[CPWG] OCTO-34 Challenges with Alternative Name Systems

[Justine Chew]

This came to my attention vide the NCAP Discussion Group and is a
worthwhile read for those with concerns over name collisions in competing
name spaces (please note that these sort of name collisions is out-of-scope
for the NCAP Studies) and I would add to Jim's excerpt extracted from the
document ......

https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/octo-034-27apr22-en.pdf

"*A key reason to obtain a brandable domain is that it is easy to remember,
pronounce, and spell. We also make assumptions. For example, you might
assume that any potential customer anywhere in the world could use the
domain name you select to connect with you easily, either by clicking on a
link or typing the name into a browser, regardless of which platform the
customer is using.*


*This assumptions holds true when you get a regular DNS domain name. Once
the proper DNS records and web servers for that domain name are set up, any
user on the Internet can reach you. This is one of the most important
advantages of the DNS: domain names can be resolved by anyone, anywhere on
the planet, from any platform. Meanwhile, alternative naming systems have
existed for a long while, but have remained marginal. More recently,
various blockchains have introduced their own naming systems. Those are
often promoted as real alternatives to the DNS.*


*If you are using a name that is part of such an alternative naming
solution, the above assumption no longer holds true. Resolving domain names
in an alternative naming system requires a specialized bridge from the DNS
world in order for the alternate names to work. What does this mean to the
average Internet user? Unless Internet users install specific software or
configure certain settings on all of their devices, they will not be able
to use these non-DNS names. In this circumstance, an Internet user clicking
on a link with an alternate name will see a failure with an error message
that the domain cannot be found.....*"



Justine



---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: James Galvin
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2022 at 05:06
Subject: [NCAP-Discuss] OCTO-34 Challenges with Alternative Name Systems
To: NCAP Discussion Group


This document was recently published by OCTO:

https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/octo-034-27apr22-en.pdf


Although our focus is name collisions within the DNS infrastructure, we
have stated that we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge that there
are alternate namespaces and their impact on us.

I believe the aforementioned document by OCTO is informative to this
concern.  I have excerpted the Executive Summary here for your
consideration and encourage all to review the document.


*"The Domain Name System (DNS) is a component of the system of unique
identifiers ICANN helps to coordinate. It is the main naming system on the
Internet. It is not the only one. Some predate it, and some others have
been recently proposed in the wake of the blockchain approach of
decentralized systems.*


* Proposing a new naming system is one thing. Making sure everybody on the
Internet can use it is another. Alternative naming systems face a huge
deployment challenge. A number of solutions exist to bridge the DNS to
those parallel worlds, but they all come with their own set of drawbacks.*


* Furthermore, the lack of name space coordination, either between those
alternative naming systems and the DNS, or simply among those alternative
naming systems, will result in unworkable name collisions that could lead
to completely separate ecosystems, one for each alternative naming system,
further fragmenting the Internet. This is the exact opposite of the vision
“one world, one Internet.”*



Thanks,

Jim
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