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Reaching Unsanctioned TLDs With A Plug-In

An anonymous reader writes: "Wired is running this article about Idealab creating new TLDs. They propose to do it with a browser plug-in. Many people are upset with ICANN, but is having an incubator distribute new code any better?" If it makes ICANN nervous, I think I'm all for it. If it won't work with browsers besides the Top Two, though, then I guess I'll miss out on dot-duh ...

55 of 125 comments (clear)

  1. Two things... by EvlPenguin · · Score: 3

    According to sources within the motion picture industry, Hollywood movie studios were informed of Idealab's plans late on Thursday, and the studios immediately came up with objections.
    They just can't agree with anything, can they?

    Idealab first entered the domain-selling business when it acquired the rights to the dot-TV domain from the country of Tuvalo.
    But this is totally diffrent. .TV did not require users to install plugins. IMHO, a system like this can never work. Notice that the big two (Netscape and M$) apparently have no comment on it. Without their support, it would never last; because they would have to make this plugin a part of their standard browser, so next time people upgrade they will also gain access to all those new TLDs. Even if they do support it, how will the rest of the users know about these new domains and what's required to view them? Assuming the plugin works by capturing all requests sent to these TLDs and then redirects them to a specific DNS, then anyone who does not have the plugin will be screwed. It's not like other plugins, because with Flash, you get a message saying that you need a plugin to view the page. So anyone who tries to view a page on the new TLDs will just be left with an error message and no clues as to what they can do to fix it.

    The only thing that would make a lot of users upgrade is the temptation of .xxx >:) Woohoo, a whole TLD full of pr0n.

    --

    --

    --
    #nohup cat /dev/dsp > /dev/hda & killall -9 getty
  2. The rarely used .int by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 3
    One top level domain that most people aren't aware of is the .int. It exists and the European Space Agency uses it for their subdomain:
    http://www.esa.int/
    --
    Jumpstart the tartan drive.
    1. Re:The rarely used .int by dr_labrat · · Score: 3

      that would be http://www.itu.int

      --
      The secret of success is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake those, you've got it made. (Marx)
    2. Re:The rarely used .int by raju1kabir · · Score: 2
      One top level domain that most people aren't aware of is the .int. It exists and the European Space Agency uses it for their subdomain

      And NATO, among about 60 others.

      dig axfr int @ns0.ja.net
      for a full list.

      --
      "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." -- GBS
  3. Broken solution. by tshak · · Score: 3

    This can break code that relies on HTTP calls (SOAP objects, content sharing via WDDX,etc.). What about "Real Names"? I mean, ya, they're kinda stupid for us tech's, but for the rest of the world, aren't Real Names a Good Thing(tm)?

    --

    There is no longer anything that can be done with computers that is nontrivial and clearly legal. -- Paul Phillips
  4. CCC also wanted to make this... by Tomcat666 · · Score: 3
    Last year the German CCC (Chaos Computer Club) also wanted to do something like this.

    But they didn't want to write a browser plugin - their idea was just to start a new top level DNS server. People should just set the DNS server manually in their config, so they could access the new TLDs and domains.

    The Chaos Computer Club is against the governmental control of the Internet & domain-grabbing of huge companies, so this was their alternative. Read about it here (German).

    I haven't heard anything about it after that article though.

    --
    Two Worlds - One Sun [Spirit]
  5. OpenNIC is still alive.. by Carl+Drougge · · Score: 2

    And you can check it out here.

  6. Re:I'm hardly what you would call a guru... by drsoran · · Score: 2

    There's nothing to "hack" into bind to get it to do this. It supports it natively just fine. Network Solutions just found it more convenient to maintain their monopoly over the DNS system and getting tens of millions of DNS servers to add additional "open" root servers into their root cache files is a monumental task. Not impossible though. You just need to offer something .com/.net/.org doesn't and voila. You'll start to see people pointing to your .sex zone servers.

  7. Subdomains by yerricde · · Score: 2

    we would need to say goodbye to slashdot and freshmeat!

    We would need to say goodbye to calling them slashdot.org and freshmeat.net, but Andover already owns slashdot.com, and OSDN could buy freshmeat2.com. Or they could just move everything to slashdot.osdn.com, freshmeat.osdn.com, etc. SourceForge could probably keep its .net though, as it does provide hosting services for free software projects.


    All your hallucinogen are belong to us.
    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  8. Dontcha just *love* Idealab...? by OpCode42 · · Score: 2
    While this seems like an exiting idea, it means that the new domains could *only* be used for web sites. Not email, irc, etc etc etc. (I'm sure this has been said before in this discussion, but its such a big point it was worth mentioning again).

    One more thing. Check out F*ckedCompany and search for Idealab. Somehow I dont think they're going to make this work...

    -----

  9. Why this is a publicity ploy by Syberghost · · Score: 2

    The problem is very simple:

    1) You want as many people as possible to be able to access your web site.

    2) Therefore, you have to have a way for those who don't have the plugin to find you and get it.

    3) Therefore, you have to have a conventional domain name, and advertise it.

    4) Therefore, why bother to have the new name at all? People are going to associate you with the normal one.

    This is similar to the problem Clear Channel Communications is facing with the .cc domain they bought. Nobody remembers to type ".cc", so they have to keep all their domains registered as .com as well. Even their own DJs can't remember to say .cc.

    -

  10. Stop the platform-specific nonsense! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    I said this in another story earlier in the week, but will reiterate here for everyone that missed it. New TLDs that wish to escape the tyranny of the existing system should arrange to operate WITHIN the current structure.

    This will require changes to the resolvers out there, in the form of a table or similar which instructs it where to find the root for these alternatives.

    Let's say you want a ".slashdot" TLD and you have domains called dom1.com and dom2.com. First you map it in this future resolver:

    slashdot. = dom1.com, dom2.com

    What this means is that requests for 'foo.slashdot' get one of those "real" domains tacked on, and the query proceeds as before, only to the real zone: 'foo.slashdot.dom1.com' or 'foo.slashdot.dom2.com'. This is done down in the resolver and is not exposed to userspace.

    The real trick here (besides making resolvers support "deep roots") is establishing which domains will vouch for the new style TLDs. This is the beauty of the design - anyone can try to create a TLD with a given name. Nobody else will honor it unless it's worth their time and effort. So, people behind this scheme will have to do something useful or their particular version of a TLD will wither.

    Another cool thing is that dom1.com and dom2.com can go away and be replaced with other "supporting" domains. Obviously you would want to use PGP or similar to verify that the changes are in fact from the right people, but that's a matter of trust and can be covered elsewhere.

    Steal and spread as necessary.

  11. RFC1591 & INT TLD by warlock · · Score: 4

    The INT TLD is nothing special - it is defined in RFC1591 along with the other more well known TLDs (COM, NET, ORG, EDU, GOV, MIL and the ISO-3166 two-letter country codes). Anyway, it is managed by IANA (actually, I think the ITU is responsible for the maintenance and IANA merely handle the registrations or something like that).

    It is not very well known because it is restricted to organizations established by international treaties, according to the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969), and international databases, which are defined as non-commercial entities that provide services of direct relevance to the operation of the public Internet. Clearly not as big a market as COM :)

    Some examples are UN.INT, ITU.INT, WIPO.INT.

  12. Re:We need heirarchical namespace back by raju1kabir · · Score: 2
    The idea of hierarchical domains is a good one

    Actually, I think it's a bad one. There is no single hierarchy into which you can fit everything and make sense to everyone.

    Rather than a tree, I think a multidimensional web is a better physical model. Let things exist in the context of their relationship to other things. Sure, that eliminates the possibility of true random access, but on the other hand, it makes everything a few steps from something you know.

    Looking for a hardware store? Go to any store. Zoom out to "all types of stores". Zoom in to "hardware stores". Zoom in to your neighborhood.

    Or find it a different way. Start at your house. Zoom out to "my neighborhood". Zoom in to "stores". Zoom in to "hardware stores".

    Or find it a different way. Start with any old object sitting on your desk (presumably it will have a barcode or something). Zoom out to "all consumer products." Zoom in to "hardware".

    Or find it a different way. Start with "my trusted places". Zoom in to "better business bureau". Zoom in to "hardware stores".

    And so on.

    With a conceptual mapping, on as many different levels and criteria as people can imagine, you can find anything quickly, rather than having to guess your way around a fixed, rigid one-dimensional hierarchy that is clearly showing its inability to scale.

    --
    "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." -- GBS
  13. Re:Typical American disrespect for the law. by raju1kabir · · Score: 3
    I for one agree that material which is obviously pornographic and unsuitable for minors should be placed within a seperate name space which could be easily blocked such as: .xxx, .sex, .pr0n, .porn, .adult, etc. then we wouldn't have to put up with such stupid laws as have just been passed in Austrailia - That all content published on the net should be suitable for children - subject to the judgement of police officers and not courts, judges or a jury of ones peers.
    If ICANN had got off their butts and allowed for such a TLD ages ago I would have less contempt for them.

    One of the few smart things they did was reject these proposals. They are pointless. It is very clear (as evidenced by sites such as whitehouse.com) that porn operators perceive a disadvantage to pigeonholing themselves in obviously-porny domains.

    So creating .xxx would achieve one thing and one thing only: Make it easier for people at unfiltered locations to find porn. Meanwhile, it would still proliferate at other domains (there is, after all, no real cost to making the same content available at multiple addresses).

    The real answer is for people to grow the fuck up and stop worrying about it. At a certain age kids develop an interest in this stuff, and all the filters in the world aren't going to stop them from finding it, whether online or off. Before that, they don't care, they think it's gross, and they won't dwell on it or look at it any longer than they need to figure out that it doesn't interest them; no harm done.

    --
    "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." -- GBS
  14. Wrong solution by The+Man · · Score: 2

    This is the wrong solution on many levels. Whether the solution to the ICANN problem is alternate registries is not up for discussion here. More relevant is the fact that browsers all suck. We don't need more "plugins" for already broken crash-prone browsers. We don't need a solution that makes what you can see from your browser different from what you can see from your terminal. The solution to this problem, if you want to use alternate registries, is to set up your own nameserver (takes anywhere from 5 seconds to 5 minutes to do) and feed it the appropriate hints database so that your resolver library will ask the nameservers you choose. This is simple, it's orthogonal, and it's fast. No coding necessary, no browser involved. Doing this any other way is simply not sane.

  15. USENET regulation? WAS Re:Browser Wars by firewort · · Score: 2

    I'd just like to say,

    There is no CABAL.

    A host is a host from coast to coast, but no one uses a host that's close

    --

  16. To make this idea work..... by Argy · · Score: 2

    It seems to me you've got to get AOL or Microsoft on board. AOL users constitute the majority of web traffic to many (perhaps most?) sites, and of course Microsoft browsers constitute the majority of browsers visiting most web sites. If either company, AOL or MS, were to try this themselves, they'd likely have fairly easy acceptance, despite the massive uproar from Slashdot-types, since they'd automatically have 50%+ of the market. AOL runs their own DNS so they'd have instant market penetration, while MS could build the alternate DNS capability into their OS, browser, and ISP service, and have solid market penetration within a year. Once that point of critical market saturation (I think at least 50%) is reached, companies will start advertising or hosting desirable destinations with the new URLs, and individual holdouts will switch over even if they don't use MS or AOL's latest software. One other important industry from which to gain support are search engines. But if enough users are going along with an alternate system, Google and others would probably follow, especially if you tossed them some cash for their support. AOL and MS have plenty to toss. IdeaLab seems to be going at it from the other end, which has been tried countless times already. While they haven't released financial details, they're probably the best funded effort to date, and the timing is good with solid International dislike for the establishment (ICANN). But they'll still need to get some bigger supporters than the "midsized ISPs" they've currently lined up.

  17. root servers are the key by Skapare · · Score: 2

    If the way of the net was that everyone who ran a DNS server ran it with a root zone and pointed to the TLDs they wanted to have (and from where they wanted to get them), and left out the TLDs they didn't want (like religious groups leaving out .sex and .xxx), then ICANN would just be irrelevant.

    --
    now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
  18. Re:Wouldn't a better solution... by binner · · Score: 2

    Yes, this would be a good way of doing things...see OpenNIC...this is exactly what they do. Add a new server into resolv.conf, and you can resolve the tld's that they've created.

    I thought it was pretty decent, and the proper way to circumvent ICANN's stupidty.

    -Ben

    --
    Say what you mean, mean what you say! But please know what #$@% you are talking about!
  19. The problem with this: NO SEARCH ENGINES by wowbagger · · Score: 4

    I run my own system, so changing my DNS to use (Alternic|OpenNic|...) wouldn't be a big deal to me. I could do in in about 60 seconds.

    Let's suppose I did. OK, now lets suppose there some site, www.deepthought.42, that has all the answers to my life. Unfortunately, I don't know it exists. How do I find it?

    This is the biggest problem with any of the alternate root servers IMHO: there is nobody indexing them! Now, suppose that Google set up to index that domain, and just to keep people from being confused set their system up so that they wouldn't list any Alternic domains in a search unless you were querying search.google, rather than www.google.com. Then, maybe I'd be motivated to use them. But until I can find these new domains, they are no good to me.

    Now, what I keep waiting for: AOL gets pissed with InterNIC. AOL configures their DNS to resolve off AlterNIC (remember, you don't LOSE the current set of TLDs, you just gain new ones), and sets up a .aol domain. They offer their uses subdomains off that, so AOLuser JOE42 automatically gets JOE42.aol as a domain (which is an alias for members.aol.com/JOE42). Also, they do this for all the RoadRunner etc. customers.

    Now, what a jumpstart THAT would provide for Alternic.....

  20. Re:Plugins for _all_ browsers? by DeeKayWon · · Score: 2

    It most certainly does, but who knows what platforms New.net will release plugins for? Will they go all the way and produce plugins for Linux, Solaris, BSD, and so on? Or will they just do minimal effort and do Win32 and Mac?

  21. Idealab - the favorite of FuckedCompany.Com by Midnight+Ryder · · Score: 2

    If you follow FuckedCompany.Com you can get a rundown on all the companies that IdeaLab owns - and the fact that damned near all of them have failed or are failing as of late. In fact, I can't think of any of them offhand that is anything more than a spectacular failure, costing between $20 and $100 million each. These include: eToys.Com, Referer.Com, Cooking.Com, CarsDirect.Com, PetSmart.Com (yes, that's an IdeaLab funded one), Modo.Net, FIrstLook.Com, eve.com, and more...

    Heck, here's the FuckedCompany search results on IdeaLab based companies - the funniest being the fact that IdeaLab owns the domain DogCrap.Com. Go fig.

    FuckedCompany search for IdeaLab

    In other words - this is move by IdeaLab to look like some sort of industry leader. Don't expect it to happen, or of it does, don't expect it to last very long - or for IdeaLab to last much longer. You can only pump so much money into a loosing situation before people completely give up.

    --

    Davis Ray Sickmon, Jr - looking for something to read? Check out my three free novels at MidnightRyder.org

  22. Re:We need to replace the system altogether by Sloppy · · Score: 2

    A browser plugin can be installed on the fly, and the user only has to click 'Ok'.

    A program that changes whatever the Windows version of resolv.conf is, could also be a program where they click on an icon and it says, "Ok." Yes, on multiuser (e.g. Unix) systems, it would have to ask for a password. But in cases where the user (e.g. you) knows better than to give root access to whatever program asks for it, the user probably already knows how to change resolv.conf himself.

    The ability to change name resolution is platform dependent

    So is a web browser plugin.

    The reason the root servers aren't going to change anytime soon, is that most people don't use them directly anyway. For performance reasons, they use their ISP's recursive resolver / cache. Thus, it becomes a problem of either getting users to accept a performance hit (which no one wants), or getting the ISPs (not the users) to change.


    ---
    --
    As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
  23. Idealab is full of BS by Jesus+IS+the+Devil · · Score: 3

    You know what. Idealab is the company that funded eToys, which was the stupid company that tried to sue etoy.com, which was active much earlier than etoys.com, to rob etoy.com of their domain name. I've also heard from many others that Idealab pretty much rapes you if you ever went to them for VC funding. I hate these MF's and will never ever use their stupid lame ass plugin. I'd rather slashdot or redhat start something like this... then I'll voluntarily install it.


    ---------
    Did you just fart? Or do you always smell like that?

    --

    eTrade SUCKS
    1. Re: Idealab is full of BS by Richy_T · · Score: 2
      You say "You say tomato, I say tomahto", I say "You say tomaytoe, I say tomato".

      Rich

  24. We need to replace the system altogether by johnnyb · · Score: 2

    Even more than just creating new TLDs, why not replace the root name servers. It would probably be pretty easy to have a new set of root name servers that simply queried the old ones for names that are not found. And it wouldn't even require a plugin, just change the entry int /etc/resolv.conf, or wherever windows people change it.

    1. Re:We need to replace the system altogether by bwalling · · Score: 2

      This is not easier. A browser plugin can be installed on the fly, and the user only has to click 'Ok'.

      The ability to change name resolution is platform dependent, and requires administrator/root level access. You are sure as hell not touching that on my machine. How do you change this on a Mac?

      The root servers aren't going to change any time soon. They're well established, and their addresses are distributed with DNS servers, for which there are millions of copies already distributed.

    2. Re:We need to replace the system altogether by bwalling · · Score: 2



      It's more than just that. I don't want any of the users on my network doing something as stupid as changing their dns resolution methods. That's why they don't have priveleges to do this. If they change this, they don't get to resolve any of the names of the servers their daily work depends on.

      They can install a browser plug-in. I couldn't care less if they do this. If it breaks their Internet Explorer when they install the program, they know they get no support because they installed an unsupported program.

      A program that changes whatever the Windows version of resolv.conf is, could also be a program where they click on an icon and it says, "Ok." Yes, on multiuser (e.g. Unix) systems, it would have to ask for a password. But in cases where the user (e.g. you) knows better than to give root access to whatever program asks for it, the user probably already knows how to change resolv.conf himself

      This is only realistic for home PCs. No corporate environment allows users to touch this stuff. So, by choosing this method, you are creating TLDs that only work at home.

  25. Theres already an alternate registry!! by dr_labrat · · Score: 5

    http://www.youcann.org/ And heres how you make one yourself!!

    --
    The secret of success is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake those, you've got it made. (Marx)
  26. I'm hardly what you would call a guru... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3

    But isn't the entire point of DNS that it is so incredibly flexible when it comes to hierarchial naming? Why kludge it this horribly, with an ill-concieved browser plugin? It would seem to me it would be better to just run an unsanctioned root server, and have someone hack a bind daemon so that it could split com/net/org resolution off to the regular roots (no need to swamp your server with work that another server is willing to do), but duh/newtld/warez domains to your own. For Windows users, a simple DNS server could be coded, and point their own resolution back to themselves. Hell better yet, have this new unsanctioned root server be dynamic, so that it was truly open to something other than business.

  27. Why is ICANN so bad? by CrazyFraggle · · Score: 2
    Having a centralised authority to keep the net as tidy as possible is not such a bad thing. The net is chaotic enough as it is without people running around creating new toplevel domains too.

    I just wish ICANN had the authority to babysit the domains already here. Kick all commercial activity out of .org and .net, keep .com for the american/international companies and enforce national companies to register under their national domains.

    The net is a chaotic place already, why make it even worse?

    --
    - the Crazy Fraggle
    1. Re:Why is ICANN so bad? by dr_labrat · · Score: 2

      Hmmmm. Andover bought slashdot to use slashdot's popularity to generate advertising revenue...

      Although it may not be generating a profit it was certainly *meant* to after the buyout...

      Why else would Andover pay a squillion dollars for Slashdot?

      Guaranteed First posts? :-)

      --
      The secret of success is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake those, you've got it made. (Marx)
  28. We need heirarchical namespace back by ka9dgx · · Score: 3
    I like the idea of routing around ICANN, because there are some simple paradigm shifts that need to be made which they incapable of grasping due to the dollar wash.

    I think that this particulary implementation of the idea, as it stands, is going to flop big time.

    Why? ... because it requires work ... and the goal isn't good enough... do we really want to do all this just for some stupid domains like .film ???

    It doesn't solve the basic problem, flat domains. Why should chicago.il.us be nonexistant? It could be the root for every business and person in the city. Geography makes a very good dimension to base domain names on, and should be taken advantage of. A tree structure that lets you walk down to a city or neighborhood is a very good thing.

    What we need are domains that actually make some sense... and use the heirarchical namespace properly for example:

    • CHICAGO.IL.US could actually be open to businesses and people in Chicago... with the home page having information about the city... so if a business was in Chicago, it would be (for example).... goldcoastdogs.chicago.il.us, or ibm.chicago.il.us, government.chicago.il.us, etc.
    • .soft could be people who make software, with each language having a sponsor (or two).... delphi.soft would be run by borland
    • .rating could be used to host sites that rate the equvalent sites without the .rating at the end.... thus ibm.com.rating would give feedback about IBM's services, etc.
    • .anon and .free could be used for dynamic hosted information that needs to be anonymous because of persecution.
    • .act could be for activities.... with examples such as photography.act, runner.act, hiker.act, etc.
    Each level in the heirarchy as the "price" of getting the domain name would be required to host a list (in XHTML) of all the available subdomains that were registered, so that search engines, etc.. could make life easier, and serve as a convinent way to show what's available to everyone. A look at the chicago.il.us site would allow you to discover new businesses available, etc.

    The load of mirroring could also be distributed up and down the heirarchy in a uniform manner, since the data is structured in a uniform manner, the chicago.il.us domain could be mirrored between a group of servers that are members of the domain, such as IBM, the City Government, etc.

    The dispute resolution process would then go down to the local level, and namespace saturation could almost disappear. If two businesses had the same name, in the same city, they would be differnetiated by the services offered. Sams.plumbing.chicago.il.us wouln't get confused with sams.publisher.chicago.il.us, for example

    So if someone can put together a heirarchical, locally administered namespace, that routes around the existing ICANN endorsed mess, I'll sign up... I've got a list of little nodes in the big tree I'd like to run, including:
    • amateur.photographer.chicago.il.us
    • apcu.computer.usergroup.chicago.il.us
    • amateur.photographer.us
    • etc....
    My choices for domain names in a tree would tell you far more about me, and be far less random than a contrived name like http://basicsoftware.com ever could.

    A nice side benefit to all this heirarchy is that it could serve to remove money from the domain registration system, for a lot of people, that WOULD be worth the cost.

    1. Re:We need heirarchical namespace back by generic-man · · Score: 2

      The idea of hierarchical domains is a good one, but it is obviously only geared to local businesses. How many people are going to remember "ibm.armonk.ny.us", versus "ibm.com"? Furthermore, if a company moves or establishes a new branch office, the old address is useless.

      This is the right solution to the wrong problem. Many people and businesses have identical names -- look at the Yellow Pages in any sizeable city. Until you want to use, say, Tax ID's or phone numbers as URL's, there will always be conflicts. Always. Always. Always. Always. Always.

      Always.

      Always.

      --
      For more information, click here.
    2. Re:We need heirarchical namespace back by generic-man · · Score: 2

      That's what I meant. You shouldn't steal people's ideas like that.

      --
      For more information, click here.
  29. Why would a browser plugin be needed for linux? by eXtro · · Score: 2

    I think everything you need is in /etc/resolv.conf nameserver n.n.n.n nameserver m.m.m.m nameserver the.unofficial.tld.people

  30. The last word on this. by generic-man · · Score: 2

    I wouldn't download this plugin.

    --
    For more information, click here.
  31. Re:Wouldn't a better solution... by mutende · · Score: 2
    see OpenNIC...this is exactly what they do. Add a new server into resolv.conf, and you can resolve the tld's that they've created.

    Or use superroot.org's root servers. DJBDNS users can simply put

    199.166.24.1
    195.117.6.10
    199.166.24.3
    199.166.31.250
    199.166.31.3
    199.5.157.128
    204.57.55.100
    204.80.125.130
    205.189.73.10
    205.189.73.102
    207.126.103.16
    216.13.76.2
    216.196.48.66

    into their {mumble}/dnscache/root/servers/@ file. BIND users use these instructions instead.

    The hack gives your access to all the usual TLDs AND SuperRoot's plethora of TLDs without sweat.

    // Klaus
    --

    --
    Unselfish actions pay back better
  32. Re:Wouldn't a better solution... by luge · · Score: 3

    Actually, the one article I read indicated that they would be providing tradtional DNS. However, for most people, if your ISP isn't open to using the "new" DNS, then you will never be able to reach those addresses. This is why all the other alternatives have failed- they've depended on ISPs and such to connect to their DNSs, and that hasn't happened, so only folks who know a great deal about their computers are able to use the alternatives.
    Idealab's stroke of genius (IMHO) is that they are going to offer a way around this. Sure, they'll offer traditional DNS, but in the meantime they'll build market and mind-share by allowing folks to just download the plugin and do the name resolution that way. If they distribute enough of the plugins, they'll be able to demonstrate interest to the ISPs- and then the ISPs might get off their butts and incorporate the alternatives into their systems. It's a neat way around the chicken-and-egg problem that has plauged past alternatives.
    Now, I'm not claiming that this will work; certainly all past attempts at this have failed miserably. But if any of them have had a chance, this appears to be the one. Now they just have to convince folks that it is worth their time to put up content on these new domains, and (as someone else wisely pointed out) you need to convince Google to index it. If those two things happen, they've figured out a work-around to the one other problem that has always plagued alternative registries, so it just might work.
    ~luge

    --

    IAAL,BIANLY

  33. How did they implement this? by Animats · · Score: 2
    There are several ways they could be doing this. Anyone know which one?
    • Redirecting the local DNS client to use their root servers. This is what the AlterNic, etc. crowd do. Bypasses most DNS caches, so these guys had better have a big root server.
    • Modifying the browser's lookup. That's what the "RealNames" and "Internet Keyword" people do. Only affects the browser, of course.
    Neither of those ideas has obtained any traction, although both have been operational for several years.

    Now all they need is a virus that installs their plug-in. Maybe a web bug based on the exploitable hole in the Flash plug-in, coupled with hidden disclaimers in the terms of use on sites deploying it.

    Besides, we don't need more TLDs. The number of Internet businesses probably peaked months ago. At the beginning of this year, there were 5021 ticker symbols on the NASDAQ. Today, there are only 4929.

  34. If the idea of this excites you: by mr · · Score: 5

    1) Consider the past efforts. RealNames, AlterNIC, and one (I think) OpenNIC
    RealNames and AlterNIC have been around for a LONG (internet that is) time. How often do you run into these? (I bet about as often as a Cue Cat sound on a TV that takes you to a web site)

    2) The enemy of my enemy is my friend makes for a nice warm feeling for a few minutes, but is not good long term strategic planning. If you don't like ICANN, going off and embracing some alternative just BECAUSE it is an alternative and "would piss off ICANN" isn't good technical logic.

    And the gods of the 'net like LOGICAL arguments.

    3) Hate to tell you this, but the Internet goes beyond web browsers. Uniform Resource Identifiers need to be addressed. As the 'idea' here is 'we are gonna do this with browser add-ons', this shows these people are not thinking in terms of the big picture. Just a small, http: view.

    --
    If it was said on slashdot, it MUST be true!
  35. Re:Typical American disrespect for the law. by Saint+Aardvark · · Score: 2
    It is very clear (as evidenced by sites such as whitehouse.com) that porn operators perceive a disadvantage to pigeonholing themselves in obviously-porny domains.

    Then why don't I get a faceful of pr0n every time I type in some random URL like www.whateverifeelliketyping.com? Why can I be guaranteed of coming up with a pr0n site if I type in www.somevariationontits.com, but not somecombinationofrandomwords.com?

  36. The internet != WWW by Masem · · Score: 5
    Besides the fact that it needs a browser plugin, this would also limited only to http requests. Any other non-browser-but-net-enabled program, such as IM, Napster & clones, and whatnot, would have no idea about these new domains, and therefore would not work if the servers were based on those alternate names.

    I think the whole DNS things needs to be restarted from scratch: the only possible TLDs would be country codes, .intl (for anything international), and .net (for network systems). Within the country codes, it's up the country on how to split it up (This means that trademarks that apply in one country cannot be used to grab a domain from someone in a different country where the trademark may not apply, such as the Corinthians case). The US, of course, would probably just replicated .com, .org, etc, which is fine, but restrict these, and make sure that there are enough TLDs that are NOT related to e-commerce so that nearly every current site can be classified into one of these. If done right, then there would be no reason for a company X to own X.net, X.org, etc in addition to X.com, which makes trademark problems even more limited between two companies and not being a large company and a small-time webmaster. A system should be opened up to allow anyone to introduce an idea of a new TLD, with a public comment period before granting or accepting it, as long as the TLD does not replicate the function of any other TLD and provides a namespace that would have sufficient size to be useful.

    --
    "Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - P&TB
    "I can see my house from here!" - ST:
  37. Wouldn't a better solution... by tsetem · · Score: 3
    ...be to provide a genuine DNS Service? I mean, provide a DNS Server that resolves the new TLD's, this way all services can work correctly? And all you would have to do at the OS level is change your resolv.conf (for Unices) to point at the new system and change the DNS lookup order for Windows.

    Of course another solution would be to provide a hack that sits at resolver level that allows all "normal" DNS lookups to go through your ISP, but these special requests get filtered at the OS level and forwarded to the new system.

    But the best solution (IMHO) is for the ISP's to add the DNS Server to the named.ca file so it gets resolved (more or less) proper.

    Providing a plug-in is a fine hack, but it must provide someway to resolve names to DNS Entries. It's just a question of whether the resolution comes at the application or the OS level.

    1. Re:Wouldn't a better solution... by isdnip · · Score: 3

      Yes, that would be a better way.

      Idealab this time seems again to be Cluelesslab. DNS is a hierarchical system. Most retail end users now get their DNS service from their ISPs; commercial end users (leased lines, etc.) may have an in-house DNS but that too is hierarchical under their ISP's.

      Now anybody can point to any other DNS, but it's not trivial for Joe User, so it's really best if the ISPs do the fix in their DNS servers. They can simply add these alternative roots next to .com et al. Poof, it's done, for all applications.

      The tricky part is Worldcom's UUNET, the largest backbone ISP (upstream from a lot of retail services). Vint, the Elizabeth Taylor of the Internet (famous because he's famous, and didn't he once make a movie about a horse when he was a kid?), works for them. So Roberts gave him the hot title at ICANN, so he won't defy them. But UUNET's customers (who mostly run DNS servers) can still do the fix.

      But plug-ins? Gross needs a cranial plug in.

      (BTW, Idealab has put up for sublease its fancy Boston digs, occupied for less than a year. They're shrinking away with their stock portfolio)

  38. Most browsers do NS plugins by Rob+Kaper · · Score: 2
    If it won't work with browsers besides the Top Two, though, then I guess I'll miss out on dot-duh ...

    Konqueror runs most if not all Netscape plug-ins. So does Opera. I am assuming Mozilla does too.

    You might get the .dot after all, guys.

  39. Looks like a privacy nightmare by martyb · · Score: 4

    Though the article only mentions that the plugin would resolve the new TLDs, I have to wonder what ELSE the plugin would/could do.

    Where/how is the resolution going to be performed? And who will own/maintain/operate/control these resolvers?

    Plugin to resolver: Hi! I've got this request from a user. Here's all the stuff I could find out about him, and could you please make a record that he wanted to access this URL? Oh, and by the way, could you also resolve this for me?

    Marketers would LOVE this; privacy advocates may not be so thrilled.

  40. Hollywood sics lawyers on entrepreneurs by michaelmalak · · Score: 2
    What Hollywood is actually doing, according to the article, is a bit more than the Slashdot headline portrays:
    According to the source, Warner has balked at the plan and is reportedly undertaking legal research to see if Idealab can even launch this effort.
    This Idealab concept is a perefectly valid direction for the Internet, a somewhat creative idea (not completely original, but I doubt most people of heard of the earlier competitors), and a legitimate business for legitimate purposes. And Hollywood is trying to stop it with lawyers.
  41. Quick - someone patent it by Alien54 · · Score: 2
    Maybe someone can opensource public domain patent the idea. Then all we would need would be some sort of system for hosting the lookups.

    of course, this is the favorite buzzword, but maybe it could somehow be done P2P? I can't see how right now.

    --
    "It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
  42. Great ideas implemented poorly by node+3 · · Score: 2
    I've been trying to think of a way to enhance the domain registry system for a while now (as have others, based on the attempts of the AltenrNIC and OpenNIC).

    All such attempts will fail unless they can successfully meet the needs that the InterNIC is leaving unmet.

    To me they seem to be:

    1. An open, free process to acquire a domain name.
    2. An objective and fair policy for domain name disputes that doesn't innately favor either the lone individual or the multi-billion dollar company.
    3. An efficient means for adding new TLD's.
    4. A method for becoming used enough to be worthwhile.

    #1 is probably the second hardest. If the process is free, people will just run a perl script to register every word, trademark, and probably every letter/number combo their quatum computer can spit out in the time it takes to futz with a bucky-ball a few trillion-trillion times.

    #'s 2 and 3 are fairly easy. Just come up with a charter that helps make those outcomes more likely. There are many internet task forces, working groups, committees, SIGs, consortiums, etc, to look towards for models. Just make a few bylaws, elect some officials, and take away all incentive for corruption. Also, don't be idealistic (ala, the FSF). Just be fair and open to all sides (like the internet tends to try to be), and you'll succeed.

    #4 is the zinger... I can think of three ways to do it:

    • Start small, but with a plan. I'd first focus on a group of people who would adopt the new root servers, who can do it easily, and who wouldn't care, at first, if they're the only ones who know about it. Linux/Open Source/Free Software folks seem to be a good fit here. Also, if this "secret" club starts making a large buzz, more and more outsiders will become insiders. Think of what happened to Chips & Dips.
    • Make a big deal about it on key sites. Get Slashdot, Google, WiReD, etc, to put prominent links on their home pages to point to the new DNS project's home page.
    • Combine the first two, and probably a few others I haven't thought of.

    Above all else, like I already said, don't be idealistic! Democratic Name Server? Would fire have caught on if it was Democratic? DNS is a mechanism, not a way of life. If you have two mechanisms which are equal in every way except that one is neutral, it just does what it does. The other does the same things, only it goes out of its way to teach some lesson, tell you you're bad or good, or something similar, which do you think would win going head-to-head? Which would you want to win?

    I'd be willing to help on a project that could repair this flaw in the internet. Any takers?

    end-of-line

  43. A call for anarchy.... by TrevorB · · Score: 2

    Thisis getting just dumb. It will be years before any now TLDs come out, and then they'll fill up so quick, it's like we didn't have them.

    Here's what I propose: Open up all 3 and 4 letter combination TLD to the highest registrar bidder. Everything: .abc, .biz, .byz, \.[a-z][a-z][a-z][a-z]?

    That way, the more popular new TLDs could be scooped up by the big boys,but all the crap would be left to *us*. At this point, I'd be happy to register "trevorb.llq".

    Let the market choose which TLDs are cool/needed/useful....

  44. Re:Typical American disrespect for the law. by raju1kabir · · Score: 2
    Then why don't I get a faceful of pr0n every time I type in some random URL like www.whateverifeelliketyping.com? Why can I be guaranteed of coming up with a pr0n site if I type in www.somevariationontits.com, but not somecombinationofrandomwords.com?

    I am not arguing that porn operators have an infinite supply of money with which to register every possible domain. If they had anything less than an infinite supply of money (which they do), that would be a stupid course of action, since some domains are obviously more likely to attract users than others.

    What you will find, however - and this should have been clear from my post coupled with perhaps a morsel of common sense - is that given the opportunity to get some traffic at a reasonable cost, they will do so, regardless of the potential for surprise or offense.

    --
    "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." -- GBS
  45. ./ers new home by mephinet · · Score: 3
    since the new domain registrar, new.net allows everyone willing to pay five bucks to open his own TLD, an enourmous growth of the .cowboyneal-tld has developped interesting urls like
    • www.whois.cowboyneal,
    • www.ilove.cowboyneal, and
    • www.fsck.cowboyneal.
    despite our intensive research, we couldn't find any firm named cowboyneal, and we don't expect any indiviual to exist with a name like that, so the hidden humor behind this tld will stay obscure...

    --
    Use the source, Luke!