poll Will Blockchains replace DNS?

[Internet.Domains]

Will new technologies, such as blockchains, replace the current Domain Name System (DNS)?

There is a current project called "Handshake" (HNS) that is proposing to use it's blockchain to replace the current root servers and root zone files. This system would completely bypass current registries, such as Verisign, and completely bypass ICANN. The idea is to create a decentralized authority bypassing ICANN's centralized and abusive powers.

The proposal goes on to say that domains will be auctioned and effectively anyone can end up running their own decentralized registry via blockchain.

Also of interest is that within the protocol the dots, such as "." will not be needed. As HNS described, someone could bid for "BruceLee" and the browser would recognize this by entering "BruceLee/".

This proposal seems to be getting some momentum with some big names in the technology and VC sphere being early adopters.

More from those proposing "Handshake."

"How do Handshake domains work?


Handshake domains work just like the centralized ICANN domain system, with a few key exceptions. In the world of domains, stuff like “com” “net” and “org” are referred to as Generic Top Level Domains or TLDs. In addition to those ones, there are new TLDs like .pizza or .business, and Country Code TLDs like .io (Indian Ocean) or .ly (Libya). ICANN decides, through a complicated auction and voting process, what top level domains will be approved, and then individual domain registrars who own those TLDs get to sell access to the subdomains on top of them.

On Handshake, *anyone* can register a new TLD, without having to ask for anyone elses permission! So in the beginning on Handshake there is likely to be a rush to register TLDs that will be in demand for people who want to put subdomains on top of them. For example, if you registered “lee” on Handshake, then say Bruce Lee could come and buy bruce.lee from you! So that will probably be where most people direct their attention initially.

However, because anyone can register a tld, another option is to simply USE tlds as your domain. So for example, bruce lee can just register “brucelee” and use it, sans any subdomains. This is pretty awesome, but its also a new pattern for users, and they will have to get used to it. Browsers will also have to choose to adopt allowing bare TLDs instead of assuming they are search terms (currently if you type brucelee into a browser, it won’t do a DNS lookup but will just google brucelee for you). That said, if you enter "brucelee/" your browser will correctly recognize that as a domain. We believe that browsers will offer optional support for this pretty quickly (Brave is already [evaluating](https://twitter.com/BrendanEich/status/1036389193864208384)), and perhaps some will make it the default soon, but in the beginning domains that follow the “thing.domain” pattern will be most in demand because they will simply “work” with existing browsers, as long as users point their DNS at a handshake-supporting server, or if the large DNS servers begin to support Handshake domains."

Handshake white paper:
https://namebase.io/handshake-whitepaper/

 

[BaileyUK]

it's Six of One And half-a-dozen of the other. And I think most of us can read between the lines...

Lets face it. you can pretty much bolt-on anything in your own network - Global amendments ?? Unlikely in the foreseeable future

 

[Internet.Domains]

Well I'm going to say you are attempting to reinvent the wheel, and a very young wheel.

give it another 30 to 40 years and you'll not only have something in maturity that could seek redress but with the ability to make seamless amendments..The DNS is no where near enough to maturity to think its up for playing around with - blimey look how long https took us

Just for the record, I am not affiliated or part of any project pertaining. I am not selling it. I see pros and cons and think its worthy of discussion and something to keep an eye on as a domain investor.

 

[lock]

I am going to bank on it with ServerChain. The fact is they will run out of ip addresses.

 

[Yusupbabay]

what benefits will the domain investor get if the HNS system is implemented?

 

[lock]

what benefits will the domain investor get if the HNS system is implemented?

The fact that the ip range will have too many numbers dots and combinations they need a system that can use to assign addresses to. Won't be any benefits other than not running out of numbers

 

[poweredbyme]

Current DNS system is very simple to understand. You don't have to be an engineer, I am not. You can find abundant info about DNS on the internet. If you have managed a web server on linux or used a linux system on your daily computer you should already know how DNS works, what is BIND and how internal IP addresses -such as localhost (127.0.0.1)- resolves. DNS is a very simple system. It converts domain names into IP numbers. Your browser (client) asks IP address of a domain to a public resolver, public resolver asks to the DNS server, DNS server answers to the resolver, resolver answers to the client. There are 3 actors: client, resolver (ISP or another) and DNS server.

Technically you can use anything as domain. Domain isn't necessary if you know the IP, especially if the website has dedicated IP. Just type IP addresses on your browser. You can use your email client or ftp client or ssh client, etc. without a domain name. In other words, domains have almost zero technical functionality or advantage for the websites or for the entire internet to work. This is a hard fact for domainers. If human brain could remember IP addresses or if a different browsing system would be invented, noone would invent domain names or domain names would be used only by some trademark owners. Rest of the websites wouldn't need a domain name.

Even though domain names look like helping us to remember our favorite websites most people bookmark domain names on their browsers as they forget domains names too. In the practice, domain names don't even help us to remember something easier. Domain names have almost no value for the end user.

Domain is just a name and names have no inherent value. Names of the things which we need, like, love or hate are not important. For instance, assume you like orange and apple. If their names changed or replaced would like them less? If they were nameless would you like them less? Do small children and babies know the names of everything they need, like or hate? Did you learned the name of "milk" before or after drinking it?

Nothing would change if the names of everything changed yesterday or all names have been lost suddently. Maybe you could have difficulty to buy something that has no name. If it's a popular product and if you know what it is, a seller could easily find it for you even if it wasn't named.

Another hypothetical example: You go to a country which you don't know its language. You need water but you don't know how to ask for it. What is the possibility for you to die for thirsty as you don't know the name of water in the local language? Yes very very low, it's almost impossible as long as there is water there. Name of water has very very low inherent value. Water is valuable not because of its name. It's not important whether its name is water, gater, mater, xater or something else. Sometimes you eat something that you don't know its name. You remember what you ate, how good it was, when, where, with whom, but not its name. You don't remember its name because its name is unimportant. Because you know you can go to the same place and can find it, can eat it again even if you don't know its name. You don't have learn and memorize its name. Your brain doesn't care about names. Because your brain 1,000 times more intelligent than you think. I am sure the most women you liked, was initially nameless for you. You first liked and then learned their names, or never had a chance to learn their names, or forgot their names. Her name has no importance for your brain. You continue to remember her name as long as remembering her name makes your life easier, then you forgot if the name becomes entirely unneccessary. If you were in a deserted island with her, you wouldn't need her name at all. Because she would be the only one human you can speak to, no need to name her to distinguish her from other humans. You could eat various vegatables in that island which you don't know their names.

Similarly trademarks, product names and brands have no value for the end user. For example, assume you produce very bad phones and your sales are low. One day you decided to produce the same phone under a different brand name. Would this help your sales? I don't think. People buy phone, not its name. Even if the word of "phone" changes, buying decisions of that products will not be affected. Names, as a whole have little functionality, help us to distinguish unique things (like human names) or group of things like chicken, egg, appple, orange. But we can live even if we can't distinguish anything verbally. We can live without knowing the name of water but we can't live without water.

End users do not care about domain names as long as they can access their favorite websites. New technological developments in domain names will come based on this fact and domain names will lose lots of value. Even currently most domains are not worth renewal fee, so they drop. This trend has started with nTLD's -nTLD's has raised domain supply dramatically- and will not stop in the near future. Decentralization of domain names will raise the supply quantity to its maximum level. Even if decentralization ends up with failure, new TLD's will not stop. You may think .com is king and you can protect yourself from new TLD's with sticking to .com. Nope. Com TLD is just a bubble, is overrated. It's the first TLD only. If overall prices in an industry drop, price of the king drops. Example: Bitcoin price drops or raises in the similar speed and direction with other coins.

 

[TRY]

"Browsers will also have to choose to adopt"
Not going to happen imo,....
the only possibility I see happening is it being adapted in very small scales. Small networks of users that use it to communicate etc. Amongst themselves.

 

[Internet.Domains]

The biggest challenges that DNS face right now are human policy issues related to censorship. Innovations for security like DNSSEC, SPF, DMARC have all been adequately addressed through the framework.

Blockchain DNS is ostensibly coming along because of a trust gap. So now we'll have a period where decentralized non-trust (Blockchain) competes with centralized-trust (ICANN, IANA, etc.).

My personal bet is that DNS will continue. The engine works. However, it needs air-bags and safety belts to prevent casualties now that there are crazy drivers on the road. Enough said.

Having potential competitors in the naming space may be exactly what is needed to keep ICANN and registries in check......Only time will tell truth, meanwhile it's always good to be aware.

 

[NYJimbo]

In case you censorship is a small issue, I can assure anyone here that it is not. The Southern Poverty Law Center added me to their Hatewatch last week.

LOL. "He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas"

 

[NYJimbo]

Of course when it comes to SPLC, no good deed goes unpunished. They lifted one quote out of a 2 hour impromptu livestream and built a narrative around it.

Sure, whatever. You're making a heck of a legacy for you and your company. LOL.

 

[Internet.Domains]

And no, domains aren't going anywhere. These type of threads are always popping up.

This thread is not about domains going anywhere. It is about a different protocol for domains. Please read what was said and you will see this is more about truly owning a domain vs. renting it.

 

[JB Lions]

This thread is not about domains going anywhere. It is about a different protocol for domains. Please read what was said and you will see this is more about truly owning a domain vs. renting it.

Domains.........as we know them. No.

"Also of interest is that within the protocol the dots, such as "." will not be needed. As HNS described, someone could bid for "BruceLee" and the browser would recognize this by entering "BruceLee/".

 

[Internet.Domains]

Domains.........as we know them. No.

"Also of interest is that within the protocol the dots, such as "." will not be needed. As HNS described, someone could bid for "BruceLee" and the browser would recognize this by entering "BruceLee/".

It's still a domain. More specifically it's called a "bare" domain. Still a domain.

 

[JB Lions]

For most people, Free Speech is worth protecting. I fully grasp that you do not agree and that is your prerogative as you have made abundantly clear from your perpetual rightspeak here at NamePros. Needless to say, I am underwhelmed by it as I am similarly underwhelmed by your cowardly pseudonym.

I'm underwhelmed with you not addressing actual points brought up here and the other thread, instead going on with conspiracy speak. I read what you said about the Christian guy breaking the law and catching the arrow. You thought it was some government PSYOP. I mean really. Also, you use these threads as promotion for your products.

 

[Internet.Domains]

I am betting on the continuation of the existing namespace model and am actively reinforcing it as much as I can.

Completely understood. I believe, and one can tell by the poll, most agree with you on that point.

 

[JB Lions]

To "JB":

First of all, you should be happy about my efforts to support Unstoppable domains as it will sustain .COM domains for a long time to come as more individuals can pay retail to own them. I am encouraging our retail clients to buy Forever .COM and they are doing it.

If you do choose to offensively engage me on a thread, you can be assured that I reserve the right to respond. Why? Because you are not actually my audience. You just drive up page views and turn threads into trending threads. You see how that works.

I know I'm not your audience, it's cheaper just to have them on auto-renew. Think we went over the math in the other thread, it seemed most thought it was ridiculous - https://www.namepros.com/threads/would-you-like-to-own-a-domain-name-forever.1106617/

Just like we went over the Escrow math. You hopped in that thread, then we looked at the math and you never came back to reply, you can now - https://www.namepros.com/threads/ep...s-fees-knowledge-thread.1112364/#post-7016980

Prager U is a known joke btw. Get some paid off by fossil fuel company scientists to deny climate change type of nonsense.

 

[BaileyUK]

I accept your neutrality in discussion, then your also aware that half-the-world lives on what the other half is playing catch-up on. The internet system is there for development, I personally feel there are far better priorities and benefits to work with what we have, than to take it into a further 'naming/concept/security futures for the time being...And I think the market knows that.

The vulnerable isn't the net, just the bloody individual

 

[Rob Monster]

I know I'm not your audience, it's cheaper just to have them on auto-renew. Think we went over the math in the other thread, it seemed most thought it was ridiculous - https://www.namepros.com/threads/would-you-like-to-own-a-domain-name-forever.1106617/

Just like we went over the Escrow math. You hopped in that thread, then we looked at the math and you never came back to reply, you can now - https://www.namepros.com/threads/ep...s-fees-knowledge-thread.1112364/#post-7016980

Prager U is a known joke btw. Get some paid off by fossil fuel company scientists to deny climate change type of nonsense.

You are off topic but to clarify:

1. On Forever (and soon Unstoppable) domains, the economics make sense for people who value their time, don't want to lose a strategic domains, and are not managing 100,000 domains.

2. On escrow, our rates are great. In fact, on Monday you will see an announcement about that one. We have a fast-growing escrow product -- already our #2 business and very synergistic.

As for SPLC, maybe you would prefer the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...ab7d60-756d-11e8-9780-b1dd6a09b549_story.html

The SPLC just paid Maajid $3.3 million. Of course this is all theater and funny money but you will find plenty of damning evidence about the SPLC.

And now the RICO and class-actions are coming:

https://cis.org/Press-Release/CIS-RICO-Lawsuit-SPLC

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/201...center-could-be-hit-with-60-lawsuit-landslide

 

[Internet.Domains]

I accept your neutrality in discussion, then your also aware that half-the-world lives on what the other half is playing catch-up on. The internet system is there for development, I personally feel there are far better priorities and benefits to work with what we have, than to take it into a further 'naming/concept/security futures for the time being...And I think the market knows that

While I agree to an extent, I feel the market is loving all things "decentralized" in this era. Will it stick? Time will tell.

 

[BaileyUK]

Nope your thinking about Politicians Not the same thing

 

[Internet.Domains]

Nope your thinking about Politicians Not the same thing

No, I was thinking and speaking of economics and business trends.

 

[Yusupbabay]

The fact that the ip range will have too many numbers dots and combinations they need a system that can use to assign addresses to. Won't be any benefits other than not running out of numbers

after the ip address runs out, there will be an increase in the price of the domain.

 

[DomainCairn]

Peername.com

 

[Argentum]

Good news as i own a lot of / domain names!! Will register few more today.