.kiwi.nz launch pushes domain names past half-million mark

The .kiwi.nz second level domain opened for registrations at 10am this morning and in the first fifteen minutes over 1000 names were registered.

The total number of registered .nz domain names now exceeds 500,000 for the first time and Debbie Monahan, the Domain Name Commissioner, expressed delight at the half-million .nz registrations and .kiwi.nz launch, describing today as "a landmark day for the New Zealand Internet".

Source InternetNZ

Update: 11:54 AM I've been informed by my registrar that .kiwi.nz is no longer "Provisional" and registrations to it are now just normal registrations. Any domain names that are "delegated" will be placed in the DNS system in the next hourly update.

InternetNZ provisionally approves .kiwi.nz second level domain

InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) has revealed that it has approved the creation of a new second level domain in the .nz domain name space - .kiwi.nz.This means that people will soon be able to register personalised domain names ending in .kiwi.nz.

The implementation of .kiwi.nz is being managed by InternetNZ’s subsidiary company the Domain Name Commission Ltd. Authorised .nz registrars will be able to take provisional registrations for these names from 10am on Tuesday, 11 September 2012.

As part of introducing a new .nz second level domain, a threshold of 500 provisional registrations must be received before the domain is made active.


Debbie Monahan, the Domain Name Commissioner, is reported as "describing the .kiwi.nz application as fitting perfectly with its previously published criteria for new second-level domains" and saying "We encourage those interested in securing a .kiwi.nz registration to contact a .nz registrar and ask what they need to do to obtain the name of their choice in the .kiwi.nz zone. Registrars will advise prospective registrants that if the threshold of 500 for .kiwi.nz is not met, .kiwi.nz will not be made active and they won’t have their name but we think it is a great opportunity for people to get a true ‘kiwi’ tone into their domain names,"

(The above is summarised from  the InternetNZ press release. Copyright InternetNZ)

.nz open 2ld consultation update

The consultation on opening the .nz second level domain space to public registration has now been going for 2½ months and has just over 1 month to go.

So far (assuming I've counted correctly) there have been 56 submissions published on the DNC website. I've read through all of them and there seems to be considerable support both for and against the proposal. I don't recall reading any well developed arguments in favour and have read several strongly reasoned arguments against.

Interestingly enough, a common reason raised for not opening it is that there is a risk of cybersquatting on existing registrants of .co.nz and I haven't yet seen a good suggestion for a way to prevent this other than allowing them to register during a sunrise period. Given the way that so many small businesses are oblivious to the realities of their Internet presence I can see many of them missing their chance to register If they are genericsquatters I guess it will just be their loss, but if they have a genuine "fanciful" brand name I wonder how many of them really will face cybersquatting ... not that I'd risk it myself. If it goes ahead Tessa and I will certainly be applying for the .nz for our business domain names.

One group that have been noticeably absent from the consultation process so far are the legitimate domain name investors. I've only noticed one submission that's clearly from a domineer and that was against the change. I imagine that many of us are quietly rubbing our hands with glee at the prospect of swapping our .co.nz names for the potentially more lucrative .nz names while others of us have staked out niches and are worried by the instability that may result.  It would be good if a few more active domineers made their thoughts felt, preferably with cogent arguments to support their positions.

In addition to the usual written consultations, the DNC is organising face to face consultations. Net Hui had a session to discuss the subject and they are holding public consultation meetings in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin starting with Dunedin on the 22 August and finishing in Wellington on the 4 September with an on-line consultation on the 5th. Venue and registration information is on this page on their website. I'll be at the Auckland meeting, if you're there say "Hello"

Goodbye .co.nz, Hello .nz

The Domain name commission has published a consultation paper on their plan to open public registrations at the .nz level. The paper and some expanatory background are on this page at their site.

Consultation runs until the 27th of September (nearly 4 months).

.kiwi.nz Consultation Ended

The consultation on this has ended. In the end there were 14 submissions ranging from strongly in favour to strongly opposed.

I did think of summarising for the benefit of readers and may yet do this, but having read all the submissions there was such a total disconnect between those supporting and those opposing that I suspect that the DNC and InternetNZ will find it almost impossible to find any consensus.

.kiwi.nz, proposed new unmoderated 2ld

Donald Clark, one of the InternetNZ councillors, but acting in his private capacity, has formally requested the creation of the second level domain name .kiwi.nz.

Amendment to the .nz Registrar Agreement

In a society governed by the rule of law we all have to obey court orders, but under normal circumstances we can not be arbitrarily detained or have our property seized without a court order.

Google Closes Adsense For Domains

Google have announced that they are closing Adsense For Domains, their domain parking solution. They've had a lot of complaints about running a domain parking service at all and although they have stared down those complaints, I guess this will make their life easier

Their service has never really fired, it's always been the poor cousin of their other services and has never produced good results for me. I was getting a slightly higher PPC from them than from other providers, but their click rate was a lot worse and looking at their templates it's fairly easy to see why.