Tendenci Blog

The new ICANN Domain Name Rules--What do they mean to you?

On Thursday June 26, 2008 the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) voted to astronomically expand the availability of domain names from the traditional .country or .com to almost whatever the purchaser can imagine.  Proponents of this plan included corporations such as eBay (.ebay), industries (.car), and cities (.berlin).

Starting in 2009, purchasers will be able to buy an unlimited number of domain names.  While some are thrilled, others are concerned people will make a lot of money by "squatting" on domain names (for example, someone could scoop up .pepsi and sell it for millions to the Pepsi Corporation). ICANN is putting several safeguards in place to make sure this does not happen; including giving purchasing priority to trademark holders. Another somewhat unintended consequence to the pirating of these new domain names is how expensive it is technologically to implement a new completely untried domain name. 

So... what does what some are calling one of the biggest shakeups in internet history really mean to you?  For smaller organizations with plans on staying small, it may not mean much.  For those of you who are planning on growing, getting your brand trademarked may be a very good idea.

Financially, getting your brand trademarked can be pretty expensive, but it may be something you may really want to consider to safely control your brand. For more information and ideas you can check out the United States Patent and Trademark web site.

It remains to be seen what the full scale implications to your users and internet navigators of this ICANN ruling will be.  We will keep all of you updated! 

Photo thanks to Flickr user Jordan Lee

Important court ruling: Web site owners can't be sued for comments

Tendenci is built to facilitate communication, human connections and the sharing of ideas.  Tools like comments, ratings and TrackBacks can open up important dialog between your organization, your members and the general public.

A recent ruling by the California Supreme Court declared that Web site owners cannot be for sued libelous or defamatory comments written by site visitors.  Basically, if a discussion on your Web site gets heated, only the authors of those comments are held accountable.  (read more about the ruling here)

This is great news for organizations who want to keep an open, honest dialog going but also want to be in the clear legally.  Opposing points of view and a little heated discussion can be healthy, but if things get out of hand and start veering towards libel it's always best to err on the side of caution.

Ways to manage your site's comments:

1. Require a site administrator to approve a comment before it is posted live to your site
2. Periodically check up on a comment thread and delete any comments that run against your organization's online etiquette

Long story short - use your best judgment and contact your organization's legal department for your specific situation, but definitely encourage your site visitors to take part in the conversation.

Thanks to Gulo Solutions Blog for the heads up on this!