<html><head></head><body><div class="ydp24b82c67yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div>Dear ICANN representative--</div><div><br></div><div>With great dismay, I read an email notice this morning from my website host, Namecheap, saying this:</div><div><br></div><div><font color="#9c005c"><span>"ICANN’s current contract with Public Interest Registry (PIR), the group
that runs the .org domain name, allows PIR to increase the wholesale
price of .org domains by 10% a year. Now ICANN is proposing extending
the contract to operate .org but <strong>letting PIR set whatever prices it wants</strong>."</span><br></font></div><div><span><br></span></div><div>Quite honestly, my first response was, <i>"This is crazy! Who's behind this ridiculously greedy proposal?"</i></div><div><br></div><div>I even wondered if this proposal is coming from the top down. In other words, is the current political administration--which is steeped in greed--now attempting to sink its claws into yet another realm, namely, Internet hosting services?</div><div><br></div><div>On another note, the issue of Net Neutrality remains controversial as state and national lawmakers continue to wage battle between the forces of greed and the forces of fairness during an administration that's clearly in bed with big business at the expense of small businesses nationwide.</div><div><br></div><div>Now ICANN is considering a proposal to allow PIR to raise domain prices indiscriminately, which obviously favors big business over small business once again.</div><div><br></div><div>Indeed, it's difficult for me to refrain from resorting to outrage and even profanity in the face of ICANN's bald-faced show of disrespect for those of us who, as small businesspeople, struggle just to stay afloat amidst a sea of continually increasing prices. </div><div><br></div><div>ICANN's current proposal goes far beyond its previously reasonable yearly price allowances (10%) into the realm of downright hostility toward any business that can barely keep up with the reasonable 10% increases, much less uncapped increases.</div><div><br></div><div>I urge ICANN to consider, with heart, its unconscionable lack of consideration for small businesses everywhere--and instead, stay the course with its previous 10% yearly price increases.</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you for your time and consideration. </div><div><br></div><div>Kind regards--</div><div><br></div><div>Cat</div><div class="ydp24b82c67signature"><div style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <br><b>Cat Saunders, Ph.D.</b><br><div>Author, <font color="#440062"><i><b>Dr. Cat's Helping Handbook:</b></i></font></div><div><font color="#440062"><i><b>A Compassionate Guide for Being Human</b></i></font></div>P.O. Box 31161<br>Seattle, WA 98103<br>(206) 329-0125<br><font color="#652191"><b><a href="http://www.drcat.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.drcat.org</a></b></font></div></div></div></body></html>