On Wed, Jul 06, 2005 at 01:06:15AM +0200, Brad Knowles wrote:
The reverse problem is more difficult to deal with -- that of people wanting to access Chinese (or whatever) sites that can only be found in the Chinese-owned alternative root.
Stipulated. But whose problem *is* that?
The users will make it our problem, if we don't get this sorted out soon.
It seems to me that "this" is *already* sorted out, and that all of this discussion has been about whether to invent new problems, rather than about whether to solve existing problems. Alternate root servers exist for one plain simple reason: To give their operators their own little playpen of TLDs they can mess around with without ICANN getting in their faces. People who don't want to own and operate TLDs don't actually give a crap about that reason. These operators have been pushing this idea for 6 or 7 years now. Frankly I'm of the view that if the "benefits" of alternate roots were in any way desirable *to anyone other than those who operate them* we'd probably all be using them by now. But we aren't. And probably never will. If we probably never will then the alternate root operators can either stop flogging their dead horse and shuffle off into the sunset, or they can continue to pollute mailing lists with useless discussions about whether they have a right to exist every time the concept is mentioned from now until eternity, just like they do now. Right now, on July 5th 2005, "The whole alternate-root ${STATE}horse" has absolutely zero operational impact on any network operators. So could y'all please perhaps take it to USEnet where it belongs and let this list get back to normal? Thanks, - mark -- Mark Newton Email: newton@internode.com.au (W) Network Engineer Email: newton@atdot.dotat.org (H) Internode Systems Pty Ltd Desk: +61-8-82282999 "Network Man" - Anagram of "Mark Newton" Mobile: +61-416-202-223