Network Solutions amends Net registration process
Network Solutions, a dominant registrar of Internet sites, has stepped back from some controversial elements of a new registration process.
Network Solutions had implemented some changes in an attempt to curtail "front-running," a process in which a company registers a domain name as soon as somebody searches to see if it's available; front-running can turn a registrar into the exclusive holder of a domain and therefore potentially charge more for it than locked-out competing registrars.
The company's changes--which included automatically registering a domain name when somebody searched for it--backfired, and critics accused Network Solutions itself of front-running.
Changes are coming. Spokeswoman Susan Wade said Wednesday that Network Solutions is "making improvements to our protection measure."
One change is that the company will offer only an "under construction" page for sites that it has reserved. For a look at the promotional material it used earlier, a screenshot is preserved at the site of one critical editorial at Domain Name Wire. But that won't be relevant long, because newly reserved names won't "resolve"--in other words, they won't be linked to the numerical Internet addresses that allow Web browsers to locate the pages.
Another change coming soon is that Network Solutions will register domains only when people search for domains from the company's home page. No longer will it do so when people use the company's Whois search page, Wade said.
Stephen Shankland covers Google, Yahoo, search, online advertising, portals, digital photography, and related subjects. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered servers, supercomputing, open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen.
They should come up with a way that if someone does search for the domain and they hold it, they should then allow the person to register it through a qualified registrar like GoDaddy and get a small kickback.
But hey - what they're proposing is a start and we can't really expect too much change from a public outcry considering that they ARE a corporation.
It's not some kind of insurance company denying anyone an organ transplant in the face of death, is it?
Anyone can then go in and purchase the domain from NSI. In the meantime, NSI is tasting the domain and generating PPC revenues.
If they want to create a reservation system, it would be simple enough. E.g. after doing a WHOIS, the user could be presented with a screen asking if they want to have the domain "reserved" for a period (e.g. the 4 day add/grace). IF they say yes, it is reserved. If not, it is not reserved. Obviously, if one does not want to reserve the name, they are not concerned about front-running. NSI could even reasonably charge a fee for such a service.
The truth is thus found in the inherently faulty "basis" for their own undertaking. Simply put it appears they were caught merely tasting and trying to put a good face on it.