what problem are we solving? (was Re: ICANN opens up Pandora's Box of new TLDs)

Sat Jun 28 01:11:46 UTC 2008

While doing the groceries, I got to think about this issue.

There have been complaints in the past about difficulty in getting new
legitimate TLDs approved by ICANN. (image of ICANN being too USA centric
etc etc etc).

So I understand a move towards a more documented and "logical" process
to get new .TLDs approved adn setup.

Right now, whethere real or not, there is an image that the .TLDs have
been vetted and are operated by reputable people and used for legitimate
purposes. (yeah, that image might be tarnished in some circles).

But my uneducated opinion is that this current project appears to let
the .TLD loose and this will result in top level domains being
meaningless, without any trust.

There should have been an evolution from a tightly controlled small set
of TLDs towards alowly growing set of TLDs done fairly and openly. Going
whole hog on auctioning anything and everything is a bit too much fo a
revolution in my opinion.

The way I see it from quick read, by default you can get anything
registered as a .TLD unless someone else justifies why you shouldn't get
it, or if it is truly obscene.

There should have be a "in between" where people still have to justify a
new .TLD and only allow TLDs that are generic and allow many different
entities to participate. (as opposed to using a private trademark as a
.TLD where only one company can participate).