On Monday, June 09, 1997 3:13 AM, Larry Vaden[SMTP:vaden@texoma.net] wrote: @ At 09:47 PM 6/8/97 PDT, Randy Bush wrote: <snip> @ @ >The one sure thing on the net is that the newbie influx is sufficient to @ >keep the majority of mailing list traffic repeating itself. @ @ Last year's answers to last year's problems are not necessarily the best @ answers to this year's problems given the current high rate of change. @ @ Larry Vaden, founder and CEO help-desk 903-813-4500 Larry, The U.S. Federal Trade Commission just announced that it will be starting a process to resolve the domain name issues. Evidently, they plan to start with a clean slate and of course their charters will guide their actions. Here are some excerpts... @@@@ http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/history1.htm "The Federal Trade Commission enforces a variety of federal antitrust and consumer protection laws. The Commission seeks to ensure that the nation's markets function competitively, and are vigorous, efficient, and free of undue restrictions." @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ http://www.ftc.gov/bc/mission.htm "The FTC's antitrust arm, the Bureau of Competition, seeks to prevent business practices that restrain competition. As a result, purchasers benefit from lower prices and greater availability of products and services." @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Evidently, the FTC's actions are being applauded (literally) by many commercial Internet companies that realize that these actions are now necessary in light of the actions of some of the so-called, Internet leaders, during the past few years. I have a feeling that the FTC's activities will flow into all areas concerning the fair allocation of Internet resources. If you are not able to get the Internet resources you need, it is probably because you are talking to the wrong people. Keep in mind that there are many people who have no concern about the law and will run you in circles with beauracratic word games. Keep in mind that the InterNIC is "currently" managed by the U.S. Government via the National Science Foundation. If you are not getting the service you expect from the InterNIC you should contact the NSF. Here are some starting points. National Science Board (NSB) http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/nsb.htm The NSB has dual responsibilities as: . National science policy advisor to the President and the Congress . Governing body for the National Science Foundation Chairman NSB - Dr. Richard N. Zare, Stanford University rnz@chemistry.stanford.edu http://www-leland.stanford.edu/group/Zarelab/ Office of Inspector General of the NSF (also links to Congress) http://www.nsf.gov/oig/oig.htm Inspector General - Linda G. Sundro - lsundro@nsf.gov Investigator - Clara Kuehn - ckuehn@nsf.gov National Science Foundation Neal Lane - nlane@nsf.gov <http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/forum/lane/quscipol.htm> Juris Hartmanis - jhartman@nsf.gov <http://www.cise.nsf.gov/oad/jhartman.html> George Strawn - gstrawn@nsf.gov <http://www.cise.nsf.gov/ncri/Georgehome.html> Don Mitchell - dmitchel@nsf.gov <http://www.cise.nsf.gov/ncri/Donhome.html> ======= -- Jim Fleming Unir Corporation http://www.Unir.Corp