[12493] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: About the creation of new 3-letter domain(s)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sean McLinden)
Thu May 19 12:09:44 1994
Date: Thu, 19 May 1994 08:56:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: Sean McLinden <sean@dsl.pitt.edu>
To: cgull@ftp.com
Cc: friedman@gnu.ai.mit.edu, com-priv@psi.com, namedroppers@rs.internic.net
In-Reply-To: <9405190621.AA01403@mailserv-D.ftp.com>
On Thu, 19 May 1994, John Hood wrote:
> I live in Somerville (*which* Somerville is left as an exercise for
> the reader.) My home system is smoke.marlboro.vt.us, and down Mass
> Ave a ways (~1 km) is asylum.sf.ca.us, neither of which is in their
> "proper" place, because there isn't such a thing. Both these names
> were acquired in the usual way and followed their systems to new
> homes. The .US administrators don't care. They don't have to.
>
> remember, allocating names out of a geographically-constructed
> hierarchy doesn't mean the hierarchy is geographical.
The operative phrase is "doesn't [have to] mean".
Everything you say is true, BUT, supposing that the registration
authority for ca or vt decides that you MUST be physically located in
that state in order to use that designation in your name. (Not far
fetched when you consider that most states require you to relinquish
driver's licenses from other states.) A name should have meaning and
inferred meanings should be consistent with intended meanings. It makes
no sense, whatsoever, to pick geographic names unless they have
geographic significance.
Pick bacteria or insects, instead, there are millions of possible root name
servers and little chance that one of the buggers is gonna assert
authority over your use of the name.
Sean
