The .uk
domain name registry Nominet is inviting views from the UK internet
industry and the public on the implementation and use of
internationalised domain names (IDNs).
Domain names
worldwide are currently limited to using the letters A-Z, digits
0-9 and hyphens. The naming system currently excludes accented
letters and other character sets or symbols. This can lead to
difficulties in creating local domain names in Asian or Eastern
European languages, for instance, where symbols are frequently
used.
The IDN
alternative has the potential to accommodate many more writing
systems used around the world.
Nominet says
pro-IDN arguments question why businesses on the internet should be
prevented from selecting localised domain names, particularly if
the organisation is targeting a specific local market whose first
language may not be English.
There is also the
argument that the internet is a global resource and should not
continue to be dominated by Western organisations
Arguments against
expanding domain name character sets include the fact that English
remains the first language of business worldwide and the one that
the majority of computers and keyboards are equipped to
handle.
Also, opening up
the domain name system to more symbols and permutations of names
would greatly increase the opportunity for typo-squatting (the
practice of registering domain names to take advantage of spelling
or typing errors by users) and cyber-squatting (registering domain
names that others might want, with a view to profiting from
them).
Nominet is
inviting feedback on its IDN consultation paper, which can be
found at:
http://www.nominet.org.uk/content/files/PabIdnConsult2.doc
The consultation
is open until 6 September.