Folks, bkc> lets try this again... why should a valid DNS protocol element bkc> be made illegal in some parts of the tree and not others? bkc> if its bad one place, why is it ok other places? There very much _is_ an operational issue here, but it needs to be characterized very carefully. To that end, the IAB note is nicely careful and, I think, exactly right in classifying a core "coordination" problem that comes with wildcarding. Standards are, after all, about coordinating details among independent participants. The problem with wildcarding a gTLD is not that the construct should be made illegal but that it requires a degree of coordination that was not attempted. In this regard, the sponsored TLDs are not a problem specifically because they are run in a more heterogeneous manner. The IAB note captures this quite with: In particular, we recommend that DNS wildcards should not be used in a zone unless the zone operator has a clear understanding of the risks, and that they should not be used without the informed consent of those entities which have been delegated below the zone. d/ -- Dave Crocker <dcrocker-at-brandenburg-dot-com> Brandenburg InternetWorking <www.brandenburg.com> Sunnyvale, CA USA <tel:+1.408.246.8253>