Date   : Thu, 07 Jul 2005 22:22:46 +0100 (BST)
From   : Brian Widdas <brian@...>
Subject: Re: Introducing 'BeebWiki' the Wiki dedicated to

On Thu, 7 Jul 2005, Jonathan Graham Harston wrote:

> > Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.62.0507061139030.351@...>
>
> gARetH baBB <hick.bbc@...> wrote:
> > On Wed, 6 Jul 2005, Jonathan Graham Harston wrote:
> >
> > > .org should be used if a .info domain is unavailable. With .info
> > > available nowadays, these sorts of sites should not be .net. If
> >
> > There are possibly a few alternative roots with .info clashes - anyone
> > using these will not be able to get at any ICANN based .info.
>
> I can't quite make out what you're saying there.

DNS root servers are the first step in resolving any DNS name. They tell
you where to go and ask for .com/org/net/info/uk and so on.

Every DNS cache (a local server which works down the DNS tree from the
root to resolve a DNS name, normally provided by your ISP, but you can run
your own) has to be told what addresses the root servers are at. By
changing this config to an alternative set of root servers, you can create
your own view of the world (from a DNS perspective).

There are several public alternative roots which have their own policies
for the creating of top-level domains. Some of these have .info TLDs which
pre-date the ICANN-approved .info in the official root servers.

People who use alternative root servers are way out on the side of the
internet lunatic fringe, though, and can generally be safely ignored.

Brian

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