The whole alternate-root ${STATE}horse (was Re: Enable BIND cache server to resolve chinese domain name?)

Tue Jul 5 23:22:09 UTC 2005

On Wed, Jul 06, 2005 at 01:06:15AM +0200, Brad Knowles wrote:

 > >> 	The reverse problem is more difficult to deal with -- that of
 > >> people wanting to access Chinese (or whatever) sites that can only be
 > >> found in the Chinese-owned alternative root.
 > >
 > > Stipulated.  But whose problem *is* that?
 > 
 > 	The users will make it our problem, if we don't get this sorted out 
 > 	soon.

It seems to me that "this" is *already* sorted out, and that all of
this discussion has been about whether to invent new problems, rather
than about whether to solve existing problems.

Alternate root servers exist for one plain simple reason:  To give
their operators their own little playpen of TLDs they can mess
around with without ICANN getting in their faces.  People who don't
want to own and operate TLDs don't actually give a crap about that
reason.

These operators have been pushing this idea for 6 or 7 years now.
Frankly I'm of the view that if the "benefits" of alternate roots
were in any way desirable *to anyone other than those who operate
them* we'd probably all be using them by now.

But we aren't.  And probably never will.

If we probably never will then the alternate root operators can
either stop flogging their dead horse and shuffle off into the sunset,
or they can continue to pollute mailing lists with useless discussions
about whether they have a right to exist every time the concept is
mentioned from now until eternity, just like they do now.  

Right now, on July 5th 2005, "The whole alternate-root ${STATE}horse"
has absolutely zero operational impact on any network operators.
So could y'all please perhaps take it to USEnet where it belongs
and let this list get back to normal?

Thanks,

   - mark

-- 
Mark Newton                               Email:  newton at internode.com.au (W)
Network Engineer                          Email:  newton at atdot.dotat.org  (H)
Internode Systems Pty Ltd                 Desk:   +61-8-82282999
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