NY Times article giving reasons on why Google may have become an ICANN-accredited registrar.  Reasons include:

1.  Google’s statement that it did so ‘to learn more about the domain name system’ and to ‘increase the quality of our search results.’

2.  Bret Fausett’s speculation that now Google can get access to the expiring domain name list.  His Times quote implies that if Google became aware that there was a change in title due to expiration, Google would presumably revise downward that page’s Google rank.  “Name-Grabbers” reportedly snap up expired domain names and then use Google’s AdSense program to take advantage of the ‘skeleton of links’ leading to the expired name.

3.  Domain Name registration would be a value-add to its Blogger and GMail services.

Among the reasons not given:

4.  Making money selling domain names.  While some people continue to pay NSI and Register.com $35 a year for a name that costs the Registrar $6 in registry fees, companies like Yahoo and GoDaddy have pushed the price of new registrations to below $6.

5.  Eligibiilty to participate in Registrar Consittuency Mailing List and learn RC secret handshake.