Board resolution quashes dotless domains again, at least for now.
ICANN’s New gTLD Program Committee has passed a resolution confirming a prohibition on so-called dotless domain names, effectively killing Google’s plans for a dotless .search top level domain name.
A dotless top level domain name would resolve without a dot. For example, while something.example will resolve in most browsers, http://example will not.
Google had hoped to use “search” as a dotless domain name. But recent security reports (pdf) reconfirmed some of the security and stability risks of dotless domains.
There was already a prohibition on dotless domain names in the applicant guidebook for new TLDs. The guidebook requires new TLD operators to get ICANN’s blessing to operate a dotless domain.
The committee’s resolution reconfirms that dotless domains are prohibited. That’s the safe approach. But once people become more comfortable with hundreds of new top level domain names in general, and if other security concerns end up being non-issues, I wouldn’t be surprised if this topic is revisited.
Ms Domainer says
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Of course a dotless search would be denied. How would ICANN and all their buddies fill their pockets if Google could create a dotless community?
But it is coming, no doubt. Google is always working on algorithms, and I expect that they’ll find a way to do it anyway.
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Keel Traxler says
Google is not the oh mighty ruler and what ICANN says goes. Weather you like it or not or Google for that matter. Just because Google is working on something does not give them the right to go and break the Internet. Google is an evil company already that sits and reads your email and everything else, after they claimed they never did. So why give them anything else? Their CEOs should have been locked up in prison for breaking the law to start off with and then lying about it on top of destroying evidence. If it was any other company doing that (aka Adelphia family, aka Martha) they would have been locked up and serving time.
simple-touriste says
“after they claimed they never did”
You are making this up.
Moron.
Holly Kick says
well done ICANN. I think its time ICanh invades google, there is too much evil in google and i am scared ..
Howie Crosby says
Hello, how would a website operate without a domain name? A site requires a destination address, working dotless if it works will just change the domain infrastructure.
John Berryhill says
It will work that way in the Google Chrome browser, of that you can be sure.
Keel Traxler says
And point being? Just because it would work in their half-a*( browser doesn’t mean it should be done. And not many people use that browser anyway. IE and FireFox are still used MORE than Chrome and who wants Google sitting there saving their searches and reading what you’re searching?
Chrome says
Keel, that is incorrect.
As of this posting, Chrome is used more than IE and FF combined.
http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp
John B says
Google has far too much power anyway. Anyone that does business online is a de-facto google employee weather we get a paycheck or not. Google has destroyed more mom and pops than 10,000 walmarts ever could have and for me, I would love to see this company (figuratively) burned off the internet.
simple-touriste says
Is this a meeting of Google haters?
Bobolob says
There goes the business plan of 95% of the new gTLD applicants LOL.
Sneech says
@ Keel Traxler, Keep going. I’m telling Google on you.
ya just wait!
Howie Crosby says
LOL a dotless would never work in this day and age, we still have the telephone number and you will still require a dot address for websites. Simply.