I'm submitting this article for the discussion from the HNers. I don't necessarily agree with its content or how the content is presented.<p>I'd love to hear more about the <i>"alternative methodologies"</i> and why they're more <i>"efficient, extensible, and far more economical"</i>.<p>Also, do people think the fees are that outrageous? A common complaint about the .com TLD is that it is too cheap; thus, making it susceptible to squatting. I've no idea about the real costs involved in creating custom TLDs, but I wouldn't be surprised if the fees are in part set high to avoid people buying custom TLDs, like .inc or .fb (facebook) and squatting them.