July 5, 2004

Did ICANN Even Notice .Org's Problems?

Last week .org had problems.

Many users reported an inability to resolve domain names under .org.  The scope and nature of the problem was masked by .org's heavy use of anycast technology: the problem, and even the appearance of trouble, very much depended on your location in the topology of the internet.

Network operators noticed immediately.  ICANN did not.

ICANN, the body that proclaims itself to be in charge of the stability of the internet's domain name system, appeared to be completely unaware of the existence of problems with one of the internet's largest top level domains.

Instead ICANN, as is typically the case, was obsessed with other matters that have no relation whatsoever to the reliable provision of internet domain name services.

Perhaps it is time to establish a new body, one that actually is concerned with the stability of the internet, so that ICANN can finally stop the obviously untruthful promotion of itself as an organization that has any technical competence, technical knowledge, or concern for the secure, stable, reliable, and efficient technical operation of the internet's domain name system.

Posted by karl at July 5, 2004 10:57 AM