[Ecommerce] Re: [bwg+] Draft ICANN letter on top level domains

[James Love]

1.  Explanation of .customers

Our current thinking is for a fairly structured use of .customers, to
organizations that create a membership controlled organization to
address problems with the companies.  For example Aetan U.S.
Healthcare's domain is aetnaushch.com.   The customer domain would be:

    aetnaushch.customers

The customer organization could address issues with the HMO service,
such as restrictive formularies, doctor gag rules, or whatever.

    Bellatlantic.customers

could address issues such as service and representation in regulatory
proceedings. 

    Gm.customers, or perhaps taurus.customers could address a variety of
problems relating to service, car quality, etc.  

This would be loosely based upon earlier "CUB" or citizen utility board
models, that were democratically controlled membership funded
organizations that at one time used to distribute fundrasing/membership
appeals in the same envelope as the company's monthly billing.  (the
marginal cost of the insert was paid for by the organization).   The CUB
proposal was designed to give consumers a larger voice in issues that
concerned the consumer interest.  The .customers domain would be
similiar. 


2.  Explanation of .sucks 

Our current thinking for .sucks is for a different model.  .sucks would
be widely available to anyone that was not affiliated with the primary
domain name (so gm would not control .sucks).  The top level domain
(tld) .sucks would be managed by a non-profit organization (contracting
out the computer services side),  but it would require a mandatory
contribution to a foundation to protect free speech on the Internet, for
example, $10.   The foundation would give money to groups or individuals
that were engaged in free speech fights, rather than spend the money
itself.  


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James Love, Director           | http://www.cptech.org
Consumer Project on Technology | mailto:love@cptech.org 
P.O. Box 19367                 | voice: 1.202.387.8030
Washington, DC 20036           | fax:   1.202.234.5176
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