> If you wanted to run your own root with a copy of the same data, you
> could. But there's no point, since the real roots work just fine.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But although the 'real roots' work just
> fine, as you note, someone starting their own competing root server
> could bypass all the silly requirements of things like ICANN couldn't
> he? In addition to copying all the data now in use, he could also
> start his own domains, could he not?
He could, but then it wouldn't be a copy of the same data, would it?
And what will you do when you set up your own freelance version of
.TEL and a couple of years later ICANN lumbers along and sets up their
version of .TEL? Which one will you throw away? If you tell ICANN
they have to add all your "registrants", they'll just laugh.
R's,
John
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I probably (if it were me, which I
strongly doubt) wouldn't insist on anything from ICANN. I would
simply ignore them as much as possible. I would not set up a
'freelance .TEL', I would set up some top level domain (such as .pat)
that they (ICANN) would be quite unlikely to pick anytime in
the next few decades; oh hell, maybe even '.townson' and invite the
whole world to use my root if they wished to do so. I might even use
some possibly copyrightable phrase for the domain name making it more
difficult for ICANN to copy it exactly as their own. Then they could
laugh all they wanted, I guess.
In addition to treating with my own root server all my own
(copyrightable or unusual) top level domains, I would send requests
for _their_ TLDs to some one or more root servers well outside the
reach of ICANN. If they did not want to go along, and service _my_
clients, it would be their loss. You see, John, amazing things can be
done when (unlike ICANN) you are not involved with the net on a purely
commercial basis. When, (unlike ICANN) you do not have a deep, abiding
interest in converting the net into a huge, successful business
venture. The only things I would put into my contracts (and I remind
you, I strongly doubt this would be me) would that the existing rules
on things like the use of someone else's name, i.e. 'coca-cola.townson'
would be verbotin unless you _were_ Coca Cola. Any contracts would say
that if a single piece of spam or virus came out of a computer under
your control, you would be out on your ass the same day, no refunds
given, etc. I am thinking I would use ICANN's top-level domain names
'.com' '.org' '.net' etc as my second-level names, i.e. '.com.townson'
or 'org.townson' etc. Many countries do that now, for example, Great
Britain with its 'co.uk' domain.
Much good could be accomplished on the net if there were other than
greedy son-of-a-bitches like ICANN in charge. Again, I doubt very
strongly it would be me, but I suggest a philanthropist, a weathly
person who believed in doing good for the world could set up one or
more root servers and have an operational philosophy which was good
for all, not just ICANN and big business. After all, we have Fords,
Carnagies and Rockefellers giving away millions of dollars for
schools, libraries and such. Why not such a person for the Internet? PAT]
John Levine (johnl@iecc.com)