RE: [ga] Collisions in RFC 1535 space

[Roeland Meyer <rmeyer@mhsc.com>]

> From: Patrick Corliss [mailto:patrick@quad.net.au]
> Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2001 12:48 AM

> On Thursday, April 12, 2001 3:53 PM (AEST)
> Andrew McMeikan <andrew.mcmeikan@mitswa.com.au> wrote:
> Subject: [ga] Collisions in .au Trademark space
> 
> > The auDA report is in and available from http://www.auda.org.au/
> I think more properly the Names Panel report to auDA.
> 
> One bit that might interest the techos out there is the following
> recommendation:
> 
> "Domain names that match TLDs are not allowed.
> 
> The Panel notes RFC 1535, which points out that domain names 
> with two alpha
> characters (eg. au.com.au) could 'trick' some types of client 
> software, thereby
> giving rise to possible security problems where the domain 
> name is the same as a
> ccTLD.  Potentially, a domain name that is the same as a gTLD 
> (eg. com.net.au)
> could be misused in the same manner.  The Panel therefore recommends a
> prohibition on domain names that match TLDs.

The panel is stoned, or should be. Both the decision and the reason are pure
horseshit. CERT (www.cert.org) has never documented an exploit of that
nature, nor has anyone else, AFAICT. If I had any part of whatever they've
been smoking, I couldn't do my job. Apparently, they can't either. You can
quote me, verbatum.

> The Panel suggests that domain name licence applicants should 
> be advised that if
> they license a domain name that is subsequently allocated as 
> a TLD, then the licence may be revoked.

I hope that no one is listening to them (other than to find their source of
"supply").

There is a well known principle in the software business. Programs should
meet the requirements. If it doesn't, you fix the program, not the
requirements.
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