ICANN Group Unanimously favors new gTLDs

NARALO, the North American At Large Organization, conducted a pre-ICANN survey [2.5MB] of its users, surveying its members on a variety of subjects, including new TLDs. The respondents concluded that new TLDs were the issue most likely to have an impact on Internet users, and the comments on new TLDs were unanimously in favor.

A selection of comments:

The new TLD round will have an enormously positive impact on internet users in that it will expand the population of “good” domains and will allow marginalized groups to control their own namespaces. ICANN is doing a great job on this issue in the face of opposition from domain squatters and some brand owners.

The addition of new top level domain names will be a major improvement. We as users have been stalled and constrained, corralled into use of a limited number of strings, working with a small number of companies and paying prices for perceived scarcity. ICANN may be able to help solve the need for new top level domain names IF they are not constrained by minority vocal opposition which is typically originated with obfuscated lobbying by incumbent registry or registrar or trademark interests.

By ensuring that new TLDs have adequate technologies like DNSSEC, and anti-crime policies in place, ICANN can have a significant impact on user access and experience. New TLDs are a great avenue for cleaning up the mess that the non-proactive .com space has created.

The addition of new TLDs will further split apart the stranglehold that VeriSign has on internet users through the need to have a .com domain name. New TLDs is an important step forward from a 30 year old technology and architectural constraint. Though slowed by consensus building, ICANN has facilitated new TLDs and growth.