Re: [wg-c] Geographically allocated names

[Milton Mueller <mueller@syr.edu>]

I am continually surprised by the ethnocentrism of this discussion.
Pray, tell me, what is a "globally generic" term? What language is it in? What
concepts or meanings does it evoke? When you assert that the generic character
of a term is "intuitively accessible," is it not obvious that all forms of
"intuition" are culturally relative and specific?

If "com" has achieved the status of a globally generic identifier among the less
than 10 percent of the world's population that now has access to the Internet,
it is because it is learned. Should not other language and culture groups have
an equal opportunity to define globally generic terms that could be learned by
North Americans and Europeans?

john.c.lewis@bt.com wrote:

> Is there any logic to regionally assigning generic TLDs which can represent
> global interests ?
>
> Surely the principle should be to determine generic dimensions which are not
> restricted to national or regional cultural boundaries? These should be
> intuitively accessible.
>
> Regards
>
> John C Lewis
> Manager - International Organisations Europe
> BT delegate ETNO Executive Board
> BT delegate EURODATA Foundation Board
> Tel: +44 (0) 1442 295258 Mob: +44 (0) 802 218271
> Fax: +44 (0) 1442 295861
>

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m i l t o n   m u e l l e r // m u e l l e r @ s y r . e d u
syracuse university          http://istweb.syr.edu/~mueller/