Improving the Internet (X - Re: I love IP Tables....)

[Les Mikesell]

stan wrote:
> On Wed, 30 May 2007 14:56:40 +0930
> Tim <ignored_mailbox at yahoo.com.au> wrote:
> 
> <snip>
>> There isn't really a generic "internet" one, that fills in the missing
>> purposes.  e.g. If only you could register "nicename.inet" and not
>> have to care whether it was commercial, personal, had content
>> logically related to the domain name, was somehow local or generally
>> world-wide.
>>
> 
> Why are domains needed at all?  Why can't there just be a requirement
> for a unique name?

That is the requirement.  The domain system fulfills it by establishing 
a hierarchical system where authority to assign names can be granted and 
subdivided at the '.' levels.  There is no requirement to have your own 
top/second level domain, you just have to have someone that has some 
existing level grant you naming authority below (to the left of) any 
existing subdomain.  This can be done either by that person maintaining 
the names you assign in their DNS zone file or by delegating DNS lookups 
  to nameservers you provide for that subdomain.  I don't know if there 
is any limit to the depth you can go, but the top level stuff is more 
cosmetic than a practical requirement.

-- 
    Les Mikesell
     lesmikesell at gmail.com