[notahacker]

Domain speculators do "provide value" to ICANN in the form of annual registration fees, which they pay ICANN irrespective of whether any end user wants that domain [in that year]. They "provide value" to buyers in relinquishing ownership of a good they wanted more last time it went on sale; same as any other secondary market transaction. Sure, ICANN could be "more efficient" and charge premium prices on some domains, but the only thing worse than being gouged by speculators is being gouged by a monopolist.

I can't see why the existence of domain speculators prevents people from profiting from "helping purchasers find" names, if there's really a substantial value add in having imagination and the ability to use a WHOIS search.

[lazylizard]

i wonder. how much of wanting a specific domain name is vanity and how much of it is stats/market research/etc? is being more flexible/imaginative with one's domain name really that painful? do people advertise their web business on tv or radio that often? i find it hard to imagine typing in full urls everytime i visit a site..theres auto complete and theres google and there're links..