Mapping Google

Byte Level Research has released a new version of its world map illustrating country code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) in use by Google for its local search engines. Using information available on Google's Language Tools page, the new map shows over 160 ccTLDs that Google has currently in use including Andorra, Kenya, Ukraine, and Ghana. Why pick Google? John Yunker president of Byte Level Research says that he knows of no other company that hosts localized websites across so many different ccTLDs. Countries the Google currently serves even include Cuba — "I doubt many Americans are aware of that."... more»

Domain Name Registrations Up 22% from Last Year, Totaling 168 Million

VeriSign today released the Domain Report for the second quarter of 2008, highlighting a continued growth of the Internet globally. At the midpoint of 2008, according to the report, there were 168 million domain name registrations across all Top Level Domain Names (TLDs) -- repersenting a four percent increase over the first quarter of 2008 and 22 percent growth over the same quarter last year. The base of Country Code Top Level Domain Names (ccTLDs) totaled 65 million domain names, a four percent increase quarter over quarter and a 27 percent increase year over year. VeriSign also reports on processing peak loads of more than 48 billion Domain Name System (DNS) queries per day in the second quarter of 2008. more»

Open Registration of Top-Level Domain .Me Turns into Crisis

The .Me Top-Level Domain (TLD) Registry officially opened today for everyone on a first-come, first-served basis at 15:00UTC July 17, 2008. In follow up to the launch of this TLD, companies, organizations and members of the public where told that they can get a "Web presence that is truly personal, and have their new Web site working within minutes!" But apparently the process hasn't gone as smoothly as planed. more»

ICANN Board Approves Sweeping Overhaul of Top-level Domains

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has just approved the relaxation of the rules for the introduction of new Top-Level Domains -- a move that could drastically change the Internet. The new decision -- some calling it of historic importance and others predictable -- will allow companies to register their brands as generic top-level domain names (TLDs). For instance, Microsoft could apply to have a TLD such as '.msn' and Apple apply for '.mac'. more»

Brand Owners Express Concern Over Introduction of New Top-Level Domains

Monika Ermert reporting on Intellectual Property Watch says: "Some think ICANN should have moved much faster to introduce new names in the Internet to join the likes of .com and .org. Others moan about the widespread trademark infringement they expect to occur when the private internet governance body introduces several long-awaited new top-level domains. But the prospect of news about the next round in extending the global domain name space has brought them all to ICANN's Paris meeting that might emerge as the largest in the organisation's history." The ICANN Board will decide on Thursday which Top-Level Domains will move and which ones will not. more»

Bulgaria Applies for Top-Level Domain .bg in Cyrillic Script

Bulgaria has submitted a letter to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for the Top-Level Domain (TLD) '.bg' in Cyrillic script as part of efforts to boost national pride amid a growing influence of English. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has also called for his country to be assigned a Cyrillic TLD as the Kremlin is concerned that Russian, once the main language throughout the Soviet Union, is losing ground to local languages. more»

ICANN to Decide Approval of Thousands More TLDs, eBay Already a Contender for dot eBay

Officials at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), during the currently on going meetings in Paris, have said that they were poised to bring the most dramatic change to the Internet in four decades by opening up top-level domains to endless variations. This decision would potentially allow companies to turn their own brands into domains (think .CNN, .MAC, or .LIVE) or to create broad product groups such as .CAR, .SPORTS or .BANK. Ebay is already a contender to use its name, according to Paul Levins, executive officer of ICANN. "We're talking about introducing potentially thousands more names," said Levins. more»

New .tel Domain Uses DNS to Store Personal and Business Data

Telnic Limited, the Registry Operator and Sponsoring Organization for the new sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) .tel, has just announced, at the ICANN meetings in Paris, the launch of its website and date when domain name registration will be accepted... The .tel will offer a service that allows individuals and businesses to store and manage all their contact information and keywords directly within the Domain Name System (DNS) without the need to build, host or manage a website. more»

ICM Registry, Applicant of the Proposed .XXX Domain, Files Independent Review Petition Against ICANN

In a public letter posted on ICM Registry's Website, Stuart Lawley, Chairman and President of the organization has announced that last week an independent review petition against ICANN was filed. In March 2007, ICM's application for a new .XXX Top-Level Domain (TLD) was rejected by ICANN after a three year long process costing ICM reportedly over US$ 4 million in total (view all related posting). Following is the text from today's announcement... more»

14 Million Domain Names Registered in First Quarter of 2008, Total Reaching 162 Million Worldwide

In the first three months of 2008, the growth of the Internet has remained steady as 14 million new domain names were added according to the first quarter 2008 Domain Name Industry Brief published by VeriSign, Inc. According to the report, at the end of the first quarter of 2008, there were more than 162 million domain name registrations across all of the Top-Level Domain Names (TLDs). This represents a 26 percent increase over the same quarter last year, and 6 percent growth over the fourth quarter of 2007. That pace of quarterly growth is about the same as the average quarterly growth rate from 2007. more»

Security Research Names Hong Kong and China Most Dangerous Country Domains, Finland Safest

Recent security report suggests country code top-level domains '.hk' and '.cn' -- belonging to Hong Kong and China respectively -- are currently among the most dangers domain names. As to why? Making the Hong Kong online registration process "more user-friendly" by allowing registration of several domains at one time as well as "buy-one, get-two domains," are partly blamed for the decline in security. As a consequence, "phishers usually registered eight or more domains at one time." Hong Kong last year began to tighten policies to rectify the situation. more»

Canadian Domain Whois Policy Changes Face Opposition from Law Enforcement

Sweeping changes to Canada's country code top-level domain, .ca, will put the country on the vanguard of Internet privacy. But while law enforcement isn't happy about potentially losing an important investigative tool, the half-million Canadians whose personal information is currently publicly available on the Internet shouldn't rest easy that they are safe from wired snoops. more»

ICANN Preparing for Mass Introduction of Top-Level Domains?

At the request of ICANN, Paul E. Black, a computer scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed an algorithm that may guide applicants in proposing new Top-Level Domains (TLDs). As new TLDs are added to the familiar .com, .info, and .net, the algorithm checks whether the newly proposed name is confusingly similar to existing ones by looking for visual likenesses in its appearance. more»

Fees for .org Top-Level Domain to Increase by 10%

Public Interest Registry, the organization in charge of ".org" top-level domains, disclosed a planned fee increase in a May 1 letter to ICANN [PDF]. The fee increase does not require the ICANN's approval. PIR did not cite a reason in its letter. Earlier this year, VeriSign Inc., the company in charge of managing ".com" and ".net," also announced price increases. more»

Top-Level Domains .arpa, .org, and .uk Adopting DNSSEC

The Internet is slowly inching closer to ratcheting up the security of its Domain Name System (DNS) server architecture: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN ) plans to go operational with DNSSEC later this year in one of its domains. more»