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The '''IAHC''' ('''International Ad Hoc Committee''') was formed in 1996 by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority ([[IANA]]) and Internet Society ([[ISOC]]). During this period, commercial restrictions on the web were lifted by the National Science Foundation ([[NSF]]), which resulted in the Internet's first major explosion of commercial growth and the number of computers on the Internet doubling every three months. IAHC was a temporary alliance brought together to focus on the issue of managing the [[DNS|Domain Name System]] so that it could serve the rising number of computers effectively. The committee was made up of several organizations: IANA, ISOC, the Internet Architecture Board ([[IAB]]), the International Telecommunications Union ([[ITU]]), Federal Networking Council ([[FNC]]), International Trademark Association ([[INTA]]), and the World Intellectual Property Organization ([[WIPO]]).<ref name="link1">[http://computer.howstuffworks.com/iahc1.htm howstuffworks.com]</ref> <ref>[http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/what-internet-international-committee curiosity.discovery]</ref> The IAHC was dissolved on May 1, 1997 in favor of the Generic Top Level Domain Memorandum of Understanding ([[gTLD-MoU]]). <ref>[http://www.cknow.com/cms/ckinfo/iahc---internet-international-ad-hoc-committee.html cknow.com]</ref>


The '''IAHC''', or '''International Ad Hoc Committee''', was formed in 1996 by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority ([[IANA]]) and Internet Society ([[ISOC]]) in an endeavor to add top level domain names. The issue was put forward by the head of IANA. The Internet Architecture Board ([[IAB]]), the International Telecommunications Union ([[ITU]]), International Trademark Association ([[ITA]]) and World Intellectual Property Organization ([[WIPO]]) were all a part of the IAHC coalition. In 1997, the IAHC suggested the use of generic Top Level Domain or the gTLD for domains of the level of .org or .com. For this, the IAHC had proposed seven new gTLDs. However, due to new recommendations of the report, the committee dissolved and many of the suggestions made by the IAHC were considered later. <ref>[http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/what-internet-international-committee curiosity.discovery.com]</ref>
==Formation of IAHC==
Until May 1996, [[.com]], [[.org]], [[.net]] were the primarily used [[gTLD]]s. Dr. [[Jon Postel]], head of IANA, which managed allocation of IP addresses, suggested revising the Domain Name System in order to assist the internet’s rapidly growing commercial use. He proposed to add 50 new TLDs. The suggestion, however, was criticized by the technical community on several regards, the main problem being that the plan allowed anyone the right to register domain names in as many as three of the new TLDs, which would potentially decrease competition.


== How the IAHC worked ==
Later, with the help of ISOC, the IAHC was formed in September 1996 to solve the domain name problem. In December 1996, IAHC drafted a report outlining its ideas for a more efficient and organized domain name system. In the final version of the report released in February 1997, IAHC addressed an inconsistency with the definition of some top level domains. At that time, TLDs were classified into two categories: International Organization for Standardization ([[ISO]]) country codes also know as national TLDs (nTLDs), such .us, .fr, .ca etc.; and a International TLDs (iTLDs), which included everything else.


The International Ad Hoc Committee typically noted that three gTLDs, .org, .com and .net, were existent when the report was written in the year 1997. As per the IAHC’s recommendations, .com was kept aside for firms or businesses, .org for not-for-profit entities, and .net for firms that dealt with emphasizing data networking services, especially in reference to the Internet. The report recommended a Generic Top Level Domain Memorandum of Understanding (gTLD-MoU), which would include seven new gTLDs:
The committee suggested the use of term "generic Top Level Domain (gTLD)" as a replacement for iTLDs, as they considered term "International" misleading.<ref name="link1">[http://computer.howstuffworks.com/iahc1.htm howstuffworks.com]</ref>


* .web - for entities giving more importance to activities related to the World Wide Web
==IAHC’s new gTLD's recommendations==
* .rec - for entities emphasizing entertainment/recreation activities
* .info - for entities providing information services
* .firm - for firms or businesses
* .store - for businesses offering their products for purchase
* .nom - for those wishing personal or individual nomenclature
* .arts - for entities emphasizing entertainment and cultural activities


The report led to the establishment of a large group of the global registries under the governing of the Council of Registrars ([[CORE]]), to look after the new registries for the gTLDs proposed by the IAHC.
Up until 1997, the International Ad Hoc Committee considered .org, .com, and .net as the only recognized TLDs. As per IAHC’s definitions, .com was kept aside for firms or businesses, .org for not-for-profit entities, and .net for firms that deal with emphasizing data networking services especially in reference to the Internet. The report recommended a Generic Top Level Domain Memorandum of Understanding (gTLD-MoU), which would set-up seven new gTLDs:


== The fall of IAHC ==
# [[.web]] - for entities giving more importance to activities related to the World Wide Web
# [[.rec]] - for entities emphasizing entertainment/recreation activities
# [[.info]] - for entities that provide information services
# [[.firm]] - for firms or businesses
# [[.store]] - for businesses offering their products to purchase
# [[.nom]] - for those wishing personal or individual nomenclature     
# [[.arts]] - for entities emphasizing on entertainment and cultural activities


The IAHC managed to garner support but its report was criticized on several grounds. The tech community viewed the report as too condensed and strict, as it outlined the schedule for technological development and implementation with a timeline of only 100 days. Other critics thought the report gave no importance to the business side of things; that it was unable to solve the problems which it was originally created to solve, including problems with the introduction of the .store, .firm, and the already established .com; or that there was a lack of unity among the IAHC's suggestions. Many of its recommendations were later successful proposals, however; one such successful proposal was .info, which ICANN introduced later after the dissolution of the committee in 1997.
The report also led to the establishment of a large group of global registries, under the governance of Council of Registrars ([[CORE]]), to look after the new registries for the gTLDs proposed by the IAHC.<ref name="link2">[http://computer.howstuffworks.com/iahc2.htm howstuffworks.com]</ref> 


== IAHC and ICANN ==
==The fall of IAHC==


After taking over the functioning of the IAHC in 2000, ICANN approved the following seven new TLDs for use: [[.info]], [[.museum]], [[.name]], [[.aero]], [[.biz]], [[.coop]], and [[.pro]]. It was only in 2008 that ICANN went a step further and began allowing private and public organizations to register any gTLD.<ref>[http://computer.howstuffworks.com/iahc2.htm howstuffworks.com]</ref>
The IAHC managed to garner support, yet its report was criticized on several grounds. The technical community viewed the report as too condensed and strict, as it scheduled a 100-day timeline for the technological development and implementation of the new TLDs. Others thought that the report gave no importance to important business issues, and that it was failing to solve the problems that it was created to solve. One major point was that there was a lack of unity among the suggestions given by the IAHC; for instance, the introduction of the .store and .firm domains alongside the already established .com. Many of the IAHC's recommendations were later successful proposals, including [[.info]], which the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ([[ICANN]]) introduced later, after the dissolution of the committee<ref name="link2">[http://computer.howstuffworks.com/iahc2.htm howstuffworks.com]</ref> in May 1997.
 
==IAHC and ICANN== 
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ([[ICANN]]), a not-for-profit private sector corporation took over the functioning of the IAHC. In the year 2000, ICANN approved seven new TLDs for use: .info, [[.museum]], [[.name]], [[.aero]], [[.biz]], [[.coop]], and [[.pro]].<ref name="link2">[http://computer.howstuffworks.com/iahc2.htm howstuffworks.com]</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


 
[[category: Organizations]]
[[category: Glossary]]
[[Category:Featured]]
[[category: Committees]]
 
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Latest revision as of 20:37, 18 June 2024

The IAHC (International Ad Hoc Committee) was formed in 1996 by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and Internet Society (ISOC). During this period, commercial restrictions on the web were lifted by the National Science Foundation (NSF), which resulted in the Internet's first major explosion of commercial growth and the number of computers on the Internet doubling every three months. IAHC was a temporary alliance brought together to focus on the issue of managing the Domain Name System so that it could serve the rising number of computers effectively. The committee was made up of several organizations: IANA, ISOC, the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Federal Networking Council (FNC), International Trademark Association (INTA), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).[1] [2] The IAHC was dissolved on May 1, 1997 in favor of the Generic Top Level Domain Memorandum of Understanding (gTLD-MoU). [3]

Formation of IAHC[edit | edit source]

Until May 1996, .com, .org, .net were the primarily used gTLDs. Dr. Jon Postel, head of IANA, which managed allocation of IP addresses, suggested revising the Domain Name System in order to assist the internet’s rapidly growing commercial use. He proposed to add 50 new TLDs. The suggestion, however, was criticized by the technical community on several regards, the main problem being that the plan allowed anyone the right to register domain names in as many as three of the new TLDs, which would potentially decrease competition.

Later, with the help of ISOC, the IAHC was formed in September 1996 to solve the domain name problem. In December 1996, IAHC drafted a report outlining its ideas for a more efficient and organized domain name system. In the final version of the report released in February 1997, IAHC addressed an inconsistency with the definition of some top level domains. At that time, TLDs were classified into two categories: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) country codes also know as national TLDs (nTLDs), such .us, .fr, .ca etc.; and a International TLDs (iTLDs), which included everything else.

The committee suggested the use of term "generic Top Level Domain (gTLD)" as a replacement for iTLDs, as they considered term "International" misleading.[1]

IAHC’s new gTLD's recommendations[edit | edit source]

Up until 1997, the International Ad Hoc Committee considered .org, .com, and .net as the only recognized TLDs. As per IAHC’s definitions, .com was kept aside for firms or businesses, .org for not-for-profit entities, and .net for firms that deal with emphasizing data networking services especially in reference to the Internet. The report recommended a Generic Top Level Domain Memorandum of Understanding (gTLD-MoU), which would set-up seven new gTLDs:

  1. .web - for entities giving more importance to activities related to the World Wide Web
  2. .rec - for entities emphasizing entertainment/recreation activities
  3. .info - for entities that provide information services
  4. .firm - for firms or businesses
  5. .store - for businesses offering their products to purchase
  6. .nom - for those wishing personal or individual nomenclature
  7. .arts - for entities emphasizing on entertainment and cultural activities

The report also led to the establishment of a large group of global registries, under the governance of Council of Registrars (CORE), to look after the new registries for the gTLDs proposed by the IAHC.[4]

The fall of IAHC[edit | edit source]

The IAHC managed to garner support, yet its report was criticized on several grounds. The technical community viewed the report as too condensed and strict, as it scheduled a 100-day timeline for the technological development and implementation of the new TLDs. Others thought that the report gave no importance to important business issues, and that it was failing to solve the problems that it was created to solve. One major point was that there was a lack of unity among the suggestions given by the IAHC; for instance, the introduction of the .store and .firm domains alongside the already established .com. Many of the IAHC's recommendations were later successful proposals, including .info, which the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) introduced later, after the dissolution of the committee[4] in May 1997.

IAHC and ICANN[edit | edit source]

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a not-for-profit private sector corporation took over the functioning of the IAHC. In the year 2000, ICANN approved seven new TLDs for use: .info, .museum, .name, .aero, .biz, .coop, and .pro.[4]

References[edit | edit source]