Internationalizing the Internet!
Something big has happened today: The ICANN (body overseeing the internet domain names) has given green light to non-Latin URLs
This means a real change in history, not only from a technical perspective. From November 16 onwards, top-level domain names using non-Latin URLs can be registered, i.e. Chinese, Russian and more characters can from that moment on be used. This is due to the approval of the new Internationalized Domain Name Fast Track Process.
According to Tina Dam, ICANN’s Senior Director for IDNs:The launch of the Fast Track Process will be an amazing change to make the Internet an even more valuable tool, and for even more people around the globe.Some more quotes from ICANN include:
1) One world - One internet - With everyone connected.
2) It will now become possible to use native languages and script on the internet
Major questions that have to be answered are:
Will this affect the ability to search for cyberspace criminals?
Do we have to expand our policies?
Will this development ensure even more people joining the internet and only writing in their languages which are for many of us not understandable and thus hard to track?
Will terrorists increasingly start/expand using the internet as they now can use their own language?
(see the ICANN movie.)