VeriSign prepares to relaunch "Site Finder" -- calls technologists "biased"

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25819-2004Feb9_2.html

VeriSign Reconsiders Search Service

advertisement

<http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh=v2|30ac|3|0|%2a|k%3B6828083%3B1-0%3B0%3B8772955%3B4252-300|250%3B4030281|4048177|1%3B%3B%7Efdr%3D7120331%3B0-0%3B0%3B7250268%3B4307-300|250%3B4300010|4317906|1%3B%3B%3fhttp://www.ibm.com/db2/generalpros>
[]
<http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh=v2|30ac|3|0|%2a|k%3B6828083%3B1-0%3B0%3B8772955%3B4252-300|250%3B4030281|4048177|1%3B%3B%7Efdr%3D7120331%3B0-0%3B0%3B7250268%3B4307-300|250%3B4300010|4317906|1%3B%3B%3fhttp://www.ibm.com/db2/generalpros>
[]



_____Related Coverage_____
• 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles//wp-dyn/articles/A57670-2003Oct7.html>VeriSign 
Service Spawns More Criticism (washingtonpost.com, Oct 7, 2003)
• 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles//wp-dyn/articles/A42107-2003Oct3.html>VeriSign 
Agrees To Shut Down Search Service (The Washington Post, Oct 4, 2003)
• 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles//wp-dyn/articles/A64437-2003Sep25.html>With 
Site Finder, VeriSign Sparks Internet-wide Criticism (washingtonpost.com, 
Sep 25, 2003)
_____ICANN Headlines_____
• 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles//wp-dyn/articles/A13538-2004Feb4.html>Congress 
Eyes Internet Fraud Crackdown (washingtonpost.com, Feb 4, 2004)
• 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles//wp-dyn/articles/A23641-2004Jan16.html>XO 
Owner Again Bids For Telecom (The Washington Post, Jan 17, 2004)
• 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles//wp-dyn/articles/A47327-2003Dec8.html>U.N. 
Sets Aside Debate Over Control of Internet (The Washington Post, Dec 9, 2003)
• <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/technology/techpolicy>Tech Policy 
Section
_____TechNews.com_____
• 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=admin/email&newsletter_code=C02>Sign 
up for the weekly tech policy e-letter (Delivered every Monday).
[]
 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/admin/emailfriend?contentId=A25819-2004Feb9&sent=no>E-Mail 
This Article
[]
 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A25819-2004Feb9?language=printer>Print 
This Article
[]
 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/javascript:void(window.open(finalUrl,'Rightslink', 
'location=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=690,height=550'))>Permission 
to Republish
[]
 <http://washpost.com/wpniother>Subscribe to The Post

"Site Finder was not controversial with users, 84 percent of whom said they 
liked it as a helpful navigation service," said Tom Galvin, VeriSign's vice 
president of government relations. "We continue to look at ways we can 
offer the service while addressing the concerns that were raised by a 
segment of the technical community."

Galvin said that the continued opposition stems from "an ideological belief 
by a narrow section of the technological community who don't believe you 
should innovate the core infrastructure of the Internet."

Critics also claim that VeriSign must run the domains as a public trust, 
not a profit-making opportunity. VeriSign is the sole operator of the 
dot-com and dot-net registries under a contract with ICANN.

"I don't begrudge them their profit, but someone in an effectively 
regulated monopoly position shouldn't use their power for their own profit, 
beyond the terms under which the community gave it to them," said Steven 
Bellovin, co-director of the Internet Engineering Task Force's Security Area.

Paul Rothstein a law professor at Georgetown University and a paid VeriSign 
consultant, said that the critics have some legitimate objections but 
others are motivated by the scientific and technology communities' "bias on 
policy."

Still, he added, it would be tough for VeriSign to win the public relations 
war because its opponents are highly regarded technologists.

ICANN will reserve judgment until VeriSign decides to relaunch Site Finder, 
said General Counsel John Jeffrey. VeriSign assured ICANN that it would 
give 60 to 90 days' warning to resolve any remaining technological 
problems, Jeffrey said.

In the meantime, ICANN is waiting for a final report on Site Finder from 
its Security and Stability Advisory Committee. Committee Chairman Steve 
Crocker said he doubts that Site Finder can be changed enough that it won't 
threaten the Internet's underlying infrastructure.

"I thought people were relieved that they took it down and it's hard to 
believe that there would be any quietness if they brought it back," Crocker 
said.

<SNIP>

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/