UK Nominet in Big Trouble?

I think many namepros members know that Nominet govern (.uk, co.uk & other uk extensions), yesterday i got mail from them saying "resolution to remove five members of the Nominet Board, including the Chair and the entire executive leadership team."

Literally entire nominet management team may be removed or retained. in case if resolution succeed, they will be removed from their job and i don't know who will govern if that happen and will UK govt take over Nominet administration or remaining members / nominet members elect new chair?


I have few questions:
1. who initiated this resolution? to my knowledge such Extraordinary General Meeting to remove half of board member not done previously.
2. The board promises so many things, if they are retained, some of that they could never listen member request in normal time like:

Freezing .UK prices for at least the next two years
Freezing Board Pay
Investing in .UK infrastructure
Scaling our commitment to Public Benefit
Improving membership engagement
Increasing financial transparency
Launching a Registry Advisory Council (RAC)


Can fellow nominet member in NP, throw some light on what's happening in nominet?


Hey wait i forgot, i got call from nominet today regarding the resolution and asked me to vote, though she said she can't say what to vote but when i said don't worry i will vote No, she laughed more or less it clear they want the resolution to defeated.


I don't know i can share the mail from Nominet, if it can be shared, I will post it .

 

“The system is rigged if I vote will I change it?”

 

@premkumar Thanks. Can you post a link the source of the news?

 

https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/23/nominet_egm_vote/

 

Actually it turned out to be a coup by some of Nominet members

The entire information can be found in publicbenefit.uk

Look like this coup is supported by nominet founder -Nigel Titley

I just came to know from some other websites, this resolution was initiated by some of big Nominet members ( they need 5% vote for that they got 12%, so resolution is initiated), they were disappointed by UK domain price rise, 70% increase of member salary and reduced donation of public cause and Nominet acquiring a loss making company for $5 million.

They have mentioned about replace them with 2 new members, who will manage the nominet in future.


Look like nominet blatant lie, in their mail, they made it look like nominet in trouble and govt may take control, nothing about who intiated the resolution or reason for the same, just read the below para

"Need to Know: Approval of this resolution would mean serious disruption for our team and endanger the services we provide to you and our other members. It would send a message to government that Nominet is no longer capable of self-governance, and that would put our independence at risk. We need your support to keep Nominet on track. Please vote NO."





The coup initiator not clarifying on few things:

1. Will they reduce the management remuneration, i feel they just maintain the increased compensation.
hope they come clean on it

2. They talk only about 2 member being appointed as replacement chair and Deputy chair, they removing 5 members what about other 3 members? whom they appoint or will they make them also elected member so we can vote and elect them?

3. Main thing they complain is increased domain price and reducing domain price from £3.90 pound but how much will they reduce, will it be back to £2.50 as in 2015 ? Again a silence from them no clarity.

4. since it initiated by top registries, could this be just grabing power from current management team, so they can enjoy power? or will they represent everybody benefit, esp i felt domainers are not represented in nominet decision making.

Last time they released .uk names they gave huge registration connection to nominet server for bigger domain holder like godaddy, so they can register premium names and domainer left with medicore names, i complaint and explained how unfair but they said my complaint is unfounded.

I don't have big vote value but having several thousand names gives me a decent voting right. i plan to get answer from both and vote accordingly. I want them also appoint members from domainers or have a say from us.

 

Every vote is counted, if you're a member holding just 1 domain also you get 1332 vote value, it make some difference because not many member cast their vote so your vote will have higher value.

whether you vote for or against resolution, but just excise your right that is very important. Members views and needs will only be taken care only if we vote, otherwise management need to appease only few member who have higher vote value and excise the vote.

I tell you, that's what happening till now and members grievance are not even heard. I felt that many time nobody in nominet taken care of grievance i raised.

 

It's supported by me, too.

 

wish everything gonna to be ok

 

As i live ib the uk etc

.co.uk

And

.uk

Are the uk cctlds and i used to buy .co.uk and .uk but now i dont bother with either cctld as neither are global

I only buy

Gtld

Or

two keyword .com

There are uk domain name auctions which only list

.co.uk and .uk and org.uk etc

But gtlds and two keyword .com are uk domains if they contain english words etc

And there are uk. Domain name resellers that only list or used to

Just

.co.uk

Or

.uk

Etc

But i am so pleased i stopped buying uk cctlds and bought gtlds instead

 

sure, but cast your vote

UK is still a very good market and people sell good number of domains even in 5 figure, you have nominet membership?

My suggestion keep adding uk domains in your portfolio they are good investments but be picky don't buy medicore ones.

 

There is a lot more to this than meets the eye from reading the two documents you mention. The history goes back some way.

The members have been asking questions about the board's change of direction away from members' interests and into their own ambitions for a very long time. You're damned right director's incomes will be cut. Hard. And the remuneration committee done away with altogether for the time being.

The interim board of two people wil be assisted by members to revise the constitution in a direction taking it back to its original purpose of a public interest, membership owned and run, body and a full examination to find the best management structure to do so. Domain pricing of the *.uk stable is a minor issue. More in question is the board's (failed) opportunism in taking on non-.uk TLDs in order to inflate profits (which has failed), whilst simultaneously slashing the amounts awarded to charitable causes and not underpinning the prices of the .uk stable it is supposed to be managing. That UK stable is now underpinning their very costly mistakes in other TLDs and in takeover activities, plus the inner management group's ever inflating "reward" packages. Hence the *.uk price rises.

The stated intention (which I trust, knowing some at least of the instigators) is to return the newly amended constitution to the membership for full consideration, any proposed further amendments by the wider membership and a full membership vote. Hence the limited, two year tenure, proposed for the new incumbents if the motion is passed.

 

Great thanks for the information. yep moving away from mandate is wrong and also i think, they should make all director positions to be directly elected by members rather than being appointed by few. so that director asking our vote have goals that benefit the nominet and the members. I also like the 2 year tenure, so the director are answerable to their action if they decided to stand for reelection


About price, i have several thousand names and even a pound less per domain save a lot and break even for me.

 

Sorry, I didn't make it quite clear. If the EGM motion is successful, i.e. there are more member votes for it than against, the new interim directors will serve for a period of two years then resign. Full stop. They have already stated they will not stand for re-election.

The structure of the new board or committee of management which will replace them will be designed, with member involvement, over that two year period. It has not yet been decided how long their tenure will be, whether there will a rolling board membership to provide continuity, a whole bunch of questions about how it should be done will be tackled and voted upon, most likely as part of the newly amended constitution.

 

Thanks

 

I voted. 😀

 

Have not received email. Can I vote via my Nominet account?

A cleanup at Nominet is long overdue.

 

It costs over £400 to become a Nominet member, but looks like anyone can join:
https://www.nominet.uk/corporate-governance/members/

 

Been bad for years
https://www.theregister.com/2016/09/26/great_british_domain_name_ripoff/

 

You should have received an email, I didn't, but I did get a phone call from Nominet asking me if I had received it.

Go to https://secure.cesvotes.com/V3-1-0/nominetEGM21/en/login and click 'Where is my security code?' then click 'Don't know your security code?' and you can enter your Nominet details and you'll get email a link so that you can vote.

(CES are the people that they have conducting the poll btw)

 

We can all ask .co.uk/.uk registrars to support the changes, which include lower domain renewal prices.

The list of registrars is here: https://registrars.nominet.uk/uk-namespace/registrar-agreement/list-of-registrars/

Is this supported by @GoDaddy @Paul Nicks @Joe Styler ?

And Uniregistry are on that members list, so are @namesilo @Dynadot @namecheap @Internet.bs - do they support the changes too?

 

I take it that you voted yes then?

Check https://publicbenefit.uk for a pretty decent list of supporters.

 

https://publicbenefit.uk/#support


Hi thanks, we need to lobby the undecided companies on that list - Godaddy, Namecheap, 1&1/Ionos, TuCows, Key-Systems, Markmonitor...

Not a member so can't vote, only ask registrars to vote.

 

I think Godaddy undecided. I don't know why namecheap not decided yet, UK is their main market, hope they make a decision soon.

if 13 of top 20 (not decided yet) decide to vote No, then its approx 29% vote, on the other hand the publicbenefit.uk gather 20.8% till today. Its going to be interesting to see how many of this will be successfully persuade by current Nominet team. So still, it just handful of registrar going to decide the fate of this resolution?

Also publicbenefit may not have all the members who decided to vote YES but not given their name in publicbenefit.uk, so the YES vote may have higher percentage than those 20.8%.

Its important Godaddy, Namecheap, Namesilo, dynadot registrars should clear their stand on resolution before voting complete, so we domainer know whether our domains are in rightful hands.

 

More info this week:

https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/02/nominet_board_vote/

re Nominet CEO Russell Haworth that article says that: