sigh (alt coded domains)

[StankBacon]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/29/icann-set-to-allow-non-latin-characters-in-domain-names-half-th/


ICANN set to allow non-Latin characters in domain names, half the world rejoices

by Vladislav Savov (http://www.engadget.com/bloggers/vladislav-savov/) http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/writer_rss.gif (http://www.engadget.com/bloggers/vladislav-savov/rss.xml) posted Oct 29th 2009 at 6:49AM

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/10/oct2909languages.jpg (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1222988/Web-script-shake-allow-internet-addresses-Arabic-Japanese.html?ITO=1490)
In the name of cultural (http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/27/international-marketing-101-dells-inspiron-us-vs-korean-launch/) and linguistic diversity, our loyal comrades over at the ICANN (http://www.engadget.com/2004/12/16/new-mobi-domain-wins-icann-approval/) are about to approve availability of domain names in non-Latin alphabets. That's right, Chinese and Japanese folks will finally be able to address their websites in their native tongue, as will fans of Arabic, Cyrillic, Greek or Hindi scripts. Basically, linguists of every type are finally invited to the interwebs party, a move described by ICANN chairman Peter Thrush as "the biggest change technically to the internet since it was invented." This follows an extensive two-year testing period for a translation engine that can convert your lazy Latin scribblings into the refined hieroglyphics of modern Cantonese. Pending approval this Friday, the first new domain names will start coming out in 2010, when we can expect a whole new wave of internet land grabbing.


imagine the urls some of the alt-code fanboys will come up with...

[CrAsHOvErRide]

Well it's only fair I guess.

[klange]

The article is slightly misleading. Non-Latin domain names have been available for a few years now: http://ばか.com

It actually works by converting Unicode strings to ASCII. I was doing a lot of reading-up on it this past week. It's a reversible, compact algorithm that allows for simple representation of any Unicode string as a sequence of ASCII characters. ばか becomes xn--u8jwd. Note the xn--: that is the accepted indicator that the string has been compressed to ASCII. Unicode can not be used in domain names for technical reasons (it just can't happen), and since you've been able to get an IDN (International Domain Name) from a number of registrars for years now, that's not what's happening here.

Back in September, the decision to allow non-Latin TLDs was added to the agenda for the October meeting in Seoul, which is happening right now. So, we could be seeing non-Latin TLDs replacing .com's and .[country code]'s for foreign countries in the future. It's based on two years of research into whether international TLDs were worth officially implementing.

e: vBulletin broke my link by attempting to convert it to "URL friendly" unicode blocks. I fixed it. e: It keeps doing it after editing again. I'll stop editing now...
e2: I'll add that not all strings are accepted. Your "alt-code fanboy" thing is a non-issue: They can't register anything unless it's a foreign alphabet or ideograph system. Hangul, Kana, Kanji, etc. are all that are accepted by the IDN system, not fancy symbols.

[Dwood]

I find the whole thing annoying. I want to be able to understand what kind of site I'm going to before clicking. :/

[klange]

I find the whole thing annoying. I want to be able to understand what kind of site I'm going to before clicking. :/
If it's a foreign site, don't go there? Or translate the domain if you have to.

[Ganon]

I find the whole thing annoying. I want to be able to understand what kind of site I'm going to before clicking. :/

lemonparty.org

[Reaper Man]

I'm not looking forward to the crap people are gunna come up with.

[klange]

Will you people please listen?

You can already get International Domain Names.

That is not what is being discussed at the Seoul ICANN meeting.

All your fears about people buying wacky domains can be refuted by the fact that, in the past three years, no one has done it. (Save for the 'paypal.com' fiasco that led to browsers displaying domains in their xn--... form for non-whitelisted domains, which happened in 2006)

They're talking about Interntional TLDs. .com, .net - those are TLDs. You can't register a TLD, only large organizations can submit one for consideration. All this means is you'll be seeing .jp being replaced with .日本 or something like that.

[klange]

The fast-track final implementation plan for IDN ccTLDs was accepted.
Source. (http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-30oct09-en.htm#2)



Whereas, IDNs have been available for second and lower level domain name registrations for years and under the IDNA protocol since 2003;
Whereas, the community has been discussing and working on introduction of IDNs as top-level domains based on the experiences gained during the second and lower level introductions;
Whereas, the ccNSO and the GAC were asked < http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-08dec06.htm - _Toc27198296 (http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-08dec06.htm#_Toc27198296) > in December 2006 during the Sao Paulo meeting to "…through a joint collaborative effort, in consultation as needed with the relevant technical community, to produce an issues paper relating to the selection of IDN ccTLDs associated with the ISO 3166-1 two-letter codes.";
Whereas, the ccNSO and the GAC formed a joint working group (IDNC WG) that published and submitted to the Board a list of issues < http://ccnso.icann.org/workinggroups/final-draft-issues-idn-cctlds-iso-26jun07.pdf > relating to the introduction of IDN ccTLDs associated with the ISO3166-1 two-letter codes, in June 2007. Which resulted in the Board requesting "… that that the ICANN community including the GNSO, ccNSO, GAC, and ALAC provide the Board with responses to the published list of issues and questions that need to be addressed in order to move forward with IDN ccTLDs associated with the ISO 3166-1 two-letter codes in a manner that ensures the continued security and stability of the Internet.";
Whereas, members were appointed to the IDNC WG following the Board request, and initiated their work, which resulted in the IDNC Final Report which was provided to the ICANN Board at its meeting in Paris, France, June 2008;
Whereas, The ICANN Board approved < http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-26jun08.htm > the IDNC final report < http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-26jun08-en.htm > for fast-track IDN ccTLDs, at the Paris meeting and directed staff to initiate the implementation of the IDNC recommendations;
Whereas, ICANN in October 2008 sought expressions of interest about participation in the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process to inform the implementation of the IDNC WG Final report; and received 74 responses, with 31 interested in participating in the Fast Track Process, representing a total of 15 different languages;
Whereas, ICANN in October 2008 published the first Draft Implementation Plan for the IDN ccTLD fast Track process for public comments; the first revision of the plan in November 2008; the second revision in February 2009; the third revision in May 2009; and the Proposed Final Implementation Plan in September 2009;
Resolved (2009.10.30__), the ICANN Board sincerely thanks all participants for their hard work towards making IDN TLDs become a reality through the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process;
Resolved (2009.10.30__), the ICANN Board directs staff to launch the IDN ccTLD Fast Track process as detailed in the Proposed Final Implementation Plan, beginning at 00:00 UTC on 16 November 2009;
Resolved (2009.10.30__), the ICANN Board directs staff to monitor the operation of the IDN ccTLD Fast Track process at regular intervals to ensure its smooth operation, and, subject to Board review, update the process when new technology or policies become available, with the goal to efficiently meet the needs of Fast Track process requesters, and to best meet the needs of the global Internet community.

[Kalub]

how gay this will fuck the internet

[Gwunty]

how gay this will fuck the internet
way to completely disregard the two post above you :allears:

[Kalub]

Dear, CLS{GRUNT} (http://www.modacity.net/forums/member.php?u=2084)


stfu, I read them, and I don't care. I don't like it and I'm allowed to express my opinions provided you like them or not.

[Gwunty]

Will you people please listen?

You can already get International Domain Names.

That is not what is being discussed at the Seoul ICANN meeting.

All your fears about people buying wacky domains can be refuted by the fact that, in the past three years, no one has done it. (Save for the 'paypal.com' fiasco that led to browsers displaying domains in their xn--... form for non-whitelisted domains, which happened in 2006)

They're talking about Interntional TLDs. .com, .net - those are TLDs. You can't register a TLD, only large organizations can submit one for consideration. All this means is you'll be seeing .jp being replaced with .日本 or something like that.

e2: I'll add that not all strings are accepted. Your "alt-code fanboy" thing is a non-issue: They can't register anything unless it's a foreign alphabet or ideograph system. Hangul, Kana, Kanji, etc. are all that are accepted by the IDN system, not fancy symbols.
You obviously didn't, or something is broken upstairs. :ohdear:

[Kalub]

Obviously I don't want fucking Crylic in my god damn search results

[klange]

Obviously I don't want fucking Crylic in my god damn search results
Then don't search for Russian things? If you're not from the country an IDN ccTLD is registered for, it costs hundreds of dollars per year and sometimes per month to get them. No one in their right mind will buy one for a regular, international and especially not English site. You're not seeing what this is for at all and are completely missing the point.

[Kalub]

No, I'm just being ignorant.

[Heathen]

Its gonna be cool when people start making cp cites named ╛L:φä♫Ã*♠Ñ♦♀♪♫☺.com

[Pooky]

Its gonna be cool when people start making cp cites named ╛L:φä♫Ã*♠Ñ♦♀♪♫☺.com


e2: I'll add that not all strings are accepted. Your "alt-code fanboy" thing is a non-issue: They can't register anything unless it's a foreign alphabet or ideograph system. Hangul, Kana, Kanji, etc. are all that are accepted by the IDN system, not fancy symbols.

.

[Heathen]

.

oh :downs: