Hi Tony, DNS is a funny space: while the current DNS landscape is ripe for innovation (DNS itself is insecure esp in wireless environments, DNSSEC deployment is lagging, and there is a large installed base of fairly low-assurance software out there, which altogether should create an environment for a faster, better, more secure alternative), I don't believe there is currently much opportunity for commercializing DNS-based services. The only attempts we have seen are smarmy services that create cash flow by hijacking their users' typos. Such services are typically targeted at less savvy users and are inherently at odds with what their users are trying to do. Technically, typo-hijacking is terrible as it breaks applications (I could expand on this, but I think the arguments should be pretty clear to this audience). Morally, building services that work by getting in the way of what their users are trying to do is reprehensible. I'd rather build stuff that appeals to a core geeky audience who really wants to use it, instead of trying to make money by showing little ads to someone who made a typo. And of course, a few simple changes to the browser can easily kill the typo-squatting business model.
Now, I'm the farthest thing from a business-person. I might be wrong about the potential for commercialization; if someone else thinks they can make money in this space, power to them. But in response to your question, this was what I thought as me and my student ran the CoDoNs service for several years for free, and it is what led us to not commercialize it ourselves. Ultimately, we have been busy with other projects and, once Google started offering non-typo-squatted DNS servers, we let the service lapse. If there is commercial interest and a credible business plan, we'd be happy to license the code. If you have further questions, let's take them off-list, - egs On Sat, Jan 28, 2012 at 2:43 AM, Tony Arcieri <[email protected]> wrote: >> Hi Emin, >> >> So I am quite curious about CoDoNS, and what became of the entire project as >> what I've read about it so far makes it seem like it was very cool but >> disappeared off the face of the Internet. If you'd like to contact me off >> list with where I should follow up, or give the list more details about the >> project, I'd like to know more. >> >> >> On Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 3:51 AM, Emin Gun Sirer <[email protected]> >> wrote: >>> >>> Hi Marc, >>> >>> There is nothing secret about CoDoNs -- we ran a public service for many >>> years. We never open-sourced the code, however, partly because we wanted to >>> keep the option to commercialize the work, and partly because a portion of >>> the code was encumbered at the time, though this is no longer the case. If >>> you have further inquiries about the code and its licensing, it's best to >>> take that discussion off the list. >>> >>> Best, >>> - egs >>> >>> On Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 5:58 AM, Marc <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> On Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 3:15 AM, Tony Arcieri <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> > On Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 5:29 PM, Emin Gun Sirer >>>> > <[email protected]> >>>> > wrote: >>>> >> >>>> >> I did some of the earliest work on a feasible peer-to-peer DNS called >>>> >> CoDoNs: >>>> >> http://www.cs.cornell.edu/people/egs/beehive/codons.php >>>> >>>> > Wow! This is exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for, thanks! I will >>>> > definitely be perusing this site. >>>> >>>> Hi Emin, i was at this site a few month ago and there still is no >>>> code availavable, is the project deprated or just so secret that >>>> you cant talk about it ? :))) >>>> >>>> >>>> greetings >>>> >>>> marc >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> p2p-hackers mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> http://lists.zooko.com/mailman/listinfo/p2p-hackers >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> p2p-hackers mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://lists.zooko.com/mailman/listinfo/p2p-hackers >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> Tony Arcieri >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> p2p-hackers mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.zooko.com/mailman/listinfo/p2p-hackers >> _______________________________________________ p2p-hackers mailing list [email protected] http://lists.zooko.com/mailman/listinfo/p2p-hackers
