[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] A price hike doesn't benefit the marketplace

[Iiridayn]

A fixed price at $7.85 benefits the marketplace. It provides stability
and certainty to smaller actors, whose money makes up a substantial
portion of the market. It benefits larger actors as their finances are
also more predictable, though I dislike squatters (one example of
large actors, not the only). This won't remove squatters - they'll
just pass the costs along to those they rip off. It possibly might
dehost many sites though, which concerns me deeply. I've run
skylords.com now since 2004 or so, and it's been online even longer. I
host it as a passion project, and have very little money to put into
it. Increasing costs could force me to delist, allowing a squatter to
claim the domain. I got tons of purchase offers a decade ago, and I
don't doubt a squatter would see the value in it, since I get
misdirected email from various similarly named organizations.
Increased technology should demonstrate reduced costs constantly, even
in the face of inflation.

Further - it is important to have a stable DNS root. Lack of public
confidence in ICANN is likely to lead to DNS fragmentation as
alternate roots proliferate once again. Eventually, ICANN could lose
control of the DNS should public confidence be shaken too far. I feel
this change is unnecessary and dangerous, and the means by which it
was negotiated seem extremely questionable, shaking my and public
confidence. I believe it would be wise of ICANN to try to live within
a small budget instead of increasing their reach - or lining their
pockets.

Thank you.

-- 
Iiridayn