Apparently, they’ve been available since 2014.

  • squiblet@kbin.social
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    2 years ago

    Currently, to start a new top level domain, you apply to ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, pay a fee of something like $185,000, and then become the registrar for that TLD.

    • Squizzy@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      Very interesting thank you. Does it work similar to federation wherein if ICANN don’t recognise you you cannot be linked to? Or is this organisation where the buck stops with the internet.

      Are the likes of tor sites registered there?

      • squiblet@kbin.social
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        2 years ago

        That has to do with Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), run by ICANN, who oversee IP address allocation and root zone management of DNS. DNS is the database/system that maps domain names to IP addresses, if you’re not aware.

        No, tor has nothing to do with regular domain names.

      • grandkaiser@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        With few exceptions, this is where the buck stops with the internet. If ICANN doesn’t recognize you, “the world” can’t associate your IP address to a domain name. Some “alt dns root zones” exist, but they’re either rogue states, bad actors, or even in one case, a crypto grift.

    • 𝔼𝕩𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕒@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      If I’m understanding right, you can buy “twitter.sucks” for $200 and you own that, regardless of who owns .sucks as a TLD? Or is it a rental? You can separately purchase ALL “.sucks” for 185k? What happens if the owner of .sucks dies or goes to prison, do you also lose “twitter.sucks”?

      • squiblet@kbin.social
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        2 years ago

        Getting twitter.sucks is just leasing/buying a domain name, which is a lot more simple. Generally you pay for a set period, and have the option to renew it. I’m not sure what happens when a registrar closes down, other than it’s likely someone else takes it over. The agreements linked below have sections describing what happens if a registrar closes down or gets shut down by ICANN for breaking the agreement… presumably someone else takes it over. There are surely other people who know more about this than I do.

        You can start a new gTLD that nobody else has for $185,000, plus the cost of operating the registry. From what I understand it’s basically a lease. As a registry, your job is to maintain a zone file for the TLD, and sell domains. (edit!) reading the contracts, you also pay them about $6,000 a quarter plus .25c for each registration for revenue over $50,000.

        Here is the agreement ICANN has for people who start TLDs: https://www.icann.org/en/registry-agreements and it is fairly legal and arcane.

        They have a FAQ about the gTLD program: https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/global-support/faqs/faqs-en