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Get ready for non-Latin letter domain names

Orion

Orion

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Get ready for non-Latin letter domain names - Tech and gadgets- msnbc.com

Article said:
SEOUL, South Korea - The Internet is set to undergo one of the biggest changes in its four-decade history with the expected approval this week of international domain names — or addresses — that can be written in non-Latin script, an official said Monday.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN — the non-profit group that oversees domain names — is holding a meeting this week in Seoul. Domain names are the monikers behind every Web site, e-mail address and Twitter post, such as ".com" and other suffixes.

One of the key issues to be taken up by ICANN's board at this week's gathering is whether to allow for the first time entire Internet addresses to be in scripts that are not based on Latin letters. That could potentially open up the Web to more people around the world as addresses could be in characters as diverse as Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Greek, Hindi and Cyrillic — in which Russian is written.
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This makes perfect sense. When I was in China, people there used latin lettered domain names, but the names never made sense because they didn't know English. You'd have people with email addresses like someone @ xjly22.com. Now they can have it in their own language, among many other cultures.
 
Orius said:
Originally Posted by Article
SEOUL, South Korea - The Internet is set to undergo one of the biggest changes in its four-decade history with the expected approval this week of international domain names — or addresses — that can be written in non-Latin script, an official said Monday.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN — the non-profit group that oversees domain names — is holding a meeting this week in Seoul. Domain names are the monikers behind every Web site, e-mail address and Twitter post, such as ".com" and other suffixes.

One of the key issues to be taken up by ICANN's board at this week's gathering is whether to allow for the first time entire Internet addresses to be in scripts that are not based on Latin letters. That could potentially open up the Web to more people around the world as addresses could be in characters as diverse as Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Greek, Hindi and Cyrillic — in which Russian is written.
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Open up the web to more people?
BS.
Be more user friendly for them - sure.

One thing comes to mind is that it seems that it will become a lot easier to block whole languages if a country so desires, thereby only allowing what the 'government' wants it's people to view.

I do not support this in any way and I hope they do not agree to it.
 
Coolguy said:
Open up the web to more people?
BS.
Be more user friendly for them - sure.
Click to expand...

How wouldn't it open it up to more people? Let's say the internet domains now were all written in chinese characters. Would you be able to use it as much as you do? Would you learn Chinese to use it or would you simply memorize specific domains you frequent? In any case you would be greatly limited in your ability to access domain names outside of English search engines.

Wouldn't you rather go to www.google.com instead of 简体中文版?

Coolguy said:
One thing comes to mind is that it seems that it will become a lot easier to block whole languages if a country so desires, thereby only allowing what the 'government' wants it's people to view.

I do not support this in any way and I hope they do not agree to it.
Click to expand...

Usability and accessibility shouldn't be limited based on fear of what a dictatorship may or may not do.
 
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Gibberish said:
How wouldn't it open it up to more people?
Let's say the internet domains now were all written in chinese characters. Would you be able to use it as much as you do?
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It doesn't open it up to more people. People are going to use it regardless.
It just will make it a tad more user friendly for those who actually look at the domain name (of those who are familiar with the language being used), in the url before clicking on a link.
Results are still going to return in the language I search in, regardless of url language.
So there is really no useful effect, accept in that of the realm of Governmental control.


Gibberish said:
Would you learn Chinese to use it or would you simply memorize specific domains you frequent?
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I would use book marks for domains I frequented and those would be titled in English, unless it was a Chinese site (such as warez sites). ;)
But that isn't even the point.
I can go to 'google.cn' and type in anything in english (like they can do in Chinese), and find what I am looking.
If they want to access something written in english it is not going to matter either way, they will still need to interpret what they access. Just as if I wish to access something in Chinese (such as warez sites) it isn't going to matter either way.

Gibberish said:
In any case you would be greatly limited in your ability to access domain names outside of English search engines.
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No. That isn't true. Go to 'google.cn' and try it out.


Gibberish said:
Usability and accessibility shouldn't be limited based on fear of what a dictatorship may or may not do.
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Fear or reality?
Dictatorship? roflao
Yes, this shouldn't be agreed upon because it doesn't open it up more people, or actually provide better access. It would just make it easier for any Country to block whole languages as well as meddle where they shouldn't. e.g.: Such as a Country passing a law that all hosted within it's Country must have url's in it's native language.

Sorry, but Latin needs to stay for purposes of standardization.
 
It'll just Babel-ize the Internet, really, in which case . . . why have an "Inter"-net at all?
 
The internet already is "babel-ized"... the content is in hundreds of languages, so why shouldn't the URLs be?
 
Orius said:
The internet already is "babel-ized"... the content is in hundreds of languages, so why shouldn't the URLs be?
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Standardization.
 
Why's it so important to have only one Internet?
 
Now is there a good way to approximate foreign language symbols? I mean, if I want to go to a russian website, is there a good way for me to get there if its in Cyrillic?
 
Harshaw said:
Why's it so important to have only one Internet?
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lol
There is only one internet.
Any other network that isn't connected is another net, and not the internet.
 
the makeout hobo said:
Now is there a good way to approximate foreign language symbols? I mean, if I want to go to a russian website, is there a good way for me to get there if its in Cyrillic?
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I am not sure what you are asking.
But you can use "google.ru", if you want.
You can search for 'Debate Politics' if you wish and still find this site as #1.
If you are wishing to find something specific in Cyrillic, it doesn't matter which search engine you use. Just type in the word or phrase you are looking for and you will be given mostly sites that are in Russian.

e.g.: Search engine = Поисковая система
A regular U.S. google search of Поисковая система, returns 7 out of 10 in Russian.
 
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Coolguy said:
lol
There is only one internet.
Any other network that isn't connected is another net, and not the internet.
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You missed the point of the question.
 
the makeout hobo said:
Now is there a good way to approximate foreign language symbols? I mean, if I want to go to a russian website, is there a good way for me to get there if its in Cyrillic?
Click to expand...

Most people who speak a non-Latin alphabet language natively use keyboard layouts suited to their native language. Chances are, your word processor has Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese and Japanese fonts with the appropriate character sets already-- and the means to type those characters, somewhat inefficiently, using Latinate keyboards.

Every language I speak more than a smattering of uses the Latin alphabet, but I use a number of accent marks and other character-modifying punctuation. Those symbols are all accessible by holding down Alt and typing a four digit number on the numeric keypad, but it's been years since I've had all the symbols memorized-- I use AllChars, which types non-standard characters by tapping Ctrl followed by typing a logical two-keystroke combination.

A similar program for any non-Latin character set would be more complicated, but it would still be a relatively trivial matter.
 
Coolguy said:
lol
If you think so, please elucidate.
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Well, first of all, you CAN have more than internet; you just need to network a few networks. It need not be connected to what we call The Internet.

In fact, one of the reasons for the recent ICANN changes was that US control OVER ICANN was prompting some countries to develop alternate internets. The changes were meant to discourage that.

So, my question is . . . if the Internet will be babelized to the point where accessing websites will be made impractical and the thing will pretty much evolve into separate "sectors" anyway, then how is that preferable to the competing Internets?

Keep in mind, that's a question to consider, not an assertion.
 
Korimyr the Rat said:
Most people who speak a non-Latin alphabet language natively use keyboard layouts suited to their native language. Chances are, your word processor has Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese and Japanese fonts with the appropriate character sets already-- and the means to type those characters, somewhat inefficiently, using Latinate keyboards.

Every language I speak more than a smattering of uses the Latin alphabet, but I use a number of accent marks and other character-modifying punctuation. Those symbols are all accessible by holding down Alt and typing a four digit number on the numeric keypad, but it's been years since I've had all the symbols memorized-- I use AllChars, which types non-standard characters by tapping Ctrl followed by typing a logical two-keystroke combination.

A similar program for any non-Latin character set would be more complicated, but it would still be a relatively trivial matter.
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Alt 0167 is the only one I know.
 
I don't know about anybody else, but I think it would be pretty cool to have the following domain name:

www.danarhea.º¿º
 
It's for pages already in other languages. Were you reading those or something?
 
Coolguy said:
It doesn't open it up to more people. People are going to use it regardless.
It just will make it a tad more user friendly for those who actually look at the domain name (of those who are familiar with the language being used), in the url before clicking on a link.
Results are still going to return in the language I search in, regardless of url language.
So there is really no useful effect, accept in that of the realm of Governmental control.
Click to expand...

Search is not the only means to find a website. There are many types of advertising companies and many people do type in the domains directly instead of going through a search engine. Not ot mention the plain readability of the domain within a message.

Are you able to remember the domain if you saw a TV ad telling you to visit 简体中文版?



Coolguy said:
I would use book marks for domains I frequented and those would be titled in English, unless it was a Chinese site (such as warez sites). ;)
But that isn't even the point.
I can go to 'google.cn' and type in anything in english (like they can do in Chinese), and find what I am looking.
If they want to access something written in english it is not going to matter either way, they will still need to interpret what they access. Just as if I wish to access something in Chinese (such as warez sites) it isn't going to matter either way.
Click to expand...
Why should a Chinese site written in Chinese for Chinese be forced to have an English domain?


No. That isn't true. Go to 'google.cn' and try it out.


Coolguy said:
Fear or reality?
Dictatorship? roflao
Yes, this shouldn't be agreed upon because it doesn't open it up more people, or actually provide better access. It would just make it easier for any Country to block whole languages as well as meddle where they shouldn't. e.g.: Such as a Country passing a law that all hosted within it's Country must have url's in it's native language.

Sorry, but Latin needs to stay for purposes of standardization.
Click to expand...

It's already easy for any country to limit internet access. A "access package" similar to Cable TV is completely doable even now. Thus limiting what you can and cannot see.

5RrWm.png
 
Harshaw said:
Well, first of all, you CAN have more than internet; you just need to network a few networks. It need not be connected to what we call The Internet.
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Of course I can have more than internet. I can have cable tv, phone and a sandwich too. ;) Just joking. :2razz:

I understand that you are using the term 'internet' generically, where as I am not.
In today's day and age The Internet/Internet/The Web, etc... has one specific meaning, and I am sure you know it.
Anything else is just a network until given it's own name.
e.g.: If someone tells you they found an interesting product on the Internet, and you want to look it up also; Are you going to go to an Internet2 access point or to your standard Internet access point?
Get the point?
Although there are many internets, there is only one Internet, just as there is only one Internet2.
I think the problems lies in how the original question was asked. You capitalized Internet, which may or may not have to do with the words used in spell-check being incomplete.


Harshaw said:
In fact, one of the reasons for the recent ICANN changes was that US control OVER ICANN was prompting some countries to develop alternate internets. The changes were meant to discourage that.
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The problem lied in how the question was asked.
From what I have seen reported, it is that they are developing alternatives to the Internet, and even though they are internetworks or internets, they are not the Internet and would most likely have different names and different internetworking protocol.


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Gibberish said:
Search is not the only means to find a website. There are many types of advertising companies and many people do type in the domains directly instead of going through a search engine. Not ot mention the plain readability of the domain within a message.

Are you able to remember the domain if you saw a TV ad telling you to visit 简体中文版?
Click to expand...
And that doesn't open it up to more people.
Sure, it makes it easier for a business to advertise to it's own populous. I never disputed that.
But it does not open it up to more people.



Gibberish said:
Why should a Chinese site written in Chinese for Chinese be forced to have an English domain?
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They are?
If you would like to rephrase your question to pertain to Latin letters, then I have already answered your question.
Standardization.



Gibberish said:
It's already easy for any country to limit internet access. A "access package" similar to Cable TV is completely doable even now. Thus limiting what you can and cannot see.
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I guess you didn't get the point being made.
I believe I said it will make it easier.
Or would you prefer that I said it opens up another avenue to block wholesale access by the language contained in the url.
If you do not understand that another avenue to limit access makes things easier... sorry.
 
Coolguy said:
And that doesn't open it up to more people.
Sure, it makes it easier for a business to advertise to it's own populous. I never disputed that.
But it does not open it up to more people.
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It increases conversion rates on lead generation and makes it easier to access domains in multiple ways.

Even if it doesn't physically increase the number of internet users in other countries it does increase the ease of use and there is really not reason to not open domains.

Coolguy said:
They are?
If you would like to rephrase your question to pertain to Latin letters, then I have already answered your question.
Standardization.
Click to expand...

Semantics. You obviously know what I was referring to.
Coolguy said:
I guess you didn't get the point being made.
I believe I said it will make it easier.
Or would you prefer that I said it opens up another avenue to block wholesale access by the language contained in the url.
If you do not understand that another avenue to limit access makes things easier... sorry.
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Governments can already block whatever they want. You have domain extensions, language settings in meta tags, server addresses, trace routing, etc.

Freedoms of the Individual should not be limited because of what the government may or may not do.
 
Gibberish said:
It increases conversion rates on lead generation ...
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Increases conversion rates on lead generation?
Really?
Convince me how allowing non-Latin script will increase conversion rates on lead generation.



Gibberish said:
... and makes it easier to access domains in multiple ways.
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No.
Access will not really be any easier.



Gibberish said:
... and there is really not reason to not open domains.
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Yeah ok.
As long as there are in the previously standardized Latin script.

And btw, standardization makes things easier.
Removing standardization does not.



Gibberish said:
Semantics. You obviously know what I was referring to.
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Really; Semantics?
I don't think so unless you are in the habit of posting what you don't mean.
You said English and there is no such requirement.

Now if it was a matter of semantics, as you suggest, you already knew my answer to the question was posted, and therefore no reason to ask.
But you did ask.
Semantics? I think not.



Gibberish said:
Governments can already block whatever they want. You have domain extensions, language settings in meta tags, server addresses, trace routing, etc.
Click to expand...
And now they have another which will make it easier.
If you do not understand that another avenue to limit access makes things easier... sorry.​




Gibberish said:
Freedoms of the Individual should not be limited because of what the government may or may not do.
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Freedoms of the Individual?
Really?
These so-called freedoms were not really being limited by a requirement of using Latin script.
That is a hilarious argument.
But the freedoms of individuals will be limited with greater ease with the change, and that is a valid reason to oppose said change to allow non-Latin script.
 
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