[CPWG] Domain Name Abuse... potentially

[Evan Leibovitch]

This and similar discussions are a deflection from the IMO far greater
issue of abuse.

More-broadly, the speculative and rent-seeking activity such as what we're
seeing here is not abuse of the DNS, indeed it is either tolerated or
celebrated depending whether or not you're in the industry. However
perceived on the insude, it contributes to the drip-drip-drip that is the
erosion of public trust in the DNS. This erosion takes many forms:

   - opportunistic speculation like we see here
   - typosquatting
   - "premium domains" so that registries can get a piece of the
   speculative action, in turn keeping useful names from being used
   - category-word TLDs that don't verify domains as being in that category
   - category-word domains that don't go to the category but to the highest
   bidder member of that category
   - ccTLDs masquerading as generic while unshackled from even ICANN's
   meagre standards
   - Legitimate (but not trademark-breaking) domains being the source of
   misinformation
   - forcing legitimate new businesses to take non-optimal domains (like
   using a hyphens or an otherwise-unwanted alternate TLD)
   - TLDs of high social value such as .ORG are just themselves property to
   be shopped around
   - identity faking (including IDN character-set manipulation)
   - vectors for direct abuse such as phishing

Esperieince with each of these -- by both Internet-based service providers
and the public -- diminishes public trust. Only the last two are of
interest to ICANN, and even then just because of pressure from trademark
owners and LEAs respectively.

The result, as others have heard from me time and time again, is that the
utility of "memorable" domain names diminishes by the day, overtaken in
public by search engines and social media landing pages and QR codes. Add
in fiascos such as .XXX, .SU and now .ORG which also tell the public --
legitimate providers of Internet goods and services, and their patrons --
that the DNS, with a few ccTLD exceptions, is an entirely corrupt system
aimed primarily at extracting value from the public rather than providing
utility.

Abuse of the DNS is not the issue; the DNS's abuse of the public is.

- Evan
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