new.net

Thu Mar 8 22:31:56 UTC 2001

>Therefore any company which creates a broader hierarchy is not motivated
>by what's best for Internet users, who are best served by a simple
>hierarchy (IBM is IBM is IBM no matter what you append to it).  

Okay. You picked an example which proves your point. However, there's 
plenty of exceptions. Who should have "apple" in this flat namespace? 
Apple Computers? Apple Records? Apple Fruitstore?

While the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is a fairly well-known 
name worldwide, what gives us more claim to "bbc" in the flat namespace 
than "Big Blue and Cousins" or "Baptist Bible College" (bbc.org and 
bbc.edu respectively)? Have we now got bbc.com because we had a greater 
claim to it, or because we had the better lawyers?

Simon
-- 
Simon Lockhart                       |   Tel: +44 (0)1737 839676 
Internet Engineering Manager         |   Fax: +44 (0)1737 839516 
BBC Internet Services                | Email: Simon.Lockhart at bbc.co.uk 
Kingswood Warren,Tadworth,Surrey,UK  |   URL: http://support.bbc.co.uk/