Web Pioneer Against Mobile Only Domain
Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the web and World Wide Web Consortium, considers the recently proposed new mobile only Top Level Domain harmful. He feels the ".mobi" extension breaks the web architecture and attacks the universality of the web.
In March, a number of leading mobile companies submitted a application to the Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to apply for a mobile top level domain (TLD). A TLD is used for Internet addressing, such as, ".com," ".gov," ".org," and so on. The mobile TLD, ".mobi", would indicate that the address is a site that is optimized for mobile usage.
Tim Berners-Lee has published a recommendation letter in which he outlines his opinion and lists specific problems with the proposal. He urges ICANN not to create the ".mobi" TLD. He points out that there appears to be a desire to limit the use of ".mobi" to strictly to companies and that he feels the web should operate independent of of the hardware, software or network used to access it, of the perceived quality or appropriateness of the information on it.
He further goes on to state, "The Internet connects all devices without regard to the type or size or band of device, nor with regard to the wireless or wired or optical infrastructure used. This is its great strength. From its inception, the Web built upon this architecture and introduced device independence at the user interface level. [...] Dividing the Web into information destined for different devices, or different classes of user, or different classes of information, breaks the Web in a fundamental way."
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RE: Wow...but I mean...MEH!
TLDs v/s sub-domains
Why create a completely separate TLD for mobile devices? Would I want to go to palminfocenter.mobi? Doesn't make sense at all.
For better or for worse, if "www" as a subdomain has established itself this well ("it aint a website unless it is www.yourdomain.com"), why not push for a standard subdomain/prefix for mobile content - mobile.yourdomain.com, anybody?
As always, this is essentially an attempt to bring in more revenues. How many TLDs would I have to buy my company name under to protect it?
As someone once told me - "The only thing that eclipses the greed of some people is the stupidity of the schemes they come up with to cater to it".
Atul Chitnis
http://atulchitnis.net
RE: TLDs v/s sub-domains
I have always hated .biz, .info, .tv, etc... I would much rather have sites use subdomains, especially since many of them are snatched up by cyber squatters hoping to wrench some cash out of somebody else's pocket.
If this goes through, I'm sure someone will eventaully petition to get .fart registered as a TLD so they can finally have to URL that goes with Letterman's clownpenis.fart joke.
Peace,
-Bartman007
RE: TLDs v/s sub-domains
RE: TLDs v/s sub-domains
For better or for worse, if "www" as a subdomain has established itself this well ("it aint a website unless it is www.yourdomain.com"), why not push for a standard subdomain/prefix for mobile content - mobile.yourdomain.com, anybody?
I can understand the idea of having *.mobi or mobi.* for static content, but how many websites do you visit today that are static? ASP, JSP, PHP, etc., dominate content delivery. It is the webmasters that are getting lazy, people should detect the browser and code content to the browser and platform. Content lives in a database, content is formated and delivered via style sheet (or even plain generated code via a template).
Creating a new TLD is just plain lazy.
~ "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed." - DV ~
RE: Wait a minute.....
.... after he voted against it ...
----------------------------------------
"Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity"
-- Richard Feynman.
Old News
I don't often complain, but Ryan, you haven't "broken" a story since Ed was here. I think it's time to hire some help.
Just my opinion, for whatever that's worth.
Back on topic, I agree with Berners-Lee. There's no need for a new TLD. Standards should evolve to the point where it doesn't matter what your device is or what size screen it has.
_________________
Sean
Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.
Stupid logic
Even so, there is NOTHING prevent a mobile device user to type a normal web address!
Mobile domain
I find that Palm's proxy server renders just about all Web sites quite nicely for my Palm PDA. I just wish someone would come up with Palm OS compatible software to enable me to view and hear streaming video and audio on my Palm.
Be here now.
panasher
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Wow...but I mean...MEH!
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