Subject: [idn] proposed wg charter, goal & milestone update

From: "James Seng/Personal" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 09:16:38 +0800

Apologise for the late update as it taken some time to get the wordings
right.

Changes 1: Add wordings to clarify the concept of "names vs identifiers"

"Domain names is one form of identifier. It does not have the technical
capability to encode names or languages information."

Changes 2: Add wordings to clarify DNSEXT & IDN WG

"The WG work may modify the DNS protocol and other related work
undertaken by the DNSEXT WG. But such changes must be co-ordinated with
the DNSEXT WG."

Description of Working Group:

The goal of the group is to specify the requirements for
internationalized access to domain names and to specify a standards
track protocol based on the requirements.

Domain names is one form of identifier. It does not have the
technical capability to encode names or languages information.

The scope of the group is to investigate the possible means of doing
this and what methods are feasible given the technical impact they
will have on the use of such names by humans as well as application
programs, as well as the impact on other users and administrators of
the domain name system.

A fundamental requirement in this work is to not disturb the current use
and operation of the domain name system, and for the DNS to continue to
allow any system anywhere to resolve any domain name.

The group will not address the question of what, if any, body should
administer or control usage of names that use this functionality.

The group must identify consequences to the current deployed DNS
infrastructure, the protocols and the applications as well as
transition scenarios, where applicable.

The WG will actively ensure good communication with interested groups
> > > who are studying the problem of internationalized access to domain
> > > names.
> > >
> > > The Action Item(s) for the Working Group are
> > >
> > > 1. An Informational RFC specifying the requirements for providing
> > > Internationalized access to domain names. The document should
>provide
> > > guidance for development solutions to this problem, taking
localized
> > > (e.g. writing order) and related operational issues into
> > consideration.
> > >
> > > <remove>2. An Informational RFC or RFC's documenting the various
> > > proposals and Implementations of Internationalization (i18n) of
>Domain
> > > Names. The document(s) should also provide a technical evaluation
of
> > the
> > > proposals by the Working Group.</remove>
> > >
> > > 2. A standard track specification on access to internationalized
> > domain
> > > names including specifying any transition issues.
> > >
> > > <add>3. A standard track specification on an ASCII Compatible
>Encoding
> > > (ACE). This may or may not be used in the standard track
>specification
> > > on access to internationalized domain names.</add>
> > >
> > > <add>4. A standard track specification on the string comparison of
> > > identifiers composed of character beyond the US-ASCII.</add>