I found this in a newsgroup:
Subject: Re: InterNIC - Network Solutions
Summary: an asshole by any other name ...
Date: 24 Mar 1999 15:57:12 GMT
| > Apparently telneting to whois.internic.net doesn't work anymore.
|
| The service you're referring to no longer exists.
|
| You can 'telnet' to whois.internic.net:43 for access to whois, but
| it's the same service you get using 'whois'. That other service
| where you'd get the "InterNIC> " prompt has been shutdown, probably
| forever.
|
| > The rs.internic.net website goes to www.networksolutions.com now
| > and doesn't mention much about this.
|
| Network Solutions took the InterNIC website down on Saturday without
| notice. They do not plan on ever putting it back up. It's gone!
|
| Apparently, Network Solutions is preparing for the competitive
| registry marketplace that's coming next month. They're capitalizing
| on "internic.net" for their commercial enterprises.
|
| For a timetable of what's coming see
| <http://www.icann.org/timeline.html>.
|
| For some insight on the grand scheme of things, check out Gordan
| Cook's take at <http://cookreport.com/insurgency.html>.
|
| The InterNIC ftp site is still up. I just grabbed copies of all the
| templates in case they take it down also.
|
| Maybe they changed the IP address of the website. Does anyone have
| older and different addresses for "www", "rs", or "whois"?
It seems that there is alot of flak being generated by the high-handed
sequence of events that the InterNIC and NetSol assholes have embarked
upon.
Earlier today, the following message was posted to the lynx-dev mailing-
list:
> From: Philip Webb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: lynx-dev NS story (ungarbled)
> Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 09:56:11 -0500 (EST)
> Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> AP tu 990323 1938
>
> Web Management Co Raises Feds' Ire -- TED BRIDIS
>
> WASHINGTON (AP) -- The company selected by the US government that assigns
> most of the World's Internet addresses made a surprise move to steer
> customers of an important WWW directory to its private commercial site:
> "We're very concerned", said Commerce Dept administrator Becky Burr: "This
> was undertaken without consultation with the US government". People trying
> to visit the `Internic' directory -- which checks availability of a new WWW
> address -- > are being sent to Network Solutions' home page, which offers
> to register Internet addresses with .com .net or .org suffixes for
> $119. The information is still free, but one must go thro' the commercial
> site to see it.
>
> The government, in the middle of largely ending management of the Internet,
> is upset, since the directory has traditionally been a community resource
> -- like a giant WWW phone book -- & `Internic' is a US-govt owned trademark:
> "This information has been freely available to the Internet community for a
> long time: if there is a reason to change that, we need to be consulted".
> It illustrates the difficulty of having private industry run the WWW,
> which is becoming the most crucial communications medium for the digital
> age.
>
> The change occurred unexpectedly last Friday & infuriated some Internet
> groups: 100's e-mailed the Commerce Dept: "We're entering a very uncertain
> period", said Jay Fenello, president, Iperdome: "There are serious questions
> how this transition will move forward & this is just a symptom".
>
> Network Solutions (Herndon VA) has enjoyed a lucrative exclusive agreement
> with the US government since 1993 to register most of the World's addresses;
> it has registered > 4 M sites & had $ 93,7 M sales 1998. Its decision
> comes days before a new organization selects 5 companies to compete with
> it: "They're trying to get as much visibility as they can for as long as
> they can", complained William Walsh, DSO Net (Fresno CA): "They're going to
> brand their registrar service `Internic' before there are even other
> registrars that could compete. It may be legal, but it speaks of ethical
> problems".
>
> Spokesman Chris Clough said Internic directory is legally a customer list
> owned by Network Solutions, which decided to consolidate several sites,
> incl Internic, to anticipate changes in Internet management.
>
> Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN, CA) has assumed
> most Internet management responsibilities from the US government & is
> expected to select 5 new registration companies Worldwide next week. Its
> president Michael Roberts & chairwoman Esther Dyson did not respond to phone
> calls.
Seems like the Department of Commerce is the proper entity to complain to
about the miscreants that are making this unilateral decision, if one were
of a mind to complain about it, that is ... :-) ...
/kim
============================================================================
"We create the government that screws you, and then you're supposed to thank
us for protecting you from it." --Congressman Vin Weber (R-Minn)
------- end of quoted message -------
Joe Smith MCI WorldCom, Network Management, Product Technical Support
UNIX and Tech Sup: TYMNET Network, Xstream Packet Services (Public X.25)
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 2560 N 1st St, MS-5046/746, San Jose, CA 95131
Voice: vnet 854-6220 = 408-922-6220 Fax: vnet 854-6702 = 408-922-6702
