's system and somebody has found it. Maybe that's fair enough, but Nominet refuse to discuss it.

Since when? Admittedly I haven't posted here for a while but I do answer emails. As it happens I don't know what has been discovered, if anything at all.

 

[retired_member11]

As I said, x 3.

 

[Existent]

Since when? Admittedly I haven't posted here for a while but I do answer emails. As it happens I don't know what has been discovered, if anything at all.

You stated last year publically on this forum that certain tagholders were very successful due to their apps, a monitoring system running on ZX81 would have told you that there were DAC spikes every 300 seconds.

A certain number of tagholders have discovered another flaw in your system, which would be very easy for you to find and yet you refuse to do so.

Isn't it the case that Nominet's attitude is, if someone has found a flaw, good luck to them and you do very little or no monitoring, or make changes to keep the system fair?

We all know as tagholders that last year the system was dominated by two tagholders and continues to do so even now. When I first became a tagholder (two years ago) the system was, I believe, working correctly as good quality domain names were more evenly distributed between tagholders but as soon as a bug creeps into the system, it's very clear because one or two tags dominate.

Given what all the tagholders in this thread have mentioned, it is clear there is a distinct advantage gained that is not within regular operations. We have all optimised our code to gain the slimmest advantage but still we are beaten time and time again and we are not talking about small changes.

Eventually a tagholder will find it and reveal it publically to level the playing field again. Surely, from Nominet's PR perspective, it would be a better exercise to flex that so called technical talent and find the flaw?

 

[jonno]

Isn't it the case that Nominet's attitude is, if someone has found a flaw, good luck to them and you do very little or no monitoring, or make changes to keep the system fair?

why is the current system not fair? every member has the access to the same documentation as everyone else.

you guys obviously aren't looking hard enough, i can personally state i have spent hundreds of hours researching and optimizing our script, so dont expect it to be an easy ride.

 

[Existent]

why is the current system not fair? every member has the access to the same documentation as everyone else.

you guys obviously aren't looking hard enough.

Hehe. So what you're saying is that all the tagholders on here are not looking hard enough? Even the most seasoned who have modified their code over several years?

You're right of course, we are missing something but it depends if it's a flaw of Nominet's system or a genuine optimisation.

 

[jonno]

Hehe. So what you're saying is that all the tagholders on here are not looking hard enough? Even the most seasoned who have modified their code over several years?

yes.

You're right of course, we are missing something but it depends if it's a flaw of Nominet's system or a genuine optimisation.

i think i answered that in my last post.

 

[Existent]

yes.



i think i answered that in my last post.

I'm sure we've all spent hundreds of hours on our code but you've been good enough to find an advantage but I'd never expect you to come out publically and state that it's a flaw rather than a genuine advantage.

I seem to recall last year jonno that you were also in the same boat as we are now and calling for Nominet to fix their systems.

 

[bb99]

Personally speaking I don't see it as "a flaw". Nor did I see the previous 300 Second issue as a flaw or a bug. That's just how the system is and how it works.

Assuming that you are not cheating, it's the same for everyone and if some people find optimisations that work then good for them. Surely everyone is in the same boat?

What I don't like is cheating - using multiple DAC subscriptions for example. I'm not saying anyone has cheated by the way.

If we wind the clock back to before the 300 Second issue was revealed in public, everyone thought that there was cheating going on then. There were people falling out on here and even people leaving the board in disgust.

In reality it was just that the 300 Second issue had been found and was being used in order to increase chances of success. I don't see anything wrong with that. Anyone looking hard enough could have found it and could have used it. Such is life.

 

[jonno]

I'm sure we've all spent hundreds of hours on our code but you've been good enough to find an advantage but I'd never expect you to come out publically and state that it's a flaw rather than a genuine advantage.

obviously you haven't used your hundreds of hours as effectively as i have then

it's more than a feature (c) than an optimization or flaw.

 

[Existent]

obviously you used your hundreds of hours as effectively as i have then

it's more than a feature (c) than an optimization or flaw.

Hmm... ok. Enjoy the success while it lasts. We all know it's short lived in this business and I seem to recall you were once in the same boat.

My orginal post was directed at Nominet BTW.

 

[SF]

I have been pondering weather to add to this post for a day or so now, but I think I will..

I have been catching well before the DAC (most of you guys have too), and even then there was a couple of TAG holders cleaning up. you will always get someone who is much better and more knowledgebale than yourself, someone with much more cash!

Back when the old public drop catcher was going very well - the same couple of tag holders were making booking of about 5k of names a time, (just so knowbody else could book the same names, so i do reakon its the cash amount and who you know to succeed in the drop catching game. + they were using there own systems.

I have heard jonno is a very good coder, prob one of the most knowlegsble about uk drop catching at this time. I have no chance against them but thats not there fault? I didnt learn that much at school

The names that are being caught by these top catchers are easily worth 2k upwards some + 10k easily! so it does pay to learn and find out as much as you can. Theres is alot of money to be made in drops and hard work + cash will win every time.

The coder I have now is still finding ways of getting quicker and quicker so I suggest doing more homework might help. Homework!!! not for me

Regards

 

[Paullas]

Hmm... ok. Enjoy the success while it lasts. .

i think they will as nominet wont do anything. nominet have made it clear in the past they dont have the expertise(talent) to find the feature others have found in their systems, even though they say time and time again there system is a level playing field.

 

[Paullas]

The coder I have now is still finding ways of getting quicker and quicker so I suggest doing more homework might help. Homework!!! not for me

Regards

yes aquanuke does you proud

 

[SF]

Yes his cheap as chips drop catching is superb, although my coders are in pakistan. cheap but hard work.

 

[retired_member12]

Why would anyone expect Nominet to put in an inordinate amount of time to discover a 'short cut'/code trick just to even the playing field. Come on guys, they have a system which does the job it was originally designed to do. They are not here to serve the sole interests of a select band of TAG holders aiming to get the lucrative drops.
I can't say i'm a massive fan of Nominet's, but i think your Nommy bashing is misplaced. If it was an inside job, then fair enough, but it's not. Just because one or two of you is smarter than the rest at this moment in time, you shouldn't resort to blaming Nominet for that.
If they had 100 or so great drops due to happen in the coming month, why would they care? Amongst the lot of you, you're going to get them anyway!

 

[SF]

good post double tap yes!

 

[philipp]

The secret? Well if you have 10 or so connections to the DAC, you can poll a greater list of names at a higher frequency and spot the patterns in Nominet's drop system*. It gets even better if you can sell a DAC hosting service because they won't all be used 100% of the time and you can dedicate DAC connections to the names you're after and get paid at the same time!

Nominet say 'it is random' because they drop a random name at a sort-of-random time. But when you have the pattern the drop cycle follows, all you need to do is send enough registration emails to cover the names you're interested in at the appropriate time.

I think a better approach would be to ask Nominet for a firm line on whether it's permitted to allow the same group concurrent access to the DAC. My view is that permitting anyone a greater level of access to Nominet's systems is unfair, regardless of who catches what.

P.


* Please don't say, 'there aren't any patterns, it is random'. This will make you sound like Nominet before last year's bug which has now been poorly patched Also see Jalpope's post.