Domain Pulse 2008 was held in Vienna on February 21 and 22, day one’s focus was internet governance. It attracted users from all over the world from Russia which had over 350 in attendance to Ireland. One of the key issues addressed by Michael Nelson (of Georgetown University in Washington DC) was the future of DNS. With domain names becoming less of an importance but increasing in number, due to the online access of a new and extensive range of devices, ranging from televisions, washing machines, refrigerators to cars

Presentations about the role of ICANN, data retention and the EC directive were features of the first day. Search engine marketing (by Google Austria) and a look at ccTLDs across Europe The evolution of the internet is only 15 percent complete; forms of online identification such as RFID and Digital Object Identifier will be common means of connecting devices online The way of the future is collaborative technologies with cloud computing meaning applications will reside in a cloud of collaborating technologies, including cameras and phones. Examples of this include peer to peer technologies and grid computing. The next phase is the “holy grid” with everything being integrated. Eric Schmidt of Google says 90% of computing will be done in a cloud in a few years, this meaning a greater reliance on high powered computers for personal use will decline.

On DNS, Michael Nelson looked at ICANN and believes that its significance is overstated with what happens at the IETF three to four times more important than what happens at ICANN. However, as he noted, the role of the IETF is rarely discussed. Microsoft’s next Internet Explorer browser is probably even more important to the internet than the IETF. ICANN has been largely successful, with the DNS stable and the organisation remaining largely independent. ICANN’s work into looking at new gTLDs has been commended, ICANN sees what works and that news reports wildly exaggerate what happens. The conspiracy stories that appear about ICANN were deemed to be rather amusing as Nelson remarked “the only conspiracy can involve two people, as if three people know about something in DC, then one will tell someone! But there’s not a lot you can do with a conspiracy of two people!” Another view held by Michael Nelson was it is important internet users decide the way forward in technologies that are used, and not governments. “When in doubt, empower the user”.

Peter Van Roste (Centr) in his overview of Centr ccTLDs members looked at growth among the ccTLDs and Van Roste announced that Centr will be launching a publicly available tool soon to enable a comparison of domain statistics among its members. Also mentioned was the Asia Pacific Top Level Domain (APTLD) association study that looked at registration of domain names for registries under APTLD The study concluded that gross domestic product of a country, the number of internet users and the gTLD registrations were all key factors in determining the demand for the ccTLD of that country. Price was not so important it was found, another conclusion was allowing the registration at second level has a positive effect on registration numbers, with the landrush leading to opening up the second level benefiting registration numbers. Domain Pulse 2008 covers a broad range of issues affecting the DNS, and its broad reach is testament to the importance of the German-language ccTLDs in Europe.