Internetblog.org.uk Web hosting, Domain names, Dedicated servers
ICANN may be ready to begin implementing its new create-your-own domain system next year, but many software developers aren’t. There are all sorts of applications that won’t be ready for the sudden increase in TLDs, and most programmer are unaware of the upcoming changes.
When .info became available some time ago, issues arose because there were programs coded to recognize TLDs only three letters or less in length. Up until that time, there had never been a four-letter TLD. With the new gTLD system, domain extensions could be virtually unlimited in length.
Many applications also may not be able to process the new Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) containing in non-ASCII characters. Even worse, there is software out there that relies on a hard-coded list of TLDs to operate. With the possibility of dozens of new domains being created each week, how could developers possibly keep up?
A good deal of these issues will involve web-based code such as email address verifiers, but what about older versions of desktop software? Will old versions of Outlook support a domain such as .california? How will web filter software react to the new situation? Will an older content firewall know to check the TLD for inappropriate content in case something like .sex is created?
Maybe ICANN needs to reconsider its plan. The new gTLD program might work out, but my guess is the organisation needs to rethink how its going about implementing the system and informing the masses about it.
