DomainShield is one of three auDA registrars in Australia that has a “drop-catching platform” that attempts to catch expiring domains each day. Whilst Netfleet currently is the number one drop-catcher, DomainShield is also quite successful, and has a good following. It is run by the highly experienced Anthony Peake (here is a podcast interview I did with him last year).
It’s fair to say that Anthony is just one of many Australian registrars that has now become frustrated by some of the actions (or inactions) of auDA.
Given he is a man of principle, Anthony today decided to send a personal protest to auDA. He simply has had enough. If you go to his website, you will see an announcement that explains his frustrations with auDA (screenshot below). His blackout protest is going to cost him money, so as he says, this is not done lightly.
Importantly, please note that this protest only affects the “drop-catching” service that DomainShield offers – all other registrar functions will continue as normal.
Ned O’Meara – 31st August 2017
Disclaimer
I really do not understand what he is doing.
Domain Shield has sold some high value names and made great money off it. All they will do is allow drop.com.au and Netfleet.com.au win the auctions… it solves nothing.
I think auDA should run an official daily drop auction. The profit goes into funding auDA and this is passed back to .au registrants via lower wholesale .au fees.
.au domain name consumers should not have to bid at 3 auction websites for the chance to get the dropping .au via some magic software, pot luck or who has the most servers pinging Ausregistry to get it registered first.
Solution:
1 official auDA drop auction website
All IP addresses recorded
No shill fake bidding to pump up prices
No telemarketing sales calls from drop auction providers which have in the past caused so many complaints about fair auction process
auDA are supposed to have the best interests of the .au namespace and paying .au registrant domain name owners / consumers as first priority.
At the moment .au consumers are not only being confused but often ripped off or hurt by the process to get a name.
I used to think that protests seemed pointless too, it is a bit like a prisoner going on a hunger strike. It seems stupid for someone to hurt themselves until you realise that an organisation which has power has a corresponding responsibility.
Having a registry run drop auctions has historically been a disaster and has been met with huge resistance in other namespaces. This idea about auDA giving refunds to registrants is naive at best.
So you want auDA to run a registry and the drops? Exactly what happened to Australia’s “free market” – the CEO wants to take $30m from the free market annually (build an in-house registry) + Take more money from the free market by introducing a new defensive registration Tax extension; And you want auDA to also take $ millions more from the free market via introducing an exclusive auDA expired auction?
Whats next? You would have us hand back our domains to auDA and they can auction them off to the highest bidder, or would you prefer Grey uniforms and red tabs?
Consumers are not confused and generally smart enough to shoot an email to the domain owner or discover both the after market or expired auctions.
I would think its obvious, Anthony is sacrificing a weeks worth of income to send a message to US ALL – the industry is getting impatient with auDA and rightly so, its been over 12 months and what has been decided or achieved?
.
AUDA needs to scrap the .au proposal, that is the only way to bring back stability to the market.
I believe we should keep the ABN restriction for .com.au holders and also continue this rule to direct .AU(.)
I believe auDA need to hurry up and release the final rules of Direct Registrations, or at least release the date when this information is going to be decided.
I’d also like to say I miss Domain Shield!