Re: [wg-review] RE: Domains and other matters

[Sotiropoulos <sotiris@hermesnetwork.com>]

1/15/01 11:04:15 AM, "Miles B. Whitener" <mbw@i-theta.com> wrote:

>Think twice before you reject this answer as simplistic and
>obvious, and I know it's been said many time, but that does not
>make it untrue:
>
>A domain name is just an entry in somebody's nameserver
>configuration (and even at that, it's only an entry in a server
>abiding by the current, port-53 oriented, Domain Name system,
>which can be replaced or paralleled!).  

Good, then we agree it's not, nor should it be considered a trademark, nor should it be conflated with trademarks...?

>If you convince somebody
>to make an entry for you, you have at least in some sense
>established an agreement for service between you and the entity
>providing your subdomain name.  

What if you "pay" them to do this instead of "convince"?

>This could happen at the root
>level ( Sotiris. ), second level (Sotiris-Sotiropoulos.org), or
>any other level (The-other.Sotiris-Sotiropoulos.org,
>A-previously-undiscovered.other.Sotiris-Sotiropoulos.org,
>Junior.Sotiris-Sotiropoulos.org).  The holder / manager / owner
>at each level can establish an agreement with users at the next
>lower level.  You can register under COM, then make a deal with,
>say, your son, to "register" his name under your domain.

Just a second... now it's a "name"? not simply an entry in somebody's nameserver configuration?  hmm..  and what is your opinion on the USOC claim to 
"ownership" of the OLYMPIC word domains in cyberspace?  

>The huge, and I think really the only question, is "who owns the
>root domain?"  (And the answer is "It's owned aggregately, and in
>individual proportions, by actual individual human beings.")  If
>that can be dealt with, top level registrations should be
>completely open, in my opinion.  Then, you can register simply
>Sotiropoulos. ,  and IBM can register IBM. 

Ah yes... but if someone else had registered Sotiropoulos.whatever, would my birth certificate, or passport, or driver's licencse, or sole proprietorship 
business registration under my own name, give me any "rights" to title for any Sotiropoulos.dot?  Or, would I have to simply tuck tail and choose another 
name?  Again, you're trying to avoid the issue by sidestepping.  Please address the real question, not what you'd like it to be. 

>Managing the root
>domain (referred to as dot by some) is the only tricky issue.  It
>would seem that this can be done outside of governments or under
>them.  Many would prefer this to be a collegial process not
>requiring governmental power nor involvement, but I think the
>outcome of such a process would be just a temporary illusion.

Why am I not surprised?  You attack an entire nation and call it a tyrrany... what's to stop you from claiming the only solid purchase on reality in this WG?  
I suggest you rethink your position, as it doesn't appear to have been thought at all.

Best of Luck,

Sotiris Sotiropoulos
          Hermes Network, Inc.





--
This message was passed to you via the wg-review@dnso.org list.
Send mail to majordomo@dnso.org to unsubscribe
("unsubscribe wg-review" in the body of the message).
Archives at http://www.dnso.org/archives.html