[comments-gtlds] New gTLD Comment

[Don Stauffer <Don@Skyler.Com>]

While it has been mentioned a cautious approach to new gTLD
registration would make unforseen problems more manageable, and I
agree, there is a disadvantage I've never heard mentioned to making
new gTLDs available a few at a time.

Someone wanting to register a domain a second level domain name may
choose a less appropriate TLD, maybe even with a less appropriate
second level name if the ideal one is taken in that TLD.  As a chain
reaction, the name actually registered will be unavailable to anyone
for whom it *would* be appropriate, "forcing" them to register a less
appropriate name, etc.

As an illustrative example, the .COM TLD is available now but .NOM and
.PER are not.  Hypothetically, if a person named Rossar Reynolds
wanted to register his own domain, finding that Reynolds.COM is
unavailable, he might register Rossar.COM.  Later, a business named
Rossar Brothers, Inc., named for the surname of the family that
started and runs the business, would have to use a different domain.
So, not only does Mr. Reynolds (who probably goes by "Ross") have the
awkward email address Ross@Rossar.COM, whose TLD also implies a
business, but Rossar Brothers can't have the obvious Rossar.COM, which
would be especially good because *everyone* in the Rossar family could
have email "@Rossar.COM".  Even after Reynolds.NOM and Reynolds.PER
become available, it's likely Mr. Reynolds will not want to change his
domain just to accomodate Rossar Brothers, Inc.

If .NOM and .PER were available at the time Mr. Reynolds was looking
for a domain name, he might have registered Reynolds.NOM or
Reynolds.PER.  Then he could logically share the email addresses with
other members of his extended family.  Lots of people would have
appropriate email addresses, with reasonable local names, second and
top level domains.

My conclusion is that you should release one or two special purpose
gTLDs which will not be very popular (maybe police the appropriate use
carefully) to test the robustness of your registry and procedures,
then release a reasonably large number of TLDs at once (maybe 25 or
so).  I would be sure to have multiple TLDs for personal or family use
(.FAM?) and also for business use.  I like the subdivisions proposed
for businesses, especially .FIRM.  Maybe there could even be more, and
a similar number for personal use.

Thanks for your efforts.

Don Stauffer

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