A new top-level domain is on the way

A new top level domain is on the way, the first since 1985, but will it help make the web a more intuitive place to visit or will it create more complexity in an already overcrowded namespace. Stefan Cent of On The Spot Internet opens up the info on .info.

When ICANN met last November in a warm San Diego, they knew that there was pressure on them to deliver. The organisation assigned the task of maintaining the operational stability of the Internet was facing mounting pressure over it's lack of accountability and it's inability to reach a decision on the creation of new top level domains (TLD's).

ICANN's hesitation was understandable; in 1985 when the domain name system (DNS) was created, the Internet was a relatively unknown technology, inhabited mainly by academics and enthusiasts. The commercial opportunities of the web didn't really emerge until a full decade later when more and more people from non scientific backgrounds began using the Internet and the web for purposes other than academic research. The number of domain registrations increased, Network Solutions Inc were set up as a response, charges were levied and suddenly domain names became big business. How big? Well since 1995 over 20 million .coms have been registered and despite the break up of NSI's monopoly they were recently bought over by VeriSign for a cool $20bn. ICANN's role has shifted away from the purely technical towards the political and economic.

As many a business will have discovered to their annoyance, by the time the potential of the web had powered it's way across the Atlantic, their first choice domains had already been registered; sometimes legitimately, sometimes not. The namespace became crowded with domains going nowhere and .com ceased to be any kind of guarantee that behind it would be a commercial organisation. Meaningful and memorable domains became rarities. ICANN found the solution which many had been advocating for years; create more TLD's and return some meaning to the domain name system.

Seven new TLD's were selected by ICANN after their meeting in the sun; .biz, .info, .aero, .pro, .name, coop and .museum. 45 were proposed, but ICANN have opted for the cautious approach at this stage and so the magnificent seven are being viewed as something of an experiment, which if successful will lead to the creation of many more TLD's.

.info will the first of the new batch to go live. A truly generic TLD, it will be open to anyone for any purpose. Intended for general information sites, the domain will go live on September 19th.

A sunrise period will run for 1 month from the 25th July during which time owners of registered trademarks may register their mark in the .info domain. The usual rules apply, only letters, hyphens and numbers are acceptable domain characters. If more than one request is made for the same trademark the domain will be assigned at random. Any disputes during this period will be dealt with by WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation).

After the sunrise period comes the start up or land-rush period. Between the 12th and 19th September all those domain companies that have been taking pre-registrations will send large batches of domain requests to the register. Afilias, guardians of the .info name space, have created randomiser software to try to ensure that everyone has an equal chance at securing their chosen domain name. When multiple requests are made on the same name, the first selected will receive the domain. After these rounds are completed the registry will open it’s doors to the queuing masses who have been sleeping over outside and .info will be open for business on a first-come first served, real time basis.

The danger, of course, is a repeat of the same problems found with .com only speeded up. With so many people now aware of the potential value of domain names Afilias should have opted for 'gold rush' instead of landrush. The vast majority of those domains registered in the first week will never point to a web site other than the one telling you that the domain is for sale. You would be hard pushed to find domain more meaningless than .info, you would be even harder pushed to find anything on the web classed as information. So will it make the Internet a more meaningful and intuitive place? Probably not, but it's a start.


Stefan Cent registers domains for a living for On the Spot Internet - stefan@onthespot.co.uk
Tel. 0141-574-2501