auDA plan to move the goal posts for Direct .au ‘Contested Names’

auDA have been sending out emails to every Australian domain name holder who has a ‘contested’ Direct .au domain name. They are requesting feedback, by way of a ‘survey’, to change the rules of who determines WHO gets the ‘contested’ Direct .au domain.

This means that, 3 years after they launched Direct .au (back in September 2022), they are now wanting to MOVE the GOALPOSTS as to WHO gets ‘contested’ Direct .au domains. Even though thousands of people have been paying auDA to contest their matching Direct .au for 3 years.

auDA’s recent email states:

We are writing to you because you are an applicant for a contested .au direct domain name: yourname.au.  NB/ this maybe one of several in your name.  We are seeking your views on how contested names should be resolved in the future.

Under the current rules, a contested .au direct name remains unavailable for registration until all but one applicant has withdrawn their application.

The outcome of this survey will be provided to an external Policy Advisory Panel who will be reviewing the arrangements for ongoing resolution of contested .au direct names as part of its review of the .au Domain Administration Rules: Licensing (.au Licensing Rules).

Here are their ‘options’ they are presenting people in the survey:

Then, they make you RANK their opinions on how to MOVE the GOALPOSTS as below:

Then, they ask HOW LONG should they allow the current ‘contested’ Direct .au rules to go on for, before they MOVE the GOALPOSTS…

My feedback noted:

Instead of trying to MOVE the GOALPOSTS of how contested Direct .au domains are resolved, perhaps you should LOOK AT THE DAILY DELETED DOMAIN DROP CATCHING MONOPOLY that you have allowed to exist since 2020!

The DAILY DELETED DOMAIN DROP CATCHING MONOPOLY I mention can be viewed here (https://assets.com.au/drop-catching-monopoly-2024/) and here (https://assets.com.au/category/dropcomau/)

I have my own questions for auDA:

WHO came up with the ‘options’ in the survey?

Does auDA care about the thousands of people who have PAID MONEY for the past 3 years, to keep their Direct .au ‘contested’ submission in the running to win their matching Direct .au domain name?

Apparently not.

And now, after collecting all that money, auDA are looking to simply move the goalposts? Which will see some people shafted, who obeyed the policy rules over the past 3 years and gave auDA all that ‘contention’ money.

What do YOU think?

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