ccTLD Probably noob Q about ccTLD's of obscure/unstable countries

[domino66]

This is a dumb Q. I already know it, so feel free to berate me. But it's something I don't understand, so I'm asking all the same.

Are ccTLD's associated with, say, politically unstable countries any more risky than the more traditional .com / .net / .org's? I was surprised to learn that .ly (eg no_url_shorteners) was Libya's ccTLD...

Does the country with which a ccTLD is associated have any control or effect on the reliability of the ccTLD? Can a country unilaterally "reclaim" or re-purpose its ccTLD's? Like: does no_url_shorteners have to worry about anything actually going on in Libya that could affect it? Is there a risk that down the line a country might institute more restrictive residency restrictions (e.g. only Libyans can own .ly's, so no_url_shorteners might get hosed, or the like)?

/noob

 

[DU]

This is a dumb Q.

It's a good question.

I already know it, so feel free to berate me. But it's something I don't understand, so I'm asking all the same.

That's usually why we ask questions

Are ccTLD's associated with, say, politically unstable countries any more risky than the more traditional .com / .net / .org's? I was surprised to learn that .ly (eg no_url_shorteners) was Libya's ccTLD...

Yes and No. Each ccTLD has its own rules and regulations but are really governed by IANA.

Many would argue that they (some ccTLD) are unsafe (Colombia could take .CO back - and will have a chance when the contract with Cointernet expires), .ly had issues with Libya and Sharia law issues..

But who the heck trusts the US and .com anymore?

Can a country unilaterally "reclaim" or re-purpose its ccTLD's? Like: does no_url_shorteners have to worry about anything actually going on in Libya that could affect it? Is there a risk that down the line a country might institute more restrictive residency restrictions (e.g. only Libyans can own .ly's, so no_url_shorteners might get hosed, or the like)?

/noob

They can't totally destroy what exists because IANA is technically in control. They can raise prices, change restrictions (see LLLL.ly) etc. They can certainly take names away and I believe they did with .md

You're primarily going to be as safe as:
Stability and legal system of the CC
Relative profitability of the ccTLD (don't kill that which brings revenue). This is why I would consider .me and .tv fairly safe even if they aren't traditional stable countries.

 

[Kate]

Each ccTLD is different.
Those of politcally unstable or corrupt countries should be avoided.
The TLD of Libya has a checkered history. I wouldn't use it even for low key development.

Your domain can be seized for porn or un-Islamic contents for example.
Some registries are downright corrupt too.
The other risk is registry mismanagement, some extensions are poorly run (at least technically), especially in Africa.

That means your domains could stop resolving at some point or may not function optimally.

Recently the whole TLD of Gabon (.ga) has been down for like two months.