"dns naming debates don't belong on the IETF list." sorry, but the "technologists" are married to the naming debates as much as they feel comfortable with the hit-and-run approach of having a material impact upon the DNS market place. Especially those technologists that like to throw out quick sound bytes about "market demand" or other economic variables as if speaking from a position of expertise or proper due diligence of a for-profit spectrum. Conservatism based upon an area of expertise is fine. Unfortunately, many technologists have failed to live within their bounds and, where DNS is concerned, have allowed others with not so technically altruistic motivations adversely affect consumers. So, welcome to the wedding. Those technologists that want a divorce need simply go on record in some formal way regarding the technical impact the first round TLD expansion has had upon root server functionality and overall architecture, extrapolate this as they know how, make their recommendation, and move on. Is this really outside the technical scope of the IETF? Ray --