The ICANN is a non-profit domain in California that has proved to be the greatest effect in the world of internet and the domain names. The Internet Corporation for Assigned’ Names and Numbers (ICANN ) was launched in the year 1998, manages the IP address, operates the domain’ name system’ and accredits the domain name registries and registrars.
The aim of creating ICANN’ was to bring some order on the Domain Name System (DNS) in the Wild West and to ensure it is not under the control of the government. If you’ve had some interest in the internet, you must have heard about ICANN. Let us take some keen look at its history, the way of operation, and how you can work towards reshaping the internet by involving the ICANN.
The ICANN History
In the year 1983′ the pioneer of internet Jon’ Postel created the internet Assigned’ Numbers Authority (IANA) from the University of California’ that was aimed at administering the internet addresses assignment. It is under contract with the United States Department’ of Defense.
With time, it has become so common, that the internet has evolved into being highly important than anyone could imagine. This has, therefore, led to a need for great oversight and structure. This has created a need to push the U.S government’ from its role which is to oversee the Domain Name System (DNS).
In the year 1997′, the administration of Clinton focused towards privatization of the management of the DNS. In the subsequent year, the United States National’ Telecommunications Information’ Administration (NTIA) came up with the management transfer of DNS’ by the United States government to another new non-profit’ based in the U.S. The main objectives for this particular non-profit were:
- Aimed at fostering competition
- To be in charge of the DNS stability
- To make use of the bottom-up coordination
- To enhance the global and diverse representation
The Official role of ICANN was to make this role more effective. In the year 1998, University of Southern California signed an agreement that was aimed at changing the IANA contract to ICANN’. The ICANN then signed a formal contract in the year 2000 with the U.S government in order to perform the functions of IANA.
In the’ year 2001, the ICANN embraced the accreditation registrar policy in order to open up a competition among the selling .com, .net. and .org domain companies. There was a single registry for every domain at the top level. This has opened up an opportunity for a competitive market place for today’s market. It might prove somehow difficult to believe, but there was time’ when one had only a single choice on where to register the domain name. ICANN has, therefore, played a very crucial role by introducing competition. This is the reason we have companies such as Namecheap offering services today.
The U.S government’ withdrew its involvement with IANA and the ICANN functions. This has created a very special coexistence with ICANN’ as it interacts with these particular functions.
Today’s ICANN
ICANN has grown into a huge and more complex company. It boasts of more than 300 employees in 30 different countries. This gives them responsibility towards an annual budget of more than $100 million. The company is never involved in policymaking: instead, it gives support to the process of policymaking. One is required to add several advisories, volunteers, supporting organization and committee. On this, you’re likely to be pardoned for exactly telling where to relate with ICANN’.
Also, as a result, consensus-driven bottom-up model’, it may take significant time to have everything done in the right manner. This is likely to put off academic or government institutions.
On the complexity side of the model, the ICANN and the internet cannot be regulated through a single fraction, for example, the government. On this, the government is never involved, but the registries and registrars, internet users and non-commercial interests play an essential role. The board of ICANN makes all decision but under very careful consultation with the involved community.
After a few rounds of the top level’ domain expansion in the year 2000 and 2003, the ICANN group began to work on a wide program in the year 2005’. It had been delayed for a couple of years due to squabbles from different groups on who is supposed to run the program. This, therefore, led to the introduction of the best domains example .hockey and .ninja. to the web. The government directed more concern on the domain that could be equaled to the country and city names. The internet users were much concerned about how the domain was to be operated.
In the long run, the program details were approved in the year 2011. It was after 3 years that the new domain started to appear on the’ web. Despite how complicated and long the processes of ICANNs are, it has proved to stand with the idly. Therefore, if you really care about DNS, you should be concerned with ICANN.
How to Engage ICANN
There are several ways on how to engage ICANN and make some impact. They include.
By Commenting publicly: One of the simplest methods is to engage in public comment. This gives you an opportunity to publicly and directly comment on various policies and ideas that can work their way into the process of ICANN. It provides a list’ of issues that are open to the instructions and public’ comment.
Through Public Meetings: Holding public meetings is another amazing method of getting involved in ICANNs. These meetings are held at least 3′ times in a year. They are conducted in all corners of the earth in order to meet the global mission of ICANNs. During this year, ICANN meetings will be held in Morocco, Japan, and Canada. The public meetings list is regularly updated on the website of ICANNs. These meetings are usually free but the participants are required to cater for their hotel and travel expenses. The ICANN provides the best remote participation’ tools for these particular meetings’, in case you’re unable to make it. You can comfortably engage the meeting session through online chat.
Through organizations and Committees: If you really want to get involved, you can consider engaging Advisory Committees and Supporting organization. These groups focus on issues regarding constituencies. They include registries which operate a 2′-letter code’ domains and a committee that works on stability and security of DNS.
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