[cap-talk] Network Solutions' tactic for selling DNS names

[Jed Donnelley]

cap-talk,

About:

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/01/10/network-solutions-using-questionable-tactic-to-sell-more-domain-names/

MarkM said:

"Hi Jed, how about resending this to cap-talk? I think it adds to the
argument against global namespaces."

so here it is.  Here is what I said about it when I first
sent it to some friends (including MarkM):
___________

Very nasty business.  Glad to know that
business about the 5 day grace period.
I guess the above means I should default
searching for domain names somewhere
other than Network Solutions.  Anybody
got a suggestion?

Watching what Network Solutions and Verisign
have done to protect what have been close
to monopoly positions has been rather disgusting.
With Verisign it amounts to a shake down racket
with no value provided - and it's still going on.
With Network Solutions it's overcharging and dirty
deals like the above.

Hmmm.  Interesting.  In looking at the history
of Network Solutions I see that in 2000 they were
bought by Verisign:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_Solutions

Then it appears that they were bought by
Pivotal Equity Group in 2003.  I have mixed
feelings about that.  It might have been nice
to have the bulk of the corporate network
nastiness in one organization - so one could
know to stay away from them.

I don't tend to follow the corporate buyouts
and such, but I of course look at prices every
time I find myself renewing.  The invisible
hand :-)!

--Jed  http://www.webstart.com/jed-signature.html