back to article New Nominet chair: I’ll start by listening

Nominet’s new chair will start her new job by listening. “I don’t come in with answers. I would like to listen to staff, but I also recognise how important it is to listen to members, to see how strongly they feel,” Baroness Rennie Fritchie explained to The Reg in her first interview since accepting her new position. She is …

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  1. Michael Fremlins
    Stop

    Why do we need a Baroness?

    An example of jobs for the boys/girls. There's no stopping these people, it seems. No doubt she will on a large salary, with pension "contributions" to match.

  2. whois-search
    Linux

    Open letter to Kieren McCarthy

    Dear Kieren,

    I note with interest your article above.

    I would like to point out my disagreement with the following part of it:

    [quote]

    "A key issue at the heart of Nominet’s problems is a small group of determined domainers who feel the organization is not listening to them — they want lower per-domain prices whereas Nominet’s management is keen to retain what it sees as the high status of dot-uk domains. Due to Nominet’s unusual membership and voting structures, this small group was capable of exerting disproportionate influence and did so to elect Board members who then opposed plans internally. Baroness Fritchie says she understands the pressures that can result from new groups upsetting the status quo. “I was vice-chair of a building society when it went through carpetbagging. We had a few people with different agendas.”

    [/quote]

    First of all I believe the "small group of determined domainers" doesn't exist - we are all individuals with completely different interests and lives. Many maybe "friends" in the industry (as are members on all sides of the fence) however as I have pointed out to you on previous occasions, you do not get elected to the board of Nominet or the PAB unless you have wide support including that of large registrars.

    Secondly if the lower prices statement were to be true, why would 'domainers' want to devalue their own assets? If you were to spend time speaking to real successful 'domainers' they really don't care what the price is. Many of them however are extremely upset and concerned about what the future holds for their investments due to articles like yours.

    In my opinion what domainers are really frustrated with is the way in which they have been 'lumped' together when they have varied business interests. Please see the comment by The Rt Hon. Lord Lucas during the second reading of the Digital Economy Bill:

    [quote]

    The Explanatory Memorandums that go with the Bill are not very clear on this provision and include some descriptions of untoward activities which do not seem to me to correspond to reality. I will not go into great detail about it now, but certainly the description of drop-catching is completely wide of the mark and bears little relation to the actual activity. I am puzzled that the Government should feel so twitchy about this. I should like to be sure that, should they act, they are totally clear, open and consultative about the way that they do it.

    [/quote]

    Source: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2010-01-12a.402.6&s=nominet+segment%3A20490247

    Also the "carpet bagging" episode actually took place during the 1999 election and had nothing to do with "domainers".

    Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/network-nominet-set-to-demutualise-1104463.html

    Therefore please could we have debate on the topic of "domaining" rather than continued stories like the one above?

    Yours Sincerely,

    Andrew Bennett

    Nominet Non-executive Board Election Candidate 2010

    http://www.andrewbennett.me.uk

    1. Matt Bradley

      More to it than this

      Andrew,

      I think many of us are concerned not only about the pricing of domains, but also about the safety of the regulatory structure surrounding the .uk space if it is put in the hands of domainers. Particularly in respect of trademarks, etc.

      It seems to me that there is a substantial confilct of interest for an individual who makes money out of reselling desirable domains, and regulating the registration and allocation of those domains. Putting domainers in charge of .uk is a bit like putting a fox in charge of the chicken coop, as it were.

      Of course, there's also a question mark over the maturity of some of the candidates, and their ability to enter into a robust debate in a way which maintains and strengthens the credibility of Nominet.

  3. disgruntled yank

    A real confidence builder

    "Despite having limited technical understanding ... As chair of the Web Science Research Initiative at Southampton University "

    Also,

    'She recognises that the task of guiding Nominet will not be simple or certain, however, describing it as “a bit like navigating by the stars”. '

    In the days before Loran and GPS, that was a well understood practice. The US Hydrographic Office (and no doubt the folks in Greenwich) published volumes and volumes of tables for calculating lines of position from elevations of stars etc. It was not always simple--with the older methods--but it could be pretty accurate.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Is this "positive" discrimination in action?

    Just get any woman into a top role, whatever it is, whoever it is.

    Not that it's positive in any way of course, I mean now we have someone running Nominet who seems to have hardly any idea what a domain name is. At least she's a Woman though so that means it's a good thing right? Or is that sexist?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Did someone mention ...

    whois-search you have shown on mailing lists and forums over the weekend that despite looking like a good candidate you cannot cope with the pressure of an internet job where the failings of the business are shown to you, I hope you dont contact El Reg to get the police to come and visit me for my comments.

    Paris because theres no d0lphins.

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