Re: DNS and Directory Services

[Paul A Vixie <paul@vix.com>]

Michael, I just can't agree with this:

> I think that DNS *IS* a directory service just like the telephone white
> pages. I open the book, select the town I'm interested, look for the D's,
> find Dillon and check the first name and/or initial and/or address and
> then I have my phone number. I ask a root nameserver who handles .COM, I
> ask the .COM nameserver for MEMRA.COM, I ask Memra's name server for
> WWW.MEMRA.COM and I have an IP address. 

I want to contact the web server for a product called "After Hours".  Should
I use:

	AFTERHOURS.COM
	AFTER-HOURS-INC.COM
	AFTERHRS.COM

Whois won't tell me.  I have to try each web server.  But if I know that the
one I want is in a particular city (as is true in your telephone directory
example) I should be able to narrow it without showing up in each home page
counter.  Why can't I?  Because DNS isn't a directory service and it's all
we have and we need --substantially!-- more.