ICANN to allow commercial gTLDs

Mon Jun 20 18:58:47 UTC 2011

>How long before we see marketing campaigns urging people to only trust
>".band" and that ".com" et. al. are "less secure".

An interesting question.  There was a group that was supposed to work
on "high security TLDs".  I suggested that to be usefully high
security, the registry should make site visits to the registrants to
verify their identity and processes, and charge accordingly, like
$1000/yr or more.  You could hear the sound of people reaching for
their smelling salts.

Shortly afterwards it was hijacked by marketers who came up with a
laundry list of low value security features, nearly all of which any
competent registry would do anyway, useful only as a gimmick to upsell
registrants.  Then they tried and failed to find someone competent yet
cynical enough to administer the laundry list process, nobody was
willing to do so, and the group collapsed.

The motivation for HSTLD was fear that the banking industry might
register their own .BANK with their own idea of high security, which
might yet happen.

R's,
John