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Outdated Domains To Meet Their End

Dr. Eggman writes "The little used .um internet domain is no more. The domain was used, or rather unused, for US minor outlying islands and the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute had grown tired of maintaining it. This announcement comes as last month ICANN began taking comments on deletion of outdated suffixes. Among the top of the list? .su, the internet domain of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union's .su may prove harder to remove however, as Google still lists 3 million .su sites."

173 comments

  1. Wow by drachenfyre · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    only took 5 days to make it to slashdot....
    Web chucks '.um' domain POSTED: 1:34 p.m. EST, January 25, 2007

  2. Russia by wooferhound · · Score: 5, Funny

    In Soviet Russia
    The Domain expires you . . .

    --
    We are Dead Stars looking back Up at the Sky
    1. Re:Russia by MonTemplar · · Score: 1

      *Chuckle*

      --
      -MT.
    2. Re:Russia by Harmonious+Botch · · Score: 1

      Which moron modded parent redundant?? After all the lame 'in Solviet Russia' jokes, finally one is done right.

    3. Re:Russia by NotTheNickIWanted · · Score: 1

      Probably the same type of "moron" who feels that any hope of a Soviet Russia joke being funny, no matter how relevant the context, was eradicated a long time ago due to over-use.

      --

      unsigned int question = 0x2B | ~(0x2B)
    4. Re:Russia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In old Soviet Russia, State bye you.
      In new Capitalist Russia, you buy state.

  3. Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by mfh · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Among the top of the list? .su, the internet domain of the Soviet Union.
    Before we get unindated by a slew of "In Soviet Russia" troll posts, let's think about this domain deletion concept for a moment.

    Obi-Wan: I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.
    The destruction of a domain that is of no use, is nothing to be upset about. But what happens when this motion is repeated on a larger scale when not everyone is in agreement?
    --
    The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
    1. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by parasonic · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The destruction of a domain that is of no use, is nothing to be upset about.
      But how much effort does it take to maintain a database of three million Soviet Union TLD's? The time alone to register these domains alone would be twenty-eight and one-half man years at five minutes to register. Just to register them. How much time would it take to switch domain names? How much to try to update links? How much to one's clients trying to get to a site that can no longer exist? Tens of thousands of man years?
    2. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by Dr.+Eggman · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Then we should try to get as many people in agreement as possible. Maintain the domain until there are sufficiently few (.su's 3 million is too much for me, perhaps a quarter million or less?) and after that point sweep the remaining in to a generic tld like .mis or something else for a miscellaneous domain. I'm not sure how feasable something like that would be, but the least we can do is offer "endangered tld" holders some method to ease into newer or better maintained tlds. We could look at how servers are consolidated in older MMOs to see how they deal with when to consolidate and how the govern the process perhaps. With fewer holders, we could take up surveys of the sites, like some sort of digital geologist and see who are squatters, dead archive sites, ect. and determine if they can just be dropped or shuffled off to some internet archeology project. There's loads of things we could do, but it'll take international cooperation and agreement to bring old domains to a satisfactory conclusion.

      But the Soviet Union? I thought you guys had disbanded?

      Ambassador:*chuckles* Yes, that's what we wanted you to think!

      --
      Demented But Determined.
    3. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by heroofhyr · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm a little disappointed at the lack (currently I only see one) of "In Soviet Russia" posts under this article. Often they're lame, but once in awhile you see some that're actually funny. I was hoping when I clicked through to this discussion to find some, only to find a single one (modded down Redundant). Sure, they can be rather annoying in irrelevant conversations, but this article is practically an open invitation for people who post the same hackneyed phrases to every article to go wild. Maybe you don't care for them, but I for one welcome our Soviet Russian troll poster overlords. I'm currently checking Netcraft to verify whether or not "In Soviet Russia" posting is dying and will report confirmation later.

      --
      brandelf: invalid ELF type 'KEEBLER'
    4. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by MonTemplar · · Score: 1

      You want people to think before posting? Getoutahere! :D

      Oh, and before I forget...

      In Soviet Russia, the domain deletion concept thought about you! (For a moment)

      Good day!

      --
      -MT.
    5. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by The_Wilschon · · Score: 4, Funny
      In America, you get inundated with bad jokes. In Soviet Russia, bad jokes get

      unindated
      with YOU!
      --
      SIGSEGV caught, terminating

      wait... not that kind of sig.
    6. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by kckman · · Score: 1

      At the cost of about $5 us dollars to register them, that's $15,000,000 yearly. Hard to complain about the "man hours" when there is a service cost incurred.

    7. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by Esteanil · · Score: 2, Informative

      .su domains cost $100/yr. http://nic.ru/en/

      --
      I'm a dreamer, the world is my playpen. But hey, I'm a serious person, I can't dream all the time.
    8. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 2, Funny

      In Soviet Russia, trite Orwell quotes unfairly mod YOU down.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
    9. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by Machtyn · · Score: 1

      A simple script to move the domains to a new domain would not be that hard. But then again, I'm not that familiar with the politics of tld's.

    10. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by sethstorm · · Score: 2, Funny


      But the Soviet Union? I thought you guys had disbanded?

      Ambassador:*chuckles* Yes, that's what we wanted you to think!


      Apparently Yukos (and some others) didn't get the memo.

      As for interesting domains- it.su is already taken, for those who prefer things extra hot.

      --
      Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
    11. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey, poseur: didn't you purchase that account off of ebay? And what a bizarre site: your idea of cultivating the mysterious is hamfisted; what happens when you try to seduce women?

    12. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by deblau · · Score: 1

      The destruction of a domain that is of no use, is nothing to be upset about. But what happens when this motion is repeated on a larger scale when not everyone is in agreement?
      This happens.
      --
      This post expresses my opinion, not that of my employer. And yes, IAAL.
    13. Re:Let's Not Troll Too Much Please by anaesthetica · · Score: 1

      Economics, the only science where ethics and morality are thrown out the window.

      You might try reading Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments which is the humanist moral/ethical foundation upon which he based The Wealth of Nations.

  4. email at outdated domains? by gentimjs · · Score: 1

    So how do I get an email addy at one of those 3 million .su domains ?

    1. Re:email at outdated domains? by solevita · · Score: 1

      Register a .su domain? Have a quick look on google; there's plenty of registrars that'll happily take your cash in exchange for a .su. Better be quick though! If it gets axed you won't be getting any emails.

    2. Re:email at outdated domains? by British · · Score: 1

      Register a .su domain? Have a quick look on google; there's plenty of registrars that'll happily take your cash in exchange for a .su.

      And knowing Russian hackers, any of those .su domained websites will be more than happy to take your credit card # as well. :)

    3. Re:email at outdated domains? by kingred · · Score: 2, Funny

      No, you've got it all wrong. They already have your credit card number, so ordering is super easy!

  5. really? by tomstdenis · · Score: 0, Troll

    Never been to a .su domain before. Maybe it's because I don't speak Russian... That being said I have been to plenty of .ro, .jp, .cn, .de, etc domains and I don't any of their funny languages.

    Tom

    --
    Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    1. Re:really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Apparently you "don't any" English either.

    2. Re:really? by tomstdenis · · Score: 4, Funny

      ^speak

      bah, that's why there are editors. Hell if you read either of my two books you'd not have such high expectations for me.

      --
      Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    3. Re:really? by ilovecheese · · Score: 0

      Have you ever been out of the town you were born in? Probably not.

    4. Re:really? by MysteriousPreacher · · Score: 4, Funny

      If you're heading to "Jumping to insane conclusions land", any room for me in the car? I read his post and assumed he was a grand dragon of the KKK.

      --
      -- Using the preview button since 2005
    5. Re:really? by tomstdenis · · Score: 1

      Why would I want to go out of my own town? No need to see filth ridden crime festering cities when I have a perfect place to live right here.

      --
      Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    6. Re:really? by kitsunewarlock · · Score: 3, Funny

      .kkk, that sounds like a successful domain idea...

      --
      Ginga no Rekshiya Mata Each page.
    7. Re:really? by aonaran · · Score: 1

      what about .fu is that taken?

    8. Re:really? by kitsunewarlock · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but they all just redirect to microsoft.com.

      --
      Ginga no Rekshiya Mata Each page.
    9. Re:really? by Bastard+of+Subhumani · · Score: 1

      if you read either of my two books
      Two? Are you a slow reader or something?
      --
      Only three things are certain; death, taxes, and apocryphal quotations - Ben Franklin.
  6. Um.... by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 2, Funny


    And there was no opinion poll on this? (Of if there was, I missed it. I'm just not hip to the California cutting edge news.)

    Now I can't make a site called Y.um :(

    --
    My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
    1. Re:Um.... by iMac+Were · · Score: 0, Funny

      Don't try to register uptheb.um - I've already taken it.

      --
      You thought my name meant what? How very dare you!
    2. Re:Um.... by thc69 · · Score: 4, Funny

      You've taken it uptheb.um?

      --
      Procrastination -- because good things come to those who wait.
    3. Re:Um.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't need y.um. You can already use del.icio.us.

    4. Re:Um.... by Schraegstrichpunkt · · Score: 2, Funny

      But you can get emacs.vi!

  7. get rid of all TLDs by pr0nbot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Suffixes (and host prefixes) were a mistake. We ought to get rid of them altogether.

    1. Re:get rid of all TLDs by eln · · Score: 4, Insightful

      ICANN uses new TLD registration to basically print money, they'll never give up the TLD concept.

    2. Re:get rid of all TLDs by MysteriousPreacher · · Score: 2, Insightful

      With a few exceptions, they have pretty much lost their meaning. Few countries seem to have restrictions on the use of their suffix (Faroe Islands being one).

      Suffixes still serve a valuable purpose. They allow us to identify hosts using DNS, pretty handy if you ask me. There may be a better way of doing it but I haven't seen one. mail.mydomain.com and www.mydomain.com could be different servers and so prefixes are handy and reliable.

      The only suffixes that are no-brainers would be www and ftp if they're all handled by the same host. We'll know by the port numbers anyway.

      --
      -- Using the preview button since 2005
    3. Re:get rid of all TLDs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And let's get rid of all the letters too, they're such a bother.

      Oh, wait...

    4. Re:get rid of all TLDs by cyclomedia · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The mistake probably wasnt the suffix itself but the assumption that the country was the lowest common denominator between organisations. This is why we have microsoft.com and microsoft.co.uk instead of us.microsoft and uk.microsoft . Many companies do rearrange their websites to use this subdomaining system (as probably does MS) and it makes more sense in that respect.

      We've also had this discussion before about .tel because it seems obvious that telephony should either use an email-like syntax but with a different identifyer: technical.support#uk.microsoft or at least use a "standard" suffix like www/ftp: tel.technical-support.uk.microsoft

      however this doesnt solve the problem about what the root domains should be? .earth.sol may seem like a good idea so we can have microsoft.earth.sol and asteroidminingco.sol but still retain cyclomedia.co.uk(.earth.sol) seperate from cyclomedia.nl(.earth.sol), but cyclomedia.net is just a mirror of the latter and so could be considered naughty.

      in any case the big co's are always going to buy up all the permutations they can, and that makes ICANN lot's of cash.

      --
      If you don't risk failure you don't risk success.
    5. Re:get rid of all TLDs by Abreu · · Score: 3, Informative

      www. , ftp. and mail. are prefixes, not suffixes .com , .net, .xxx are suffixes

      --
      No sig for the moment.
    6. Re:get rid of all TLDs by WoLpH · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I disagree, they do have a purpose and a use, however it's not used for the right purpose often enough. If I visit a site with the TLD from my country (.nl) I expect to see a dutch site, if I visit a website with a .fr TLD I expect a french site. TLDs like that have a purpose, however, they lose there purpose as soon as people start putting english site's on .nl domains and dutch sites on .com domains. That however, is a totally different issue.

    7. Re:get rid of all TLDs by rbanffy · · Score: 1

      It funny now people who don't understand something are very quick at dismissing it as a bad idea.

    8. Re:get rid of all TLDs by MysteriousPreacher · · Score: 1

      Nuts, I knew I'd get the words prefix and suffix transposed. Thanks for posting a correction.

      --
      -- Using the preview button since 2005
    9. Re:get rid of all TLDs by reyalpdemannu · · Score: 1

      Your idea organizationally makes sense, and it's quite similar to the approach that some US governmental agencies are using for their DNS zones. I think it would be best to follow an organizational scheme similar to time/date stamps. Whether that means forward or reverse ordering, I don't know. Group by the common denominators and move from there. Teh intarnets is quickly becoming less and less organized and I even considered "Why have domain names at all now?" Pretty much everything I visit is a bookmark, and I Google everything else. When I tell my friends about a site, I make them Google it too, or I shoot them a direct URL. Nobody ever mentions domain names directly to me now. Everything is either URL or Google. Very interesting.......but stupid!

    10. Re:get rid of all TLDs by Chandon+Seldon · · Score: 1

      .earth.sol may seem like a good idea

      I wouldn't worry about having a consistent interplanetary DNS hierarchy. The latency is too horrible for any sort of TCP based protocol, so interplanetary communication is going to need a bunch of new standards anyway.

      Beyond that, the whole question doesn't really become relevant until there are off-planet settlements, and at that point I don't see any special reason to bring along random legacy bureaucracy like ICANN.

      --
      -- The act of censorship is always worse than whatever is being censored. Always.
    11. Re:get rid of all TLDs by thestrawman · · Score: 1

      and god is still dead...Nietzsche lives...

    12. Re:get rid of all TLDs by yada21 · · Score: 1

      ICANN uses new TLD registration to basically print money
      I propose a new TLD, .gold, which will use IV to solve that problem.
      --
      I will have a sig when the market demands it.
    13. Re:get rid of all TLDs by edschurr · · Score: 1

      I think they're usful as namespaces. I wouldn't have been able to get one with my first name & last initial in the dot-com—it's way too crowded already—but I was able to get a ccTLD (which was actually my preference). And CIRA also defines provinces (.bc.ca), although there is a preference for second-level all around.

    14. Re:get rid of all TLDs by rtb61 · · Score: 1
      However is does bring to mind the possible of an open DNS system that completely circumvents icann, after all they are just ip addresses and entries in a data base.

      Google DNS, Yahoo DNS, ASK DNS or even MSN DNS, there is nothing to stop them from adding a suitable extension to browsers, mirroring whatever they feel like and then selling their preferences, net neutrality vs DNS neutrality.

      With Linux taking over, there is something inherently desirable about an SU suffix (SUDO would just be too much to type).

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    15. Re:get rid of all TLDs by Bloke+down+the+pub · · Score: 1

      If I visit a site with the TLD from my country (.nl) I expect to see a dutch site, if I visit a website with a .fr TLD I expect a french site.
      What would you expect on a .be site?
      --
      It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
    16. Re:get rid of all TLDs by WoLpH · · Score: 1

      Dutch or French content, since everyone in Belgium ought to know both Dutch and French properly it wouldn't be a problem for them to read either. But I do agree a language switch would be preferred on sites like that ;)

    17. Re:get rid of all TLDs by petermgreen · · Score: 1

      most people at least in the west (i have heared that there is a competing system arround that is better suited to eastern languages but i don't know the details) have thier system set up to resolve ICANN tlds and ONLY ICANN tlds.

      so if you want your website visible to most people it has to be under an ICANN tld

      this is what prevents the success of the alternative roots

      --
      note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
    18. Re:get rid of all TLDs by FrederikVds · · Score: 1

      Or German?

    19. Re:get rid of all TLDs by rtb61 · · Score: 1
      ISPs are not websites, other companies are websites, as far as the ISP is concerned or alternative domain name servers, if your web site is visible or not is not skin off their nose. Same with throttling bandwidth, from the end users point of view, it is not the network that is slow, it is your crappy web site that is slow. So from the end users point of view it's your fault that you web site is not visible, not the ISP's etc. because other similar web sites are available.

      This is all about the balkanisation of the internet, greedy idiots want to screw it over for their own benefit regardless of the fact that their actions will just bring it crashing down and make it totally useless. Which is why net neutrality legislation is required in the first place. The only thing stopping M$ from attempting to take over the whole DNS system via their (P)OS is they know legislation would be immediately enacted to break that monopoly control (don't think so, then how far can you browse with an xbox).

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    20. Re:get rid of all TLDs by Bloke+down+the+pub · · Score: 1
      You must have been to a different Belgium. The vast majority of Walloons can't speak Dutch at all well, and most of the Flemish, though they can usually speak French very well, won't.

      At least Google (though it guesses based on IP and silently redirects, grrr!) at least puts the language in the url so you can frig it.

      --
      It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
  8. What about new ccTLDs? by adambha · · Score: 1

    Okay, so they've been dropping some ccTLDs, but IANA has Procedures for Establishing ccTLDs. So, when was the last time they created a new ccTLD?

    1. Re:What about new ccTLDs? by George+Beech · · Score: 1

      I know it's hard, but if you had RTFA you would have seen no less than 5 examples of new and/or reused ccTLDs

    2. Re:What about new ccTLDs? by kimba · · Score: 4, Informative

      Okay, so they've been dropping some ccTLDs, but IANA has Procedures for Establishing ccTLDs. So, when was the last time they created a new ccTLD?

      June 2006

    3. Re:What about new ccTLDs? by sholden · · Score: 1

      My guess would be .tl for East Timor in 2005.

    4. Re:What about new ccTLDs? by sholden · · Score: 1

      But I'd be wrong according to the comment just ahead of mine :)

    5. Re:What about new ccTLDs? by SeeSchloss · · Score: 1

      .eu which opened in 2005 ?

    6. Re:What about new ccTLDs? by gnomeza · · Score: 1

      Dibs on goatse!

    7. Re:What about new ccTLDs? by cheeseboy001 · · Score: 1

      Not so smart... omgh.ax, freecr.ax...

  9. .su by Arthur+B. · · Score: 4, Funny

    The TLD for bearded Russian sysadmins.

    --
    \u262D = \u5350
    1. Re:.su by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...and they host their boxen on "Stalinux".

  10. Why not just sell it? by Paulrothrock · · Score: 4, Informative

    There are tons of words that end in 'um'. Why not sell domains there so people can get 'cesi.um' or 'im-a-b.um'? It would generate tons of revenue (just like .cx, .us, and .tv) and would free up some domain name space.

    For those who are wondering, there are only 8 words that end in 'su'

    --
    I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
    1. Re:Why not just sell it? by Arthur+B. · · Score: 1

      And honestly they rule... where can I register ju.jit.su ?!

      --
      \u262D = \u5350
    2. Re:Why not just sell it? by FooBarWidget · · Score: 1

      All the -su words there are Japanese. There are more Japanese words that end with -su than that website lists. "Manatsu" being one. And there are probably tons of anime characters whose names end with -su.

    3. Re:Why not just sell it? by thygrrr · · Score: 1

      ninjitsu
      ninjutsu
      fujitsu
      daihatsu
      runoratsu

      and, of course, let's not omit...

      GOSU!

    4. Re:Why not just sell it? by screaser · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Because let's be honest...

      URLs like in.fini.ty, del.icio.us, etc are both extremely lame and annoying.

      Don't be that guy.

    5. Re:Why not just sell it? by Bowdie · · Score: 1

      You forgot DESU.

      --
      yes, www.dotcomforwardslash.com is my real URL.
    6. Re:Why not just sell it? by snutte · · Score: 0

      C.um for instance would probably draw a bunch of cash. ;)

    7. Re:Why not just sell it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      except in japanese and other languages...

    8. Re:Why not just sell it? by SolitaryMan · · Score: 1

      There are tons of words that end in 'um' [morewords.com]. Why not sell domains there so people can get 'cesi.um' or 'im-a-b.um'?

      The truth is, that this domain naming scheme does not work very well as a brand. You can have a domain named del.icio.us, but you just _have_ to have delicious.com as a pair for it, or you'll lose a lot of visitors.

      I've seen this naming scheme used by many famous companies (subaru: suba.ru), but they all had them as an aliases for 'proper' names

      --
      May Peace Prevail On Earth
    9. Re:Why not just sell it? by Scarblac · · Score: 2, Insightful

      For those who are wondering, there are only 8 words that end in 'su'

      ... in English. I think it's more common in French and Italian, and probably in loads of other languages I don't know anything about. And other languages do matter somewhat for this sort of thing (see Wikipedia)

      --
      I believe posters are recognized by their sig. So I made one.
    10. Re:Why not just sell it? by IAmGarethAdams · · Score: 1

      We'll just have to hope that they never create a .ing TLD

    11. Re:Why not just sell it? by Paulrothrock · · Score: 1

      I think of it as a way to keep the rabble out. If MySpace was MySpa.ce it would keep a lot of the thirteen-year-old girls (who will be responsible for the demise of western society) out.

      --
      I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
    12. Re:Why not just sell it? by inselaffe · · Score: 3, Funny

      And what will Putin use for his blog now he can't have poloni.um?

    13. Re:Why not just sell it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey, if you want "tons of revenue", all you have to do is consider how much is going to be brought in with domains ending in ...c.um.

    14. Re:Why not just sell it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Im.gonna.su

    15. Re:Why not just sell it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I call dibs on errr.um

    16. Re:Why not just sell it? by euri.ca · · Score: 1

      But domain names are usually affordable to individuals (some of the cuckoo TLDs are ridiculously expensive). So you'll make just as much money selling cool names to geeks as selling useful ones to companies (same order of magnitude anyway).

      For example, I have a 6 letter, pronounceable almost-a-word url. And I bought it last year, can you imagine me getting a cool three letter .com address in 2006?

    17. Re:Why not just sell it? by Wannabe+Code+Monkey · · Score: 1

      I found a few more. Of course if you only want words without spaces, try this query.

      Words ending in 'su' (without spaces).

      --
      We always knew Comcast was corrupt, here's the proof: http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1909890&cid=34545432
    18. Re:Why not just sell it? by nlaporte · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty sure any Italian could tell you that tiramisu is not Japanese.

    19. Re:Why not just sell it? by gavinjolly · · Score: 1

      I have always liked carcino.gen.nz as a domain. He has a good collection of photos also.

      --

      The weathers here - Wish you were beautiful

    20. Re:Why not just sell it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They'll start their takeover when they get licenses to drive. I've already seen two accidents this week caused by young women with those stupid oversized sunglasses...

    21. Re:Why not just sell it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about "Ginsu"

      It slices! It dices! The new gin.su!

      You get it all for the low low price of $19.95!

    22. Re:Why not just sell it? by Kelz · · Score: 1

      No need for a new .xxx suffix!!!

      'in.the.b.um'.

    23. Re:Why not just sell it? by Ayanami+Rei · · Score: 1

      Not only is the word not japanese, Tira-mi-su is three italian words.
      (It means "pick-me-up")

      --
      THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
    24. Re:Why not just sell it? by yada21 · · Score: 1

      GOSU!
      Considered harmfu.
      --
      I will have a sig when the market demands it.
    25. Re:Why not just sell it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nigeria already has .ng. :-)

    26. Re:Why not just sell it? by aszaidi · · Score: 1

      "jiujit.su? I'm going to own jiujit.su?"

      "I own kung.fu"

  11. New use for .um top-level domain? by adnonsense · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why not reassign the .um TLD to the umming and aahing community? There are many ditherers and the like out there who'd love to have domains like "im-not-sure.um", "let-me-see-a-minute.um", "tum-te-tum-te-t.um" etc.

    1. Re:New use for .um top-level domain? by trongey · · Score: 1

      Why not reassign the .um TLD to the umming and aahing community?...
      So you're saying it should go to the politicians.
      --
      You never really know how close to the edge you can go until you fall off.
    2. Re:New use for .um top-level domain? by Ken_g6 · · Score: 1

      Maybe they were afraid of what could be sold at some of these sites? Such as "urani.um", and "plutoni.um"?

      --
      (T>t && O(n)--) == sqrt(666)
    3. Re:New use for .um top-level domain? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and scrot.um !

    4. Re:New use for .um top-level domain? by andy314159pi · · Score: 1

      "tum-te-tum-te-t.um"
      Nice Lawrence of Arabia reference.
  12. Bad journalism? by sczimme · · Score: 4, Informative

    From the linked article:

    The Soviet Union's ".su" is the leading candidate for deletion; that'll be harder to strike than ".um" -- a Google search produced more than 3 million ".su" sites.

    The Google results were vetted to ensure those were 3+ million unique domains, right?

    A Google search for sites from only the .su domain returned the following result:

    Results 1 - 10 of about 2,670,000 for site:.su. (0.04 seconds)

    I don't know what folks will do without www.jedi.su...

    --
    I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
    1. Re:Bad journalism? by Kvasio · · Score: 1

      Google "truth" is relative; I quite often compared search results with friends on other networks and we got different numbers of results nearly every time.
      e.g. my search for "site:.su" returned 3,160,000 results.

  13. Didn't Stop them Before by RAMMS+EIN · · Score: 1

    ``The Soviet Union's .su may prove harder to remove however, as Google still lists 3 million .su sites.''

    Other people using a TLD hasn't stopped ICANN before. See, for example, the .biz TLD that was operated by Pacific Root, before ICANN decided it wanted .biz and simply introduced it. Now we have two of them, with different hosts in each.

    --
    Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
    1. Re:Didn't Stop them Before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If someone's operating an alt root, they shouldn't be surprised if some other root conflicts with it. That's the way anarchy works.

    2. Re:Didn't Stop them Before by raju1kabir · · Score: 1

      That's not the same at all. You might as well get mad at them because you'd been using '.info' on the 192.168 network in your basement.

      --
      "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." -- GBS
  14. Bad year for um by aapold · · Score: 1

    Miami fell apart in football and now the .um domain...

    Come to think of it, the University of Miami would have been the logical university to control the .um domain.

    I tried to find a website on .um.

    www.um points to something. Seems like an exchange point domain. Keeps calling itself ep.net. Except ep.net isn't up.

    --
    "Waste not one watt!" - CZ
    1. Re:Bad year for um by blumesa · · Score: 1

      well... ep.net is hosting the nic.um site until the political fuss blows over.
      that being said, if you actually went to the um web site (as listed on the IANA pages)
      you would -NOT- go to www.um or nic.um... go to www.nic.um as directed and you'll
      find a working web site (its been there for years) and a working email contact for
      the .UM registry.

      FYI and as usual, YMMV

      --bill

    2. Re:Bad year for um by Cpyder · · Score: 1

      You do indeed see an e-mail address for the registry, but that doens't mean registrations are actually being taken. If you do a zone transfer of the .um zone, you get:

      um. 86400 IN SOA VENERA.ISI.EDU. us-domain.ISI.EDU. 2000120103 43200 3600 1209600 86400
      ;; WARNING: ID mismatch: expected ID 11337, got 0
      um. 604800 IN NS VENERA.ISI.EDU.
      um. 604800 IN NS NS.ISI.EDU.
      um. 604800 IN NS FLAG.EP.NET.
      open.um. 86400 IN A 198.32.4.13
      www.um. 86400 IN A 128.9.160.31
      nic.um. 86400 IN A 128.9.160.31
      www.nic.um. 86400 IN A 128.9.160.31
      um. 86400 IN SOA VENERA.ISI.EDU. us-domain.ISI.EDU. 2000120103 43200 3600 1209600 86400

      So, there are only 3 domains registered, open.um, www.um and nic.um. The first one seems down, the other two point to the same host. With a zone file that hasn't been updated since December 1st, 2000, I'd say: lose it.

  15. .SU has an obvious use by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lawyers!

    had-an-accident-then.su
    coffee-too-hot-well.su

    1. Re:.SU has an obvious use by sczimme · · Score: 5, Funny


      had-an-accident-then.su
      coffee-too-hot-well.su


      cannot-run-command-as-unprivileged-user-then.su ?

      --
      I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
    2. Re:.SU has an obvious use by BuffaloBandit · · Score: 1

      How many people would love to have the domain sudo.su?

    3. Re:.SU has an obvious use by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or for all the Johnny Cash fans out there.....

      a-boy-named.su

    4. Re:.SU has an obvious use by ultramk · · Score: 1

      cannot-run-command-as-unprivileged-user-then.su ?

      D'oh.

      --
      You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
    5. Re:.SU has an obvious use by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      had-an-accident-then.su

      coffee-too-hot-well.su

      cant-spell-so-sue.me
      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  16. No more .su? by fang2415 · · Score: 4, Funny

    ".su" is the leading candidate for deletion

    Well, no big loss -- .sudo is a much better way of managing things anyway.

  17. outdated domain extensions by chrisranjana.com · · Score: 0

    Atleast on domain in the .mu range must have been usefull to someone somewhere.. NOt sure about the logic to close down domains ?

    --
    Chris ,
    Php Programmers.
  18. Net not just for English speakers! tiramisu :-) by fantomas · · Score: 1

    mm don't forget tiramisu :-)

    Now, did you mean there are only 8 words in all the world's languages that end in "su" or just English? I can't believe that there aren't a few more out there in different languages...

    1. Re:Net not just for English speakers! tiramisu :-) by meringuoid · · Score: 1
      Now, did you mean there are only 8 words in all the world's languages that end in "su" or just English? I can't believe that there aren't a few more out there in different languages...

      Hai, arimasu :-)

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  19. 8 words by gelfling · · Score: 1

    And all the Romanians in the world

  20. USC had grown tire of maintaining it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What? They needed that dust-covered 386 PC sitting in the corner for something other than maintaining the .um domain?

  21. What about Norway's .bv and .sj? by SorcererX · · Score: 1

    .bv is Bouvet Island, which is some uninhabitated island south of Africa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.bv while .sj is for Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.sj) Neither are currently in use, and I'm not sure if they'll ever be. I suppose .bv would be nice for some Linux servers, as the island does have penguins, but getting fiber there would certainly offset any commercial advantage :)

    --
    Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
    1. Re:What about Norway's .bv and .sj? by tverbeek · · Score: 1

      There's no justification at all for keeping .BV; Bouvet is not only uninhabited, but uninhabitable. It never should have been given a TLD in the first place.

      .SJ can make a better case for remaining, as it has a substantial permanent population, and has some limited autonomy from Norwegian government. Of course the fact that the TLD is not in use argues against it.

      While these are being reviewed, .HM for Australia's Heard and MacDonald Islands deserves a look. They're uninhabited, and even though they're more hospitable than Bouvet, they're a wilderness preserve, so no human habitation is allowed. France's Southern Territories (.TF) are home to researchers, but no permanent residents.

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
  22. Place the blame where it's due by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Have you tried finding a usable, easily memorable domain name recently? cr.yp.to is a cool domain, others are born from necessity. Domain squatters create the conditions for broken up domains and are definitely lame and annoying so don't be that guy.

  23. Moo by Chacham · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    SLASHDOT FILTER TO GET AROUND CHARACTERS PER LINESLASHDOT FILTER TO GET AROUND CHARACTERS PER LINE
    SLASHDOT FILTER TO GET AROUND CHARACTERS PER LINESLASHDOT FILTER TO GET AROUND CHARACTERS PER LINE
    SLASHDOT FILTER TO GET AROUND CHARACTERS PER LINESLASHDOT FILTER TO GET AROUND CHARACTERS PER LINE
    IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

    The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

    When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

    We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

    He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
    He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
    He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
    He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
    He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
    He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
    He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the condi

  24. Let the marketplace decide! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's true those countries no longer exist, but so what? It's not like the domain suffixes are regulated by legitimate national bodies anyway, they stand for whatever the domain owner wants them to stand for! And the marketplace has obviously decided that .su is a suffix that means something to millions of Webmasters and their visitors.

    That country EXISTED! You can't clean up the Internet every time the international borders change, something that will happen a lot in the 21st century with all the secession movements out there. If I want to own a .su domain name, because that's the country I was born in, why can't I? As crummy as that country was, it's still a part of my heritage...

  25. SU was going to be obsoleted for a long time by alexmin · · Score: 1

    AFAIK, the .SU TLD was known to be obsoleted for a very long time. Think about it, USSR was no more years before web happened. People who bought names in there have themselves to blame for the trouble along with the registrar.

    1. Re:SU was going to be obsoleted for a long time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Internet (well Arpanet) 1969
      DNS invented 1983
      Web invented 1990
      Soviet union dissolved 1991

      This is another example of the Web does not equal the internet....

    2. Re:SU was going to be obsoleted for a long time by ingo23 · · Score: 1
      I had an e-mail in .su domain probably years before you happened to discover the web.

      Most of the .su names were not "bought" - they are/were universities or research institutes that just asked to put their names into the hosts file on the .su domain server - that was the time when you could put the whole internet host list on a floppy.

      Now most of them do have .ru alias but there are still a lot of links and e-mail addresses pointing to .su names.

  26. What's the point? by SwedishPenguin · · Score: 1

    What is the point of getting rid of a TLD that has 3 million registered domains? Wouldn't all the owners of these domains have to be consulted first?

  27. Not 3 000 000 .su by Jotii · · Score: 2, Informative

    as Google still lists 3 million .su sites
    Note that this is the number of .su pages listed -- not sites.
    --
    [sig]
  28. .tk? by Dunge · · Score: 0

    I don't get it.... I though every country had their domain since the start and that it didn't cost anything to anyone. Plus, they can be re-used! Just look at .tk, domain from Tokelau who give away free redirection to all the planet.

  29. More TLDs to phase out by Animats · · Score: 2

    It's good to see ICANN doing some cleanup. For the past few years, they've been something of a trade group for domain registrars.

    A few more TLDs could go. .museum and .aero could be phased out due to lack of interest. The entire list for .museum is a few pages, the domains aren't the top-tier museums, and almost all of them are redirects anyway. .aero has an entry for every airport code (try LAX.AERO), but those were put there by the domain registrar to give the illusion of activity and they're not the primary domain name for those sites. ("LAX.AERO" is really "WWW2.LAWA.ORG").

    .biz ought to go as slum clearance. .info probably wasn't worth creating.

  30. the fabric of space time is about to be ripped by circletimessquare · · Score: 4, Funny

    in soviet russia, that which is operated on becomes the operator and that which operates becomes operated on. it's a well known fact in the slashdot community

    the slashdot community is also familiar with the concept of logical paradoxes, like: "i never tell the truth"... well if you aren't telling the truth about never telling the truth, then perhaps you do tell the truth, which contradicts your statement. the resulting lack of meaning renders the entire statement null and void

    now if we are to actually drop the .su domain, when the slashdot community knows full well that in soviet russia, the .su domain drops you, then won't the void created by this logical paradox create a rift in time and space and kill us all?

    good god for the sake of humanity, leave .su alone!

    because in .su, domain drops you!

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:the fabric of space time is about to be ripped by micpp · · Score: 1

      Actually, the statement "I never tell the truth" is not a paradox, and to believe so assumes that someone either always tells the truth or always lies, which is clearly nonsense.

      Do not ignore the possibility of someone who sometimes tells the truth and sometimes lies.

  31. But what you forgot or didn't realize by Zontar_Thing_From_Ve · · Score: 2, Insightful

    AFAIK, the .SU TLD was known to be obsoleted for a very long time. Think about it, USSR was no more years before web happened. People who bought names in there have themselves to blame for the trouble along with the registrar.

    You're showing your youth here. The internet was here years before the web existed and .su was a valid domain for email "back in the day". Note to grammatically challenged Slashdotters - note the correct use of "you're" and "your" in my first sentence. Read it and learn.

    However, you are certainly right that with the advent of the web that people should have realized that the .su domain was meaningless as the USSR was dead for several years. I took a quick look at a few .su sites and they appear to be Russian sites that are for some reason too lazy to move over to the .ru domain.

  32. 3 million sites? by helgy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Probably 3 million pages, not sites. According to Russians (http://info.nic.ru/st/38/out_1362.shtml) there were 7897 domain names registered in .su TLD by 11/26/2006. And looks like they aren't going to give it up for nothing - .su domain is $100/year.

  33. .su has a legitimate use by tetromino · · Score: 2, Interesting

    .su is designated as the TLD for companies and organizations that have a presence in many of the countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union. Basically, the same sort of role that .eu is supposed to play for Europe.

    IMHO, the constant attempts to get rid of .su are pure politics: "the Soviet Union was eeevil, so we must erase all traces of it from the DNS system". Blergh. These people are trying to steamroll over numerous legitimate users of .su.

    1. Re:.su has a legitimate use by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      .su is designated as the TLD for companies and organizations that have a presence in many of the countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union. Basically, the same sort of role that .eu is supposed to play for Europe. Wouldn't re-using .cs for the Commonwealth of Independent States be a better choice?
    2. Re:.su has a legitimate use by dastrike · · Score: 1

      The .eu ccTLD is for the European Union, not Europe. Thus the difference being in that .eu is a ccTLD for an existing political entity whereas the Soviet Union ceased to exist fifteen years ago, therefore the .su ccTLD has no associated relevant entity to it.

      But the .eu ccTLD is not entirely uncontroversial either. A ccTLD is used by countries or dependent territories. The EU is neither, it is a supranational/intergovernmental hybrid entity.

      --
      while true; do eject; eject -t; done
  34. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How quaint, actually hosting a country's servers in that country...

  35. Um ... .um? by Random+BedHead+Ed · · Score: 1

    Um ... has anyone considered that the .um domain might be popular amongst Slashdotters? They have a tendency to start posts with those letters. Heck, I'll maintain it.

  36. Terrific Thought ... Maybe ... Okay, Maybe Not by resistant · · Score: 1

    I apologise in advance for the stupid joke.

    I'm a bit of a connoisseur of domain names (long story, never mind the details). Naturally, I do prefer the ".com" extensions (well, first-level domains), but the first thought that occurred with this domain name extension was the lovely (subdomain) "[http://]no.see.um[/]". I'd buy that if the cost were reasonable, and do something amusing with it!

    Now, back to the regularly scheduled dull technical discussion.

    --
    A truly excellent pizza parlor is a delight unto the heavens. Treasure the sauce and the toppings!
  37. I think the ICANN is outdated and "useless" too by TheLink · · Score: 1

    But that doesn't mean it's time to get rid of it. The current alternatives are worse.

    I don't see why removing the TLDs is even being considered at all.

    If some people have domains on it and keep paying to maintain them why get rid of it? Does anyone actually have a much better use for .su? If nobody uses the .su TLD, then uh what's the problem, even if it's still theoretically around, no servers would be needed to host the domains, there would be hardly any load.

    I really don't understand the reasoning.

    The ICANN should consider more useful stuff like reserving the .local TLD (for special local use by devices - e.g. Bonjour/Rendezvous ) and other similar TLDs (I propose .here for special local use by humans), instead of wasting time and resources on things like this.

    --
  38. OK, but... by the+cleaner · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...has someone got a link to a list of the ccTLDs to be deleted? I'm just asking because I'm getting nervous, because I have my own site on a "dead" ccTLD, but it makes for a very geeky domain: serial.io

    (...and .io is the british indian ocean territories, before someone asks...)

    --
    Could be worse. Could be raining.
    1. Re:OK, but... by tverbeek · · Score: 2, Informative

      I doubt .IO is in danger, since it technically isn't part of the UK, and therefore couldn't be folded into .UK.

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    2. Re:OK, but... by welshsocialist · · Score: 1

      The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is a unique case. The BIOT was created in 1965 from parts of the Seychelles and Mauritius for military use (parts of the BIOT were returned to the Seychelles in 1976). In 1966, the US and UK signed an agreement to use the territory for a military base. As a result, the native population was expelled to make way for the base. (For more details, see here or google for "Diego Garcia"). As for the ccTLD...The lease the US and UK signed in 1966 expires in 2016. If the US decides not to renew the lease, then .io could go away, as the British government has promised Mauritius that the rest of the BIOT will be returned to them when it is no longer needed for military use.

      --
      Support the Chagossians
  39. what about? by cashman73 · · Score: 1

    What about deleting other, "useless," domains, like .museum, .aero, and even .biz. .travel could probably be wiped as well. Talk about completely and utterly useless TLDs.

    1. Re:what about? by DragonTHC · · Score: 1

      .biz is the tld of scammers and link farms.

      think of them!

      --
      They're using their grammar skills there.
  40. Dammit by Ulfalizer · · Score: 1

    My initials are UM :(

  41. The moral of the story by lahvak · · Score: 1

    do not use .cs as your country's TLD if you don't want your country to split!

    --
    AccountKiller
  42. Whatever happened to "Cool URIs don't change"? by xurble · · Score: 2, Insightful

    http://www.w3.org/Provider/Style/URI

    Shouldn't obsolete TLDs just be mothballed with further registrations prohibited?

    It's not just a case of registering new domains for all those sites - think of the volume of inbound links that will break if a whole domain just vanishes overnight.

  43. Seriously here (please, see) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've noticed (and I've done this mistake myself more than thrice) that I simply don't spell out "know" where I would want to do it, too, sometimes. This isn't the first time I notice someone else to omit it accidentally, either. Has this ever been researched or even noticed by linguists or psychologists?

    1. Re:Seriously here (please, see) by Drooling+Iguana · · Score: 1

      I know that I, for one, often leave the word "" out of my posts.

      --
      ... I'm addicted to placebos
  44. Grown tired ? by billcopc · · Score: 1

    "University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute had grown tired of maintaining it."

    Tired of maintaining it ? Who gives a crap whether a domain ends in .com, .net, .xyzzy it doesn't change a damned thing, they all go into a database. Humans don't process domain registrations, computers do. Hell we could just as easily open up the domain system to any TLD... do away with the concept of TLD altogether. Why couldn't someone register "foobar.ilikebananas" ? It may be ugly but there's nothing technically difficult about matching a string to an IP address, yet ICANN deals with domain names as slowly and anally as governments deal with wars and budgets. Heck I wish we didn't even have TLD's to begin with, then we wouldn't have had to deal with things like whitehouse.gov vs .com, or me receiving a C&D about my website fnarg.com, regarding MP3 files illegally hosted on fnarg.net owned by a complete stranger on the other side of the globe. Sure, that's a fucking ignorant attorney, but the mixup happens all the time for no good reason.

    --
    -Billco, Fnarg.com
  45. More about .um by welshsocialist · · Score: 2, Informative
    This is a post for slashdotters confused over .um and the islands they stand for. .um was allocated for the "United States Minor Outlying Islands". The term "United States Minor Outlying Islands" is a catch all phrase that refers to nine islands around the world. Eight of these are in the Pacific Ocean, the other is in the Caribbean Sea. They are:
    • Baker Island
    • Howland Island
    • Jarvis Island
    • Kingman Reef
    • Johnston Atoll
    • Midway Islands
    • Palmyra Atoll
    • Wake Island
    • Navassa Island

    Baker and Howland islands were claimed in 1857. guano (aka bird shit) was mined on these islands during the 19th century. In 1935, an attempt to colonize these two islands was began; World War II forced an end to the project. Howland Island was Amelia Earhart's intended stop on her last flight. They both became National Wildlife Refuges in 1974.
    Jarvis Island was claimed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano were mined. The UK claimed the island in 1889 and the US claimed it back in 1935. A settlement was started here, but World War II ended those plans. Jarvis Island became a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.
    Kingman Reef was claimed by the Guano Islands Act in 1856. It was annexed by the US in 1922. It was used a stopover by flying boats in the 1930's. Kingman Reef was transfered from the US Navy to the US Interior Dept in 2000; it became a National Wildlife Refuge a year later.
    Johnston Atoll was annexed by both Hawaii and the US in 1858. In 1936, it was placed under US Navy control. The US Air Force gained control in 1948. In the 1950's and 1960's, Johnston Atoll was used for Nuclear tests, and until 2000 the Atoll was used for chemical weapons storage and disposal. In 2005, the Atoll's cleanup process was finished.
    The Midway Islands were put under US possession in 1867. In the 1930's and 40's, the Islands were used a refueling stop. A key battle of World War II was fought here in 1942. Until 1993, Midway was a US Naval Station. They are also a National Wildlife Refuge.
    Palmyra Atoll was claimed by Hawaii in 1858. When the US annexed Hawaii in 1898, it was a part of the deal. When Hawaii became a state in 1959, Palmyra was excluded. Today, it is privately owned.
    Wake Island was annexed in 1899 for use as a cable station. In the 1940's, a Naval Base was built. Japan had control over the atoll from 1941-1945. Since then, Wake has been used as a refueling stop for trans pacific flights. Since 1974, the Island has been used by the military as an airstrip. In August 2006, a typhoon tore though Wake. Because of this, the island's future use is doubtful. Wake Island is claimed by the Marshall Islands.
    Navassa Island was claimed for Guano in 1857. Mining of the stuff took place here from 1865 to 1898. A lighthouse was built here in 1917; it was used by the US Coast Guard until 1996. In that year, the light was shut off and the island was transferred to the S Interior Dept. It became a National Wildlife Refuge in 1999. Navassa Island is claimed by Haiti and a private claim exists as well.

    For more about these islands, see the CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia.
    --
    Support the Chagossians
  46. As an ex .su'er, I doubt it by gr8dude · · Score: 1

    I happen to live in an ex-Soviet country, and one thing is known for sure - there is not one large company (or any other entity, like a university or an organization) that uses a .su domain to emphasize its presence on the entire ex-Soviet territory. A company with a leader who is not insane will most likely avoid having a .su site because it will associate their business with communism, and communism is a bad thing (tm).

    I don't know where you are from, but I'm pretty sure you won't be able to come up with a case in which a .su site is an instance of your example. (I wouldn't bet my life on it though)

    In fact, I only know several .su sites, all of them use .su for the "coolness factor" (which many don't find cool at all), the sites are loaded with ads and useless info.

    I am not aware of a single person who will suffer if these sites will disappear. Perhaps this will happen to the owners of those domains, they'll feel ripped off because they paid so much for such a "cool" domain, and now it's gone. Another possibility is that these sites are the expression of the feelings of those who still want the Soviet Union to form again (it is a form of nostalgia not everyone can understand; the SU had some nice 'features' too).

  47. The benefit? by Orig_Club_Soda · · Score: 0

    Whats the benefit of removing these?

  48. what's the cost? by belmolis · · Score: 1

    Just out of curiosity, what is involved in maintaining a little used tdl? I mean, they don't rust, do they?

    1. Re:what's the cost? by scottv67 · · Score: 1

      I mean, they don't rust, do they?

      They won't if you spray them with some http://rust-ole.um/

  49. If there'd been a (used) .us it might have worked by pbhj · · Score: 1

    I think the problem was that the US decided that they should be exempt from using a ccTLD. If there had been a rule of only allowing a ccTLD to go to a person/corporation/establishment with an "address for service" in that country and requiring a document for proof of establishment as a trading operation for .co[m].cc then it could, in my opinion have worked.

    Of course this would mean that the domain registrars would have to do administration beyond thinking up new TLDs to cash in on.

    Just a little late now though!

  50. Little niggle: by Ayanami+Rei · · Score: 1

    No one has to use ccTLDs at all, in any country. It's always been completely voluntary.

    Also, there are plenty of .us domains. It's new and trendy (ugh).

    --
    THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
  51. Rozen Maiden or Delaware State University? by Ayanami+Rei · · Score: 1

    Or both!?! (string tremelo)

    --
    THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
  52. ccTLDs have been used by pbhj · · Score: 1

    ccTLDs have been used it's just that the established norm is to have a .com not a .co.us or .co.uk and so those that have a .co.uk (etc.) also have a .com.

    Later on when choosing a domain you have to battle against the public assumption that any domain name is a dot-com and the technological assumptions in autocompletion systems which only add .com or .org (unless you hack them).

    The real objection is that you then need an .int for cross border entities like WIPO, CERN, UN, etc.. My response would have been that that's fine, any body with addresses in multiple countries could also inhabit the .int TLD.

    eg:

    ford.com - US site, with links to "global sites"
    ford.co.uk - UK site

    So where's the international site? Why it's the US site, because of course the US is the centre of the universe!

    This is quite common.

  53. what great timing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Earlier this week I wote a blog post about how .um is my favorite TLD, and now it's going away! The most interesting thing I picked up about the minor outlying islands is that the US acquired them to harvest guano.

  54. why? by pkspks · · Score: 1

    admin : why are you removing the domain? ICANN: because ICANN

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    667 - one step ahead of the beast.