[ga] Re: Re: "Alternative roots": a big technical failure

[Karl Auerbach <karl@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 7 Mar 2004, Stephane Bortzmeyer wrote:

> If ORSN started to add TLD (like ORSC does), the same problems would
> surface: which to add? Which ".biz", ICANN or the other one? Which
> ".home"? New.net or the other one? Etc.

Consider a competing root cluster as a kind of store with the products on
its shelves being various TLDs.  If you, the customer don't like what a
root cluster is selling, then don't use it.

Yes there will be inconsistencies.  But pressure from users will coerce
the competing root clusters to resolve those inconsistencies.

Such a system, a system that relies on enlightened self interest on the
part of the competing root clusters coupled to the self-expressed needs of
users, is an improvement over the arbitrary, capricious, and
trademark-protectionism that forms the core of the ICANN method of
selecting TLDs.

ICANN has very rapidly come to resemble the telcos of the 1950's -
ossified dinosaurs that impede innovation rather than facilitate it.  An
example of the parallalism that exists between ICANN and the 1950's telcos
comes when one reads the HushAPhone case and mentally maps the telephone
network to the internet and maps the claims made by AT&T and the FCC about
potential damage to the telephone network to ICANN's ICP 3 and the IAB's
statement of competing roots.  (See
http://www.cavebear.com/ialc/hush-1.jpg
http://www.cavebear.com/ialc/hush-a-phone.htm
http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/2002-July/006016.html )


> > I proposed a DNS root monitoring system to ICANN on my very first day on
> > the board way back in year 2000....

> But I may disagree with the solution. You seem to suggest that ICANN
> should do this monitoring. Why not a grass-root monitoring, performed
> by users themselves...

I figured that ICANN, because its role is to ensure the technical
stability of the DNS (and IP address systems) ought to have means to
measure that stability, or lack thereof.

The fact that ICANN would do it in no way excludes others from doing it as
well.  For example, there is the non-ICANN-created delegation checking
tool at http://dnscheck.se ICANN could use that tool (or a copy of the
tool) to check, every day, that each TLD is properly delegated from the
root zone.

		--karl--