auDA's role and the $12 million marketing and innovation program

[Bacon Farmer]

Recently the CEO of auDA informed us:

"As part of the new registry and tender process:

• A new $12 million marketing and innovation program over 4 years to increase the awareness and use of .au; "

[https://www.auda.org.au/mailouts/auDA+Plain+Announce/Australia’s+.au+Name+Space+Transformed+With+New+Registry+Operator]

According to their website, the role of auDA is as follows:

"Role of auDA
auDA performs the following functions:

• develop and implement domain name policy
• license 2LD registry operators
• accredit and license registrars
• implement consumer safeguards
• facilitate .au Dispute Resolution Policy
• represent .au at ICANN and other international fora
• technical management of the .au zone file
• manage and maintain a secure and stable Domain Name System"

No outline of this marketing initiative has been shared with members as far as I know.

Surely the marketing of domains is not part of auDA's role.

Why should the fees paid by registrants be used to fund marketing activities for the benefit of commercial entities? Is this essentially, the misuse of public funds?

auDA is meant to manage a public asset not fund private enterprise marketing campaigns.

 

[DomainNames]

The "marketing" is nothing but a "slush fund" which has been misused for years

Even Adrian Kinderis has finally come out to exposed it
https://internetretailing.com.au/gr...rd-straight-as-domain-controversies-continue/

It appears many people are deleting their tweets... Why? Thank goodness for screenshot

 

[Bacon Farmer]

So basically the cost reduction won from the tender process has been sucked up by auDA to use as a slush fund. Registrants are funding auDA's slush fund to the tune of around $3 per domain.

Meanwhile auDA cash holdings approach what $25 million?

Is this the biggest rort since Centenary House in Canberra?

I wonder if the CEO's recent initiative to sign up foreign supply side employees was subsidised in anyway by auDA?

As members, can we inspect the books?

 

[snoopy]

I see it as mostly an attempt to keep prices high and increase supply side support for the SGM. Supply side has been carrying on for some time about how prices shouldn't drop too much. It is about their margins and getting some money back.

 

[DomainNames]

It is called price fixing and cartel conduct