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<DIV>Kudos to all, it has been a well- fought "thing". i remember reading about this news some time ago. It is finally with us. the challenges that would coming with it need to be managed. I believe it will spark more "identity revelations" and it is good for the world and internet governance.</DIV>
<DIV>ebenezer, Ghana<BR><BR>--- On <B>Sat, 10/31/09, Fouad Bajwa <I><fouadbajwa@gmail.com></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><BR>From: Fouad Bajwa <fouadbajwa@gmail.com><BR>Subject: [governance] IDN's Internationalized Domain Names - A New Era of Internet and Local Languages<BR>To: governance@lists.cpsr.org<BR>Date: Saturday, October 31, 2009, 4:22 AM<BR><BR>
<DIV class=plainMail>Reporting from Seoul!<BR><BR>The internet regulator ICANN has approved plans to allow<BR>non-Latin-script web addresses, a move that is being described as the<BR>biggest change to the way the internet works since it was created 40<BR>years ago. For example, this opens up Pakistan's Internationalized<BR>Domain Names Space in Urdu, Sindhi, Pashto etc....Initially the<BR>Government of Pakistan, Ministry of IT&T/PTA will be provided with the<BR>facility to acquire IDN's from ICANN before the companies and<BR>individuals can! For participation in the various processes of ICANN.<BR>The news in detail is below with video links:<BR><BR>Watch ICANN's Video about IDN's:<BR><A href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid46208174001?bctid=46955584001" target=_blank>http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid46208174001?bctid=46955584001</A><BR><BR>Read the news on CNN:<BR>Internet domain names set to appear in non-Latin
scripts<BR>October 30, 2009 -- Updated 1213 GMT (2013 HKT)<BR><A href="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/29/internet.domains.languages/index.html" target=_blank>http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/29/internet.domains.languages/index.html</A><BR><BR>Read the news on BBC:<BR>Internet addresses set for change<BR><A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8333194.stm" target=_blank>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8333194.stm</A><BR><BR>The Official News:<BR>ICANN Bringing the Languages of the World to the Global Internet<BR>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>Source: ICANN Website:<BR><A href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30oct09-en.htm" target=_blank>http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30oct09-en.htm</A><BR>Fast Track Process for Internationalized Domain Names Launches Nov 16<BR><BR>30 October 2009<BR><BR>Seoul: The
first Internet addresses containing non-Latin characters<BR>from start to finish will soon be online thanks to today's approval of<BR>the new Internationalized Domain Name Fast Track Process by the<BR>Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers board.<BR><BR>"The coming introduction of non-Latin characters represents the<BR>biggest technical change to the Internet since it was created four<BR>decades ago," said ICANN chairman Peter Dengate Thrush. "Right now<BR>Internet address endings are limited to Latin characters – A to Z. But<BR>the Fast Track Process is the first step in bringing the 100,000<BR>characters of the languages of the world online for domain names."<BR><BR>ICANN's Fast Track Process launches on 16 November 2009. It will allow<BR>nations and territories to apply for Internet extensions reflecting<BR>their name – and made up of characters from their national language.<BR>If the applications meet criteria that includes
government and<BR>community support and a stability evaluation, the applicants will be<BR>approved to start accepting registrations.<BR><BR>" This is only the first step, but it is an incredibly big one and an<BR>historic move toward the internationalization of the Internet ," said<BR>Rod Beckstrom, ICANN's President and CEO. "The first countries that<BR>participate will not only be providing valuable information of the<BR>operation of IDNs in the domain name system, they are also going to<BR>help to bring the first of billions more people online – people who<BR>never use Roman characters in their daily lives."<BR><BR>IDNs have been a topic of discussion since before ICANN's inception.<BR>It's taken years of intense technical testing, policy development, and<BR>global co-operation to prepare the Fast Track process for its coming<BR>launch.<BR><BR>"Our work on IDNs has gone through numerous drafts, dozens of tests,<BR>and an incredible amount of
development by volunteers since we started<BR>this project. Today is the first step in moving from planning and<BR>implementation to the real launch," said Tina Dam, ICANN's Senior<BR>Director for IDNs. "The launch of the Fast Track Process will be an<BR>amazing change to make the Internet an even more valuable tool, and<BR>for even more people around the globe."<BR><BR>More information of the Fast Track program is available online at:<BR><A href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/" target=_blank>http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/</A><BR><BR>About ICANN:<BR><BR>ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's<BR>system of unique identifiers like domain names (like .org, .museum and<BR>country codes like .uk) and the addresses used in a variety of<BR>Internet protocols that help computers reach each other over the<BR>Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the<BR>Internet's operation, so
ICANN's global stakeholders meet regularly to<BR>develop policies that ensure the Internet's ongoing security and<BR>stability. ICANN is an internationally organized, public benefit<BR>non-profit company. For more information please visit: www.icann.org.<BR><BR><BR><BR>-- <BR>Regards.<BR>--------------------------<BR>Fouad Bajwa<BR>@skBajwa<BR>Answering all your technology questions<BR><A href="http://www.askbajwa.com/" target=_blank>http://www.askbajwa.com</A><BR><A href="http://twitter.com/fouadbajwa" target=_blank>http://twitter.com/fouadbajwa</A><BR><A href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATVDW1tDZzA" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATVDW1tDZzA</A><BR>____________________________________________________________<BR>You received this message as a subscriber on the list:<BR> <A href="http://us.mc1102.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=governance@lists.cpsr.org"
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