The Washington Post: What's the .rush?

In an opinion piece published December 11 by The Washington Post, the paper’s Editorial Board expressed its support of the ANA's position against ICANN's generic top-level domain expansion program.

By The Washington Post’s Editorial Board
Published: December 11

FOR TWO decades, .com, .org and some 20 other "generic top-level domain names" have served as calling cards for the vast majority of websites. That may change dramatically — and not for the better — if the obscure but powerful organization that manages domain names gets its way.

Starting next month, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) plans to take applications from individuals and groups interested in plunking down $185,000 a pop to buy the rights to new domain names - the words to the right of the dot. Some of these could focus on a community of businesses or services, such as .bank or .news. Others may be used to market specific brands or products, as in .Coke or .Chevy. ICANN officials say that they expect up to 500 applications to be filed between January and April when the organization opens the process; those approved would go live in 2013. ICANN believes these changes will lead to innovations that build on the already explosive growth and inventiveness of the internet age.

Read the published story at The Washngton Post.