Re: Paul Vixie serving ORSN

[Paul Vixie <vixie () vix com>]

> I don't regard this as good, but note this from the ORSN FAQ:
>
>       * Has ORSN additional TLDs like .DNS, .AUTO?
>
>       No. ORSN is a "Legacy Root" and 100% compatible with ICANN's
>       root zone.
>
>       and
>
>       Furthermore, no additional (alternative) top level domains
>       will be added to the ORSN root-servers like ORSC, NEW.NET,
>       public-root and other networks did it.
>
> It is *not* the same as what you've been advocating.

indeed, it is not.  anyone who shows fealty to the universal IANA namespace
can count on my support.  when i read the above FAQ, i volunteered the same
hour.  note that this is me acting personally, and not in my capacity as an
employee of ISC or any other entity.

> As for why it's not good -- at least one query ('dig ns .') will yield
> different answers,

this is the other reason why i took an interest in ORSN.  the trinity of
ICANN/VeriSign/US-DoC has spent far more good will than they've brought in,
and many folks around the world seem now to be looking for ways to take
their fate in their own hands.  ORSN shows fealty to the universal IANA
namespace, and edits the ". NS" RRset of "their" zone only because there is
no other way to accomplish their independence goals.  by helping them, i
can learn more about how this works out in practice.  by operating a server,
i can measure and contemplate the traffic.

for the record, i won't be switching any of my own recursive nameservers
over to ORSN.  i'm very satisifed with the service i receive from the IANA
nameservers.

> I also note that it's now operating in "independent mode", which
> (according to the FAQ) happens if the owners of ORSN think there's some
> danger to the ICANN roots.  Since the danger is explicitly listed as the
> "political situation of the world", I am concerned that OSRN is reserving
> to itself the right to diverge from ICANN if they perceive that ICANN is
> making political decisions under the influence of the U.S administration.

i'm indifferent to their reasons, as long as they don't add any new TLD's or
otherwise display the kind of piracy or foolishness i have so often decried
among new.net, unidt, united-root, public-root, alternic, open-rsc... and i
forget how many others.

> (I also note that the OSRN is explicitly European-based, which is not
> that much of an improvement over the US-based ICANN, and plans to put
> most of its servers in Europe.  5 of the 13 official root servers have at
> least partial presence outside the US -- not as many as there should be,
> but better than having them all on one continent.

with or without the approval or participation of the folks who started it all,
and those who wrote most of the code and specifications and those who are now
working hard to keep it running, the world is going to pursue autonomy and
independence.  the internet allows, among other things, not having to care
very much what other people think about what ought, or ought not, to be done.

however, there's still a chance to encourage responsible independence, which
i think ORSN is demonstrating, as opposed to piracy and foolishness, such as
those who falsely respond to queries sent to the IANA root server addresses,
or those who shortsightedly add TLD's that only their own customers can see...
the list goes on.  (in fact, the list is only getting started.)
-- 
Paul Vixie