In Read Write Own, Dixon argues that user control of domain names permits switching hosting providers without losing network connections, constraining provider pricing power.

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Let's say I host cdixon.org at Amazon's web hosting services. Imagine that Amazon decides to charge me more money, throttle my website, sensor my content, or do something else I don't like. I can simply transfer my files to another provider and redirect the cdixon.org DNS record. I could even choose to self-host, the digital equivalent of living off the grid. When I redirect my name, all my network connections remain intact. People can still send me emails, and the inbound web links that search engines use to rank my site still work. The switch to a new hosting provider happens behind the scenes. It is invisible to other participants on the network. Amazon knows this and knows it must therefore act within the guardrails of network norms and market forces or risk losing customers. This simple design decision, giving users full control of their names, keeps businesses honest. It restrains Amazon and other companies, forcing them to offer competitive services at competitive prices. Companies can still avail themselves of traditional business moats like economies of scale. The more servers they run, the lower their costs, the higher their margins. But they can't rely on network effects to trap users the way centralized networks do.