Nickname: basicity.com

Review: It's a small change for end customers but the return is worth it in my opinion.

Date reviewed: Jun 12, 2006 5:51 PM

Nickname: Hugo

Review: The fascinating omission is: what benefit will the small business site get for the increased fee? That was not mentioned anywhere in the article. Does the House of Representatives like this only because of the extra vig it will get? And VeriSign doesn't have any justification for the increase? Sounds like stinking politics, to me.

Date reviewed: Jun 12, 2006 5:39 PM

Nickname: John Berard

Review: The VeriSign/ICANN alliance has little to do with "security and stability," and everything to do with their own business interests to the detriment of all others. That is the primary reason the opposition to the proposed .com deal is so broad and deep. VeriSign is not the only company that can run the .com database; AT&T, NeuStar and IBM would be more than up to the task. More than running the registry, this deal gives VeriSign near-perpetual control and the ability to do two things that will hurt small business more than the price increases without justification. First, it relaxes oversight of VeriSign, which can now use its monopoly position to undercut services now offered in the competitive and price-sensitive registrars market, a home to small-business. Second, it allows VeriSign to commercialize internet traffic data. Where people go before and after visiting a website is a very valuable commodity, more so than running the registry without price conrols.

Date reviewed: Jun 12, 2006 4:22 PM

Nickname: Elise

Review: I'm not surprised that small business owners aren't concerned about the $1.86 hike -- after all, domain names don't cost much anyway. The problem is availablility! Yeah, there are those dudes that buy up the domain names then charge an arm, a leg, and your first born, so you can get a domain that actually comes close to your business name.

Date reviewed: Jun 12, 2006 4:16 PM

Nickname: Janet

Review: "Slippery slope" is my reaction to this so called miniscule price hike. So many costs nibble away at our margins already, this should be a concern to business owners as well as the other concerns mentioned in the article.

Date reviewed: Jun 12, 2006 12:46 PM