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Re: [alac] Redirection of non-existing domain names, again
- To: Wendy Seltzer <wendy@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Subject: Re: [alac] Redirection of non-existing domain names, again
- From: Thomas Roessler <roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 16:28:44 +0200
On 2003-09-15 07:08:27 -0700, Wendy Seltzer wrote:
> Perhaps we can add the "stability" concern to Thomas's draft.
> > The At-Large Advisory Committee is deeply concerned by
> > recent reports that registries might plan to return resource
> > records in response to DNS queries for names that have not
> > been registered by any registrant. We understand that the
> > records to be returned would then point to a special search
> > engine, that would return a list of possible corrected
> > domain names to users' web browsers.
> >
> > This possible practice raises grave technical concerns, as
> > it would de facto remove error diagnostics from the DNS
> > protocol, and would replace them by an error handling method
> > that is tailored for HTTP, which is just one of the many
> > internet protocols that make use of the DNS. We will leave
> > it for others to explain the details of these concerns
, but note that returning resource records in a way which is
countrary to the very design of the DNS certainly does not promote
the stability of the Internet.
> >
> > For registrants of new domain names, implementation of the
> > proposed scheme would most likely imply that domain name
> > servers' caches all over the net will be poisoned with
> > records pointing to a registry-sponsored search engine for a
> > certain time after a domain name has been registered. This
> > would have the effect of diverting net users from
> > newly-established offers.
> >
> > From the individual Internet user's point of view, an
> > implementation of these rumored plans would centralize error
> > handling at the registry that is rightly done in application
> > software run on users' computers. Users are deprived of the
> > opportunity to chose those error handling strategies best
> > suited for their needs, by chosing appropriate products
> > available on a competitive marketplace. Software makers are
> > deprived of the opportunity to compete by developing
> > innovative tools that best match the user's needs.
> >
> > We would recommend that the board take whatever steps are
> > necessary to stop registry operators from implementing such
> > a service.
> >
> > At the same time, we observe that possible market demand for
> > a typo-resolving service at the registry level could easily
> > be implemented by creating a service separate from the
> > registry's domain name resolution functions. This service
> > could then compete with other offers in the marketplace. Of
> > course, this would also lead to questions concerning the
> > equal access to zone files of players possibly competing
> > with each other in this market.
> >
> >Regards,
> >--
> >Thomas Roessler <roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >At-Large Advisory Committee: http://alac.info/
>
> --
> Wendy Seltzer -- wendy@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Staff Attorney, Electronic Frontier Foundation
> Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School
> http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/seltzer.html
> Chilling Effects: http://www.chillingeffects.org/
>
--
Thomas Roessler <roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
At-Large Advisory Committee: http://alac.info/
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