Top-level Internet domain names (web site addresses) will be able to be written in non-Latin languages for the first time, due to upcoming changes in registration policy made by The Internet Corporation for Assignment of Names and Numbers (ICANN). Companies and government organizations seeking the new addresses, called Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), can begin applying for fast-track application review November 16.
The agency CEO Rod Beckstrom, said: “This is one of the most exciting developments for the users of the Internet globally in years. IDNs will enable the people the world over to use domain name addresses in their own language.”
I think this move by ICANN, which has been criticized in the past for being biased toward Western nations, is necessary, given the incredible rise in global Internet connectivity (There are now an estimated 700 million Internet users in Asia). Though the Internet was invented and first popularized in the West, it has become an international phenomenon and ICANN was wise to represent that shift with ratification of the IDN initiative.
Though the new domain names will make Internet browsing more intuitive for non-English speaking peoples, handling both ASCII and non-ASCII scripts could cause indexing and search issues, so be on the lookout for some inevitable hiccups as the IDNs come online. Multi-national corporations should also feel some strain with the rise of IDNs, depending on their proficiency in balancing the multiple domains they’ll likely employ to cater to local audiences.
Despite minor problems, which occur with any such seismic shift, ICANN’s acceptance of IDNs should be a beneficial and exciting event in Internet history.
- Pete
