6 ms·

I often think that it would have been smarter to have dropped generic TLDs early on. As a result of various factors, it has now created an artificially constric

by junto 14y ago

I often think that it would have been smarter to have dropped generic TLDs early on. As a result of various factors, it has now created an artificially constricted supply of virtual real estate that has an associated price demand pressure that is unlikely to ever ease. My personal preference would be to see these disappear, to be replaced with more geographical focused TLDs. The .us ccTLD would have been the ideal replacement for US companies and educational establishments. .com.us and .edu.us as examples. Elsewhere in the world this is common and accepted. For those in the US, or those who have a vested interest in the .com and .edu TLD, I imagine they would view such a suggestion with abject horror.

ktizo 14y ago
What about the possibility of international educational establishments, or purely online ones? There are many good reasons that an educational establishment might not want to be associated with any specific nation.
- junto 14y ago
  That is a good point.
Gormo 14y ago
How is geography relevant on the internet? National TLDs have the exact same problem as organization-type TLDs - i.e. artificial scarcity - but the information that they convey is often less relevant than the prevailing system. Why not relatively open expansion of TLDs? Why does there need to be a controversy every time someone proposes a new TLD?
- pbhjpbhj 14y ago
  >how is geography relevant on the internet? // Legal jurisdiction, delivery of goods, payment/receipt of money, ...
- freehunter 14y ago
  Like pbhjpbhj mentioned, when I'm looking at a product being sold on a .co.uk domain, I know I likely won't be able to buy it. If I'm on amazon.co.uk, I know they won't sell to me. If I'm on amazon.co.de, I know the site is in German, prices are in Euro, their books will be auf Deutsche, and when I click buy, they'll likely redirect me to the .com domain where I can't buy the product in German language. When I'm looking at a service being sold on a .jp domain, I know I likely won't be able to access that service. taxis-for-hire.co.jp probably won't pick me up from the airport in Chicago. Non-novelty country code TLDs are a good way to indicate you are doing business exclusively in that country. .com is a good catch-all, the problem with .com is that it's difficult to tell if it's a US-specific product/service or a general purpose domain.
  - tbirdz 14y ago
    If I'm on amazon.co.uk, I know they won't sell to me. I'm in the USA and I have bought things from the other amazons before, from amazon japan and amazon uk.
    - freehunter 14y ago
      Interesting. I was trying to buy a book in German from Amazon DE, and with my US account they would not let me buy it. Maybe I need a German account as well.
Turing_Machine 14y ago
I would argue the contrary. Tying domain names to a geographic locality doesn't really make sense on a global network (there are a few exceptions -- governments, e.g.). Why is it so important to know where an entity is allegedly located? The server may not be there, and the entity may not be either, and even if it were what difference would it make to a person browsing the web? There are about a jillion ccTLDs that let you register a name without having a physical presence there (or indeed, ever having been there at all).
- junto 14y ago
  My use of geographical locality was primarily a way to reduce scarcity. That being said, you are right in that many entities that seek domain names are not geographically locked. However, I would argue that the vast majority of companies are not globally active and are geographically tied to legal company entities and local laws. The secondary problem here, which is more in tune with the original article, is that the US government "assumes" ownership and control of generic TLDs as a God given right. They assume legal control and can arbitrarily decide to close generic domains when the activities of that domain "contravenes" US law (or more often than not, simply annoys powerful lobbying groups). That isn't right. I'm happy to see lots of generic TLDs being used rather than geographical ccTLDs, but just not in the hands of one country. Country TLDs solve those legal issues as well. Generic TLDs are governed by a country that has very specific ideas, pressure groups, and powerful companies, acting (often) out of sync with the rest of the world.
  - Turing_Machine 14y ago
    "The secondary problem here, which is more in tune with the original article, is that the US government "assumes" ownership and control of generic TLDs as a God given right." Well, they did create the whole system (or funded it, at least). "I'm happy to see lots of generic TLDs being used rather than geographical ccTLDs, but just not in the hands of one country." There's nothing to prevent the creation of new TLDs managed however you want (and in fact quite a few have been so created). It's a hassle, and expensive, but that just strengthens the point. The U.S. government (and its fundees) went through the hassle and expense of creating .com, .edu, and the others (and indeed the Internet itself). Why do you feel that others have some sort of moral right to chunks of those namespaces?
Naushad 14y ago
I slightly agree with your argument considering ICANN's recent launch of new gTLD .google .apple and .onandonandon (which are actually creating artificial virtual real estate), this i would say is just a unique way to get more money. However, .edu domains and other similar domains are specific for Marketing purposes and give websites a separate identity in a specific domain.

by junto 14y ago

ktizo 14y ago

What about the possibility of international educational establishments, or purely online ones? There are many good reasons that an educational establishment might not want to be associated with any specific nation.

junto 14y ago
That is a good point.

Gormo 14y ago

How is geography relevant on the internet? National TLDs have the exact same problem as organization-type TLDs - i.e. artificial scarcity - but the information that they convey is often less relevant than the prevailing system. Why not relatively open expansion of TLDs? Why does there need to be a controversy every time someone proposes a new TLD?

pbhjpbhj 14y ago
>how is geography relevant on the internet? // Legal jurisdiction, delivery of goods, payment/receipt of money, ...
freehunter 14y ago
Like pbhjpbhj mentioned, when I'm looking at a product being sold on a .co.uk domain, I know I likely won't be able to buy it. If I'm on amazon.co.uk, I know they won't sell to me. If I'm on amazon.co.de, I know the site is in German, prices are in Euro, their books will be auf Deutsche, and when I click buy, they'll likely redirect me to the .com domain where I can't buy the product in German language. When I'm looking at a service being sold on a .jp domain, I know I likely won't be able to access that service. taxis-for-hire.co.jp probably won't pick me up from the airport in Chicago. Non-novelty country code TLDs are a good way to indicate you are doing business exclusively in that country. .com is a good catch-all, the problem with .com is that it's difficult to tell if it's a US-specific product/service or a general purpose domain.
- tbirdz 14y ago
  If I'm on amazon.co.uk, I know they won't sell to me. I'm in the USA and I have bought things from the other amazons before, from amazon japan and amazon uk.
  - freehunter 14y ago
    Interesting. I was trying to buy a book in German from Amazon DE, and with my US account they would not let me buy it. Maybe I need a German account as well.

Turing_Machine 14y ago

I would argue the contrary. Tying domain names to a geographic locality doesn't really make sense on a global network (there are a few exceptions -- governments, e.g.). Why is it so important to know where an entity is allegedly located? The server may not be there, and the entity may not be either, and even if it were what difference would it make to a person browsing the web? There are about a jillion ccTLDs that let you register a name without having a physical presence there (or indeed, ever having been there at all).

junto 14y ago
My use of geographical locality was primarily a way to reduce scarcity. That being said, you are right in that many entities that seek domain names are not geographically locked. However, I would argue that the vast majority of companies are not globally active and are geographically tied to legal company entities and local laws. The secondary problem here, which is more in tune with the original article, is that the US government "assumes" ownership and control of generic TLDs as a God given right. They assume legal control and can arbitrarily decide to close generic domains when the activities of that domain "contravenes" US law (or more often than not, simply annoys powerful lobbying groups). That isn't right. I'm happy to see lots of generic TLDs being used rather than geographical ccTLDs, but just not in the hands of one country. Country TLDs solve those legal issues as well. Generic TLDs are governed by a country that has very specific ideas, pressure groups, and powerful companies, acting (often) out of sync with the rest of the world.
- Turing_Machine 14y ago
  "The secondary problem here, which is more in tune with the original article, is that the US government "assumes" ownership and control of generic TLDs as a God given right." Well, they did create the whole system (or funded it, at least). "I'm happy to see lots of generic TLDs being used rather than geographical ccTLDs, but just not in the hands of one country." There's nothing to prevent the creation of new TLDs managed however you want (and in fact quite a few have been so created). It's a hassle, and expensive, but that just strengthens the point. The U.S. government (and its fundees) went through the hassle and expense of creating .com, .edu, and the others (and indeed the Internet itself). Why do you feel that others have some sort of moral right to chunks of those namespaces?

Naushad 14y ago

I slightly agree with your argument considering ICANN's recent launch of new gTLD .google .apple and .onandonandon (which are actually creating artificial virtual real estate), this i would say is just a unique way to get more money. However, .edu domains and other similar domains are specific for Marketing purposes and give websites a separate identity in a specific domain.