Colombia accused of rigging .co contract for dot-org provider Afilias – is this document a smoking gun? Suspicions have grown deeper that a lucrative contract to run Colombia’s .co registry was rigged to favor US-based operator Afilias, thanks to unusual references in one of the South American government’s official documents. The contract for trendy dot-co – beloved by startups and the like worldwide – is out for tender, and …
“We have not met with the technology minister or the technology ministry in private to provide advice or documents regarding the .co tender”
Of course you didn't meet in private, you met at an official shindig and just used the boudoir to arrange things provide official advice on the best course to tender for .co manager.
Hey, it's the Trump era. That's the Art of the Deal, isn't it ?
There are many players that can claim some degree of control over your internet access: your telco, your search engine, the programmer of your browser, those running the internet registries ...
Looks like they all want to set up their little toll booth, or at least a billboard, to monetize that control. Think about it in terms of a modern street infrastructure versus a medieval street system where each local power will take its cut or waylay you as you transport your goods. How can the open internet be protected from the shady and greedy players that want to extract their rent? Might need a few revolutions until we wrest control into a republic or democratic system.
I don't know about these matters, obviously, but couldn't it work that multiple (say two, three or four) registries are involved? Then the domain owner chooses which one they'd rather deal with? At least it would keep the provision of quality service competitive if not price.
Why does it have to be Neustar OR Afilias? ( with India, Australia, Colombia etc)
Domain owners don't deal with a Registry, there's already a chinese firewall multiple Registrar feature.
This is handy for ICANN when it comes to buck-passing time. Domain owners only have a contract with the Registrar, not the Registry or ICANN itself (even though the Domain owner funds ICANN via a tax).
ICANN has been very adept at keeping domain owners well clear of the decision making process.
What happens if two companies each grant the domain "myname.co"? What's going to happen when someone tries to use that in an address?
Someone has to make sure that every domain name is unique. That's the role we're talking about here. Hard to see how to make it competitive.
A freind of a friend of a friend of mine, knew a guy, who was a friend of a friend of a friend of yours, I am very friendly and so are you.
They may have met at times, of which we are not aware, and of course i meet with my friends, a you meet with your friends, but there was "no collusion", "no quid pro quo"
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
