carolyn duffy marsan in a 3/4 page article writes "Indeed just the threat of competition has already brought some of these benefits to the market place. Internet name registration fees, for example have dropped from $100 for a two year registration to $70." the drop in price she cites is correct but, as most here know, it had not a god damned thing to do with competition ....rather the NSF was finally granted the right by beckwith burr to stop insisting the NSI collect the intellectual infrastructure fund surcharge or tax as it has now become known. NSI would have liked to have dropped the price to $35 a year in 1997, roughly a year before they were finally permitted to by the clinton gore operatives. yes the infamous 'tax' was collected for almost a year longer than the n SF wan ted at the insistence of the department of commerce....at the insistence of the very bureaucrats who claimed to be bringing competion while in effect keeping a 30% surchange in place. **************************************************************** The COOK Report on Internet Index to seven years of the COOK Report 431 Greenway Ave, Ewing, NJ 08618 USA http://cookreport.com (609) 882-2572 (phone & fax) The only Good ICANN is a Dead ICANN [EMAIL PROTECTED] What's Behind ICANN and How it Will Impact the Future of the Internet http://cookreport.com/icannregulate.shtml ****************************************************************
