Namecoin, instead, is as descentralized as Bitcoin is, with no centralized team nor "sponsors".
And I continue to consider it a very bad decision that domain purchases are permanent. That will not work. Squattering will reach such high levels that the system won't be usable anymore.
My stance: Not interesting at all.
You have a good point, people will just go for a buying spree and parked these domains especially domains with high keywords important attach to it, he can own it for life and just wait for buyers, this could results in a monopoly of domain, if you cannot keep up your domain, let somebody who is interested to buy it, parking domain is a business, and it will be abused, I'm ok with annual.