[wg-review] New names under fire.

[Bruce <bmjames@swbell.net>]

Dec. 29, 2000, 9:51PM


New domain names keep drawing fire
Copyright 2000 Newsbytes

WASHINGTON -- The governing body for Internet domain names -- the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers -- continues to be under fire for
the domain names it approved last month.

ICANN, which oversees the Internet addressing system, voted Nov. 16 to add
seven generic domain names to the ones available now. The hope was that the
additions, the first since the 1980s, will would meet some of the demand for
new addresses and increase competition for domain-name registrations.

But the seven domain names chosen -- .biz, .info, .name, .pro, .aero, .coop
and .museum -- have disappointed many prospective registrants.


"I just don't see how the addition of the .biz domain helps anyone," said
Bob Rankin, a technology writer who is the author of the Internet Tourbus
newsletter. "We already had a suffix for businesses, and you can be sure
that there will be a stampede by the owners of existing .com domains to
register .biz equivalents to avoid being held hostage by cybersquatters.
Those who do succeed in grabbing .biz addresses which conflict with .com
sites will either generate confusion or lawsuits. Not a pretty sight."

Rankin said the same set of problems arises with .info.