[12671] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: About the creation of new 3-letter domain(s)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sean McLinden)
Wed May 25 23:26:46 1994
Date: Wed, 25 May 1994 15:26:43 -0400 (EDT)
From: Sean McLinden <sean@dsl.pitt.edu>
To: Barry Shein <bzs@world.std.com>
Cc: paul@vix.com, com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <199405242038.AA03787@world.std.com>
On Tue, 24 May 1994, Barry Shein wrote:
> Instead of focusing on vague complaints how about trying to couch
> responses in: But if we used XYZ it wouldn't have this problem. OK?
> It makes for much more fruitful discussion, in the end we have to use
> something, and I doubt anything we might use will be 100% free of any
> possible nit someone can dream up in the abstract.
I made an assertion. Use an arbitrary taxonomy and let users choose. If
they want to be registered, they pay someone to provide the service or
they buy the space in that domain which, like health care, can never be
taken away. But when I say arbitrary I mean something which is not
already tied to another model of commerce which emphasizes physical
location since that defeats the purpose of having a portable address.
> You don't currently have 2-3 billion people using your arbitrary
> numbering scheme and all the infrastructure associated with it
> (directory assistance, CD/ROMs, anything else you might have which
> lists a phone number.)
Exactly my point! The existing system *means* something, already,
something which we don't want the naming system to mean. All numbers
except 800 and 900 numbers imply a physical location.
> I'd assume the vast majority of them, particularly businesses, govt,
> etc, would just use the phone numbers they have. That's part of the
> strength of the idea, how many computers don't have a phone nearby?
How many times has the government changed their phone numbers? If you
make the addresses the same as the phone numbers, today, people will
assume that you can use them, interchangeably. What happens when it
breaks? People will start screaming for a system which is not fraught
with ambiguity. What happens when you leave your employer but want to
keep your phone number and your employer says "no"? What happens when you
leave under hostile conditions and your employer decides that (s)he will
not forward your mail?
People cannot "own" the right to use a phone number in perpetuity. This,
I fear, means that phone numbers are impractical for naming conventions.
No need to get hot under the collar about it!
> But hey fax machines caused this huge increase in phone numbers and it
> appears to have been survivable. Do you envision this causing more
> growth than the advent of, say, fax machines and cellular phones?
> Remember, you can re-use any phone number you have as a domain
> (e.g. the phone number for your fax machine or modem would work fine.)
I envision that many more people will have personal addresses than
personal faxes, or rather, that there will be a growth in the latter when
we subtitute fax<->email and email<->email for fax<->fax. It is just this
anticipation which causes my concern about phone numbers.
> Why don't we just agree you're being silly and really have nothing of
> use to say to people on this list?
I don't like the idea because it is unworkable and because it would be
harebrained to have it 30% implemented before you discovered how
unworkable it is. You seem to believe that it will work. I disagree. I
didn't call your idea silly, because that seemed to be personal but
you have no problems with that.
> I really have tried to answer all questions sincerely, it would be
> nice to think I would be treated in kind but apparently, failing
> reason, some people think it's their duty to fill their messages with
> raspberries.
If this is directed at me it is misplace. I happen to believe that there
are some very good reasons for allowing people to self-select a position
in a namespace which has some meaning for them and, perhaps, some
significance for their colleagues. A numbering scheme, especially one
which is based on phone numbers, seems to be fraught with problems
related to administration which we accept, for phone conversations,
because there is little possibility that information will be misrouted.
If you don't pick up when I call your number, then I am free to not leave
a message.
But supposing your address is your phone number. What guarantee do I have
that your email system will not send the owner of that number, instead of
me, the message? I see too many practical problems with this and I am
sorry that you view my objections as personal.
> If you don't like it for some vague and aesthetic reasons just say
> *that* and stop.
It isn't aesthetics at all. My opinions are based on my experience, which
I regard as equal to yours and my appreciation for what I believe that
users will do with the information upon which we differ. Nothing
personal. I just don't like the idea. No offense was intended.
Sean
