Government moves on auDA.

[snoopy]

That's fair enough and they are entitled to their point of view, but that means going down a path of uncertainty for the next 12 months at least, and risking the namespace to an unknown party with unknown motives who simply needs to tick all 29 boxes from the review in order for the Government to endorse them and there won't be a thing you or I can do about it.

A the moment the organisation is doing nothing for most members, they are the "losers". The registry price reduction has not been passed on and auDA hopes to make even more money from business and members with the direct registration proposal.

A new entity is a better scenario than what we have now. Let's see if auDA can propose real changes that are in the interests of Australian business or if it will be more of the same.

 

[Lemon]

I don't think it is an issue they can just ignore for a year, they have an SGM about it in a month.

The SGM has nothing to do with direct registrations.
The SGM is calling for removal of Independent Directors.

The Government is demanding an increase in the number of Independents.

 

[Cheyne]

The registry price reduction has not been passed on and auDA hopes to make even more money from business and members with the direct registration proposal.

The irony here is that you want to physically devalue .au domain names by reducing the price for absolutely no reason (and with no business case I might add ), all the while campaigning against direct registrations because it will devalue .au domain names.

So let's could skip the argy bargy here and settle this with a classic meme that would make everybody happy...

You get your lower pricing, we get direct registrations. Both sides make a compromise. We all lose something but we all win something. Hurrah!

 

[Lemon]

A new entity is a better scenario than what we have now.

Can you guarantee that.

 

[Lemon]

What I can 100% guarantee is that if the members do not commit to change auDA will no longer exist.

 

[snoopy]

The SGM has nothing to do with direct registrations.

Have you read grumpier.com.au?

 

[snoopy]

What I can 100% guarantee is that if the members do not commit to change auDA will no longer exist.

Lemon, the fact is if the vote were held tomorrow the changes would not be passed. auDA has a lot of work to do to convince members they can change their spots.

 

[Lemon]

Have you read grumpier.com.au?

The resolutions target the independent directors.
If the SGM is because of direct registrations I would question if it is being called for a "Fit and Proper Purpose"

 

[Lemon]

Lemon, the fact is if the vote were held tomorrow the changes would not be passed. auDA has a lot of work to do to convince members they can change their spots.

I do hope you read the Government Review.
Now auDA, and the Members, have clear guidelines of what is expected from them.
Change or Bye Bye

 

[snoopy]

The irony here is that you want to physically devalue .au domain names by reducing the price for absolutely no reason (and with no business case I might add ), all the while campaigning against direct registrations because it will devalue .au domain names.

Reducing the holding costs will not "devalue" them much like reducing the council rates on your house won't devalue it, or reducing the cost of your car registration.

Secondly I'm not campaigning because it will devalue .au names, they are worth very little to start with and I believe they are a very poor investment.

I'm campaigning because people should not be pressured to pay twice for two near identical products. People should not have to pay auDA and domain registrars an extra fee.

You get your lower pricing, we get direct registrations. Both sides make a compromise. We all lose something but we all win something. Hurrah!

How would that be a compromise on your part? What do you lose in that equation?

 

[Cheyne]

Reducing the holding costs will not "devalue" them

Of course it will. It's worth less.

Secondly I'm not campaigning because it will devalue .au names, they are worth very little to start with and I believe they are a very poor investment.

The majority of registrants didn't register a .au domain name as an investment.

I'm campaigning because people should not be pressured to pay twice for two near identical products.

The same argument already exists to buy a .net.au and yet 80% of registrants don't do that. There is probably more pressure to buy the .com, .net and .co, or any of the hundreds of newTLD's but most businesses don't do that either.

What do you lose in that equation?

We lose 40% of wholesale and retail revenue. All it would take is one registrar to drop their price and the rest would have to follow.

 

[snoopy]

Former CEO Chris Disspain suggests calling out branch stacking may have led at least in part to his firing,

I am pleased that the review has called out a number of important structural issues especially the matter of membership stacking, something that I had raised with the board on a number of occasions towards the end of my tenure and that may have led, at least in part, to my departure.

http://domainincite.com/22895-government-gives-auda-reform-or-die-ultimatum?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+DomainIncite+(DomainIncite.com)

 

[DomainNames]

Of course it will. It's worth less.


The majority of registrants didn't register a .au domain name as an investment.


The same argument already exists to buy a .net.au and yet 80% of registrants don't do that. There is probably more pressure to buy the .com, .net and .co, or any of the hundreds of newTLD's but most businesses don't do that either.

We lose 40% of wholesale and retail revenue. All it would take is one registrar to drop their price and the rest would have to follow.

Please confirm

1. VentraIP / Synergy Wholesale do not want auDA to pass on the lower 60% price drop to Registrars or for auDA to reduce their own fees, auDA Foundation fees or their expenses?

2. VentraIP / Synergy Wholesale wants pricing to remain as it is now with all your competitors? Do you have some agreement with them to set pricing?

3. VentraIP / Synergy does not want Resellers or Consumers to benefit from the 60% lower Afilias winning .au wholesale registry contract pricing or to benefit from lower auDA fees?
________
I thought the last few weeks would have helped you and some other to see the light and change tactics... I still hope so soon or you will keep adding to the chaos and market confusion.

Consumer pricing and protection is a critical point of auDA's role they have been neglecting. The Government is looking at this angle far more seriously now than ever and they are watching this .au wholesale pricing issue, auDA's management of budgets and the real status of auDA as a not for profit.

Save your push for the another competing .au extension for another 2 years again. By then we can see how many more .nz and .uk got dropped... and how many more .com.au / .net.au etc have been registered and renewed with the increased market stability again.

Get behind the existing .au namespace and all of the currently available extensions.

.com has over 130 million ... Australia has 3 million .com.au... There are still plenty of .com.au and .net.au names you and Supply can sell today and tomorrow and for the future! Focus on that and do yourselves a huge favour and maybe even win back some customers who buy not just names but a lot of hosting,, ssl and other things!

Backing the existing .au namespace will also make people choose to renew.. Think about it a little more. You are not helping yourself or your company.

There are a lot of Supply companies who do want the full .au wholesale price drop passed on. This was a major reason why auDA was going to tender.. not for auDA to keep the money and keep blowing for themselves and more consultants etc!

Stop wasting your time on the now off the table direct extension crap. It has not worked in the .uk and in the .nz. I have been in those spaces for nearly 20 years and if it worked I would have supported it 100%. I would have made a lot of money out of it also but it has messed things up there and the facts prove it has added none of the promised extra value at all to users or even to Registrars or Resellers.

Focus on selling more existing domain name options, sell people more .com.au and more .net.au names! Sell us all more other things you can probably make more money out of anyway combined, hosting, ssl certificates etc etc! That will help your business and prove a better way forward for everyone.

Please stop the attacks on your own existing customers who had supported your company in the early days.

I don't think the Whirlpool posts of some VentraIP / Synergy team members have helped the company or the comments at the Melbourne PRP meeting. It achieved nothing but caused a lot of damage.

To be very clear Consumer pricing IS a big issue for government. They are concerned and if they do take it over they DO have models they are looking at for lower .au pricing. There are now 1700 other domain name extensions for people to choose and domain name options as low as $1 or even FREE with hosting elsewhere.

The days of auDA and Supply trying to fix pricing will be over sooner rather than later if people don't wake up and be happy with what they get now and the change to sell other services to those customers. Hey in most countries Registars give away the domain name FREE with hosting and the other products they sell! I would doubt you can focus on that being a massive profit revenue stream in the future. With Afiias will come new Registrar players to Australia.

I will call you tomorrow to see if you have time to chat. It is time to move forward.

 

[DomainNames]

What I can 100% guarantee is that if the members do not commit to change auDA will no longer exist.

Members where committed to change at the last SGM and the AGM Grumpy platform which won but auDA Management and many on the auDA Board did not go through with it...or what they promised to members, stakeholders or to Government. Vacant Demand Class Director positions says a lot for such a long period of time.. It was and remains a deliberate tactic at odds with good governance or proper Demand class representation.

auDA went backwards again... missing Agenda's and Minutes again off the auDA website, Failed CRC, Failed PRP etc etc

It is attached again for people from all sides to now read... SADLY perhaps due to auDA pressure the www.grumpy.com.au website was taken down when Ned and Nicole got onto the Board! How's that for Accountability and Transparency.... and a bit of auDA pressure?

• Lower wholesale pricing
• Accountability and Transparency
• auDA Board Minutes
• Overwhelming no for another competing .au extension or the damage it would do to the existing namespace Australia globally respected for
  
• etc

Everyone can read that old Grumpy campaign and why many items still are concerns today not just to both Supply and Demand members, many other stakeholders and Government who has a copy also they have been checking progess on!

 

[Cheyne]

You can say it any which way you want, but the fact is the Government has put forward 29 recommendations and members will need to back them in or face an unknown party being endorsed. It's as simple as that.

Will you support a new single-class model for membership?

Will you support a majority independent board?

Will you support board nominations being vetted by a Nomination Committee?

 

[Bacon Farmer]

Sure as long it's not stacked with Victorian liberal party members and mates.

 

[Lemon]

Everyone can read that old Grumpy campaign and why many items still are concerns today not just to both Supply and Demand members, many other stakeholders and Government who has a copy also they have been checking progess on!

Sean.
Don't lecture me on the Grumpy campaign.
I was there and I called for change.
And what happened you all ****ed me over.

 

[DomainNames]

• CHEYNE You can say it any which way you want, but the fact is the Government has put forward 29 recommendations and members will need to back them in or face an unknown party being endorsed. It's as simple as that.

  
  "Will you support a new single-class model for membership?"
  • YES
    
  • FREE MEMBERSHIP
    
  • https://cira.ca/membership/become-a-member
    
  • https://cira.ca/membership/benefits
  • https://cira.ca/membership/member-activities
  
  'Will you support a majority independent board?"
  • Yes IF they have relevant real domain name experience & knowledge and are not just placed there to stack numbers or for any one particular political party and the $40,000 + expenses etc a year
  
  "Will you support board nominations being vetted by a Nomination Committee?"

• Yes of course depending on the makeup of the Nomination Committee, their criteria, their own domain name industry experience and their true goals of filing the position.

I do not think we need any more academics or people without real domain name industry experience or any more "jobs for the boys" political job and board stacking.

___________________
Government has another list of over 50 items of serious concern. The 29 is just the start to get auDA some focus and serious warning.

 

[DomainNames]

Sean.
Don't lecture me on the Grumpy campaign.
I was there and I called for change.
And what happened you all ****ed me over.

Ian sorry but the fact is you achieved not being voted in for yourself due to comments and positions you took the majority of members did not support with votes.

If you take on board a lot of the feedback and can honestly state your position has changed and so does your comments you may have a chance this year to regain more support.... or not by the looks of the Government changes. Give it a shot if you want.

We have all been ****ed over... not just you. I don't think anyone is celebrating for being on the auDA Board today. That is probably why another Grumpier.com.au SGM has been called and has the numbers to go ahead plus why the Government is getting heavier. They too have been ****ed over some of them think and so has the overall .au namespace and it's management reputation.

 

[DomainNames]

https://www.insideretail.com.au/blog/2018/04/18/government-to-oversee-reforms-to-peak-domain-body/