I mis-stated that .INFO was the world’s first 4-character TLD - .ARPA came before J t/h David Conrad

From: Ram Mohan [mailto:rmohan@afilias.info]
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2016 1:50 PM
To: UA-discuss@icann.org (UA-discuss@icann.org)
Subject: Some universal acceptance problems last 15+ years...

On Sep 12, 2001, I helped launch the first non 2/3 character TLD, .INFO. Many of you have heard about how we struggled to get applications, browsers, web forms and email systems to recognize the world’s first four-character TLD as a legitimate extension, including my creation of the Office of the CTO (in a 3 person startup) to get large companies to return my calls.

Well, 15+ years later, today I was on the website of the Pennsylvania state government, and filled in my email address (ending in .INFO). I hit submit, and here is the prompt that came up. I hit OK, and the site accepted my email and I moved forward with my tasks, but it’s galling that some programmer _recently_ decided that a non 2/3 character TLD based email address merited a warning message.

Goes to show how long bad habits persist. Also goes to show why the UASG’s work is important.

-Ram

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Ram Mohan

Executive Vice President & CTO

o: +1.215.706.5700 x103; m: +1.215.431.0958; f: +1.215.706.5701

Skype:gliderpilot30 |@rmohan123|www.linkedin.com/in/rmohan