CircleID

In 2002, VeriSign, the registry for .COM and .NET domain names, proposed the idea of a centralized, registry-level "wait list" for currently registered domain names. The system would let anyone around the world get "next in line" for a name that is registered now but may become available later.

This new registry service, titled Wait List System (or WLS), would augment what is now an ad-hoc group of registrar-level services that are useful, but aren't always fully dependable or even available to the general public.

When implemented, all domain name registrars would have the opportunity to offer the WLS to their customers.

The goal of WLS

The goal of WLS is to provide an updated and improved system that:

• for all end-users, is reliable and universal
• for registrars, is a useful product
• for everyone, is easy to locate, access, understand and use
• brings some order to the current chaos

Why the status quo is such a problem

Today's makeshift system for domain name reservations — comprised of dozens of providers trying to get names the very moment they become available again — gives customers value, but it's still very hard to reserve and secure a name.

Why? Mainly because:

• Some services are good, others aren't as successful.
• The majority of existing services aren't practically available to the ordinary customer. Some are specifically devoted to or customized for professional speculators.
• Consumers trying to figure out how to use one or more of these services are nearly guaranteed to become frustrated or disappointed.  They are simply at too big a disadvantage.

If the status quo is preserved, here's what the customer will continue to experience:

Based on data in July 2003, to have at best a 75% chance to get a name of interest, an imaginary customer might need to:

• Subscribe to the SnapNames(r) service (a first-come, first-serve system, so the subscription for a given name may already be taken)
• Subscribe to GoDaddy's backorder service (again, assuming it's not taken)
• Join the NameWinner auction system, figure out how to use it effectively, and spend hours monitoring to try to keep the winning bid (unlikely since the system is heavily used by speculator pros)
• Join the Pool.com system to try to get the name there. If others are interested in your name, though, you'll have to compete in an auction to get the name.
• Maybe to increase chances a little more, apply to become a reseller at eNom and sign up for Club Drop usage.

Even after spending this time and money, the customer will still be competing with others going after names — this includes other registrars, high-powered professional resale services, and speculators with their own software — all of whom do very well using technology that customers don't have access to or understand.

WLS is a simple step that will make back-order functions more stable and easier for everyone.

By Mason Cole, VP Marketing & Corporate Communications

Related topics: DNS, Domain Names