Registration is $10 at the door
Checks payable to University of Minnesota

Telecommunications and Information Society Policy Forum

Internet Management and the Future of the Internet: New Top Level Domains

 Speaker: Mike O’Connor

gofast.net Co-Founder and Newly Elected Member of the ICANN Generic Names Council

No one argues with the idea that the Internet is at the center of broadband life. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is the international multi-stakeholder organization charged with the technical management of the names and numbers that tag our Internet traffic for safe delivery on the Net.

The BIG NEWS from ICANN is that BIG CHANGE is on the way. The familiar small familyof top level domain names such as .COM, .NET, .GOV, .EDU, will grow to 1200 top level domain names in the next few years.  Over the past 20 years, very few names were added but in the next year alone about 500 additions are planned.

Is this good news?  Is this bad news?  Is the glass half full or half empty?  Who will benefit?  Who might lose?  How might this affect your ISP?  How might this affect telecommunications providers? Will trust be affected?

As an ICANN “insider” Mike will share his views and moderate discussion to help us understand the big changes ahead in this part of the Internet.  Please join us for this important discussion.

Registration is $10 at the door
Checks payable to University of Minnesota

The idea behind this forum is simple and essential:  purposeful exchange on key issues with engaged stakeholders to create a better information future.