[CPWG] OCTO-34 Challenges with Alternative Name Systems

[Justine Chew]

Yes, section 3.2.2 of the document did identify certain browsers as having
been compiled to access certain alternative name systems by default:  Opera
- ENS domains, Brave - Unstoppable Domains, and even Beacon - Handshake
domains. I guess OCTO takes the position that these are "marginal".

But, yes, once the more commonly used browsers - Firefox, Chrome and Edge -
start supporting alternative name systems by default, I guess OCTO will
have a very different perspective.

Best,
Justine



On Fri, 29 Apr 2022 at 15:34, Theo Geurts via CPWG <cpwg at icann.org> wrote:

>
> While there needs to be a "bridge", several browsers like Opera and Brave
> support alternative name systems by default.
>
> The moment Firefox, Chrome, and Edge start the support, well I guess we
> going to have a different discussion.
>
> Best,
> Theo
>
> On Fri, Apr 29, 2022, at 12:42 AM, Justine Chew via CPWG wrote:
>
> 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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