SUBDIVIDING TLDs IN ISO 3166

[Converse@sesame.demon.co.uk (John Clews)]

In message <Pine.SOL.3.95.961127155525.27774D-100000@eesun1.tamu.edu>
Alexandre Khalil writes: Re:  Country Code TLDs (fwd)

>   A propos what Isam mentioned in regard to the coming addition of top
> level domains made of 3 letters or more.


This message was originally forwarded: my comments are inserted near the
end.  Please continue to keep me informed -

John Clews.

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 09:50:37 -0800
> From: postel@ISI.EDU
> To: iahc-discuss@iahc.org, Dave.Morton@ecrc.de
> Cc: iana@ISI.EDU, postel@ISI.EDU
> Subject: Re:  Country Code TLDs
> 
> 
> Dave Morton:
> 
> The country codes from ISO-3166 that are used as top-level domain names
> are specifically the two-letter codes.
> 
> The three-letter codes from ISO-3166 will not be used as "official"
> country code top-level domain names.
> 
> However, if somehow under the plan for new general purpose
> international top-level domains a new three-letter iTLD of "AFG" was
> created and the manager of that iTLD established a policy for that
> domain limiting use to registering second level names that were somehow
> associated with AFGHANISTAN, that would be perfectly ok.
> 
> --jon.

Subdividing is carried on in a different way.

There is an ISO/DIS 3166-2: 1996 which is currently under vote in ISO.
This subdivides the two letter codes by adding 2, 3, or 4 additional
alphanumeric digits

3-letter country codes and 3-digit country codes are not part of this.

In my view the 3-letter codes and 3-digit codes in ISO/DIS 3166-1 are only
there as additional options which are unlikely to be much used in
practice.

The 2-letter code is the most favoured one for all purposes.

Again. as with the Palestine lack of a country code, there are of course
no subdivisions.

The Library of Congress - and one specific office - is one to bombard with
queries: if you get no replies go to higher levels of government - I have
experienced problems in this LC office actually doing anything.
I will sent you the appropriate office address in a later email.

The secretariat for this is in Germany - you will have details from
before.

The relevant ISO committee meets in London from 12-16 May. If there is
enough steam built up by then, they will have to do something about the
anomalies in this.

Please keep me informed - and on your circulation list - on any
developments re country codes, and on the Palestine issue.

Thanks

John Clews

--
  John Clews (Chairman of ISO/TC46/SC2: Conversion of Written Languages)

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