Re: [idn] Fw: Cyrillics - Latin

[DougEwell2@cs.com]

In a message dated 2002-02-04 8:40:29 Pacific Standard Time, dhc@dcrocker.net 
writes:

> Domain names are character strings, they are not language.  All of this 
> debate pertains to very important issues about language usage.  It is 
> outside the scope of the working group.

Some time ago I brought up the example of three of my favorite search engines:

- google.com
- altavista.com
- teoma.com

I challenged the list to identify -- unambiguously, to the point where it 
could be determined by software -- the language(s) to which the words 
"google," "altavista" (or for that matter "alta vista"), and "teoma" belong.  
Not surprisingly, nobody responded.

For that matter, to what language do the words "idn," "ops," and "ietf" 
belong?  Don't tell me they are abbreviations -- I know that.  My point is 
that Dave is 100% correct; domain names are strings of characters.  If they 
happen to spell one or more words in a natural language, so much the better, 
but that is not primarily what they are.

-Doug Ewell
 Fullerton, California
 (address will soon change to dewell@adelphia.net)