Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!amdahl!bungia!ahby
From: ahby@bungia.Bungia.MN.ORG (Shane P. McCarron)
Newsgroups: comp.mail.uucp
Subject: Re: smail wants you to register a domain (using Path: for replies)
Message-ID: <349@bungia.Bungia.MN.ORG>
Date: 24 Aug 88 02:33:44 GMT
References: <70@volition.dec.com> <71@volition.dec.com> <935@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: ahby@bungia.MN.ORG (Shane P. McCarron)
Organization: Bugoslavian Embassy, St. Paul, MN
Lines: 69

In article <935@cbnews.ATT.COM> tgt@cbnews.ATT.COM (Tim Thompson) writes:
>Besides registering domains with SRI NIC, we do testing of UUCP Zone members
>periodically to ensure that forwarding from the Internet works correctly.
>If something is broke, it's our responsiblity to track it down and have
>it fixed. Other services which may be developed within the confines of
>the $150/year fee will be made available to UUCP Zone members only.
>For someone who doesn't fit nicely into the .US domain, the UUCP Zone is
>a cheap alternative to the other networks in obtaining an official
>domain name recognized by multiple networks.

I would just like to point out that this annual fee that the UUCP
Project charges for their "services" is wholly outrageous.  While they
do handle registering your site with SRI-NIC, you can do that yourself
through just about any site on the Internet.  THERE IS NO FEE FOR
REGISTERING WITH THE NIC!  In addition, you can certainly find nameservers 
and forwarders yourself, although this will take some time and effort.  
While I feel that a ONE TIME NOMINAL fee would be totally reasonable, 
this business of charging $150 per year for something that is going to 
take less than an hour the first time, and the executing of some shell 
scripts in the future, is ridiculous!

It is only slightly less of an outrage that the UUCP Project refuses to 
list properly registered domains in the d. files.  Those files are for
domains that are registered in the UUCP Zone, and I take that to mean
ANY domain registered in that zone.  People who want to take a little
initiative and set up a domain on their own should not be discriminated
against for their independence.  Sure, it means that the UUCP Project
has a little less liquid capitol to throw around, but spite isn't
generally a good reason for anything.

There was a meeting of the Map Coordinators at the San Francisco
Usenix, and at that meeting Mel Pleasant and all of the coordinators
there agreed in general to the placement of domains in the maps, and
the concept of a one time fee.  While I cannot speak for any of those 
people, I can relate the contents of that meeting.  Mel agreed that 
$150 per year was outrageous and uncalled for.  He agreed to take a 
recommendation back to Mark Horton that the UUCP Project charge a 
nominal fee of $50 or so as a one time charge for setting up a domain.  
This should more than cover whatever time and effort it takes to register 
a domain and find nameservers for it.  Instead of making this policy change, 
I have seen a new affirmation of the previous policy.

In addition, the coodinators agreed that administration of the d.
files should be done at the regional level, instead of through a
central authority.  The group felt that the regional coordinators
would have a better handle on what was required in their areas.
Instead of this change, there is a now a Domain Coordinator.  This
person has to approve all new entries into the d. maps.  I find this
to be outrageous as well.

Now it is true that Mel was speaking only for himself at this meeting.
It is also true that I am not on the map coordinators mailing list, so
I don't know what discussions went on in the interim.  I have only
seen some of those communications, and they have all disturbed me
greatly.  I understand that Mel was not speaking for the UUCP Project,
but I do not understand how a set of group concensus decisions like
the ones that were made in SF can be ignored so uniformly.

I have moved off the topic a little here - let me slide back to the
point.  You can register a domain yourself - or you can find some kind
soul to help you.  Moreover, you can register your domain with a
regional domain park, if there is one in your area.  The .US domain is
an alternative, but I feel the the centralized approach that they are
taking is a disservice to the community, and an abuse of the MX record
system - I don't recommend that approach.  If you want to register a
domain yourself, and do not know where to start, please feel free to
contact me.  I will be more than happy to help.
-- 
Shane P. McCarron			UUCP: ahby@bungia.mn.org
Systems Analyst				ATT: +1 612 224-9239