7 ms·

Squatting can be easily prevented by reclaiming domain names without refund when the domain names have not been used or used illegitimately for more than a fixe

by foo101 7y ago

Squatting can be easily prevented by reclaiming domain names without refund when the domain names have not been used or used illegitimately for more than a fixed threshold period of time. Parking pages or any other use that intends to work around the restriction can be deemed illegitimate use.

StavrosK 7y ago
I don't see that as very easy, given that there are degrees of parking pages and it can be hard to figure out where to draw the line.
- mopsi 7y ago
  Not to mention that there are many other uses for a domain, such as email.
- kerkeslager 7y ago
  Yes, but can we agree that one company owning thousands of domains with a "buy this domain for $XXXX" homepages crosses any line that we would draw? The domain squatting problem is so bad, that even just solving the most egregious cases would be a big improvement.
  - ryanlol 7y ago
    >The domain squatting problem is so bad How is the domain squatting problem so bad? You’ll need to expand on this further.
    - franga2000 7y ago
      Not OP, but are you saying you haven't noticed the squatting problem? According to [0], there are only around 1000 single-word .COMs left. [0] https://www.domcomp.com/blog/the-last-coms.html https://www.domcomp.com/blog/the-last-coms.html
      - ryanlol 7y ago
        Why is it such a big problem that you have to pay more than $7 for a single word .com? Is it just that it feels unfair to you for someone to be profiting like this? I’ve been more than happy to buy domains from these squatters, they’re usually willing to accept prices far lower than the value I can extract from said domains.
        StavrosK 7y ago
        "More than $7" is disingenuous, since $100,000 is also "more than $7".
        ryanlol 7y ago
        Why is it a problem that some domains cost $100,000 or more?
        StavrosK 7y ago
        Do you also find ticket scalping to be fine? If not, what's the difference with squatting?
        ryanlol 7y ago
        Of course ticket scalping is fine, many venues go out of their way to enable it. I’ve often benefited from the scalpers by being able to buy last minute tickets. Same goes for domain squatters. You think squatting is bad? Ok. What if my low-effort personal website was “doctor.com” and someone emailed me an offer of $2M for it, should I be allowed to accept that? I don’t think there’s a meaningful distinction to be made there.
        franga2000 7y ago
        I guess you're technically correct in that the several thousands of $ these domains usually go for is "more than 7$" and in fact, I don't have a problem paying a high price for something valuable to me. I have a problem paying an unpredictable unregulated price to a completely third party just because they "got there first". Buying from a squatter benefits the squatter (a 3rd party) and to some extent the providers (registries, registrars, ICANN), but harms the end consumer. To me, that is the exact opposite of how things should be done. Consumer first, companies second, random third parties last.
skrause 7y ago
> Parking pages or any other use that intends to work around the restriction can be deemed illegitimate use. My personal domain doesn't even have an A record in the DNS, only an MX record because use it for all my email. By your definition that would be an "illegitimate use" and I should lose my domain...
- kuku4 7y ago
  what's wrong with that?
- kerkeslager 7y ago
  Would it be an undue burden to require people like you to put up a page saying, "This is my personal domain which I use primarily for email."? Can we just agree that nobody is posting the full proposed set of rules on HN, and nobody is trying to take away your domain? Every time this solution to domain squatting is proposed, someone counters with your objection as if it's a huge problem with the idea, but it just isn't. Surely you can imagine a set of rules that shuts down a large number of domain squatters but allows your use case.
  - ryanlol 7y ago
    > Would it be an undue burden to require people like you to put up a page saying, "This is my personal domain which I use primarily for email."? Yes, this is a terrible idea. > Surely you can imagine a set of rules that shuts down a large number of domain squatters but allows your use case. Nope, how do you intend to perform these usage audits?
    - namibj 7y ago
      Random, but focused on those who register many domains?
      - ryanlol 7y ago
        That doesn’t really explain the implementation. How would you know that two domains are owned by the same person without completely revamping the role of registrars?
TorKlingberg 7y ago
Good luck defining "legitimate use" in a way the squatters won't get around.
lazysheepherd 7y ago
How hard do you think it would be for those people to automate setting up basic template websites for all of domains they are hoarding? If we were to apply this, as with any poorly thought-out rule, only legitimate users will be affected. Anyone proposing an "easy" solution to a complex problem should think twice before speaking.
kortilla 7y ago
This is a very myopic view of what domains are used for. Putting up web pages is certainly a huge use-case, but it’s not the only one (email, server naming, iot naming, network infra naming, etc).
mekster 7y ago
Who is going to define illegitimacy? And how to figure if the domain is not used? Domains aren't all about the web... That's not going to work.

by foo101 7y ago

StavrosK 7y ago

I don't see that as very easy, given that there are degrees of parking pages and it can be hard to figure out where to draw the line.

mopsi 7y ago
Not to mention that there are many other uses for a domain, such as email.
kerkeslager 7y ago
Yes, but can we agree that one company owning thousands of domains with a "buy this domain for $XXXX" homepages crosses any line that we would draw? The domain squatting problem is so bad, that even just solving the most egregious cases would be a big improvement.
- ryanlol 7y ago
  >The domain squatting problem is so bad How is the domain squatting problem so bad? You’ll need to expand on this further.
  - franga2000 7y ago
    Not OP, but are you saying you haven't noticed the squatting problem? According to [0], there are only around 1000 single-word .COMs left. [0] https://www.domcomp.com/blog/the-last-coms.html https://www.domcomp.com/blog/the-last-coms.html
    - ryanlol 7y ago
      Why is it such a big problem that you have to pay more than $7 for a single word .com? Is it just that it feels unfair to you for someone to be profiting like this? I’ve been more than happy to buy domains from these squatters, they’re usually willing to accept prices far lower than the value I can extract from said domains.
      - StavrosK 7y ago
        "More than $7" is disingenuous, since $100,000 is also "more than $7".
        ryanlol 7y ago
        Why is it a problem that some domains cost $100,000 or more?
        StavrosK 7y ago
        Do you also find ticket scalping to be fine? If not, what's the difference with squatting?
        ryanlol 7y ago
        Of course ticket scalping is fine, many venues go out of their way to enable it. I’ve often benefited from the scalpers by being able to buy last minute tickets. Same goes for domain squatters. You think squatting is bad? Ok. What if my low-effort personal website was “doctor.com” and someone emailed me an offer of $2M for it, should I be allowed to accept that? I don’t think there’s a meaningful distinction to be made there.
      - franga2000 7y ago
        I guess you're technically correct in that the several thousands of $ these domains usually go for is "more than 7$" and in fact, I don't have a problem paying a high price for something valuable to me. I have a problem paying an unpredictable unregulated price to a completely third party just because they "got there first". Buying from a squatter benefits the squatter (a 3rd party) and to some extent the providers (registries, registrars, ICANN), but harms the end consumer. To me, that is the exact opposite of how things should be done. Consumer first, companies second, random third parties last.

skrause 7y ago

> Parking pages or any other use that intends to work around the restriction can be deemed illegitimate use. My personal domain doesn't even have an A record in the DNS, only an MX record because use it for all my email. By your definition that would be an "illegitimate use" and I should lose my domain...

kuku4 7y ago
what's wrong with that?
kerkeslager 7y ago
Would it be an undue burden to require people like you to put up a page saying, "This is my personal domain which I use primarily for email."? Can we just agree that nobody is posting the full proposed set of rules on HN, and nobody is trying to take away your domain? Every time this solution to domain squatting is proposed, someone counters with your objection as if it's a huge problem with the idea, but it just isn't. Surely you can imagine a set of rules that shuts down a large number of domain squatters but allows your use case.
- ryanlol 7y ago
  > Would it be an undue burden to require people like you to put up a page saying, "This is my personal domain which I use primarily for email."? Yes, this is a terrible idea. > Surely you can imagine a set of rules that shuts down a large number of domain squatters but allows your use case. Nope, how do you intend to perform these usage audits?
  - namibj 7y ago
    Random, but focused on those who register many domains?
    - ryanlol 7y ago
      That doesn’t really explain the implementation. How would you know that two domains are owned by the same person without completely revamping the role of registrars?

TorKlingberg 7y ago

Good luck defining "legitimate use" in a way the squatters won't get around.

lazysheepherd 7y ago

How hard do you think it would be for those people to automate setting up basic template websites for all of domains they are hoarding? If we were to apply this, as with any poorly thought-out rule, only legitimate users will be affected. Anyone proposing an "easy" solution to a complex problem should think twice before speaking.

kortilla 7y ago

This is a very myopic view of what domains are used for. Putting up web pages is certainly a huge use-case, but it’s not the only one (email, server naming, iot naming, network infra naming, etc).

mekster 7y ago

Who is going to define illegitimacy? And how to figure if the domain is not used? Domains aren't all about the web... That's not going to work.