My question to Godaddy's CEO at NamesCon: Domain Liquidity for the industry

SuperBrander said:

Based on his speech, the CEO of Godaddy seems like a resourceful guy who's sincerely interested in valuing domainers as customers and listening to their feedback.

At the moment, Godaddy forces domainers to pay for a "discount club" in order to get renewal prices that any other registrar offers without having to pay a lot of money for a discount club. They also charge $4.99 to add a Reserve to auctions and make things difficult with the 60 day lock in order to restrict migration (I was just forced to renew a domain there for $18 because of that stupid imposed lock for a purchased domain Godaddy pushed into my account without waiving the lock. This isn't a win for Godaddy. It's something that antagonizes me as a customer and will impact my future decisions).

I don't think Godaddy will ever give domainers loans or help them liquidate their expiring domains. But if Godaddy really wants to help domainers and encourage them to use Godaddy as a registrar and a marketplace they can start by addressing some of the other issues I mentioned - give domainers normal renewals without having to pay for the discount club, eliminate the paid Reserve, be flexible with the lock and in general start treating domainers like partners instead of cash cows.

@Joe Styler

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kemjika11 said:

Good points!

ALso! Godaddy inherited the ban on me @ afternic when they bought them out. Not gonna lie, i am now at the point where i will ask GD to either remove that ban, or i move all my names out (not even $1 i will spend). i know i am a small small fish, but i know i spend good $ on GD/ year and there is no need for me to do this if GD wont serve me well. enough is enough.

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Rob Monster said:

Specific to the Anti-Trust topic, from what I know about such cases, it would come down to intent. Over the years there have been many high profile cases. Whether such a case would be tried under the Trump administration, who knows, but the Sherman Act is highly codified with an abundance of case law.

Good primer here:

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws/antitrust-laws

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15

Whether there ever is an anti-trust suit or other major suit, the scope for discovery is pretty vast. A reasonable judge would allow stakeholders to seek factual answers on an array of discovery questions that in many cases are beyond the scope of regulatory oversight.

Here are some sample discovery questions;

- Does Godaddy routinely interfere with domain transfers through policies related to domain locking or changing of authorization codes beyond what would be required to maintain compliance or security?

- Does Godaddy knowingly allow WHOIS records to be wrong as a basis as domains go un-renewed while the actual legal owners cannot be contacted by 3rd parties due to WHOIS obfuscation or errors?

- What is the nature of the commercial relationship between Godaddy, HugeDomains as it relates to acquiring expired domains under terms not available to all others?

- What is the nature and scope of operating engagement with Board-affiliated organizations, in media (NY Times), social networks (LinkedIn), payment processors (PayPal and Intuit)?

- What has been the nature of Godaddy's communication with mainstream media outlets and social media outlets to defame, discredit, de-fund, or other undermine or impair potential competitors directly or by proxy?

These are not accusations. These are questions. A reasonable discovery process would determine whether there is a compelling case. The size of prize is not small for a prosecuting attorney.

On the other hand, even a $1 billion settlement is covered by Friday's spike in market cap. So, the upside of operating with impunity might exceed the eventual downside of a settlement of a Federal case.

To be clear, I believe Godaddy has many lovely staff. However, there are also an abundance of current and former staff who might provide insight into a legacy of anti-competitive operating practices.

For calibration, I have had some concern about Godaddy's Draconian practices already long before Epik became a registrar. It was their Draconian practices that caused the decision to become a registrar:

https://epik.com/blog/bob-parsons-tear-down-your-privacy-wall.html

Keep in mind post was written in May 2010 -- almost 10 years ago! Epik became a registrar in June 2011 through an acquisition, being confidence that Draconian nonsense would not stand the test of time.

In other words, I have been an active observer of Godaddy for a very long time. With the private equity guys now mostly gone, and an empowerment-minded CEO at the helm, it might be a chance to turn the page.

So, let's just hope Godaddy's Board gives Aman the opportunity to project a kinder and gentler version of Godaddy. That is my genuine hope. As long as the playing field stays level, we're absolutely cool.

If we are lucky, Godaddy will be a giant force for good, both in the domain industry and in the world. Aman has declared a agenda of empowerment. He should try to make good on that before the die is cast.

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equity78 said:

Back in 2010 wow did not know you were on this back then Rob.

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Rob Monster said:

When it comes to Godaddy, I have been calling out nonsense for a while. The record shows that I have always taken a nice guy approach first. If there is no engagement, I reserve the right to introduce a solution. Some things take time, especially when largely self-funding solutions to problems. However, I am blessed to have been able to attract and retain some exceptionally talented and diligent people who actually understand the meaning of the word empowerment, and try to live it without much concern for who makes money or who gets credit. And on most days, I believe I have the most fun job in the world, especially lately. I have no animosity towards Godaddy whatsoever. I simply ask them to do the right thing.

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equity78 said:

Yeah I never thought you liked them or they liked you, just from a person standing on the sidelines with no info either way.

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