.mobi mTLD's official blog post about rerunning the auctions

[dag]

Update: Sedo Premium Name Online Auction #3
Over the past couple of weeks, we have reviewed the Sedo auction which closed on December and spoken with many members of the dotMobi community – developers, brands, and domainers. Sedo's systems problems at the end of the auction created confusion for everyone (including dotMobi) and the result was unsatisfying for us and community participants. The question is, “What is the fair and right course of action for the good of the whole community and everyone collectively involved?” Permitting the auction to stand, whichever ending time was validated, would invariably disadvantage some auction participants. Therefore, we are supporting the rights of everyone involved by exercising our own rights to void the auction results of December, and plan to conduct a new auction beginning January 23, 2008. In the meanwhile, we continue to examine Sedo's preparedness to handle the historically high level of bidding the recent dotMobi auctions have drawn. Sedo has had a solid track record for its auction operations in the past, and they have assured us that they are dealing with each of the systems and process issues that have been found to date. We continue to hold Sedo and its commitment to the community in high regard, but we will always be diligent in protecting our partners and friends in the community from problems of this sort. We believe that our actions now are the best, most fair course of action for the dotMobi community as a whole, and we will continue to protect your interests in everything we do. – Trey Harvin, CEO, dotMobi

 

[Mobi Cheap]

...Therefore, we are supporting the rights of everyone involved by exercising our own rights to void the auction results of December, and plan to conduct a new auction beginning January 23, 2008. In the meanwhile, we continue to examine Sedo's preparedness to handle the historically high level of bidding the recent dotMobi auctions have drawn...

Thank you Dagersh for the real-time update!

mTLD refer to their own right to void the auction...

 

[hey.co.uk]

I had to chuckle at:

The question is, “What is the fair and right course of action for the good of the whole community and everyone collectively involved?”

A - Auction off the domains and make a pot load of cash
B - Award the names to those who would develop them in proper manner, thus helping an extension that needs word of mouth growth to succeed.

Which is for the good of the community... ?!

 

[Mobi Cheap]

I had to chuckle at:

The question is, “What is the fair and right course of action for the good of the whole community and everyone collectively involved?”

A - Auction off the domains and make a pot load of cash
B - Award the names to those who would develop them in proper manner, thus helping an extension that needs word of mouth growth to succeed.

Which is for the good of the community... ?!

IMHO, option C - both A and B at the same time.

Which is what the auctions are designed to do.

How? By means of the very strongly worded commitment to develop the domains in the contract that every winning bidder must accept before they take ownership.

If a winning bidder doesn't abide by the contract within the allowed six months, the registry has every right to take the domain back and keep the proceeds.

Actually 'keep' is perhaps not the best word to use, because the money has to be accounted for and re-invested in developing mobile development tools and otherwise promoting the meaningful use of the extension.
:imho:

 

[hey.co.uk]

What would be interesting would be to see the mobi tld accounts - however when I asked they said they would not be made public.

Personally I would think it would enhance support if they said something along the lines of £x million profit from auctions with £x reinvested in promotion and development.

No harm in being open, is there?!

 

[Mobi Cheap]

What would be interesting would be to see the mobi tld accounts - however when I asked they said they would not be made public.

Personally I would think it would enhance support if they said something along the lines of £x million profit from auctions with £x reinvested in promotion and development.

No harm in being open, is there?!

Totally agree with that.

They don't have to do it, but it would help if they did.

As I guess they will.
:imho: