Re: [ssac-gnso-irdwg] REMINDER: RESPONSE REQUESTED: Draft Interim Report

[Jeremy Hitchcock <jeremy@xxxxxxx>]

I think we're hoping to get some more commentary.  Would be nice to get a 
response from at least everyone with a general reply of where things are, 
especially with the findings and recommendations.  I'll see if I can get a few 
things started.


Looking at Steve's comments:

[Question:  should we spell out here the RAA obligation to provide registrant 
data via the Web as well as via Port 43?]  -- I think we should.

[Question:  Did any in our group suggest that registrations not be accepted in 
non-English languages?]  -- I don't remember that either but missed a few calls.


I would like to propose some items which may elicit varying appeal.

- Do we want to alter the preliminary IRD-WG recommendations from "WHOIS 
clients (both port 43 and web)" to "registrant data query tool"?

- Under the findings section: The requirements of international content 
combined with the current WHOIS protocol are incompatible.  Quoting from RFC 
3912

   The WHOIS protocol has not been internationalised.
 
   protocol has no mechanism for indicating the character set in use.
   Originally, the predominant text encoding in use was US-ASCII.  In
   practice, some WHOIS servers, particularly those outside the USA,
   might be using some other character set either for requests, replies,
   or both.  This inability to predict or express text encoding has
   adversely impacted the interoperability (and, therefore, usefulness)
   of the WHOIS protocol.'

- Under the findings section: "IETF has done work on a system called CRISP to 
increase the flexibility and scope to build a protocol that allows one to find 
and access information associated with Internet labels"

- Under the findings section: There has been no demonstrated deficiencies with 
web based query tools as HTTP-based protocol support language and script 
encodings"


- Under the recommendations section: "ICANN phase out the requirement for the 
RFC 3912 WHOIS system" - this would leave the web based query tool."

- Under the recommendations section: "ICANN direct a working group to choose a 
replacement for both the whois and web based query tool to be a single point of 
access for domain label name.  This WG would examine privacy concerns, 
accessibility to data concerns, and registry/registrar impacts"


Jeremy