Collisions Ahead: Look Both Ways before Crossing by Burt Kaliski, Verisign

Many years ago on my first trip to London, I encountered for the first time signs that warned pedestrians that vehicles might be approaching in a different direction than they were accustomed to in their home countries, given the left-versus-right-side driving patterns around the world.  (I wrote a while back about one notable change from left-to-right, the Swedish “H Day,” as a comment on the IPv6 transition.)

 

If you’re not sure on which side to expect the vehicles, it’s better to look both ways — and look again — if you want to reduce the risk of a collision.

It’s quite fitting therefore (at least to the extent I can stretch the metaphor) that the first Workshop and Prize on Root Causes and Mitigations of Name Collisions (WPNC 14) will be held in London on March 8-10.  The workshop — to be held at the Hilton London Metropole following the 89th meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in the same location — will bring together researchers and practitioners to review the latest developments in understanding and preventing the impact of the unintended overlap of two name spaces.

The overlap of primary interest today, of course, is between the global Domain Name System (DNS) name space and local name spaces within installed systems, as I’ve further detailed in a recent blog series.

Much of the current concern centers around the “alternate path” introduced by ICANN in its Oct. 7, 2013 plan document, whereby a new top-level domain (TLD) can be added to the global DNS provided that the operator of the TLD agrees to avoid any second-level domain (SLD) that had a query in one of several past “Day in the Life” (DITL) data sets.  It’s sort of like the warning sign telling me what traffic looked like the last eight times I arrived at Heathrow.  Because it’s still not clear on what technical basis ICANN thinks this approach will work, Pat Kane and I just sent another letter to ICANN requesting an explanation.

The research community may well have better guidance — that’s what I’m most looking forward to about this workshop.

A workshop poster is now available as a further reminder of the call for papers, due Feb. 10.

This Verisign blog post was republished with permission. The original article by Burt Kaliski was published here:
blogs.verisigninc.com/blog/entry/collisions_ahead_look_both_ways

ICANN Releases More New gTLD Contracting Statistics

Below are the key Contracting statistics, as of 24 January 2014:

 

NameJet Announces .Menu new TLD in Sunrise

The .Menu Registry announced that it has opened the sunrise phase of release for the nw generic Top Level Domain (TLD) .Menu.

 

You can read the press release after the jump:

” The .MENU Registry has opened the sunrise phase of release for the new Top Level Domain (TLD) .MENU. The registry has partnered with NameJet to run all auctions for both the sunrise and landrush phases of the TLD launch.

The .MENU Top Level Domain is ideally suited for restaurants, catering businesses, food service industries, and food enthusiasts. During the sunrise phase, trademark holders are given the opportunity to acquire .MENU domain names that correspond to their trademarks prior to the domains being released to the general public.

“With so many new top level domains coming to market in 2014, the Q1 launch of .MENU puts the registry in a great position to capitalize on early consumer interest,” said Matt Overman, General Manager of NameJet. “The addition of a dedicated online space for menus will only add momentum to what companies like Yelp, Zagat, OpenTable and Urban Spoon have already started.”

NameJet is the exclusive auction platform for .MENU, and will oversee auctions during the sunrise and landrush phases of release, as well as premium domain auctions.

Trademark holders who wish to acquire a .MENU domain should submit an application with a registrar that is offering .MENU domains such as http://www.encirca.com. In any instance where domains receive two or more successful applications, NameJet will operate the auction to resolve the contention allowing all parties to bid for the rights to the domain name. The Sunrise window for .MENU officially opened on December 9, 2013 and the deadline to apply is February 6, 2014. Auctions are scheduled to run during mid-February at NameJet.com. For more information, please visit NameJet’s New TLDs web page.

About NameJet:
NameJet is a joint venture between Demand Media, Inc. [DMD] and Web.com Group, Inc. [WWWW] who each own two of four leading ICANN-accredited registrars (eNom, Name.com, Network Solutions and Register.com). Launched in 2007, with core auction software and technical infrastructure operating since 2004, NameJet serves domain investors, Fortune 500 companies and their representatives, small- and medium-sized businesses, as well as a diverse and global mix of individual investors. It has processed over 200,000 domain auctions, establishing itself as a trustworthy and transparent auction platform that is customer-focused and user-friendly.

About .MENU Registry:
The .MENU Registry offers a new, intuitive and targeted namespace which will allow restaurateurs, food service industry professionals and food enthusiasts to expand their web presence and use behavior beyond .com in a more relevant corner of the Internet. The word “menu” means the same thing in languages across the world and reflects what is often the most important item of information consumers look for when considering dining options. Wedding TLD2, LLC, the operator of the .MENU Registry, is a privately held company based in California. For more .MENU information, please visit http://www.dot-menu.com.”

ICANN : BCG Study: Countries that Expand Internet Access and Use Can Spur Digital Economy Growth

Greasing the Wheels of the Internet Economy is a new report by Boston Consulting Group, commissioned by ICANN. The report takes a look at Internet access and use around the world, and the economic importance of an open single Internet.

 

The report’s “e-friction” index describes and quantifies factors that inhibit the growth and maturity of the Internet economy. It measures obstacles to access to, and engagement with, the Internet for both individuals and businesses across four components; Infrastructure, Industry, Individual and Information.

Read the full report, Greasing the Wheels of the Internet Economy »

BCG issued the following press release on January 20th, 2014 »

Easy access and use of the Internet can dramatically affect the growth of national economies, according to new research by The Boston Consulting Group. The research, described in a new BCG report, measured the constraints on Internet use in 65 countries and found that those with fewer limitations on online activity can have larger digital economies. The difference can amount to 2.5 percent of GDP.

The new report, Greasing the Wheels of the Internet Economy, introduces the BCG e-Friction Index, which ranks countries according to four types of e-friction: infrastructure-related frictions that limit basic access; industry and individual frictions that affect the ability of companies and consumers to engage in online transactions; and information frictions that involve availability of, and access to, online content.

“Because the digital economy is growing quickly, often outpacing the offline economy, high e-friction countries are in danger of missing out on a high-impact propellant of growth and job creation,” said Paul Zwillenberg, a BCG partner and a coauthor of the report. “On the other hand, high-friction countries that address their sources of e-friction have the potential to add significant value to their economies.”

Country rankings can be found in Exhibit 1. Exhibit 2 shows how each country ranks on the four components of e-friction.

Among the key findings in the report:

    The countries in the top quintile—those with the lowest e-friction—tend to score well across all four components: they have strong infrastructures and supportive business and regulatory environments.
    At the other end of the scale, issues of basic access, price, and speed—common problems in developing economies—are widespread, as are shortcomings related to capital, labor, and consumers’ ability to conduct business online.
    Among small and midsize enterprises (SMEs), Web users are 50 percent more likely to sell products and services outside of their immediate region and 63 percent more likely to source products and services from outside of their region.
    SMEs encounter a range of frictions that slow or prevent them from fully exploiting the Internet’s potential. Their biggest single concern is the protection of consumer data online—a prevalent issue for consumers as well.

The report argues that good policy in a few key areas can have a significant impact on e-friction and speed the development of Internet use and individual countries’ Internet economies. Policies that promote investment, especially in infrastructure, are essential. Policy responses that fail to take into account how quickly technologies and the innovations they enable are evolving can cause more, rather than less, friction.

“The Internet has become a defining force in economic growth and job creation across the globe,” said Fadi Chehadé, president and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which commissioned the report. “It’s important that this amazing information and communication resource be allowed to grow as it always has, with the input of diverse stakeholders from around the globe who value a single network that is open and available to as many as possible.”

This announcement was sourced from:

http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-24jan14-en.htm

DomainFest Is Back!

Well, it never really went away. It just seems to have been put back, or delayed, a few months. Whatever the reason, for the ninth year what the organisers describe as the most respected domain and online advertising conferences will return from 31 March to 3 April. And it is coming back to Hollywood. DOMAINfest say they will continue to offer an incredible agenda, including expert speakers, numerous networking opportunities and fantastic entertainment.

Registration is now open. domainfest.com

For more information, see the news release below:

Domainsponsor Announces DomainFest Conference – The most respected domain and online advertising conference returns to Hollywood
Domainsponsor®, the online monetization business of Oversee.net® and organizer of the critically acclaimed DomainFest ® series of conferences, will host its annual DomainFest conference from March 31 to April 3, 2014, at the luxurious Loews Hotel in Hollywood, Calif.

DomainFest returns to Hollywood at the “new” Loews Hollywood Hotel, set in the middle of iconic Hollywood landmarks. This hotel is the gateway to enjoy all that Hollywood and Highland have to offer – from the Walk of Fame to the major movie studios.

”We are bringing DomainFest back to Hollywood and its roots,” said Debra Domeyer, CEO of Oversee.net. “With a tradition of networking, learning, and getting deals done, we’re delighted to be back. Our goal is to once again deliver a great conference with excellent speakers, rich content, and fun entertainment.”

Speakers, Agenda and Evening Entertainment

Domain owners, new gTLD Name Providers, Domain Registrars, Online Marketers, Affiliates and Startups attending DomainFest can expect an agenda packed with unique learning and networking opportunities. Industry leaders will offer insights and real-world experiences that can help improve business performance and results.

 “For the 9th year, we are pleased to host the DomainFest conference,” said Dwayne Walker, Senior Vice President of Advertising and Domain Services. “Once again, we are bringing together the brightest and most informed experts, attendees and investors from the Domain, Online Advertising and Online Marketing industries to explore new business opportunities, network and enjoy memorable evening entertainment.”

In February 2013 more than 600 domain name investors, registrars, hosting companies, startups, advertising providers and online marketing companies from 25 countries attended the conference.

Registration is Now Open

An early bird registration fee of $695, which includes all sessions, meals and evening parties, is available now and will end Feb. 14, 2014. On Feb. 15, 2014, the regular pre-conference rate of $995 applies. This year, a special one-day pass will be available for the first day of the conference. Priced at just $295, it encourages a broad range of participants involved in the Southern California technology scene. To register, visit: domainfest.com

DomainFest has arranged for discounted hotel room rates at the Loews Hollywood hotel. For reservation details, please visit: http://domainfest.com

Sponsorship Opportunities Available

DomainFest is an excellent and cost effective way to promote your brand to savvy investors. Information about 2014 sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities is available at domainfest.com. Inquiries can be sent to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The DomainFest team will provide updates, information and much more via its Twitter handle @domainfest. DomainFest, Domainsponsor and conference attendees will be tweeting before and during the conference using Twitter hashtag #DomainFest. Videos, pictures, commentary and live news and information will flow on Twitter via hashtag #domainfest. Tweet us using hashtag #DomainFest.