ICANNs role [was: Re: On-going ...]

Tue Apr 3 08:14:35 UTC 2007

On 3 Apr 2007, at 03:02, Gadi Evron wrote:

> What are your thoughts on basic suggestions such as:
> 1. Allowing registrars to terminate domains based on abuse, rather  
> than just fake contact details.

I don't like this because its impossible to define abuse clearly  
enough in this context.

If a fictitious web-shop 'nice-but-dim.com' get a box owned which has  
the reverse dns set to something in that zone, is this abuse ?   
Yes .. sort of, but it's no business of the registry.  Is registering  
a domain name which causes offense to some people abuse ?  It might  
be, but its no reason not to let the domain name registration go  
through.  What if you and I fall out, and I manage to build a case  
against you to get linuxbox.org de-registered ?  Do you want to spend  
time and effort fighting it ?

Who arbitrates/polices this scheme ?

Who pays for any mistakes ?

Who decides when the domain name can be re-registered ?

What about when someone registers a domain name in an international  
registry that doesn't want to implement the scheme, or perhaps isn't  
allowed to because its governance forbids it ?

Some bad people have their names and numbers listed in the phone  
book.  I can setup a fraudulent window cleaning company with no  
desire to do a good job for any of my customers .. does this mean 411  
or the yellow pages should delist me when someone complains ?  DNS is  
another directory.

DNS is no more than a way for me to say "Hey, where's Fred', to get a  
reply saying 'here he is'.  DNS shouldn't whisper in my ear, 'but  
Fred is a bit dodgy'.  If Fred is doing something illegal he should  
be in jail.  This analogy isn't very good, but I need another coffee  
before I can think of a better one. :-)

-a