.PRO Heading Down the Wrong Path
Looks like RegistryPro and Encirca are causing a stir for their irresponsible handling of .PRO registrations. According to ICANN rules, there is supposed to be a stringent verification process for registering .PRO domain names, the purpose of which is to ensure that the owner of e.g. doctor.pro is a real doctor or other verifiable medical professional.
Well, it seems that RegistryPro has permitted the registration of thousands of generic keyword .PRO names without enforcing the strict rules set by ICANN. The lack of discipline has left the nascent .PRO TLD a real mess with certain profane "4 letter word" names already resolving to live servers.
If this situation isn't cleaned up soon, I'm willing to bet that .PRO ends up being worth less than .INFO in the near future, and what a shame that would be.
Well, it seems that RegistryPro has permitted the registration of thousands of generic keyword .PRO names without enforcing the strict rules set by ICANN. The lack of discipline has left the nascent .PRO TLD a real mess with certain profane "4 letter word" names already resolving to live servers.
If this situation isn't cleaned up soon, I'm willing to bet that .PRO ends up being worth less than .INFO in the near future, and what a shame that would be.
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posted by Steve Brown | Wednesday, March 23, 2005
6 Comments:
Actually, you are incorrect.
.pro was languishing because it was not meeting the unmet needs of any particular class of internet users.
All of the names appear to be following ICANN's Byzantine rules. What is missing is the rule that Doctor.pro needed to be owned by a doctor, or even being used for medical purposes. In other words, it could be a blog by someone called "Doctor".
The four letter words you refer to are a fraction of the names being registered. And it turns out that most of them have been registered by doctors and lawyers themselves.
As designed by ICANN, .pro allows for the registrations of any generic strings by 4 types of professionals: lawyers, doctors, CPA's and Engineers. It doesn't say that their domains need to match their profession or say how they use the domains.
There are also no restrictions on the use of these names, including their resale and leasing to third parties.
.pro was languishing because it was not meeting the unmet needs of any particular class of internet users. But now it is.
This is what evolution looks like.
> And it turns out that most of
> them have been registered by
> doctors and lawyers themselves...
Thanks for your comments.
So you contend that it is the verified professionals who are @ the heart of this problem, that they are getting verified for a particular legitimate domain name, then registering other unrelated names for the purpose of domain speculation?
I have been reading in forums that it's a free-for-all thanks to Encirca and RegistryPro. Check out this link:
http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=73038&referrerid=11258
More comments are welcome!
Domain Blog
> .pro was languishing
> because it was not
> meeting the unmet needs
> of any particular class
> of internet users.
> But now it is...
With the stringent verification process set forth by ICANN, of course registrations aren't going to be many. But if .PRO is meant for verified professionals then that's the way it should be. There are unnumbered unrestricted domain extensions with excellent keywords available so there is no excuse for cheating. It will only serve to cheapen the .PRO TLD, IMO.
Domain Blog
>So you contend that it is the >verified professionals who are @ >the heart of this problem, that >they are getting verified for a >particular legitimate domain >name, then registering other >unrelated names for the purpose >of domain speculation?
This has been happening since .pro launched and is not anything new. Since March 1, only lawyers, doctors and accountants could speculate. This includes adult names as well.
With EnCirca's new ProForwarding leasing service, now anyone can speculate.
All of the names are still backed by professional credentials.
There is no "cheating". The .pro domain does not have any language that restricts the type of strings that can be registered.
ICANN could have put into place such language, but chose not to.
People are upset that some sort of "honor" system is not being followed. Similar to the one that exists for .net and .org.
.pro was a failed extension , the credentialed Professionals never embraced .Pro , their wasliterally only a handful of .Pro registrations.
This is a business not a country club for a few , Encirca opened up the second level for registrations to give .Pro a chance to actually become a viable enterprise.
3rd Level domains are still available for credentialed Professionals ourlawfirm.law.pro , DrSmith@Med.com , Corporate.eng.pro
Still set aside for credentialed Professionals as it should be.
By allowing non-credential professionals to register names in the 2nd level that helps finance the lack of registrations in the credentialed area of 3rd level.
Keeping the price of registration at the $99 level ($49) on specials assures that .Pro will be used mostly by those serious about their business.
99% of the spammers will stick with .com and every othe rextension they can buy for $8.
Dan McCullough
www.UnitedStates.Pro
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