Not be solely a bearer of bad news, ICANN also announced that it will be moving full steam ahead to introduce internationalized domain names. Better known as IDNs, these non-Latin character domains will make accessing the Internet easier for billions around the world.

As far as I’m concerned, ICANN is doing the right thing here. Instead of worrying about monetary interests with its gTLD program, the organization is working on getting the IDN system going. Granted, there’s no reason why this couldn’t have been done a decade ago, but hey, whoever said ICANN was Speedy Gonzales?

Photo | Flickr

Using the current 21 gTLDs as examples, Heath argued that allowing unlimited generic extensions would increase consumer confusion, decrease Internet security and safety, tarnish brands, and increase business costs. To counter ICANN’s oft-made claim that new gTLDs will increase competition and benefit the economy, he made it clear that no empirical research has been done to back up this claim.

He also blasted ICANN for its inability to regulate a web full of ever-increasing abuses, stating:

Despite the hard work of the ICANN Board and staff, Mr. Chairman, we see significant increases in abuses of the domain name system and inadequate management by ICANN to address the problems, including their inability to enforce contracts.

With IPv4 addresses still slated to run out some time in 2011, this finding is alarming. While it would be wise for these TLD operators to invest in the new technology before it’s too late, ICANN can do very little to make them do so. No doubt the problem will be exasperated even further when new gTLDs are introduced next year.

ICANN should not allow new TLDs to be created unless the owners invest in IPv6. While the organization itself cannot be held responsible for every Internet mishap, as a regulatory agency it has a duty to make sure a pragmatic policy is followed within the domain industry.

Source | CircleID

Photo | clix

Victoria Harris, Chief Executive of Article 25, talked about the problems of .org:

Lack of regulation has meant that commercial entities, individuals and even professional criminals have been able to register websites with .org suffixes quite legally, with no check on their identities or intentions.

The consortium will submit an application to ICANN next year for rights to the extension. If approved, only genuine charitable organisations would be allowed to register a .ngo name.

When it was created in 1985, .org was meant for non-profit entities. Since then, it seems to have forgotten its original intended purpose. Anyone- individuals and companies included- can register a .org domain. As a result, only a very small minority of the TLD’s registrations are owned not-for-profits. Many charitable organisations also register.coms.

Via | Third Sector

While it’s great to see that the new CEO is alive and kickin’ (I thought he was living under a rock), the message doesn’t reveal anything new about ICANN. Rather, it’s the same old pitter-patter I’ve come to expect from Marina Del Rey, the organization’s home city.

First, Beckstrom addressed the new IDN system, stating that this effort would be the to-do at his new workplace.

The first step is to support the implementation of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) so that businessmen in Russia or India, as just two examples, can use their native languages and language scripts to write their domain names, and can access written information and other content in the same way. Perhaps it is appropriate that this very significant change in the Internet marks its roughly 40th anniversary. That same forty years ago, man’s first footsteps on the moon enlightened mankind’s view of his place in the universe. In the same way, IDNs will guarantee that all mankind can have a place on the Internet in their native script.

It took 40 years to realize languages like Russian, Mandarin, and Urdu exist? Beckstrom is trying to mask a failure as an accomplishment.

The CEO went on to discuss DNSSEC, a more secure domain system currently in testing that is supposed to help make Internet users safer by preventing phishing and other domain exploits.

As for new gTLDs, Beckstrom talked about how the web has “historically thrived whenever the system is opened up further to allow users to express their creativity and innovation.” He talked about how the Zulu tribe of South Africa plans to register its own extension, and briefly touched upon the .nyc and .berlin domains.

Finally, the former Cyber Security Chief talked about concerns over ICANN “innovations” like the new domain system, saying that ICANN “look[s] forward to working through these and other issues with the community.”

It’s nice of Beckstrom to address the public, but shouldn’t this message have come three weeks earlier? I’ve discussed problems with transparency and accountability at ICANN before. The CEO’s words are far from heart-warming. Masking shortfalls as great technological advantages, he really didn’t say much of anything. Beckstrom completely glanced over important issues such as ICANN governance and only indirectly discussed cybersquatting. I think the web-surfing public deserves a more substantial statement.

Here is a link to the full address on ICANN’s website.

Photo | Flickr

Most of the names feature the name of a U.S. city with a population of over 35,000 followed by “RealEstateListings.com,” though there are international cities, too. The auction will be divvied up into 61 lots, with 54 lots for states (Florida and California have two), one for Washington D.C., one of just state names, and more.

Victor Lund, a partner in a real estate consulting firm, estimates the names are worth $100 to $5,000 USD each. Going by this, the auction could fetch up to £8 million ($13 million USD).

Lund claims the names are worth so much because their keyword-rich nature will provide a SEO boost and because the buyer could crosslink the names. The auction is targeted at a large company looking to build a strong national base and geo-target customers.

But the domains aren’t necessarily as good as they seem at first glance. To get some cities, Harrison had to make compromises, usually by registering a .net or adding an extra word. His Chicago domains, for example, are ChicagoRealEstateListings.net and ChicagoCityRealEstateListings.com.

The auction is to be held by J.P King at The Fairmount Hotel in San Francisco on June 11, 2009. More details are available on the auctioneer’s site.

Anyone with extensive SEO or domaining experience will realize the problems with the 2,600 domain auction. The reasoning behind the domains’ “value” is entirely cock-and-bull. I’ll explain why in a little bit.

Source: Inman News

The study, conducted by The Future Laboratory, was in no way scientific, and tells us nothing new. It merely surveyed 100 UK e-commerce managers about the changes. The company concluded that since the news hasn’t hit mainstream media, no one knows about it. Go figure.

ICANN hasn’t done a good job about making the upcoming changes known to the public. Considering what a huge change this will be for the Internet, people have a right to know about it. But it seems as though the decision was made by a few businessmen behind closed doors in California…

Source: Reuters