Regarding using the internet as the "ultimate" MLS, I do believe that NAR is trying to get everyone on their curve with respect to MLS management. As a board Director, I am experiencing groans from our members regarding board size requirements placed by NAR in order to conform to charter requirements. Being in a rural area, there is no way our membership will tally to NAR's goals. This brings the element of a merger into play, and what better way to merge MLS's than to look to the spoonfed "solution" of an internet based solution, which by some STRANGE coincidence is owned and/or controlled by NAR. Consider this script: NAR wonders how they can get everyone onboard with their MLS system, considering the vast number of small boards. Solution: force the small boards into it via their mandatory "membership" numbers. It gives me the faintest whiff of a monopoly in the making. While I am at it, it also irks the daylights out of me that REALTOR.COM, an entity that's affiliated with NAR has the audacity to ask me for big bucks for my "personalName.realtor.com" email address, as well as big bucks just to get a suitable link to me other than via the state association roster. One would think that if REALTOR.com was truly operating in the best interests of its clientele, that the least they could offer was a link to my direct domain, as well as a link to my email address at that domain. Five hundred bucks is a rip-off. I suppose that if I want to continue to help buyers and sellers with their real estate needs, I must retain the "REALTOR" moniker, but it's getting harder and harder to swallow. I wonder what my $64/year + advertising actually gets me. Anyway, I do think that NAR does plan on squashing the independence of the smaller boards by forcing them to merge. After merging into bigger and bigger entities, it will be far easier for NAR to control MLS's, information systems, and internet MLS's. This smacks of monopolisitic power. Who benefits? I don't think its me; the person its supposed to benefit. Thanks for letting me blow off steam on this issue. TS

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