Re:Registries not required (Score 1)

I agree, running a small registry is incredibly easy.

If you want to do it manually (the way academics used to run most ccTLDs) all you need to do is edit the TLD zone file to include NS records for any second level domains (SLDs) you are asked to create.

Automation is just as easy, I threw together an online registration system for a TLD in Perl in a weekend that allowed people to check availability and then register and pay for SLDs (scalability to handle hundreds of thousands of domains is another issue).

Mark......