Wall Street Journal - "Web Alphabet Set To Change."

[Rubber Duck]

We are talking about domain names. You would assume Joe Domainer is less confused than Joe Arab about this.

No, Joe Arab will just register and use names just as you do, but he will use and Arabic interface and the names will be in an Arabic script. He shouldn't be anymore confused than your average American internet user if the system is working properly, but you are clearly very very confused.

[nameslave]

Unfortunately, there was no single literal equivalent for the English key term (a very common key term that we all use in English every day); but instead no less than three different ways of expressing the cultural and social meaning — depending on the age of the speaker, the immediate situation of the speaker and to whom one is speaking, the geographical dialect, etc.

That's the beauty of TRANSLATION, and why machine translation so often sucks. As a bilingual guy brought up in 2 totally different languages since even before getting into kindergarten, I know very well that some terms simply CANNOT be translated (as in a single word in Chinese would come up to a 15 word sentence in English, or vice versa). That is why there's a HUGE advantage if you speak the language, BECAUSE THEN you could register domains *in that very language*.

If domainers are confused, do you think Joe Arab will be confused?

We are talking about domain names. You would assume Joe Domainer is less confused than Joe Arab about this.

Joe ARAB shouldn't be more confused because he will ONLY register domains in ARAB (a language which he has been using on his computer all along), unlike some domainers who try to cash in by registering in not only Arab but also Russian, Chinese or even sign language.

[Rubber Duck]

That's the beauty of TRANSLATION, and why machine translation so often sucks. As a bilingual guy brought up in 2 totally different languages since even before getting into kindergarten, I know very well that some terms simply CANNOT be translated (as in a single word in Chinese would come up to a 15 word sentence in English, or vice versa). That is why there's a HUGE advantage if you speak the language, BECAUSE THEN you could register domains *in that very language*.

Maybe, but ultimately the only thing that counts is being first.

[Fearless]

Joe ARAB shouldn't be more confused because he will ONLY register domains in ARAB (a language which he has been using on his computer all along), unlike some domainers who try to cash in by registering in not only Arab but also Russian, Chinese or even sign language.

Joe Arab doesn't register domain names. He surfs to .com websites.

[nameslave]

Joe Arab doesn't register domain names. He surfs to .com websites.

Joe Arab DOES register domain names, just not that many (perhaps a couple at most).

But more importantly, when he surfs, he has no problem typing in .IDN BECAUSE this (his own language) is what he mostly type on his computer. To him, IDN.IDN domains just make more sense.

[Wot]

Joe Arab DOES register domain names, just not that many (perhaps a couple at most).

But more importantly, when he surfs, he has no problem typing in .IDN BECAUSE this (his own language) is what he mostly type on his computer. To him, IDN.IDN domains just make more sense.

Bit of an uphill battle is it not.

[bwhhisc]

Joe Arab doesn't register domain names. He surfs to .com websites.

IDNs are .com (and .cn, .jp etc) and have been available for registration since 2000'.

[Rubber Duck]

Bit of an uphill battle is it not.

Well, I think we all understand why he is Fearless!

[steveatvillas]

When you realize you don't have any Brands in Farsi Script?

Maybe I do.

[Fearless]

But more importantly, when he surfs, he has no problem typing in .IDN BECAUSE this (his own language) is what he mostly type on his computer. To him, IDN.IDN domains just make more sense.

Sure, if he wants a parking page.

[Rubber Duck]

Maybe I do.

Yes, we can tell from your signature that you are pretty clueless on Trademark Law.

[nameslave]

Sure, if he wants a parking page.

LOL! Apparently, you just don't get it. Parking page or not is irrelevant. The (Internet) world according to Joe ARAB is and has always been ARABIC (at least for the last 7 years if not more).

Perhaps it's just the Joe "English only" Domainer IN YOU who is confused, I'm quite sure many who are less short-sighted have little problem understanding it.

[bwhhisc]

LOL! Apparently, you just don't get it. Parking page or not is irrelevant. The (Internet) world according to Joe ARAB is and has always been ARABIC (at least for the last 7 years if not more).

Perhaps it's just the Joe "English only" Domainer IN YOU who is confused, I'm quite sure many who are less short-sighted have little problem understanding it.

Save your breath...I have been around this forum a few years and seen the IDN smack talk, most are naysayers regardless. You can tell them there is are over a billion pages of Chinese content on the internet and they wouldn't believe it, or that in a few years "foreign language" pages will outpace English pages on the internet.

Comments like "IDNs will never happen because they will break the internet", to "they will just be used for phishing anyway", to "no one will ever use them", to "I am waiting for REAL idns to be released", to my favorite... "people only want to use .com domains". The same shortsighted and uninformed views have been posted over and over.

They will just have for watch for themselves what unfolds over the next 12 months, and then realize they missed out on the 2nd (and last) biggest opportunity in domaining...the 1st being those that missed the ability to register ascii.com domains at reg fee, or for cheap back in the 90's.

You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make them drink.

[DomainsInc]

realize they missed out on the 2nd (and final) biggest opportunity in domaining. (the 1st being those that missed registering ascii.com domains back in the 90's).

You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make them drink.

Hmm, you can see the future and there are no other opportunities?

[bwhhisc]

Hmm, you can see the future and there are no other opportunities?

Sure I can....but NOTHING of this magnitude.

Don't you wish you could go back to 1999 with all the knowledge of 2009?
There just might be a little parallel here. Time will tell over the next few years.

[DomainsInc]

Sure I can....but NOTHING of this magnitude.

Don't you wish you could go back to 1999 with all the knowledge of 2009?
There just might be a little parallel here. Time will tell over the next few years.

Of course. I was registering domains in 99 but hadn't a clue really. Aren't all of the good idn's already gone though? Of course there is the aftermarket but as someone who speaks not a word of anything but english, its all very intimidating.

[Fearless]

They will just have for watch for themselves what unfolds over the next 12 months, and then realize they missed out on the 2nd (and last) biggest opportunity in domaining...the 1st being those that missed the ability to register ascii.com domains at reg fee, or for cheap back in the 90's.

Did you forget about mobee?

[gaetanomarano]

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lots of confusion is coming…

.

[Wot]

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lots of confusion is coming…

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Only for those easily confused, mainly non IDN au fait English speakers I would hazard a guess.

There you go already confusing mixing in some French.

[mulligan]

Can you IDN lovers stop with the rationalization already? Time is short and my list of IDNs available to register is growing smaller by the hour!