eDNS - Temporary Freeze

Sun May 4 03:58:39 UTC 1997

I wrote:

> @ Jim Fleming's so called "Root Server Council" is
> @ an insult to our intelligence.

Someone wrote me and asked:

> As a root name server operator, where do you stand
> on the following issues ?
> 
> ===============
> 
> 	1. What are the confederations common guidelines
> 		on name syntax ?
> 		- One letter TLDs ?
> 		- Two letter TLDs ?
> 		- Dashes ?
> 		- Plurals ?

There is no confederation.  As a root name server operator I have no
position on the above issues.  Every zone has an owner, and every zone
has some number of operators.  The owner of "." is the IANA, and you
should direct questions about TLDs (which have to be entered into ".")
to the owner of the "." zone, which is the IANA.  I believe that the
IANA has a reasonable confidence level in the IAHC, and would be likely
to simply refer your questions to the Council of Registrars.

> 	2. How will the confederations be "synced" ?
> 		(i.e. How will they exchange info on which
> 		TLDs they support ?)

There is no confederation.  As a root name server operator I will publish
whatever "." zone the IANA directs me to publish.  Synchronization of "."
servers is currently accomplished via AXFR (see RFC 1035).

> 	3. Once a Confederation agrees to recogize a TLD
> 		will all Confederations agree to use the same
> 		TLD Name Server referrral NS Resource Records ?

See above.  There is no confederation.

Then, Karl made the following (intentionally?) misleading public statements:

> That Mr. Vixie's server loads from a.root-servers.net, which is controlled
> by NSI.

This is true.

> If NSI makes changes in that zone, Mr. Vixie's server will reflect them.

This is true.  What Karl neglected to mention is that if pigs had wings they
could fly, and that furthermore, pigs don't have wings, so they don't fly.
But if they did have wings they would fly REALLY HIGH.

NSI has never, ever, ever, ever made a change to any of the domains it
publishes for other parties, except where asked to do so my the owner of
the domain in question.  So for example, whenever the IANA recognizes a new
server for a TLD, it sends mail to the current InterNIC contractor asking
that the "." zone be changed to reflect this.  And when NIC.MIL changes an
SLD delegation under _its_ domain, it sends the current InterNIC contractor
mail asking that this change be made.  And when Vixie Enterprises wants to
change a second level delegation under COM (adding or deleting a name server
at VIX.COM for example), we send mail to the current InterNIC contractor
asking that this be done.  

The current InterNIC contractor gets _so_many_ such requests that it even
has e-mailable templates which are robotically processed.  The previous NIC
contractor (SRI) used to accept change requests in postal mail, facsimile,
or even (gasp!) by telephone.