Adam and all,

Adam Todd wrote:

> >The .AU top level domain is setup the way DNS was intended - in an
> >hierarchical fashion.
>
> Intended?  That's debateable.  DNS was created so as to replace the HOSTS
> file and allow easier administration.  There was no intention that it be
> further made heiracical, although that's just an option.
>
> Surely your not saying that France, which has had Minitel, since what the
> 1980's maybe earlier, in just about every CBD home isn't advanced and well
> thought out?
>
> >.AU contains 8 active domains
>
> 11 actually.
>
> >.NET.AU contains thousands of domains
> >.COM.AU contains 10's of thousands of domains
> >(I'm guessing here, but I'd say those figures are in the right ball-park)
>
> 10's maybe not more than around 20,000 if lucky. I haven't run a parser of
> the files for a while.

  Lets just see.

>
>
> conf.au- No entries found for the selected source(s). from

http://www.aunic.net/cgi-bin/whois.aunic?csiro.au

> info.au - No entries found for the selected source(s).

http://www.aunic.net/cgi-bin/whois.aunic?csiro.au

>
>
>
> csiro.au - No entries found for the selected source(s). form

>   http://www.aunic.net/cgi-bin/whois.aunic?csiro.au



> gov.au  - domain:      GOV.AU
> descr:       AARNet
> descr:       PO Box 1142
> descr:       Canberra, ACT 2601
> admin-c:     GH105
> tech-c:      GH105
> zone-c:      GH105
> changed:     hostmaster§aunic.net 960925
> source:      AUNIC
>
> person:      Geoff Huston
> address:     AARNet
> address:     PO Box 1142
> address:     Canberra
> address:     ACT 2601
> address:     AU
> phone:       +61 6 249 3385
> fax-no:      +61 6 249 1369
> e-mail:      gih§aarnet.edu.au
> nic-hdl:     GH105
> changed:     hostmaster§aunic.net 940527
> source:      AUNIC
>
>
>
>
> I had a list somewhere.
>
> >> Aren't there any Australian company, or organization, which would want
> >> to have its site under its .AU name ?
>
> Hundreds would love to get rid of the COM.
>
> >There are literally thousands of companies with their sites under .AU,
> >just not directly under .AU.
> >
> >> http://www.ibm.fr
> >> http://www.lotus.fr
> >> http://www.apple.fr
> >> http://www.coca-cola.fr
> >
> >ibm.com.au, lotus.com.au, apple.com.au and coke.com.au all exist, all exactly
> >where they should under .COM.AU
>
> I wonder for how long?
>
> >> You'd benefit from a .AU zone really competitive...
> >
> >No, we wouldnt. We would benefit from a competitive .COM.AU domain, but I
> >doubt anyone will argue too hard about that...
>
> Well that would be a start, but perhaps the way to do that is to make AU
> itself competitive.  That's an idea I haven't yet seen approached.
>
> We should listen to other peoples experience and comments.  Australia is a
> VERY VERY long way behind in the internet game.

  Seems that way.

Regards,


--
Jeffrey A. Williams
DIR. Internet Network Eng/SR. Java/CORBA Development Eng.
Information Network Eng. Group. INEG. INC.
E-Mail jwkckid1§ix.netcom.com