Stability (was Re: .COM TLD, DNS and the English Language)

["Donald E. Eastlake 3rd" <dee@cybercash.com>]

On Tue, 10 Dec 1996, Vince Wolodkin wrote:

> Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 15:33:09 -0500
> From: Vince Wolodkin <wolodkin@digitalink.com>
> 
> ...
> 
> Doesn't it make sense to eliminate iTLDs rather than to create them? 
> Doesn't it make sense to move disputes to local jurisdictions where they
> can be handled without international agreements?

One of the two important reasons for domain names (as opposed to just
using IP addresses) is *stability* (the other in mnemonicity).  Once a
TLD is created and has a significant number of entires, you are
basicly stuck with it forever.

> Vince Wolodkin

I think stability is what the great bulk of people out there (almost
none of whom are on this list) want.  If there had always been some
charge for names under iTLDs, increasing it would have caused much
less furor than suddenly charging for something which was "free"
(i.e., paid for the by the US taxpayers, not unreasonable since in the
early days it was unclear that the Internet would become as
commercial, international, and huge as it has).  NSI's trademark
policy is pernicious but if it had always been that way, there would
be very much less objection to and problem with it.  Etc.

Donald
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