ICANN Approves Custom Top-Level Domains

Tharic-Nar

Senior Editor
Staff member
Moderator
ICANN, the organization responsible for the handling of the Internet's "names and numbers" has passed a rather historical plan that will allow companies or people the opportunity to create a custom "general" top-level domain (.com, .org, .net, et cetera). Picture for example focus.ford, vita.playstation or microsoft.windows - it'll be possible beginning in 2012.

icann_announcement_gtld_062111.jpg

You can read the rest of our post and discuss here.
 

marfig

No ROM battery
Being able to finally edit the gTLD namespace is an important -- I would say inevitable -- consequence of IPv6 adoption. The fantastic number of IP addresses this protocol will introduce needs to be met with a relaxation of the domain naming rules. As is, we are already having all sorts of problems coming up with domain names every time we try to register to one. And it doesn't help at all that ICANN allowed for an entire parallel economy to be built around this.

The fact this will become expensive (very), does put this parallel economy to the side, which can only be a good thing and guarantees names are attributed on the basis of real usage and not as something that will be eventually used as a commodity. Before questioning where the money goes or what will be done with it, I do feel like congratulating ICANN for this decision. It gives some breathing room to the current domain naming woes, it contributes to business identity in the web, and it gives the finger to the cancer that is the domain name reselling business.

But... it solves nothing concerning the actual problem that is SLD name assignment. And this is where I would really want international agreements, under the sponsorship of ICANN, to happen. I understand it is almost childish to expect at this point domain name reselling to be banned. It was allowed to happen when something could have been done about it (a well deserved slap in the face of those defending that the internet should be deregulated no matter what), and there's nothing that can be done about it now. However we face a time in a not so distant future where no more meaningful names can be realistically given to an SLD. And when that happens, a new type of business will emerge (selling SLDs under a gTLD, or subdomains under a SLD) and we will no longer be able to provide a complete and independent identity to our domain name.
 

Kayden

Tech Monkey
Dang it marfig, I haven't had my caffeine yet! I'll be back later after my cup of java. (c;
 

Kayden

Tech Monkey
haha, but you make good points, just wasn't quite with it at the time to full appreciate it this morning, so who ever did it tell em to keep it up. (c;

I don't know much about the server side of things with domain names but I do remember the XXX fiasco and that made no sense to me. If they can let this sort of thing go through with no problem what the heck was their problem with the XXX thing? I know porn is still kind of taboo, especially with religious people but there is a time and a place for it and all the industry wanted was a place for it! Like you said marfig a parallel economy but also seems like a monopoly or better term monarchy with no real way to revolt against the power that be.

There is an upside like they are showing now but it's it's only when their interests suite them. I like the point you bring up though it helps with the name woes, it will allow every one to be unique in the way they use their names business or casual. In the long run name simplicity will still be the key to a business success and that could become harder with so many special characters.

The last point you make there I agree with you, lock stock and barrel. Too much power in one organization is going to ruin the power smaller business or power users at home like to take advantage of. This could be a problem, granted not a wide spread one but still it could spread over time become one like an infection if big businesses buy and sell like mad.
 
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