Re: Comments on Higgs

[Michael Dillon <michael@memra.com>]

On Tue, 26 Nov 1996, Simon Higgs wrote:

> > I think there is need to work out a better naming scheme.
> 
> Go for it! Latin, greek, anything, but it should be consistent across
> all 42 categories. Remember cat.42 (Misc.) is labelled .COM.

No it isn't. The .COM domain is a historical domain that has nothing
whatsoever to do with trademark categories. By placing this categorization
scheme inside an iTLD named .MARCA we make it possible for the .MARCA
registry to automatically register a company with one or more domain names
representing one or more different ways of identifying a category. For
instance WIDGET.MISC.MARCA and WIDGET.42.MARCA could both be assigned
to a company with the international trademark "widget" in category 42.

If more than one company holds that trademark then the .MARCA registry
could operate a web server at http://www.widget.misc.marca and ...42.marca
that reference all companies holding that trademark. And the .MARCA
registry could also operate a mail server at widget.misc.marca and
widget.42.marca that bounces back all email with a note explaining how to
contact the trademark holders via email.

> > The idea
> > is right but we need to have a stronger emphasis on high tech
> > industries, computers, networks, biotechnology, physics, etc.  These
> > categories are more designed for the 1920s where heavy industry and
> > manufacturing where the primary employer as opposed to today where
> > service industries like consulting, movies, lawyers, doctors, etc.
> > are the major employers.
> 
> I await the ITA's revision of the international trademark namespace. ;-)

Yet another iTLD could be set aside for this. Again, only 3rd level
domains would be registered in .DIR and the second level domains would be
created to represent different industrial categories both broad and
narrow. No attempt need be made to prevent overlapping categories since an
organization can register in more than one category if they wish. The .DIR
registry will also reserve the 3rd level domain WWW in each of the SLD's
that it operates for the express purpose of operating a web server at
http://www.?????.dir which provides a directory of that category.

Some might say that this would lead to chaos with all sorts of companies
registering 30 or 40 domain names, many of which may not even be set up
and used. I don't believe this to be so. A few companies will no doubt
attempt to register a domain name everywhere they think they fit into.
However, a domain name space that contains several registries offering 
third level domains is virtually infinite. Most companies will realize
this and only register a handful of domains that they will actually use.
Over time, some of these third level registries will become accepted and
popular and others will languish. This is the ideal situation because it
will indicate that people have made their choices in a free market without
coercion.

While the precise number and type and policies for third level registries
may differ from what I have proposed, the basic principle remains sound. 
That is to provide an increaseed yet limited diversity at the root of the
DNS tree while pushing the greatest diversity down one level in the tree
where the public resource of domain names can no longer be monopolized by
any organization or small group. This doesn't mean that commercial
monopoly iTLD's cannot be created, it merely attempts to provide a balance
for them so that the public has a choice.

Michael Dillon                   -               ISP & Internet Consulting
Memra Software Inc.              -                  Fax: +1-604-546-3049
http://www.memra.com             -               E-mail: michael@memra.com