Don't forget to check out www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Internet Governance at the Crossroads http://jus.uio.no/iri/om_iri/seminarer/InternetGovernance2009/ Forum plugs into US/China internet cooperation http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-11/08/content_7186758.htm ICANN Concludes Successful 33rd Meeting in Cairo http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-07nov08-en.htm ITU challenges ICANN to involve governments [IDG] http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/11/06/itu-challenges-icann-involve-governments The New Global Name Grab in Cairo by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/11/3/3960651.html Planned application procedure for new Top Level Domains criticised http://www.heise-online.co.uk/networks/Planned-application-procedure-for-new-Top-Level-Domains-criticised--/news/111889 ICANN: wrangle over geographical top-level domains http://www.heise-online.co.uk/networks/ICANN-wrangle-over-geographical-top-level-domains--/news/111917 ITU and ICANN ? a loveless forced marriage http://www.heise-online.co.uk/news/ITU-and-ICANN-a-loveless-forced-marriage--/111914 Meeting exposes gap in ICANN discussions [IDG] http://www.pcworld.com/article/153555/icann_meeting.html Sydney and Seoul to host ICANN meetings in 2009 http://domainesinfo.fr/english/234/sydney-and-seoul-to-host-icann-meetings-in-2009.php Internet Attacks Grow More Potent and Complex http://nytimes.com/2008/11/10/technology/internet/10attacks.html VeriSign: Internet infrastructure still vulnerable http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39544361,00.htm In Response to CADNA: Cybersquatting is Not Criminal But a Civil Matter by Michael Collins http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081106_cybersquatting_not_criminal_but_civil/ au: Filter plans a step too far: NetRegistry http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Filter-plans-a-step-too-far-NetRegistry/0,130061744,339293109,00.htm Brazil renews commitment to train Africa TLD managers [IDG] http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/11/06/brazil-renews-commitment-train-africa-tld-managers VeriSign Reports 18% Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth in Third Quarter 2008 [news release] https://press.verisign.com/easyir/customrel.do?easyirid=AFC0FF0DB5C560D3&version=live&prid=450020&releasejsp=custom_97 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Down Under Preview: Australia Puts Out the Welcome Mat for Domainers From Around the World http://dnjournal.com/events/2008/traffic-down-under-preview.htm ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Internet Governance at the Crossroads The Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law, University of Oslo invites you to participate in an international conference "Internet Governance at the Crossroads". It will take place on Thursday 29th and Friday 30th January 2009 at Litteraturhuset in the centre of Oslo. UNINETT Norid AS is co-host and sponsor of the conference. http://jus.uio.no/iri/om_iri/seminarer/InternetGovernance2009/ Forum plugs into US/China internet cooperation China and the United States should expand exchanges and cooperation to ensure effective communication between their Internet authorities, a top information official said in Shanghai on Friday. In a keynote speech at the Second US-China Internet Industry Forum (UCIIF), vice-minister of the State Council Information Office Cai Mingzhao called the Internet "a new engine powering China's economic and social development. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-11/08/content_7187204.htm http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-11/08/content_7186758.htm On Why and How the Internet Needs to Be Governed by Sivasubramanian Muthusamy The World is not inventing Internet Governance. Internet is already being governed. There is governance, but without a formal structure?the structure is undefined like a round table. The table is not quite round, perhaps oblong, or queer shaped. Some participants around the table are visible and some are invisible. And whether or not the table has a 'chair' there is a head of the table visible or invisible. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081108_why_how_internet_to_be_governed/ UK IGF web site launch The UK Internet Governance Forum is a collaborative partnership between Nominet, the UK Department for Business, key parliamentarians and other organisations taking a leading role in making the Internet a better place. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=5724 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN Concludes Successful 33rd Meeting in Cairo ICANN concluded its 33rd International Public Meeting in Cairo today. During the meeting, key issues that will influence the future development of the Internet were discussed by more than 1,000 delegates from 144 countries, including the introduction of new gTLDs and IDNs. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-07nov08-en.htm ICANN Formalizes Relationship with ccTLD Manager for Egypt (.eg) ICANN has announced today that it has signed an exchange of letters with the ccTLD manager for .eg, EUN, .eg Registry Sector. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-07nov08-en.htm ITU challenges ICANN to involve governments [IDG] The debate over the role of governments within the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has taken a new twist after Hamadoun Tour?, secretary general of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), labeled the ICANN Government Advisory Committee as "cosmetic." http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/11/06/itu-challenges-icann-involve-governments http://www.cio.com/article/460415/ITU_Challenges_ICANN_to_Involve_Governments http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/110608-itu-challenges-icann-to-involve.html http://www.itworldcanada.com/a/Daily-News/491e15de-099b-46ee-8fb7-f1a12ddf4833.html http://www.itworldcanada.com/a/News/491e15de-099b-46ee-8fb7-f1a12ddf4833.html The New Global Name Grab in Cairo by Milton Mueller ICANN's policy for adding new generic TLDs was (sort of) settled in June. Now the staff has come up with a 200-page implementation plan that is being circulated at the Cairo meeting and online. The plan will clearly have to be modified; it is generating massive discontent and controversy. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/11/3/3960651.html Planned application procedure for new Top Level Domains criticised There has been no shortage of criticism of the application procedures for new TLDs at the meeting of ICANN in Cairo this week. Too expensive, too slow and too unrefined in their details ? these are the main points of criticism in connection with the proposals presented by the private internet administration group. While ICANN's President Paul Twomey emphasised from the start that the proposals aren't written in stone and that a second draft proposal for the application procedures is possible before the final version is completed, this announced intermediate step was criticised as yet another delay by the registries and registrars. ICANN's Vice President Kurt Pritz conceded that this could postpone the start of assignments until the third quarter of 2009. http://www.heise-online.co.uk/networks/Planned-application-procedure-for-new-Top-Level-Domains-criticised--/news/111889 ICANN: wrangle over geographical top-level domains There has been a lot of argument at the 33rd meeting of ICANN in Cairo, which ends on Friday, about the rules for introducing new TLDs. If certain governments have their way, ICANN will have to wait before introducing country or regional names as TLDs. They want the procedure for introducing new country domain names (ccTLDs, such as .uk) in non-Latin alphabets to be adopted first. This emerges from a reportPDF delivered by the Latvian diplomat Janis Karklins, chairman of ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) at the meeting in Cairo. http://www.heise-online.co.uk/networks/ICANN-wrangle-over-geographical-top-level-domains--/news/111917 ITU and ICANN ? a loveless forced marriage ITU Secretary General Hamadoun Tour? has called for better collaboration between the ITU and ICANN. "Our members have unnecessarily attacked and criticised each other and I think we should put an end to that," said Tour? on Thursday at the 33rd ICANN meeting in Cairo. According to Tour?, the two organisations need to get to know each other better and learn to love each other, as telecommunications and the internet are ultimately condemned to a "forced marriage". http://www.heise-online.co.uk/news/ITU-and-ICANN-a-loveless-forced-marriage--/111914 Meeting exposes gap in ICANN discussions [IDG] Discussion within ICANN tends to focus on wealthy countries, demonstrating a gap between developed and emerging nations, according to participants at this week's ICANN public meeting in Cairo. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/110708-meeting-exposes-gap-in-icann.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/153555/icann_meeting.html ICANN in Egypt. Does it really take so long to get things done? ICANN met in Egypt this week to discuss the future of the Internet. It's a future with more security, more domain names and more internationalization. Wait a sec, isn't that the same future that ICANN has been talking about for the last 10 years? http://blog.internetnews.com/skerner/2008/11/icann-in-egypt-does-it-really.html NTIA Chief To ICANN: Proceed With Caution The Internet's key administrative agency's blueprint for making sweeping changes to the way TLDs, such as .biz, .info, and .us, are assigned must take into consideration the impact of potential changes to the registrar and registry marketplace and demonstrate that it has the sufficient capacity to enforce contract compliance with an as yet unknown number of new contracts, a top Commerce Department official told attendees at the ICANN meeting this week in Cairo, Egypt. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2008/11/ntia_chief_to_icann_proceed_wi.php Sydney and Seoul to host ICANN meetings in 2009 Major Australian and South Korean cities named as venues for 2nd and final ICANN meetings of 2009. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/234/sydney-and-seoul-to-host-icann-meetings-in-2009.php Race for internet hub begins next year The race to become the ?central station? of the Arabic internet will begin next year, as companies and governments look to establish the .com of the Arab world, industry figures say. http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081106/BUSINESS/753626139/1005 Web addresses could become multi-lingual WEB authorities from around the world are meeting this week to discuss proposed changes to the domain name system including support for multi-lingual addresses. http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,24615435-5014239,00.html What's Going on at ICANN in Cairo by David Maher Following up on the big decision at the Paris ICANN meeting in June to make new TLDs available, there's lots of activity at the ICANN conference in Cairo, Egypt this week. A few of the hot topics of discussion that we are following are the applications process for new gTLDs, Registry/Registrar Cross Ownership, and restructuring of the ICANN Board. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081106_whats_going_on_icann_in_cairo/ ICANN Cairo: Is anyone listening to the GNSO? by Brenden Kuerbis Poor GNSO. As all the policy making power gravitates to GAC and ccTLDs, we see the GNSO Council laboring in a big room with no one watching. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/11/6/3966817.html Should Internet registrars be transparent? Let ICANN know! In light of continuing criminal activity on the Internet, Garth Bruen of Knujon makes a plea for public disclosure of Internet Registrar ownership and location http://weblog.infoworld.com/stratdev/archives/2008/11/should_internet.html .berlin, .sport, .brand_name ? new gTLDs on the way In a major change to the domain name system, ICANN has announced a draft plan (or Guidebook) that will allow for applications for new gTLDs and is seeking comment from interested parties. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=6436 http://www.vayton.com/New-ICANN-TLD-s-yourname-sport http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/11/07/berlin-sport-brand_name-%e2%80%93-new-gtlds-on-the-way/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/.berlin-.sport-.brand-name-new-gtlds-on-the-way.html ICANN Releases Draft Applicant Guidebook for New Generic Top-Level Domains ICANN ... released draft policy documents regarding a new program that will permit organizations to create and operate gTLDs. http://mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=69022 Domain tasting to end on March 1st? ICANN has released a draft plan for implementing its Add Grace Period (AGP) limits policy. The policy is designed to end domain tasting. Registrars will no longer be able to claim refunds on domains less than 5 days old if the claim is for 50 domains or more than 10% of the registrar's monthly registration volume, whichever is the highest. http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/148-Domain-tasting-to-end-on-March-1st.html ICANN Domain Tasting Deadline by Michele Neylon Stephane has an interesting post on the possible end of domain tasting. While the debate around domain tasting has been going on for quite some time ICANN can be a very slow moving beast. In some ways it moves far too slow, but when you consider the range of different opinions that have to be taken into consideration for such a significant policy change to come into effect it's a different story. http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/11/02/icann-domain-tasting-deadline/ 33rd International ICANN Meeting: Cairo The 33rd international ICANN meeting is underway in Cairo, Egypt and you can join the action live by visiting http://cai.icann.org/en/cai/schedule. Click any schedule item at the posted meeting time to read the live transcripts of all open sessions. The transcripts of all previous open sessions from this meeting are also available. http://www.namesmash.com/?p=163 Domain Registrar Hide and Seek by John Levine In the past year ICANN has been putting a lot more effort into its compliance activities, which is a good thing, since the previous level was, ah, exiguous. That's the good news. The bad news is that while they're paying more attention to misbehaving registrants, the registrars, gatekeepers to the world of domains, have serious issues that ICANN has yet to address. http://www.circleid.com/posts/2008119_domain_registrar_hide_and_seek/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** December 1st - Deadline for airports to register IATA codes on .aero [news release] SITA today issued a reminder that December 1, 2008 is the cut-off date for airports wishing to register their three letter IATA airport codes with .aero, the SITA-sponsored internet domain for the air transport industry. http://information.aero/news/2008-11-04-08 dotBERLIN at ICANN Cairo Dirk Krischenowski suggest a cesarean section to end ICANNs consecutive pregnancy with new TLDs at ICANN http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ftRzD8IU2co The Berlin Domain .berlin When Dirk Krischenowski, Founder and CEO says at ICANN meeting in Paris that .berlin is the mothership of all cityTLDs... http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux9B7lxVMUM ca: CIRA Announces Revised Fourth Quarter Policies and Procedures [news release] The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) today announced revised policies and procedures for the fourth quarter 2008, intending to clarify, amend and simplify our current business processes. These policies will come into effect on December 9, 2008. http://cira.ca/en/media-room/news/governance/q4-2008.html Netcom.CM - Important Announcement [news release] The CM Sunrise period has been highly successful, with many registrars submitting CM domain names during the initial sunrise period. Due to the growing popularity of the CM domain name, the CM Sunrise period has been extended from Friday October 31 until Wednesday, November 5 2008. http://netcom.cm/ .CM ccTLD Sunrise Period is Over; Tradmark Holders Should Still Consider Defensive Pre-Registrations of .CM Second-Level Domain Names Registrations for second-level .cm ccTLD are now in full swing. These second-level ccTLDs include .com.cm, .net.cm, and .co.cm. Registrations began on October 15 through NETCOM, located at http://www.netcom.cm. The .cm domain name suffix, which is a country code that stands for the Republic of Cameroon, is wildly popular with typosquatters and cybersquatters because it acts as a typo of not only .com, but also of China?s .cn ccTLD, the most popular ccTLD in the world. http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2008/11/cm-cctld-sunris.html .Info Domain Safer From Phishing Attacks [news release] Afilias, a global provider of Internet infrastructure services, today announced that a new Global Phishing Survey released by the Anti-Phishing Work Group (APWG) reveals that the .INFO domain, managed and operated by Afilias, is now safer from phishing attacks. Phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and financial information by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic transaction. http://www.afilias.info/news/press_releases/pr_articles/2008-11-06-01 nl: SIDN organises debate regarding domain names, security and privacy [news release] SIDN, the .nl registry, is organising the Domain Name Debate 2008, which takes place at Zeist Castle on 13 November. The debate is an opportunity for the Dutch Internet community to discuss key policy issues affecting the .nl domain. http://www.sidn.nl/ace.php/c,728,6003,,,,SIDN_organises_debate_regarding_domain_names_security_and_privacy.html .ac.rs domain delegated to Academic Network [news release] The Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society of Serbia informed RNIDS that the management of the .ac.rs address space should be left to the Conference of the Universities of Serbia (Konus) which should determine conditions for domain registration for all accredited high-education institutions - faculties and institutes. http://rnids.rs/en/node/67?lang=en Somalia government seeks control of .so domain [IDG] The interim government of Somalia has applied to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) seeking to regain control of the .so domain. http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/11/06/somalia-government-seeks-control-so-domain http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/110608-somalia-government-seeks-control-of.html http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=8775&tirsan=3 http://www.somaliweyn.org/pages/news/Nov_08/6Nov27.html December 3rd trademark deadline approaches for .tel domain names [news release] eOffice amongst those applying early in first come, first served process Cairo, Egypt ? 4th November 2008 ? With one month to go until Sunrise opens, trademark owners were today warned that they risk missing out on being listed in the new global, ?live? contacts directory if they fail take advantage of the first come, first served application period for their branded .tel domains. http://telnic.com/downloads/1_Month_to_Go_Announcement.pdf tel: New no-advertising domain will deter some cybersquatters A new domain to be launched in December will be the first to reject advertising, making it unattractive to most cybersquatters. The .tel domain will not host websites, only contact information that will be sent to computers and phones. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/06/dot_tel_domain/ Test .TEL! TELNIC has launched a beta program to allow prospective registrants to test .TEL prior to the December 3 Sunrise. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/233/test-tel.php New in 2009 dot tel (.tel) domain names demonstration video Check out how cool dot tel (.tel) domain names are. These are going to be the next big thing on the internet. http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=rBU_wHQg5ec uk: Renewals changes [news release] We are implementing a series of changes to our renewal process. This includes the addition of some new renewal based functions and also changes to our communication processes with registrants in reminding them about renewing their domain names. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=5700 uk: Web Domain Manager - phase 3 release [news release] Web domain manager was launched in June 2008 to provide a browser-based interface to allow registrars to manage domain names. This system is ideally suited to registrars who may not have the technical resources to develop automaton or EPP solutions. Web domain manager enables registrars to quickly and easily make low volume registrations, data amendments or requests. These types of requests previously had to be constructed as automaton messages and were often time consuming. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=5699 uk: ENUM Registrar information day [news release] We are holding our second ENUM registrar information day on Wednesday 3 December 2008 at the Thorpe Park Hotel in Leeds. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=5723 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Internet Attacks Grow More Potent and Complex Attackers bent on shutting down large Web sites ? even the operators that run the backbone of the Internet ? are arming themselves with what are effectively vast digital fire hoses capable of overwhelming the world?s largest networks, according to a new report on online security. http://nytimes.com/2008/11/10/technology/internet/10attacks.html Virtualization and DNS Monitoring: Strategies for Catching Cyber Criminals Hackers are getting more sophisticated and the threat posed by a network breach and the potential for damage is graver than it has ever been before. Attacks against networks and theft of sensitive information used to be the playground of a relatively few technically savvy pranksters. Now it has evolved into a highly lucrative and robust business model. http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/428655 VeriSign: Internet infrastructure still vulnerable Authentication company VeriSign, which operates two of the root servers for the internet, has warned that the web is still vulnerable to attack, despite continued investment in hardening systems. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39544361,00.htm ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** In Response to CADNA: Cybersquatting is Not Criminal But a Civil Matter by Michael Collins On Wednesday, November 5 The Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse (CADNA) released a statement that implied that cybersquatting is a criminal activity. CADNA said in its release "CADNA has been working diligently to further international and national policies that combat the practice of cybersquatting? As brands continue to learn about the prevalence and practice of online criminal activities..." While, Internet Commerce Association (ICA) vigorously opposes cybersquatting, it is important to note that cybersquatting is a civil matter, not a criminal one. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081106_cybersquatting_not_criminal_but_civil/ http://domainersmagazine.com/20081106175/press-releases/internet-commerce-association-response-to-cadna.html ICA Anti-Phishing Victory Might Be a Curse! by Alex Tajirian A triumph by the Internet Commerce Association (ICA) over tactics and legislation detrimental to domain name owners might end up being a case of winner's curse, a triumph bought at the expense of the industry. In picking this one battle to win, the association ignores a broader war, the range of issues our industry needs to address. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081106_ica_anti_phishing_victory_curse/ Porsche.me: Money Down the Drain In August I wrote about how he snapped up car company names in the .me launch auctions. He even paid $90,025 for Toyota.me. Apparently he hadn?t gotten the memo from ten years ago about the dangers of owning trademarked domain names. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/11/06/porscheme-money-down-the-drain/ Domain registration scam hits West Michigan Every bit of business is important in these tough economic times, so the Better Business Bureau of Western Michigan is alerting small businesses that a "fake bill" telling you to renew your domain name for the Internet is circulating in our region. The bill looks official and reminds the BBB of the fake yellow pages bill of yesteryear. http://rockfordindependent.com/main.asp?SectionID=11&SubSectionID=11&ArticleID=1673 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** au: Filter plans a step too far: NetRegistry Australia's biggest domain name seller NetRegistry has slammed the government's proposed internet content filtering scheme, claiming that the proposal would hurt small business. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Filter-plans-a-step-too-far-NetRegistry/0,130061744,339293109,00.htm Brazil renews commitment to train Africa TLD managers [IDG] Brazil has renewed its commitment to training Africa's TLD managers after successful training in Angola, Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania. http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/11/06/brazil-renews-commitment-train-africa-tld-managers http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/110608-brazil-renews-commitment-to-train.html http://www.itworldcanada.com/a/Daily-News/d6f68042-a224-4fb9-9465-bd6b43dd26a6.html VeriSign Reports 18% Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth in Third Quarter 2008 [news release] VeriSign reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2008. VeriSign reported revenue of $246 million from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2008. On a GAAP basis, VeriSign reported a consolidated net loss of $200 million and a net loss per share of $1.02 on a fully-diluted basis. These GAAP results reflect a $237 million non-cash impairment charge for estimated losses on certain assets held for sale, all of which is recorded in discontinued operations. Also recorded were restructuring charges of $13 million, $7 million of which is recorded in discontinued operations related to assets held for sale. https://press.verisign.com/easyir/customrel.do?easyirid=AFC0FF0DB5C560D3&version=live&prid=450020&releasejsp=custom_97 Netcraft October 2008 Web Server Survey In the October 2008 survey we received responses from 182,226,259 sites, which reflects growth of 948 thousand since last month. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2008/10/29/october_2008_web_server_survey.html Innovative Approach to Domain Name Strategy Delivers Significant Savings to Fortune 500 Company [news release] FairWinds Partners, LLC, has been working with Verizon Communications to develop and implement an innovative approach to optimizing Verizon?s domain portfolio. This new approach has enabled Verizon not only to better provide its customers with more relevant online experiences that deliver desired content, but also to do so in a more cost-effective manner. http://fairwindspartners.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/november-4-2008 Web Registration in .?? Zone to Begin in July Russia will become the first nation with the non-Latin domain. ICANN Corp that manages domain distribution in the Internet accepted yesterday the registration application for Cyrillic domain. The registration of web-sites in Russia will begin in early July and roughly 350,000 sites will probably emerge in two years. http://www.kommersant.com/p1052592/Domain_registration_.%D0%A0%D0%A4/ Three Top Level Domains to Remember for Russian Internet Users Now .rf - a new top level domain assigned to RussiaRussia is an interesting country when it comes to the TLDs that the nation uses. Initially Soviet Union was assigned .su domain but soon after that the Soviet Union itself went into oblivion and Russia was granted a separate domain zone of its own - .ru this time. http://profy.com/2008/11/06/three-top-level-domains-to-remember-for-russian-internet-users/ US election 08 and domain names With the US election finally reaching its conclusion today, it was interesting to read an article in the New York Times recently about domain name trends for the two presidential candidates. Technology media company IDG used DomainTools to query for domains and discovered that there were 2,357 domains registered for Barack Obama and 1,431 domains for John McCain. When they expanded the query to domains with either ?Obama? or ?McCain? included in them, the results were 11,089 for Obama and 5,378 for McCain. http://blog.nominet.org.uk/insight/2008/11/us-election-08-and-domain-names/ "NRO Regrets the Lost Opportunity for Ethiopia to Host an AfriNIC Training and Meeting Event " The Number Resource Organisation (NRO), is an organization formed by the five Regional Internet address Registries which are responsible for the management of IP address space (IPv4 and IPv6) around the world. On behalf of its member AfriNIC, the NRO expresses its great concern at the recent banning of the AfriNIC meeting which was planned to be held in Addis Ababa next month. http://www.nro.net/documents/press_release_301008.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Dark Blue Sea Quarterly: Domain Sales Continue to Outpace Direct Navigation Revenue Dark Blue Sea Limited, parent company of Fabulous.com, released their September 2008 Quarterly Report today. The report contains DBS? key performance indicators, trading performance, domain portfolio information, finacial position, strategic outlook and a brief on the impact of the Australian dollar versus US Dollar. http://www.domainnamenews.com/domain-aftermarket/dark-blue-sea-quarterly-domain-sales-continue-to-outpace-direct-navigation-revenue/3096 Quartet of Six-Figure Sales and Flood of Completed Live Auction Sales Lead Our Latest Chart We were off on a rare vacation last week but this new report will bring you completely up to date on all of the notable domain sales that were reported since our last column Oct. 15. We are expanding each of our three charts (the all extension leader board, Global Contenders and Country Codes) from their usual 20 positions to 40 to make room for the double dose of data. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2008/domainsales11-04-08.htm T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Down Under Preview: Australia Puts Out the Welcome Mat for Domainers From Around the World The T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference heads overseas for the first time November 18-20 when Fabulous.com hosts the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Down Under conference on Australia's famed Gold Coast. There will also be a pair of special activity days, one before the conference and one after. Fabulous has booked the scenic Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa to serve as the show venue. http://dnjournal.com/events/2008/traffic-down-under-preview.htm Aftermarket.com Down Under Auction Catalog Begins The selection and review process for the Aftermarket.com T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Down Under Auction is in full swing! The amount and quality of domain submissions for this auction are impressive. Based on previous success, Thought Convergence elected to work with the Domain Consultant team in this endeavor. http://blog.domaintools.com/2008/11/aftermarketcom-down-under-auction-catalog-begins/ T.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York 2008: Domainers Who Met in Brooklyn Counted Their Blessings While Wall Street Mulled a Meltdown in Manhattan Turmoil in the financial markets could not stop the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. domain conference from completing its 12th successful run with the 2008 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York show Sept. 23-26 at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott. http://dnjournal.com/cover/2008/october.htm Resetting Domain Name Expectations: A Football Analogy Last Saturday was a dismal day down here in Austin. The Texas Longhorns football team lost to Texas Tech in an amazing finish. If they won, the Longhorns would have toppled four top 11 teams in a row and been set up for a national title game. Instead, with just 8 seconds left in the game, Texas dropped an easy interception that would have sealed the game. Texas Tech scored on the next play to win the game. So now the Longhorns are 8-1 for the year and ranked 4th in the Bowl Championship Series. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/11/06/resetting-domain-name-expectations-a-football-analogy/ Texas Domain Name And Developers Conference Enters Final Day 4 day event offered domain name portfolio management and web design and security education from industry practicioners. http://www.domaininformer.com/news/press/081106TexasDomainNameAndDevelopersConferenceEntersFinalDay.html ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** uk: Web-savvy young make bad jurors because they cannot listen, says Lord Chief Justice Young people brought up with the internet are not used to listening for long periods and would not make good jurors, according to the most senior judge in England and Wales. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/3393061/Web-savvy-young-make-bad-jurors-because-they-cannot-listen-says-Lord-Chief-Justice.html Lord Chief Justice: Young jurors can't listen, need "screens" Lord Igor Judge, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, sees a problem with young jurors: they can't concentrate on oral argument anymore. Sir Igor thinks that using more screens in court could be the answer, though the potential for aggravated Powerpoint abuse remains high. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081109-lord-chief-justice-young-jurors-cant-listen-need-screens.html China issues first definition of Internet addiction Chinese doctors released the country's first diagnostic definition of Internet addiction over the weekend, amid efforts to address an increasing number of psychological problems that reportedly result from Internet overuse. http://en.ce.cn/Life/health/200811/10/t20081110_17325508.shtml Tech Industry Leaves a Big Carbon Footprint The majority of the information technology industry has been slow to embrace the low carbon economy, missing out on opportunities. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Gartner invited 24 global IT providers to participate in a study on climate change that examined whether the vendors and solution providers had created environmental offerings for customers. http://www.computerworlduk.com/toolbox/green-computing/vendor-watch/news/index.cfm?newsid=11828 http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/153542/tech_industry_leaves_a_big_carbon_footprint.html Zuckerberg?s Law of Information Sharing On stage at the Web 2.0 Summit Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Facebook, was cheerfully unruffled. Mr. Zuckerberg pinned his optimism on a change in behavior among Internet users: that they are ever more willing to tell others what they are doing, who their friends are, and even what they look like as they crawl home from the frat party. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/zuckerbergs-law-of-information-sharing/ Suicide bomber video game condemned by terror victims A computer game in which players control a suicide bomber trying to kill as many civilians as possible has been condemned by victims of terrorism. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3388318/Suicide-bomber-video-game-condemned-by-terror-victims.html IPTV to take off in Australia For almost 50 years Australians faced one of the most limited television channel choices on the planet -- a choice eventually expanded by pay-TV, and then digital programming -- but now the country is about to enjoy almost unlimited choice with the arrival of IPTV in the lounge room. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24627716-15306,00.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Facebook and MySpace go head to head with their visions of future In the past few years they have become synonymous with the social networking phenomenon - and become rivals fighting each other for millions of users. Yesterday internet giants Facebook and MySpace went head to head again, as they outlined audacious plans for the future. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/08/facebook-myspace-social-networking-ipod Companies and social networks: Losing face-A tale of two airlines and their Facebook fiascos AS WELL as embracing blogs, firms have been exploiting social networks such as Facebook and MySpace to get their messages to a broader audience. But although they have the potential to be useful marketing tools, such networks can also be a source of damaging publicity, as British Airways (BA) and Virgin Atlantic have discovered to their cost. http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12566818&CFID=29002561 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Murdoch to Aussies: embrace technology News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch is urging Australians to move out of their comfort zones and embrace new technology. In his second of five Boyer Lectures, The Challenge of Technology, which will be aired on ABC Radio National at 5pm tomorrow, Mr Murdoch says people should stop whingeing about the challenge of new technology and "get out in front of it". http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,24619205-7582,00.html University lecturer gets ?5,000 to study Wii A university lecturer has been given ?5,000 to study the health benefits of the Nintendo Wii. Michael Duncan will work with schoolchildren for six weeks to see if the popular games console can improve fitness and tackle obesity. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/09/wii-nintendo-university-derby-console ********************** SPAM ********************** Researchers Hijack Storm Worm to Track Profits A single response from 12 million e-mails is all it takes for spammers to turn annual profits of millions of dollars promoting knockoff pharmaceuticals, according to an unprecedented new study on the economics of spam. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/11/study_spam_still_profitable_at.html Wanted: New Antispam Tactics The spread of CAPTCHA-breaking tools has resulted in a sudden surge in the use of blogging sites such as Google's Blogspot to host spam adverts, security vendor MessageLabs has reported. http://www.pcworld.com/article/153533/spam_spammers_security.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Internet Attacks Grow More Potent and Complex Attackers bent on shutting down large Web sites ? even the operators that run the backbone of the Internet ? are arming themselves with what are effectively vast digital fire hoses capable of overwhelming the world?s largest networks, according to a new report on online security. http://nytimes.com/2008/11/10/technology/internet/10attacks.html Pakistan proposes death penalty for 'cyber-terrorists' [AFP] Cyber-terrorism causing death is to be a capital crime, Pakistan's government has declared, as it seeks to get tough with extremism and high-tech offences. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/07/2412823.htm Pakistan sets death penalty for cyber terrorism Pakistan has taken the unprecedented step of making cyber terrorism a crime punishable by death, according to a decree issued on Thursday by President Asif Ali Zardari. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/3392216/Pakistan-sets-death-penalty-for-cyber-terrorism.html Pakistan Sets Death Penalty For Cyber Terrorism Causing death through "cyber terrorism" will be punishable by death in Pakistan, according to a decree issued by President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday. http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/government/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212000914 Pakistan government sets death penalty for 'cyber terrorism' Any person who commits "cyber terrorism" and causes death of any person shall be punishable with death or imprisonment for life and fine up to Rs 10 million under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance, 2008. http://brecorder.com/index.php?id=832478 President promulgates ordinance to prevent electronic crimes [APP] The President has promulgated the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance, 2008 (Ordinance No. IX of 2008) to make provision for prevention of the electronic crimes. This Ordinance may be called the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance, 2008. This Ordinance extends to the whole of Pakistan and it shall apply to every person who commits an offence under this Ordinance irrespective of his nationality or citizenship whatsoever or in any place outside or inside Pakistan, having detrimental effect on the security of Pakistan or its nationals or national harmony or any property or any electronic system or data located in Pakistan or any electronic system or data capable of being connected, sent to, used by or with any electronic system in Pakistan. http://app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58277 Call for revision of cyber-crime law Reporters Without Borders condemns a cyber-crime law called the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance which President Asif Ali Zardari issued yesterday and which sets very harsh penalties for blogging offences, hacking and spamming. http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=29223 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Internet black boxes to record every email and website visit Internet "black boxes" could be used to record every email and website visit made by computer users in Britain, it has been reported. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3384743/Internet-black-boxes-to-record-every-email-and-website-visit.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** YouTube in talks with Hollywood to show free full-length films The video website YouTube is preparing to link up with Hollywood to show full-length films for free over the internet, it has emerged. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/08/youtube-film-technology-business Movie star in the making: China's answer to YouTube With 12 million users a day, Gary Wang's Tudou is the biggest video sharing site in China - and it's set to get much, much bigger http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/06/youtube-tudou-video Tudou.com's Advertising Revenue Reached CNY11.296 Million In H1 2008 Chinese video website Tudou.com announced at the product conference of its high-definition channel hd.tudou.com that the company made CNY11.296 million in the advertising sector in the first half of 2008 ? much more than that of its competitor Youku.com but still an overall paltry amount in China's advertising sector. http://www.chinatechnews.com/2008/11/07/7924-tudoucoms-advertising-revenue-reached-cny11296-million-in-h1-2008/ ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Malaysian authorities release detained anti-government blogger Malaysian authorities today freed a blogger who edits an anti-government news website, after a court ruled his arrest under a law allowing indefinite detention was illegal. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/07/malaysia-blogger-humanrights Malaysian Court Frees Blogger Detained as Threat to Security In what lawyers described as a landmark ruling, a court in Malaysia ordered the release of one of the country?s best-known bloggers on Friday, ruling that the government had acted beyond its authority in invoking a threat to national security. http://nytimes.com/2008/11/08/world/asia/08malaysia.html Malaysia blogger's joy at release A prominent critic of the Malaysian government, blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, has been freed from jail on the orders of a judge. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7714696.stm ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ European banks urged to expose child porn money trails European banks are under pressure to crack down on the owners of child pornography websites, following a legal breakthrough that has enabled international enforcement agencies to identify those who profit from them. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/09/child-porn-money-trials au: Child pornography law update This e-brief updates the paper Child Pornography Law published in August 2008. Specifically, it reviews the proposals for reform relating to child pornography recommended in Penalties Relating to Sexual Assault Offences in New South Wales, a report by the NSW Sentencing Council, chaired by Supreme Court Judge James Wood. The report is in two volumes: Volume One sets out the Sentencing Council?s views and recommendations on the relevant issues; Volume Two is devoted to statistical analysis. The report was released on 25 October 2008. http://www.apo.org.au/linkboard/results.chtml?filename_num=238060 au: Filter plans a step too far: NetRegistry Australia's biggest domain name seller NetRegistry has slammed the government's proposed internet content filtering scheme, claiming that the proposal would hurt small business. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Filter-plans-a-step-too-far-NetRegistry/0,130061744,339293109,00.htm How Obama wants tech to save the world Barack Obama's ascendancy to the US presidency will be deconstructed a thousand ways, but one persistent theme has been his campaign's use of the Internet to build extensive social and organisational networks supporting probably the largest grassroots effort that country has seen. ... Another core Obama policy is to protect children online "while protecting the First Amendment" through delivery of tools and information to help parents control what their children see. This aligns Obama with Coalition policy, as evidenced by the Howard government's NetAlert program (since scrapped by Labor); sadly, however, Australia has since ventured into the land of farce as Conroy works to isolate Australian Internet users behind the world's biggest content filter. http://apcmag.com/how_obama_wants_tech_to_save_the_world.htm ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* China's not important: Microsoft CEO The global head of Microsoft has dismissed China's importance to its business due to the Government's failure to curb rampant software piracy. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24628109-15306,00.html Google at 10: Searching Its Own Soul - Eric Schmidt interview As Google recently turned 10 years old, some analysts and investors began to say the company was suffering from early signs of maturity. Google?s growth rate, while still brisk, has slowed significantly and is expected to slow more because of the economic slowdown. Eric E. Schmidt, chief executive, said that Google was better positioned than other advertising companies to survive a recession. http://nytimes.com/2008/11/08/technology/companies/08interview.html Yahoo tells Microsoft: 'Buy us' Yahoo said the "For Sale" sign is still on its front lawn and that Microsoft should buy the company. The internet portal's co-founder and CEO Jerry Yang made the comment despite the fact Yahoo rejected a $33 (?21) a share offer from Microsoft back in May. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7712298.stm Yahoo! admits it is open to new Microsoft bid Jerry Yang, Yahoo!?s chief executive, has admitted that he is open to a new deal with Microsoft after the web portal?s advertising partnership with Google fell apart yesterday. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article5096934.ece Yahoo in precarious position as its CEO beckons to Microsoft Just a day after Google Inc. walked away from a proposed search advertising partnership with Yahoo Inc., the latter firm's CEO said a takeover by Microsoft Corp. would now be the best thing for his company. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9119339 http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;289135097 Yang's No Longer Playing Hard to Get but Is Microsoft Playing? In what's become the equivalent of watching a fish flop around outside of water, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang has now come forward with a new plea for Microsoft to purchase his struggling company. Just hours after Google announced it was pulling out of its planned search advertising partnership with Yahoo, Yang displayed what's widely being interpreted as a new level of desperation. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/65067.html Yang to Ballmer: Microsoft should buy Yahoo [IDG] Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang has a message for his Microsoft counterpart Steve Ballmer: Microsoft should buy Yahoo, and Ballmer only has to say the word and Yang will be sitting at the negotiating table. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/11/06/Yang_to_Ballmer_Microsoft_should_buy_Yahoo_1.html Microsoft CEO pours cold water on Yahoo interest Software giant Microsoft Corp dismissed speculation it might still be interested in a takeover of Internet firm Yahoo Inc. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-36372220081107 http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE4A60QM20081107 Google and Yahoo Say Deal Would Have Survived a Suit A day after Google walked away from an advertising partnership with Yahoo, Eric E. Schmidt, the chief executive of Google, said he believed that the companies would have been successful if they had chosen to defend the deal in court. http://nytimes.com/2008/11/07/technology/companies/07google.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** EU scales back plan for telecom agency The European Commission said Friday that it had scaled back its plans for a new telecommunications agency that would ensure consistent regulatory decisions by national authorities. http://iht.com/articles/2008/11/07/technology/telecom.php Super-fast broadband, bit by bit The network that powers the next generation of broadband is going to be radically different from the one we currently have. That is the view of Francesco Caio, one of the government's chief advisers on so-called next generation access and author of a major report into how the UK should roll out super-fast broadband. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7711716.stm au: Telstra warns of network pullout The Rudd Government's plans for a national broadband network are at risk of unravelling with Telstra threatening not even to put in a bid this month. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24615427-15306,00.html NZ Nats win prompts 'telecommunications hui' call The Telecommunications Users Association has called for a "telecommunications hui", following National's election victory. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4755324a28.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4755324a26834.html http://www.businessday.co.nz/industries/telco_it/4755998 Which is New Zealand's fastest broadband ISP? The broadband landscape has changed drastically over the last 12 months, with local loop unbundling meaning increased competition and, in theory, faster internet for all of us. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10541660 Telstra lays into NZ telco regulation Fighting back against moves to split his own company, Telstra CEO Sol Trujillo gave New Zealand's regulatory model a serve at the company's investor day in Sydney this week. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/94507C215B833F9BCC2574FA00780992 New Zealand to get NBN, too The victory of New Zealand's National Party in the country's elections over the weekend has vaulted the creation of a $1.5 billion national fibre broadband network to the top of the government's agenda. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/New-Zealand-to-get-NBN-too/0,130061791,339293120,00.htm ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** NZ Cellphone users paying too much The Commerce Commission says mobile phone users are probably paying "significantly" too much for calls. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10541603 Cellphone makers face toughest year since 2001 A wave of economic gloom is set to hit mobile phone buyers next year, with a growing number of analysts expecting the once-buoyant market to shrink for the first time since the 2001 crash, a Reuters poll showed. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-36382920081107 http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-36382920081107 ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au/us: Disney worker Tony Guerra had child-sex library [AAP] A FORMER Disney amusement park worker who persuaded an Australian man to tape the sexual abuse of his six-year-old daughter and six-month-old granddaughter and distribute it on the internet has been jailed for more than 10 years. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24615909-912,00.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David §yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home) "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery Find your perfect match today at the new Yahoo!7 Dating. Get Started http://au.dating.yahoo.com/?cid=53151&pid=1012Received on Sun Nov 09 2008 - 19:18:08 UTC
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