discuss .O Discussion

Armageddon · Apr 6, 2020

Managed by independent members of the community OpenNIC
Any opinion
Right now are for reg. at Epik.com
I don't know if other registrar ofer for registration .O
Notice also already few of them sold on Namepros
Any idea how to be setup on/for VPN to add content ?
Personal i reg. few among them: Mexic.o, Tatto.o , Cong.o , Audi.o , Radi.o , SanFrancisc.o &
Toky.o - for 2021

Show here your registration & your opinion or any info

Kind regards,
Ovi

JB Lions · Apr 7, 2020

jamie white said:
There is no way that was by Epik

Somebody already posted the graphic but yep, take a chunk of text from that page:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=".o+domain+name+will+help+you+improve+your+search+engine+rankings+on+google+and+other+major+search+engines"

Only 2 places on the internet, that page and this thread.

Silentptnr · Apr 7, 2020

OpenNIC is an alternative DNS root, so it offers a separate DNS hierarchy from the ICANN one that everyone uses and trusts by default. That’s how it can offer non-ICANN-approved TLDs, and also why it cannot allow registrations in ICANN-controlled TLDs like .com (it’ll direct you to the ICANN root servers for the usual resolution process).

The downside: Everyone who wants to access, say, my.example.geek must configure their devices’ DNS server settings to point to OpenNIC’s Tier 2 (public access) resolver network, or access the Internet from a provider that does so. ICANN will not helpfully direct “normal” DNS queries for .geek et al into OpenNIC’s namespace; indeed, there’s an entire RFC dedicated to explaining the importance of “there can be only one (root)”.[1]

So if you’re browsing at an Internet cafe in a foreign country, my.example.geek simply won’t exist.

And if you chose to save money by getting the free ore.o for your company site, rather than pay your “tribute” to the ICANN “tyranny”, you’ve just doomed your business to obscurity.

The OpenNIC membership has voted explicitly to reject ICANN's introduction of the collider TLD .biz, and does not recognize .biz domain names registered through ICANN registrars. By introducing a collider TLD, ICANN has brought instability into the domain name system; see the FAQ entry on the .biz dispute for more info.

Other Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenNIC

https://www.techjunkie.com/how-to-get-free-opennic-domain-names/

https://www.opennic.org/

https://community.cloudflare.com/t/opennic-domain-names/98832

https://www.namepros.com/threads/opennic-what-is-it-free-geek-and-oss.473645/

Rob Monster · Apr 7, 2020

I am a little late to this party but happy to add perspective on what is going on here.

There are 3 parts to the plan for making Alt Domains useful:

1. Anonymize.com VPN and DNS resolver: This is free for anyone to download or use. It means that any domain in the Alt Domain zone will resolve just like any other domain. For sites that are concerned about censorship or surveillance, it is a blessing. You will not be able to track their traffic since all tracking code is also rooted out by the VPN. It's cool.

2. Toki Network: For those not aware, Epik is rolling out a network of so-called Toki servers. It is a very cool low cost edge server network which includes cached copies of sites running locally on distributed servers. You can begin to experiment with it on a free service we are releasing at Websites.org. Entire websites can be downloaded, including sites from the dark web in addition to clear web. Again, it's cool.

3. Browser partners: The long term goal is to align with browser partners or deploy/acquire a browser publisher that will integrate the proprietary DNS resolver.

Depending on what you think about the future of censorship and privacy, your enthusiasm for Epik's Alt domains will vary. The domains are all GA, i.e. we have not held back premiums, and the names are also really cheap.

In terms of status, Phase 1 is fully operational.

Phase 2 is coming online. If you have a Raspberry Pi server you can participate in the pilot that is coming online this month. @Arpit131 is leading the pilot, not just in India. If you want to participate, contact him. We are also investigating whether we can do the same on flashed Android devices.

Phase 3 has no known timing but we know that Unstoppable Domains did a deal with Opera browser and they have invited a strategic cooperation with Epik. We decided prioritize phase 1 and 2 because we are concerned about decentralized resiliency.

Specific to Raspberry Pi, they cost about $50 fully kitted. There are more than 30 million of them in circulation. With the full weather-proof case and battery array, they cost about $85 and look like this:

In the meantime, if you want to see sites added to the Toki network, feel free to add them to the Websites.org archive here:

https://websites.org/

This is cool stuff.

Ultimately, I think we'll introduce a model where people can own Alt Domains FOREVER. I have pushed very hard for registries to go this route. They have declined. See here for context:

https://www.epik.com/blog/forever-domain-registrations.html

We are leading the way, regardless of ICANN.

As for people who buy these domains errantly, we are refunding. I have asked our designers to add prominent messaging to help people not to buy Alt Domains without understanding what they do.

JB Lions · Apr 7, 2020

Rob Monster said:
I am a little late to this party but happy to add perspective on what is going on here.

There are 3 parts to the plan for making Alt Domains useful:

1. Anonymize.com VPN and DNS resolver: This is free for anyone to download or use. It means that any domain in the Alt Domain zone will resolve just like any other domain. For sites that are concerned about censorship or surveillance, it is a blessing. You will not be able to track their traffic since all tracking code is also rooted out by the VPN. It's cool.

2. Toki Network: For those not aware, Epik is rolling out a network of so-called Toki servers. It is a very cool low cost edge server network which includes cached copies of sites running locally on distributed servers. You can begin to experiment with it on a free service we are releasing at Websites.org. Entire websites can be downloaded, including sites from the dark web in addition to clear web. Again, it's cool.

3. Browser partners: The long term goal is to align with browser partners or deploy/acquire a browser publisher that will integrate the proprietary DNS resolver.

Depending on what you think about the future of censorship and privacy, your enthusiasm for Epik's Alt domains will vary. The domains are all GA, i.e. we have not held back premiums, and the names are also really cheap.

In terms of status, Phase 1 is fully operational.

Phase 2 is coming online. If you have a Raspberry Pi server you can participate in the pilot that is coming online this month. @Arpit131 is leading the pilot, not just in India. If you want to participate, contact him. We are also investigating whether we can do the same on flashed Android devices.

Phase 3 has no known timing but we know that Unstoppable Domains did a deal with Opera browser and they have invited a strategic cooperation with Epik. We decided prioritize phase 1 and 2 because we are concerned about decentralized resiliency.

Specific to Raspberry Pi, they cost about $50 fully kitted. There are more than 30 million of them in circulation. With the full weather-proof case and battery array, they cost about $85 and look like this:

In the meantime, if you want to see sites added to the Toki network, feel free to add them to the Websites.org archive here:

https://websites.org/

This is cool stuff.

Ultimately, I think we'll introduce a model where people can own Alt Domains FOREVER. I have pushed very hard for registries to go this route. They have declined. See here for context:

https://www.epik.com/blog/forever-domain-registrations.html

We are leading the way, regardless of ICANN.

As for people who buy these domains errantly, we are refunding. I have asked our designers to add prominent messaging to help people not to buy Alt Domains without understanding what they do.

What about the claims made on the landing page, when will that be fixed?

https://www.epik.com/tld/o

cyc · Apr 7, 2020

I was playing with alternate DNS root system before few years ago and it's offline recently.

https://www.facebook.com/dnseek/posts/1787761911549114

Even if it wasn't populated much, there was around 30 members who signed up and registered few names in first day.

Registration was free, but i was planning to offer some add-on services within affordable pricing.

If we were in early 2000's, i could say it's fair to commerce the registration of these domain names, but, in 2020, i don't find it fair for Epik or any other registrar trying to charge it without any innovation while OpenNIC offers it for free or Unstoppable Domains even if they use the decentralized version.

cipcip · Apr 7, 2020

Bertrell said:
Wasn't the thread opened by an Epik employee/rep?

Haha, good point there.

Rob Monster · Apr 7, 2020

cipcip said:
Haha, good point there.

Actually, we are working on that -- we have a lot of empowerment at Epik from a historically flat organization that has since grown to 80 people.

We recently appointed 2 VPs:

- @MayC18 as VP Asia
- @Sufyan Alani as VP Operations

@Intelliname has also come in to help on Strategy and Communications. I am not sure if he will agree to come on full-time but I have surely appreciated his help over the last month.

I love our dynamic culture, but with growth and leadership comes expectation for precision and perfection. We are evolving in that direction pretty rapidly without becoming a stifling bureaucracy.

For those not aware, I spent 9 years at P&G. I left in 1999 after experiencing what felt like a soul-sucking bureaucracy. So, I am highly sensitive to preserving entrepreneurial energy as we scale.

Paul · Apr 7, 2020

@Rob Monster, you still haven't clarified how you're handling .o registrations. That zone hasn't accepted any new registrations since February.

NickB · Apr 7, 2020

Same, bought some .geek names (including u.geek and two 2 letter ones) even though single & two letters are not allowed..

Got lulled by the $2.99 promo and did not do any due diligence, so my bad initially and I can learn from it but if single and 2 letters are not allowed I should not of been allowed to reg them in the first place surely?

branding · Apr 7, 2020

Rob Monster said:
I am a little late to this party but happy to add perspective on what is going on here.

There are 3 parts to the plan for making Alt Domains useful:

1. Anonymize.com VPN and DNS resolver: This is free for anyone to download or use. It means that any domain in the Alt Domain zone will resolve just like any other domain. For sites that are concerned about censorship or surveillance, it is a blessing. You will not be able to track their traffic since all tracking code is also rooted out by the VPN. It's cool.

2. Toki Network: For those not aware, Epik is rolling out a network of so-called Toki servers. It is a very cool low cost edge server network which includes cached copies of sites running locally on distributed servers. You can begin to experiment with it on a free service we are releasing at Websites.org. Entire websites can be downloaded, including sites from the dark web in addition to clear web. Again, it's cool.

3. Browser partners: The long term goal is to align with browser partners or deploy/acquire a browser publisher that will integrate the proprietary DNS resolver.

Depending on what you think about the future of censorship and privacy, your enthusiasm for Epik's Alt domains will vary. The domains are all GA, i.e. we have not held back premiums, and the names are also really cheap.

In terms of status, Phase 1 is fully operational.

Phase 2 is coming online. If you have a Raspberry Pi server you can participate in the pilot that is coming online this month. @Arpit131 is leading the pilot, not just in India. If you want to participate, contact him. We are also investigating whether we can do the same on flashed Android devices.

Phase 3 has no known timing but we know that Unstoppable Domains did a deal with Opera browser and they have invited a strategic cooperation with Epik. We decided prioritize phase 1 and 2 because we are concerned about decentralized resiliency.

Specific to Raspberry Pi, they cost about $50 fully kitted. There are more than 30 million of them in circulation. With the full weather-proof case and battery array, they cost about $85 and look like this:

In the meantime, if you want to see sites added to the Toki network, feel free to add them to the Websites.org archive here:

https://websites.org/

This is cool stuff.

Ultimately, I think we'll introduce a model where people can own Alt Domains FOREVER. I have pushed very hard for registries to go this route. They have declined. See here for context:

https://www.epik.com/blog/forever-domain-registrations.html

We are leading the way, regardless of ICANN.

As for people who buy these domains errantly, we are refunding. I have asked our designers to add prominent messaging to help people not to buy Alt Domains without understanding what they do.

In alle due respect Rob, that's all fine and dandy. Kuddos for that but it doesn't really answer some of the concerns raised in this thread and could actually be looked upon as promoting stuff nowhere near related.

I don't want to go down that road. You know I love you guys but from what we can tell so far Epik offering these registrations is just batshit insane, pardon my French. That zonefile has like what, 140 regs? Is it even worth it to support that?

A simple 'sorry we messed up, have been experimenting and it didn't work out as we anticipated' would suffice.

Same goes for Namepros/mods, what is their stance on alt domains? Not necessarily regarding .o but I anticipate more alts surfacing on NP in the future. Some forward thinking wouldn't be a bad move.

branding · Apr 7, 2020

And to address @Mod Team Alfa @Mod Team Bravo @Mod Team Echo @Mod Team Foxtrot

It's a serious issue:
https://www.namepros.com/search/44317071/?q=.geek&o=relevance

branding · Apr 7, 2020

From the .geek thread:

Rammbo said:
yep 100$+ bucks down the drain for me

Sam · Apr 7, 2020

Any "Open Nic" domain is worth exactly $0. There is simply no reason for critical mass to ever adopt Open Nic.

Paul · Apr 7, 2020

Sam said:
Any "OpenDNS" domain is worth exactly $0. There is simply no reason for critical mass to ever adopt OpenDNS.

These are OpenNIC TLDs, not OpenDNS. OpenDNS is a product from Oracle. OpenDNS only supports ICANN TLDs, as far as I'm aware.

Silentptnr · Apr 7, 2020

I still might find a use. Not sure though.

I like what it stands for though.

Are .geek registrations really reserved though? Is there a lookup other than at epik?

Sam · Apr 7, 2020

Paul Buonopane said:
These are OpenNIC TLDs, not OpenDNS. OpenDNS is a product from Oracle. OpenDNS only supports ICANN TLDs, as far as I'm aware.

Oops. Corrected now. Thanks

Rob Monster · Apr 7, 2020

Paul Buonopane said:
@Rob Monster, you still haven't clarified how you're handling .o registrations. That zone hasn't accepted any new registrations since February.

The project started in Fall of 2018 in the wake of Draconian censorship initiatives, like Godaddy booting Gab.com, famously discussed in this thread.

The concern was what if registries and registrars simply began deleting domains or null-routing them, how would the netizens respond in terms of counter-measure.

For calibration, the first TLD to deploy it was .TRUTH.

As for the folks who bought them, we'll allow a full refund for anyone who did not grasp their function because they don't know how to distinguish a gTLD, a ccTLD and an Alt-TLD.

The catalog is here:

https://registrar.epik.com/prices/registration/alt

Ultimately, we don't really care what OpenNIC does. If they don't have the ability to deliver last mile DNS resolution, they are just an academic project.

branding · Apr 7, 2020

Rob Monster said:
The project started in Fall of 2018 in the wake of Draconian censorship initiatives, like Godaddy booting Gab.com, famously discussed in this thread.

The concern was what if registries and registrars simply began deleting domains or null-routing them, how would the netizens respond in terms of counter-measure.

For calibration, the first TLD to deploy it was .TRUTH.

As for the folks who bought them, we'll allow a full refund for anyone who did not grasp their function because they don't know how to distinguish a gTLD, a ccTLD and an Alt-TLD.

The catalog is here:

https://registrar.epik.com/prices/registration/alt

Ultimately, we don't really care what OpenNIC does. If they don't have the ability to deliver last mile DNS resolution, they are just an academic project.

Still now answering the questions Rob. And don't blame opennic. Epik decided to resell it.

Joshh71390 · Apr 7, 2020

CreativeMedia.us said:
No is not , because after registration a email is sent with instructions
imo fraud is made by some registry like: Afillias , Neustar etc. that reserved the domains ll , lll , ccc , premium keywords after expire & they sold at high prices .
WHY ? Sunrise or Landrush was made when they are introduced.
But ICANN or other legal entities DO NOTHING . WHY ? BECAUSE THEY GREED
& affected you , me and most of us

It is fraud when u wait till after the money as transacted to tell them their names cant be used as real domains... Imagine if you bought a car. and after you bought it the dealer told you it doesnt drive, but instead sent you an email post purchase sorry, your car doesnt drive, but you can put it on a trailer and tow it.

branding · Apr 7, 2020

Rob Monster said:
we'll allow a full refund for anyone who did not grasp their function because they don't know how to distinguish a gTLD, a ccTLD and an Alt-TLD.

So far for respect... from a registrar that has just been chosen as the best registrar of 2019.

Paul · Apr 7, 2020

Rob Monster said:
Ultimately, we don't really care what OpenNIC does. If they don't have the ability to deliver last mile DNS resolution, they are just an academic project.

Are you saying your .o and .geek domains aren't the same as OpenNIC's .o and .geek domains--separate zones, separate roots? Right now, people are under the assumption that you're selling domains for OpenNIC TLDs; if that's not the case, please clarify.

Rob Monster · Apr 7, 2020

NameDeck said:
So far for respect... from a registrar that has just been chosen as the best registrar of 2019.

I grasp that there is a different expectation for Epik as "Registrar of the year". @Sufyan Alani in his new role as VP Operations is going to help tidy this area up. It frankly was not even getting any management attention until an Epik staff member decided, on his own initiative, to make a thread about it. Prior to that, the Alt TLDx were a technical curiosity used by a very small customer base who valued it for a specific reason, which is that it works for their needs. For those who choose to speculate on Alt TLDs, the names are cheap because they are experimental. However, I do believe in them which is why we'll be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Rob Monster · Apr 7, 2020

Paul Buonopane said:
Are you saying your .o and .geek domains aren't the same as OpenNIC's .o and .geek domains--separate zones, separate roots? Right now, people are under the assumption that you're selling domains for OpenNIC TLDs; if that's not the case, please clarify.

Thanks @Paul Buonopane.

We are starting an internal review of these non-conventional TLDs to determine how to go forward.The people who have used them have been using our DNS resolver and/or VPN services.

In case not aware, we have been working also on an alternate WHOIS framework called WHOQ.com to deal with the issue of empowering people to find domain owners, including Alt domains, post GDPR.

Details to follow.

@Sufyan Alani

Paul · Apr 7, 2020

Rob Monster said:
Thanks @Paul Buonopane.

We are starting an internal review of these non-conventional TLDs to determine how to go forward.The people who have used them have been using our DNS resolver and/or VPN services.

In case not aware, we have been working also on an alternate WHOIS framework called WHOQ.com to deal with the issue of empowering people to find domain owners, including Alt domains, post GDPR.

Details to follow.

@Sufyan Alani

I appreciate the response, but all I'm asking for here is a simple clarification: are your .o and .geek part of OpenNIC, or are they separate zones/roots? This is a very important distinction.

Chris Hydrick · Apr 7, 2020

Rob Monster said:
As for the folks who bought them, we'll allow a full refund for anyone who did not grasp their function because they don't know how to distinguish a gTLD, a ccTLD and an Alt-TLD.

Well, as long as we're calling onions, onions, then perhaps Epik can address the onions on: https://www.epik.com/tld/o ?

bigbig said:
I gotta say, Epik really should update this page that turns up 1st page when I search google for .o domain name : https://www.epik.com/tld/o
".o domain name will help you improve your search engine rankings on google and other major search engines"

bigbig said:
I tried replacing the O in the url with NL and it's an identical page, so it looks like it's default place holder info and an oversight that these pages would not apply to openic names, they may not realize it's even a 1st page google result for .o domain name and if it's not linked internally on their site maybe google found it in a sitemap.

CTRL+F yields:

0 results for "alt"
1 result for "generic extension"
2 results for "improve your search engine rankings on google and other major search engines"

///

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