Re: Verisign Responds

[Dave Crocker <dhc2 () dcrocker net>]

Folks,

bkc>         lets try this again... why should a valid DNS protocol element
bkc>         be made illegal in some parts of the tree and not others?
bkc>         if its bad one place, why is it ok other places?


There very much _is_ an operational issue here, but it needs to be
characterized very carefully.

To that end, the IAB note is nicely careful and, I think, exactly right in
classifying a core "coordination" problem that comes with wildcarding.
Standards are, after all, about coordinating details among independent
participants.

The problem with wildcarding a gTLD is not that the construct
should be made illegal but that it requires a degree of coordination that was
not attempted.  In this regard, the sponsored TLDs are not a problem
specifically because they are run in a more heterogeneous manner.

The IAB note captures this quite with:

     In particular, we recommend that DNS wildcards should not be used in a
     zone unless the zone operator has a clear understanding of the risks, and
     that they should not be used without the informed consent of those
     entities which have been delegated below the zone.

d/
--
 Dave Crocker <dcrocker-at-brandenburg-dot-com>
 Brandenburg InternetWorking <www.brandenburg.com>
 Sunnyvale, CA  USA <tel:+1.408.246.8253>