ICANN makes the DNS flat - for the rich that is
ICANN has approved the relaxation of the top level domain rules. That is normally a very welcome development because it means we could finally get rid of the stupid .com .de levels and everyone can register a .whatever. In theory that would be a great way to level the playing field and reset the internet sort off. In reality so what ICANN has done is sell the internet to the 1Mio+ corporations because a new top level domain under these new rules costs 100.000 dollar upwards (not quite clear if that is per year or a general fee) meaning that only the companies or persons with a 100.000 grant to spare can register their own TLD (which still needs to be approved by ICANN). Now that means for the first time since I am using the internet I can not afford a basic service - one that is poised to become a "trademark" for success. The playing field has just tilted heavily toward big corporate greed - this rule change has "lobby" written all over - after the big companies failed to make sure that their trademarks are "protected" with the TLDs as they are now - they ask for becoming an exclusive club of the rich owning a very special TLD is such a strong marketing standpoint that NOT doing for a company would be likely branding suicide - small companies, startups people with innovation will now either use a lot of their startup capital to get the branding benefits of a TLD or just suck it up and use the "old ones" which they will become known not too much in the distant future and everyone will see which company has "made it" and which hasnīt - this is a really sucky development and will haunt the net for the years to come. ICANN either you make the DNS flat or you donīt - the new state is on par with loosing net neutrality as it creates a two class internet society in the long run.