[comments-deletes] Awake!

[Loren Stocker <loren@800.net>]

Dear Mr. Dodd:
 
You have a accurate view of today's situaton, but have be lured into the WLS
Fantasy. Just hold still a moment. Perhaps, you can be cured!

You say:
"I would like to say I am in strongly favour of the WLS.
The current system is heavily balanced in favour of 2 groups:
  - people with money to bid at dotster/nicgenie/signaturedomains to grab the
expiring names"

This is true. If you can't afford Dotster, SnapNames or others you haven't a
pray. These service EMPOWER the end user with everthing required to beat all
but the best professional speculators. Yet, you must be aware that most
domains secured by Dotster are under $100. Snapnames was a flat $49 until they
suddenly jacked up the price to make WLS look good! The other two I don't have
experience with but can tell you how to win domains. Sign up at both Dotser
and Snapnames. That way you win either way. If Snapnames gets it you pay
Dotster nothing. If Dotster gets it you can reapply you Snapback to another
domain.

My personal opionin is that if you don't have $100 you should sit down and
shut up about WLS... er, let me be kind: Please remove yourself from the
conversation. The truth is that domains you can afford will not be involved.
Any domain worth less than $100 won't have a WLS, won't be "Snapbacked," and
won't have bids on it. It's the high value domains that are being discussed
here. 

With that, if you can get a $2,-3,000 domain for $100 it's an investment not a
barrier. Borrow the money from your Mom! If you think I'm offbase here, look
at the public forum under "THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO." Two three-letter
domains were secured for $100-$300. Clearly, they're worth much more.

Then you say,

  - people with huge technical resources to grab names themselves."

This used to be true but no more. These "people" are mostly out of business
and now use Snapnames, Dotster, and other services YOU too can use. The
Registry limited bandwidth last year and nobody but Registrars have access to
the "drop pool."  If you see domains still being lost, you may not see the
reason. These high-value speculators FOCUS their efforts. In ".info Land Rush
2," for example, the top three domains went to Signature. The reason? They
only ASKED for three! Eveyone else asked for dozens, hundreds, or even
thousands. They played the game well. You too can focus your efforts. There is
nothing stopping you. Just this misguided assumption -- which would lead you
to not even try.
 
Next, you say>>>
"Domain names are a completely unique product.  Everyone should have the same
chance at getting expiring names.

The WLS meets this requirement."

Wait!!! WLS does what??!! The WLS Option KILLS eveyones chance of getting a
dropped domain except the WLS option holder. Now if that's you, you still
don't have a lock (see my "Do the Math Comments" coming soon). If you don't --
which if highly likely -- what are you going to do now? Pound salt?

The WLS Option list will be rushed by speculators which will have ALL the top
spots in the first 7 seconds. The rest of those poor slobs, aka "the public,"
will be out of luck.
 
You then say>>
"The alternative is that certain "players" get the game to themselves.
 
A monopoly is in this case, appropriate, given the unique nature of the item
in question and offers a leve playing field."

Huh? Level? Did you say level? WLS creates two classes of domains. Those
available to the public and those that are not. How is this level? This is
discrimination and restraint of trade! And the beneficiary of this scam not
only keeps the cash but feels no need to ask for permission. They are selling
a dream. You are in it. Wake up, sir.