ICANN Allows Top Level Domains in Any Language or Script

ICANN (International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) has announced that it will allow generic Top Level Domains to be in any language or script. It also means radically increasing the number of name endings for URLs which now stand at 22 and includes .com, .org and others.

So now the name ending of a domain name, can be just about anything. For example Facebook.com could potentially register Face.book where “.book” will be the Top Level Domain name.

Here is a quote from ICANN’s announcement.

ICANN has opened the Internet’s naming system to unleash the global human imagination. Today’s decision respects the rights of groups to create new Top Level Domains in any language or script. We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind

Creating a level playing field

Because of tradition, “.com” and other top level domain names will still be very valuable but this does create a level playing field for people who use the internet and do not use Latin-based script.

It also will reduce the idea of blocking domain names for re-selling them to brands or rising websites who might want it later. It also might make it a lot easier to remember URLs which are spelled naturally and people do not have to deal with the complexities of thinking if the domain name ended with a “.com” or a “.org”

What are your views on this new change to domain names? Do drop in your comments.