[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] It’s okay if domain registrations are inexpensive

[Keith Silgard]

Hello,

I am a strong proponent of a free and open internet. Recent moves to monetize domain registry serve nothing but greed, and the world already has more than enough of that. 

Similar to pharmaceutical companies exploiting their monopoly-like position to massively inflate pricing of necessary goods, I worry that allowing profit driven entities to control pricing for domain registry will only serve to inflate prices with absolutely no investment in quality to justify it. 

Further, accepting a sizeable donation in exchange for allowing this reeks of corruption, and only serves to further undermine our collective trust in ICANN’s ability to be an effective steward of essential infrastructure. 

There is more to this world than profit. You are making short-sighted decisions that have the potential to be destructive and harmful. Please reassess the value of funding your initiatives vs the very real possibility that you’re needlessly harming the greatest thing about domain names—almost anyone can afford to buy one and use it to achieve awesome things. 

Keith