all,

In doing a quick online search, I came across this old CircleId article that included, what appeared to be, a relevant quote (pasted below). In any case, this appeared to be a very brief article that barely scratches the surface.

http://www.circleid.com/posts/speculation_and_investment_in_domain_names/

quoting the author: "Thus, buying and selling domain names are speculative investments that can create, destroy, or transfer value."

In 2021, we are all aware of how Org's budget has expanded over the years (I believe now in excess of over US 100M), yet there appears to be a shortcoming in the collection of empirical data and market research on some of the most fundamental matters which fall under ICANN's public trust commitments. In this regard, I am reminded of Evan's previous comments on the essential role of the at-large community in both educating and informing gTLD policy development as being particularly pertinent to this discussion. For example, here are a few topics which I believe that progress could be made through the commissioning of (truly) independent study, research, and analysis:

From an economic perspective, what market failures or needs do domain names address (e.g. can short, concise identifiers, effectively improve communication, and within a certain context, reduce searching costs). On this basis, how should the gTLD space be optimally structured to help ensure that domain names are able to meet these market failures/needs.

How can the allocation of domain names harm public welfare and simultaneously impose significant social costs on Internet users and the consuming public. As the public steward of the DNS, what measures should ICANN be employing to address DNS abuse in legacy and new gTLDs. What combination of methods (e.g. consensus policies, contracts, market mechanisms, enforcement) can best address and mitigate these consumer harms?

Hope helpful...cheers all.

On Thu, Jan 28, 2021 at 12:17 PM Nat Cohen <ncohen@telepathy.com> wrote:

OWG is a new Canadian airline. Its first commercial flight was last month from your city of Toronto-

https://www.flightglobal.com/networks/canadas-owg-launches-with-initial-flight-to-cuba/141682.article

OWG.com branding is prominent on the fuselage. Who sold them the domain name? I did.

On Thu, Jan 28, 2021 at 12:01 PM Evan Leibovitch <evan@telly.org> wrote:
As I've said before, the greed and rent-seeking of the domain industry has been doing an excellent job driving both providers and consumers of Internet services to seek alternatives to "memorable" domain names. Every Google search and every Facebook corporate page gives people a more-useful way for people to get what they want from the net.

One more recent manifestation of this phenomenon caught my eye. Ten years ago airlines started putting their web domains boldly on the side of their planes. But now we have this:

It's on all their planes. and consumers know what to do when they see it.
Use the QR code or search Azores Air.
Who needs to know that it's a Portuguese airline with a .pt domain?
Who needs to care?
The FQDN is in small print while the other access methods predominate.
This is where things are going, folks.
Don't believe the hype. And don't pay the ransom.
Almost everyone who defends the ruse has a vested interest in maintaining it.

Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada
@evanleibovitch / @el56
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