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Re:Give HN: 3 character .net domains by axod on Sunday November 28, 2010 @02:10PM (#1947955)
The problem at the moment is that it is essentially free to squat on millions of domains. It's just a matter of getting organized, using grace periods, advertising income, so you don't actually have to pay any money to hold millions of domains.

That can't be right.

Even if you set the registration price to say $1,000 I think you'd solve a lot of problems. People wouldn't just buy 20 domains just incase they might put something on 1 of them.

Sure, you'd still get people squatting on names, but to a far lesser extent.

Currently, people just buy up a ton of domains thinking "Wow I'd like to develop that someday". It's antisocial, but it's encouraged by the nominal price of registering domains.

</rant>

Re:Give HN: 3 character .net domains by techiferous on Sunday November 28, 2010 @04:20PM (#1948337)
"Even if you set the registration price to say $1,000"

Do you realize the impact that would have on innovating new web apps?

Re:Give HN: 3 character .net domains by axod on Sunday November 28, 2010 @04:31PM (#1948368)
Negligible if any. Buying an SSL certificate is more expensive than registering a domain.

edit: It'd also be likely someone would startup some 'free/cheap' subdomain hosting for people who don't want to pay the $1000... eg myapp.free.com

Re:Give HN: 3 character .net domains by DanHulton on Monday November 29, 2010 @07:05PM (#1952427)
Bollocks.

Right now I can get an SSL certificate and register a domain name for under $30 through Dreamhost.

I can think of a few projects that I've started that have helped a few people that never would have gotten off the ground if we had your preposterous $1k fee for registrations.

The current system's not great, sure, but it's a whale better than your "only the rich can register" plan.

Re:Give HN: 3 character .net domains by steveklabnik on Sunday November 28, 2010 @04:34PM (#1948375)
I have never had more than $2,000 in a bank account at one time. I think that your expectations are slightly skewed. And buying an SSL certificate may be more expensive, but it's still $50/year, a far cry from $1k.
Re:Give HN: 3 character .net domains by ra on Sunday November 28, 2010 @05:02PM (#1948465)
I'm sure Verisign would be delighted for ICANN to raise the domain registration fee like that!

no, that is not the answer.

BTW: I'm using a free SSL cert at the moment.

Re:Give HN: 3 character .net domains by burgerbrain on Sunday November 28, 2010 @05:05PM (#1948476)
> 'free/cheap' subdomain

They already exist. They're all over the place really...

Re:Give HN: 3 character .net domains by j_baker on Sunday November 28, 2010 @04:45PM (#1948423)
So this way registrars will make obscene amounts of money for doing very little rather than squatters? Don't you think that's throwing the baby out with the bathwater?
Re:Give HN: 3 character .net domains by lukeschlather on Sunday November 28, 2010 @02:29PM (#1948015)
There are a ton of domains that shouldn't be worth $1000. Take my name. There are half a dozen domains I could park that no one but my immediate family could want.