[discuss] So-called alternate roots

Sat Jan 4 04:20:18 UTC 2014

On 03-Jan-14 22:20, Andrew Sullivan wrote:
> And of course, if different groups of people are looking up
> names in completely different name spaces on the Internet at the same
> time, they're not really networked to each other, are they?

Sure they are as long as they are using the same address type (IP v4 & v6).

If the DNS or other name system supported having multiple name sets that 
did not overlap because of class or some other authority indicator, as 
long as they were mapping to the same addresses, how could not they not 
be on the same Internet.  And since URN/URI/URL can accommodate 
different authorities that could refer to different addressing schemas, 
that mapped to the same addresses I do not see why this is not possible.

Yes, we would need new software.  But if we imagine the changes in the 
Internet over the next 10 50 100+ years, I can't imagine we will be 
using the same DNS software in 2114.  I am not even sure we will be in 2039.

The question for me becomes, what do we need out of a naming system in 
the future?

avri