> Ultimately, this is why the DNS and domain name industry feels so shady in general and why for most companies getting a name on the internet is a tortuous process that feels very scammy, which is unfair and costs more than it probably should.

Shady is putting it lightly.

I once tried to register a nice .wiki domain in order to host a wiki for myself. Those domains weren't available anywhere. I had to "request" one from the company that managed the TLD. So I emailed them and they asked me about my "plans" for the domain. Eventually they just said they'd host it on my behalf. They created a wiki on the domain I wanted, threw ads around it and told me to start contributing.

It's not really an equal playing field where anyone can buy a domain. They gatekeep not only by charging huge prices but also by simply refusing to sell the domain if they think you're not important enough.

People should start making more onion services.