CircleID

Egypt is the luckiest country of the Global Internet to take First Leap on the "Localized Internet" by launching foremost IDN ccTLD with مصر. i.e. وزارة-الاتصالات.مصر. It comes up on Firefox as,
http://xn--4gbrim.xn----rmckbbajlc6dj7bxne2c.xn--wgbh1c/ar/default.aspx
and even when you click the English button it still shows up as,
http://xn--4gbrim.xn----rmckbbajlc6dj7bxne2c.xn--wgbh1c/Default.aspx

What is the Scene Behind the Screen of IDN ccTLDs:

Fundamental & imperative story behind this enablement of a meaningful string as IDN ccTLD name script in local language is very interesting. Previously there was a limitation of two letters as abbreviation for the IDN ccTLD name script and it is I, who proposed and convinced ICANN to remove this limitations that enabled all countries and territories of the world (who use non-Latin base script of their official language) to apply for a meaningful abbreviation or full name of the country as IDN ccTLD. Otherwise, it could be only وزارة-الاتصالات.مص with assigning two characters to Egypt for their Arabic IDN ccTLD as ".مص" instead of ".مصر".

Contributions includes efforts to convince ICANN's Workgroup for the followings:

1. To REMOVE the restriction and limitation of two Characters for new IDN ccTLD's naming script. {So, finally IDN ccTLD Fast Track offers minimum 2 characters (U-Label) and up to 63 characters (A-Labels)}.
2. New proposed IDN ccTLD's naming script should be a meaningful word in their local Language. ({Meaningfulness has also become necessary for string evaluation criteria}
3. For reduction of the cost of the new ccTLDs {which is now US$26,000 or even applicant can apply for waiver of this fee}.
4. Start a Urdu Wiki with IDN naming script, it was opened in second round and on second level to Persian Wiki.
5. Also another proposal is also accepted regarding gTLDs application fee to be charged in different rounds of evaluation to enablement (4 Rounds). The looser of one round will not be going to pay the cost of the next round.

Conclusion: I have got global level achievement because 250+ Countries & Territories are the BENEFICIARY trough the acceptance of my above listed proposals for the preparation of new Layers of the Language base Internet.

PROS: Egypt, UAE and Saudi Arabia did not have shorter meaningful abbreviations in their Native Languages (Arabic), so, they got benefit to obtain meaningful abbreviations for IDN ccTLD. The foot marks of the Egypt will be recorded in the history as pioneer of IDN ccTLD website in Arabic Language.

CONS: However, unfortunately in my own country, in Pakistan, Public (Internet community) may lose the sharp and smart choice of appropriate IDN ccTLD i.e. "پاک." (PAK). Instead of getting benefit of the removal of two characters limitation, we will be in huge loss by applying for a longer and full name script "پاکستان." (PAKISTAN) in Urdu Language. Every user of this new mechanism will have to type 4 extra letters to browse or to send email.

By Imran Ahmed Shah, IT Consultant

Related topics: Domain Names, ICANN, Internet Governance, Multilinguism, Policy & Regulation, Top-Level Domains, Web