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Translating 'Dot Com' into Cyrillic

Domain names in non-Roman alphabet to be tested by Net managers

By Asta Hostetter,  Newser User

Posted Oct 11, 2007 11:25 PM CDT
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(Newser) – On Monday the Internet's global reach will extend further when it tests non-Roman character domain names. For years, non-English speakers have petitioned the US and companies controlling the Internet for domain names in their native language, the BBC reports. But ICANN, the nonprofit corporation which allocates domains, has been afraid of destabilizing or crashing the Net.

Since the beginning of the Net many countries have requested the inclusion of other languages, and the late arrival of Monday’s initiative is still seen as an insult. Some took the lag in tackling the issue as an unspoken message: 'I'm too busy. Go learn English.' "
The delay has led some countries which use other typescripts, like China and Saudi Arabia, to establish their own Internets.

A Chinese man uses the computer at an internet cafe in Beijing Friday, Oct. 5, 2007. For sometime, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has permitted domain names written partially in foreign alphabets, such as those of Chinese or Arabic, but this will represent the first experiment...
A Chinese man uses the computer at an internet cafe in Beijing Friday, Oct. 5, 2007. For sometime, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has permitted domain names written partially...   (Associated Press)
In response to international criticism, the U.S. firm that oversees the Internet will test domains in foreign characters.
In response to international criticism, the U.S. firm that oversees the Internet will test domains in foreign characters.   (Shutterstock.com)
Since the Internet came into widespread usage, the 70 percent of the world that doesn't speak English have argued that the Web is inaccessible.
Since the Internet came into widespread usage, the 70 percent of the world that doesn't speak English have argued that the Web is inaccessible.   (Shutterstock.com)
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Chinese government's internet censorship
InformationWeek

More about ICANN and the language intitiative
icann.org

 
Internet • Hindi • ICANN • roman • alphabet • cyrillic • Urdu

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