For Sale Sales of WLS subscriptions

[morel]

Let us assume that in the opening days of the WLS, all or almost all of the "good" WLS subscriptions are gobbled up by BuyDomains, UltSearch, and hundreds of individual speculators.

How do you think that this rush will affect the subsequent sales of WLS subscriptions? Will it taper off? After all, if all of the "good" subscriptions are taken, why would anyone shell out $50 for a bad subscription? Or is this a genius money maker for Verisign that will result in a consistent revenue stream?

 

[Shaggy]

Now is WLS coming out for sure or is it still in the maybe stage???

 

[Steen]

maybe, but probably will make a delayed entry

 

[clemzonguy]

Since the WLS is a monopoly and the person holding the WLS will take the name no matter what and even assuming the price is $40 (probably will be a lot more) it would only make sense that sales would continue even on mediocre names to keep someone else from tying up the spot. It will be a lot easier to lock down names ahead in advance but without a lot of pre-planning you won't ever have that chance especially if even all the mediocre WLS slots are taken. Then enters the aftermarket trading of subscriptions (if they are even transferrable).

I do believe there will definitely be a rush on all the great names and that snapnames will even participate in large part to secure over half of the slots for these from available snaps with other registrars hoping to pick up the slack. I mean let's face it snapnames only has to "flip a switch right now" and all their registrars are ready to run WLS scripts and they know the system better than anyone since they created the darn thing for Verslime right with their "technology"?

It's kind of irreversable once launched though in my opinion and I highly doubt that an injunction could be issued after people have already payed for the service and hundreds of thousands of dollars who knows maybe a lot (in the millions?) more already being payed out to who knows. Added to the fact that ICAAN okayed it. There will probably even be high bidding on WLS "crap shoot slots" just like the US TLD introduction. But snapnames and verisign will come out as the big winners in this. Namewinner and others are going to have to get as much money as they can now if they plan to stop all this.

This is a huge change to the domain industry and very few people realize the implications this could actually have on everything once it's kind of thrown at us. At least now we have some order with RGP and Pending Delete.