Summary/analysis of comments

["Kieren McCarthy" <kieren.mccarthy@xxxxxxxxx>]

Posted by Kieren McCarthy, General manager of public participation, on
behalf of John Crain.

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Summary and analysis of public comments for:

 

 

NEW GTLDS AND DNS STABILITY

 

 

 

Comment period ended: Friday 7 March 2008

 

 

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

One of the recommendations that resulted from policy work on introducing new
generic top-level domains to the Internet was the requirement that "strings
must not cause any technical instability."

 

In response, ICANN published the paper "DNS Stability:  The Effect of New
Generic Top Level Domains on the Internet Domain Name System" to solicit
input on the technical issues relevant to the addition of new gTLDs, and to
provide transparency over how it will interpret and implement the
recommendation. 

 

The goal is a clear set of rules that will be available to potential new
gTLD applicants so it is known from the outset what tests will be applied to
each application.

 

 

COMMENTS RECEIVED

 

A total of 13 comments were received.

 

Seven of the replies made no reference to technical issues but focused on
unrelated issues of suitability of TLDs and the need, or lack thereof, for
new TLDs. Although they may be valid issues in the wider issue of new gTLDs,
they do not relate to this document and comment period.

 

 

File extensions

 

Five comments specifically referenced the issues of file extensions as TLDs.
Four argued that would cause confusion [JK,MR,NF,SBr], though none provided
technical evidence for the assertion.  

 

One commentor argued that strings should be limited to at least four
characters long and that certain strings should be restricted. The mentioned
strings were all extensions of known executable files [NF]. 

 

Another suggested that ICANN "at a minimum should prohibit the obvious ones"
[MR], and listed examples, some of which have been in use as TLDs for many
years. 

 

One comment broadly supported the document, specifically concerning the
usability of file extensions as proven by the use of .COM [KA].

 

 

New committee

 

Comments from the IAB recommended "that an appropriate technical ICANN
committee (RSAC, RSTEP or SSAC) would assess, for each new gTLD proposed, if
said gTLD would cause technical problems." and pointed to the need to
include specific reference to names such as .LOCAL in the excluded files
list.

 

 

NEXT STEPS

 

ICANN will review this summary/analysis in drawing up guidelines for how new
gTLD applications will be reviewed for DNS stability concerns. A draft
Request for Proposals (RFP) will include a list of disallowed TLD strings.
Public comment will also be solicited on the draft RFP at that time.

 

 

CONTRIBUTORS

 

BS        Bryan Suitt

DH       Derick Harris

DM       Danny McPherson (on behalf of the IAB)

JK        Joe Kline

JW       Jeffrey A. Williams

KA        Karl Auerbach

LW       Lin Wang

MR       Michael J. Ross

NF        Naden Franciscus

SBr      Susan Bradley

WM      Web Mail