The end of DNS as we know it

[Jean-Noel Frydman <jnf@france.com>]

Dear all:

Here are a few observations and a recommandation:

1. We have pushed the trademark issue entirely to the side. By creating 150
new iTLD's within the next five years, we will create a whole new industry
of Domain Name Chasers, money-grabbing opportunists, and untold lawsuits
around the world from companies filing suit to retain/create their
trademark on the new iTLD's. Those who do not see that as an obvious
outcome of this decision, are fools. So the question is: is that what we
want to accomplish?

Needless to say, this will end up protect the big guys (who'll have the
means to defend themselves globally) and hurting the smaller companies. So,
again, is that what we want to accomplish?

I believe that only by creating unlimited numbers of iTLDS can we by-pass
the trademark issue by rendering it completely moot. Am I wrong? 

2. This comittee has the mission to oversee the possibility of the creation
of new iTLDs. I believe that that emphasis has changed slightly: we are now
mostly focusing on the creation of new REGISTRIES and their working
together. The iTLDs are a by-product of that, so to speak. Right? It
doesn't matter what names are used as new iTLDs , how many there are,  but
who and how (exclusive/non-exclusive) they are going to be administered. It
seems obvious also that whatever the decisions of the iach, there are
"underground" " and alternate registries and they will continue to exist
with or without its' consent. Right?

3.The technical aspect of running a registry is overly simple. It doesn't
cost much money, doesn't require much advanced equipment (by the computer
industry standards). As pointed earlier in this list, any ISP can do it.

Why, then, not let them --if they want to?

Here is my recommandation:

Let's have it free-for-all! Let anyone who can, run their own registry! Let
them use any suffix they want. Let's work towards the goal of a DNS on
every PC! 

I want to run a registry and have a .com, then so be it! it's mine to run!

Let the ISP's and the market decide which registry (mine or Internic) runs
the best .com TLD... Fair? Let each registry decide who "their"
microsoft.com is... Only content will prevail. Each registry will have it's
own flavor. each one becomes a value-added service to the community, a Web
guide of sorts. This breaks the monopoly of the Internic (it only gives
them a headstart...).That is, unless they provide a better service and the
ISPs  prefer to count on them than Joe Schmoe's registry to find the right
homepage... Instead of giving money to ambulance chasers, we'll give it to
those who do a work of selecting the right information.

Of course this probably requires a change to the DNS as we know it. My
e-mail adress would become something like jnf@france.com@internic but then
if internic is the default registry (selected either by the person or the
isp) it remains jnf@france.com

The meta-registry become the database that indexes the registries and it
can do that for a small fee... maybe for free if we have enough volunteers.


Crazy?

I don't think so.

Jean-Noel