afilias.info · Domains · Slashdot Mirror

Re:.org first over .com ?? by jadavis · 2010-06-23 16:51 · Score: 1 · on Dot-Org TLD Signed For DNSSEC

As an interesting side node, Afilias uses PostgreSQL to run .org and .info.

(I can't find a recent link that directly says that, but clearly they are still involved with PostgreSQL: http://www.afilias.info/news/events/2008/03/29/postgresql-conference-east-2008 )

Re:Please name names by greg1104 · 2010-01-09 12:25 · Score: 1 · on Why Oracle Can't Easily Kill PostgreSQL

At one point tracking the entire .org domain was done with PG as well

Still is; even more than that actually, .info too. See Afilias Global Registry for a full list. Afilias sponsors quite a bit of PostgreSQL related work, including employing some of the major contributors to Slony, one of the most popular PostgreSQL replication solutions.

Re:PIR are the ones who could do it. by budgenator · 2006-10-11 05:55 · Score: 1 · on ICANN Grants Temporary Reprieve to Spamhaus

The Internet Society is a non-profit, non-governmental, international, professional membership organization. Its more than 100 organization members and over 20,000 individual members in over 180 nations worldwide represent a veritable who's who of the Internet community. ...

1775 Wiehle Ave.,Suite 102
Reston, VA 20190-5108, USA
tel: +1 703 326 9880
fax: +1 703 326 9881
Email: info@isoc.org.

4, rue des Falaises
CH-1205 Geneva
Switzerland tel: +41 22 807 1444
fax: +41 22 807 1445
http://www.isoc.org/

PIR, a not-for-profit corporation created by the Internet Society (ISOC) in 2002, manages the .ORG top-level domain (TLD) and plays a number of roles in helping .ORG thrive. PIR's primary responsibility is managing the database of .ORG domain names (Internet addresses), which it does with support from its technical provider, Afilias Limited. That database connects individuals surfing the Web to the .ORG sites they seek. http://www.pir.org/AboutPIR/AboutPIR.aspx

Afilias Limited is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with U.S. offices near Philadelphia, PA, sales offices in London, UK, an operations center in Toronto Canada, and operational offices in New Delhi, India http://www.afilias.info/about_afilias/

ICANN seems an odd choice. by Kadin2048 · 2006-10-10 06:18 · Score: 1 · on One Last Spamhaus Warning Before The End

I still don't quite understand it, though. (And maybe the judge doesn't, either, hence the problem...) How could ICANN "kill" a domain?

ICANN controls the root nameservers, so they could conceivably "kill" any TLD of their choice (not that this wouldn't be insanity, but it's technically possible), but they don't manage any of the domains within the TLDs themselves, at least to my understanding. .com and .net are managed by Verisign, .org is run by the Public Interest Registry, .edu is EduCause, etc. So if you wanted to order someone to shut down spamhaus.org, it would be PIR or their "technical partner," Afilias Ltd.

The best response ICANN could make to the request to put a hold on the name is "we can't do it." At the very least, it would deflect the request to the actual maintainance organization for the TLD (in this case PIR), who would be in a better position to accede to or refuse the request. The updating, maintanance, suspension, or takedown of individual domains just isn't within ICANN's jurisdiction; one would hope a Federal judge would understand that, conceptually.

Re:PotgreSQL... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-02-14 16:54 · Score: 2, Insightful · on Oracle Acquires Sleepycat

What's keeping MySQL afloat? Hmmm... Incredible speed?
Guess it depends how you use your database. MySQL tanks under any kind of concurrent load. MySQL eats flaming death with complicated queries. Neither does MySQL support features such as procedural languages, custom aggregates, bit-mapped indexes or tablespaces. In other words, it's either a really slow filesystem with a few extra features spooged on, or a reasonably quick toy database that's about the same speed as postgres, as long as you don't go trying to do something that would require a real database.

Easy setup and administration?
Yeah, postgres is really hard to setup.
apt-get install postgresql
sudo su - postgres
createuser noob
^D
createdb its_just_not_that_tricky

Or you could just download and install one of the gui tools if command lines scare you.

Handy SQL extensions?
Oh, you mean like how there aren't any procedural languages supported? You know, the ones that would obviate the need for hackish extensions that only half solve a given problem? Or perhaps you're talking about all the dumb foot cannons that MySQL AB thought was clever?

Enterprise features for those who want them and not for those who don't?
Like... replication? Oh wait, that's a postgres feature that MySQL hasn't even dreamed of supporting. MySQL only just recently figured out what a transaction is a couple of years ago. They still haven't figured out NULL. I'm not sure exactly what enterprise features you're refering to, but then I don't think you are either since MySQL hasn't got any. Which is probably why nobody uses MySQL in enterprise environments whereas Postgres a non-trivial chunk of the internet.

Re:root for Afilias by jadavis · 2005-01-23 09:34 · Score: 1 · on The Race Is On For .net

Afilias employees are regulars around the PostgreSQL mailing lists (and important developers). The company also funds development of important features and related projects (notably Slony-I, a bsd licensed replication engine).

From the Afilias Website:

July 7-11, 2003: Afilias database expert Andrew Sullivan will present the session "Backing a 24/7 Registry with PostgreSQL" at the O'Reilly Open Source Software Convention 2003 at the Portland Marriott Downtown.

Thatindicates to me that Afilias conducts its primary operations with PostgreSQL.

Or a non-random name generator by titaniam · 2004-07-06 16:06 · Score: 2, Informative · on Large, Free, and Interesting SQL-ready Datasets?

Want a whole bunch (most) registered domain names in the world? You'll need to fill out some forms and wait maybe a week (except edu), but it's worth it. Click for biz, edu, int, info, org, com, net. These files are whoppers for the most part. Perl would not read the com file under redhat 6 its' so big. I use them for my surf engine, iconsurf.com.

This is ridiculous! by getnuked · 2003-09-30 06:56 · Score: 2, Insightful · on IETF Draft Sets up Public Namespaces

Everyone will become totally confused, not only because this is a new obfuscated URI scheme, yet because there is a .info TLD!

This is what they are using it for by Johannes · 2003-01-24 13:23 · Score: 1 · on .org TLD Now Runs on PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL comes into play here at the registry. In this case Afilias. They are the authoritative source for all registrations in the .org domain (or will be soon, I'm not sure the exact date). You may recognize them as the registry for .info as well. All of the DNS infrastructure will be run by UltraDNS and they run Oracle. You may recognize them as the DNS infrastructure provider for .info. I'm assuming that .org will work the same as .info (since it's the same registry and same DNS server infrastructure) and if so, all changes are incremental and near realtime.

Afilias == the dot whore registry by Anonymous Coward · 2001-10-01 19:08 · Score: 0 · on New ICANN TLDs Are Live

Abuse and fraud has been widespread in the pre-registration period for so called trademark holders.
Use this search and compare
with the results found here.
The following domains have been registered fraudulently;

These don't even have trademark numbers in the registration;
space.info lunch.info toy.info
electronics.info system.info delivery.info
silver.info one.info computer.info
art.info two.info clothes.info

There is a huge amount of foreign registrations - perhaps because it is conviently impossible to double check the trademark status. But as you check common words (that can't be used as trademarks in the USA) certain registrants come up frequently and a pattern emerges. For instance, there are a lot of Korean registrants. There is a Korean supposedly accredited registrar called "Yesnic" that has registered radio.info, book.info, gift.info, land.info, food.info, photo.info, vote.info. There is a "Mr Woo" that has registered car.info, music.info, and sale.info. A " Mr. Stephen Rumney" has registered money.info, finance.info, electronics.info. A Mr. "David Singh" has registereed house.info, home.info, train.info. A Mr. "Tokio Matsumoto" in japan has registered "linux.info".

Most domains went to squatters rather than real trademark holders.

Large companies like Qualcomm are even part of the fraud. They registered "brew.info", but they
even haven't been granted a trademark for it.

Even Afilias is part of the massive squatting. They registered "phone.info" but they don't own the trademark for it either.

There are dozens more that I checked. In my cursory search, nine out of ten had invalid registrations

Shame on Afilias for letting this happen and not taking action immediately on these obviously bogus registrations. There is nothing "fair" about how they are handling registrations. If Afilias had a shred of integrity they would ban permanantly these squatters from the registry as punishment for fraudently registering names during the so-called "trademark registration".

Didn't get mine.... :-( by KjetilK · 2001-09-30 03:38 · Score: 5, Insightful · on New ICANN TLDs Are Live

Well, I tried to get some .info domains, but I'm still waiting to see if any goes through. Afilias doesn't seem to clued to me. Also, I've spoken with my registrar, it seems like the whole company is in a mess, and nobody really knows what is going on.

Well, I was really going to rant about trademarks. TMs is usually the part of IP regime that I find the least problematic, but. There is something strange there.

Here's my story:

I have for several years maintained a site titled "How to use a compass". Since I've been orienteering for many years, and just because I could write this, just because the web allowed me to become a publisher, I did write it up.

It is time for the site to move on, I intend to open it up for many contributors. I intend to get a few excellent orienteers and expeditionists to join me in making this site even better, and I intend to release it under the GNU Free Documentation License (but with some modifications to allow people to print and distribute printouts more easily).

Obviously, I should have a domain for it. While I have other options, what can possibly be more fitting for this site than compass.info? It is the most used compass tutorial on the web, there are a few of them, but most are actually using my illustrations... The site is literally information about the centuries-old gadget called a compass.

However, it has been decided that trademarks owners should have a prior right to our language (eh, well, English is not my native tongue, I'm Norwegian). They should be allowed to grab first, and so, compass.info is gone. Like in some many cases, the compass has been used metaphorically. There is actually very little information about the gadget compass on the web, but there is extensive use of the term "compass" used metaphorically. In fact, this is a problem I've had when designing metadata for the site.

I'm quite confident (yep, I do have some self-confidence :-) ), that if the delegation of domain names had been based on what merit a site has for accurately describing what lies in a name, my site would have won... :-)

So, what is it with trademarks that makes them so valuable for mankind that it is more important that the domain name compass.info is used do point to a product that has nothing to do with what has for centuries been known as a compass, rather than an accurate description on how to use this gadget....?

I do not doubt that the American College Testing Program, who has been awarded compass.info has good intentions for it, but still, the question stands, why is it that trademarks should have that level of protection?

I feel there is something wrong about all this. Names are a scarce resource, and should be treated with caution. I feel the use of trademarks needs a review. This isn't what they are supposed to be: My parents went to China and bought "The North Face" jackets with a Gore-Tex membran for just about nothing. While they realize it certainly aren't real North Face jackets, I have yet to convince them it certainly has no Gore-Tex membran. They are going to get seriously wet one of these days... :-) That's what trademarks are supposed to do for us: protect us from being sold crap. They're not supposed to be used for grabbing bits and pieces of living langauges...

Re:Where is sex.info? by Chexum · 2001-09-26 19:45 · Score: 1 · on Dot.info is Live

Probably the only thing alive is afilias.info AKA nic.info.

It's just beyond my comprehension why a TLD this general should have its registry in the domain itself...

(The same way, that the impossible .sex domain should not have its registry at thesexregistry.sex.. It would be quite sufficient to have a "pornia.com the dot sex registry" etc...) Clean up this mess of everyone "reserving" domains "'cause it sounds/looks good"...

usa.info by back@slash · 2001-08-07 10:24 · Score: 1 · on New TLDs Loaded with Fraudulent Registrations

Well all the registrations arnt frauds. I see usa.info has been registered by pro-consul which looks to me like one of those places where you can get an "expert" to testity in court to get you off the hook for performing a henius act while in an "altered state of mind" or whatever.

Seems like some really useful information to me if you're in the US.

Re:Jesus. by evilMoogle · 2001-08-07 10:13 · Score: 1 · on Dolby Tells NetBSD Project: Don't Decode AC3

Notice: Water is a trademark of Marral Chemicals Limited. Please cease and desist your use of the term Water immediatly.
Also, please note that Jesus is a trademark of Tourism Online Marketing.

Re:Jesus. by evilMoogle · 2001-08-07 10:13 · Score: 1 · on Dolby Tells NetBSD Project: Don't Decode AC3

Notice: Water is a trademark of Marral Chemicals Limited. Please cease and desist your use of the term Water immediatly.
Also, please note that Jesus is a trademark of Tourism Online Marketing.

Life Liberty and the Government by evilMoogle · 2001-08-07 10:08 · Score: 2, Funny · on New TLDs Loaded with Fraudulent Registrations