At 8:51 PM -0800 3/20/97, Karl Denninger wrote:
McDonalds does not have a "monopoly". They have a *BRAND*. You like to use that word because it is emotionally charged and you get a "kick" from it when you use it.
I like to use it because it fits. When a consumer is locked into dependency on a particular vendor and does not have freedom to change vendors, that vendor is in a monopoly position. The difference between buying hamburgers and buying domain names is that you are free to buy your next hamburger from someone else. While one might counter that one is also free to buy the next domain name from someone else, it ignores the continuing dependency for names already purchased. If the exclusive vendor of a name chooses to triple the fee next year, the consumer is stuck. The cost of changing domain names, after putting marketing collateral development and building up their own brand equity in the domain name, is onerous. d/ ---------------------------- Dave Crocker, Director +1 408 246 8253 Internet Mail Consortium (f) +1 408 249 6205 127 Segre Place dcrocker@imc.org Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA http://www.imc.org Also: IAHC member, expressing personal opinions http://www.iahc.org