> On Tue, Jul 08, 2008 at 10:18:25AM +1000, Mark Andrews wrote: > > > That's at least as reliable as my (multi-dotted) home domain. :-) > > >=20 > > > I'm not sure what's not to like here. But then again, I may be blind. > >=20 > > The point is that it is NOT reliable. Whether it works > > depends apon what names are matched in the search list. It > > does work for some people some of the time. It does not > > work for all of the world all of the time. "hk" is not > > globally unique. > > That statement is also true for hk.com, ibm.com, google.com, or any > other relative DNS name. > > The site-dependent interpretation of the name is determined not by the > presence of dot within the name but its absence from the end. "hk." is > as global as "hk.com." with respect to the search list; "hk" and > "hk.com" are both relative names and their resolution is resolver > dependent. > > I don't buy "unreliable" as a diagnosis for that state of affairs. "hk" > operates exactly as any other DNS name with respect to search path. An > incautious user or clever DNS administrator can create a confusing state > of affairs with or without the interior dot. > > (As Bill Manning hinted, there may be other parts of the resolution code > that are less reliable for names without a dot in them. That I might > buy as an argument for unreliability).=20 > > If you'd like to argue something more subjective like "confusing" or > even "misleading," you'll find no resistance from me. > > --=20 > Ted Faber > http://www.isi.edu/~faber PGP: http://www.isi.edu/~faber/pubkeys.= > asc > Unexpected attachment on this mail? See http://www.isi.edu/~faber/FAQ.html#= > SIG The point of going to heirachical names (RFC 921) is to remove abmiguity. "tld"s don't meet the definition of a heirachical name. It is time that tld operators stopped mis-using the zones they operate. Mark -- Mark Andrews, ISC 1 Seymour St., Dundas Valley, NSW 2117, Australia PHONE: +61 2 9871 4742 INTERNET: Mark_Andrews@xxxxxxx _______________________________________________ Ietf@xxxxxxxx https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf