On Sat, 4 Oct 2003, Kim Davies wrote:

 > |   For all these reasons, ICANN has today insisted that VeriSign suspend the    
 > |   SiteFinder service, and restore the .com and .net top-level domains to the   
 > |   way they were operated prior to 15 September 2003. If VeriSign does not      
 > |   comply with this demand by 6:00 PM PDT on 4 October 2003, ICANN will be      
 > |   forced to take the steps necessary to enforce VeriSign's contractual         
 > |   obligations.                                                                 
 > 
 > VeriSign has obliged:

Amazingly, as they seem to think they've bought control over the
internet already, and that ICANN, the IETF, IAB etc are merely
historical irrelevancies standing in the way of 'innovation'.

 >    VeriSign Site Finder Service Update
 >    http://www.verisign.com/corporate/news/2003/pr_20031003.html
 > 
 >    VeriSign Will Temporarily Suspend Web Navigation Service in Order to
 >    Continue to Work With Internet Community Towards a Long-Term
 >    Implementation

<cough>  Continue?

 >    "Without so much as a hearing, ICANN today formally asked us to shut down
 >    the Site Finder service. We will accede to the request while we explore
 >    all of our options," said Russell Lewis, executive vice president of
 >    VeriSign's Naming and Directory Services Group. "During the more than two
 >    weeks that Site Finder has been operational, there is no data to indicate
 >    that the core operation of the Domain Name System or stability of the
 >    Internet has been adversely affected. ICANN is using anecdotal and
 >    isolated issues to attempt to regulate non-registry services, but in the
 >    interests of further working with the technical community we will
 >    temporarily suspend Site Finder."

How nice; they don't feel contractually obliged, they're just helping us
out.  'Without so much as a hearing' .. what incredible gall.

 >    Launched September 15, Site Finder provides useful tools for Internet
 >    users who mistype a domain name or attempt to connect to a web site that
 >    doesn't exist. Instead of receiving a cryptic error message, users receive
 >    a Web page that offers a search box, a "Did You Mean?" listing of similar
 >    domain names, and a listing of popular categories related to the search
 >    request. Through Thursday, Oct. 2, Site Finder has been used more than 40
 >    million times by Internet users to get where they want to go online.

Hardly volutarily ..

 >    "The service has been well received by millions of Internet users who
 >    appreciate getting navigation tools as opposed to the 'dead end' of an
 >    error message," added Lewis.

Lest people might realise that they've made a simple typo, or a site has
gone offair, or they might (heaven forbid) manage to block some spam,
which Verisign would no doubt view as an economically useful activity.

 >    "The next several weeks will be a test as to whether innovation will occur
 >    within the Internet infrastructure. The fact is that while the Internet
 >    has been used for innovative purposes over the last decade, the core
 >    infrastructure has suffered from a lack of innovation," said Lewis.

Yes, the Internet has so far avoided capture by any particular corporate
monster, how outrageous and old-fashioned.

 >    "VeriSign will argue vigorously for innovation because it not only
 >    improves the Internet user experience but has implications for the
 >    vitality of the DNS system and economic competitiveness and job growth."

The sheer altruism of their generous net.benificence defies description.

Doesn't this mob also control the A root server?  <shudder>

Cheers, Ian