[ga] i just sent the following to south africa

[Joe Baptista <baptista@dot-god.com>]

i suggest those of you who are also concerned about the dot.za fiasco
contact the appropriate people in charge over there.

http://www.parliament.gov.za/na/mps.html
http://www.gov.za/president/index.html
http://www.parliament.gov.za/ncop/memberview/vieworganigrammembers.asp?path=ProvincialDelegations

From: \"Joe Baptista\" <baptista@dot-god.com>"
To: \"$firstname $lastname\" <$mailto>"
Subject: .ZA top level domain and root infrastructure


Dear $title $firstname $lastname:

I am writing you with respect to a number of reports I have received from
the American and South African press respecting the .ZA top level domain.

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.jsp?a=11&o=4547
http://www.dispatch.co.za/2002/06/08/southafrica/ALLAY.HTM
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=6&art_id=ct20020607192318721C000913&set_id=1

The South African Government and Matsepe-Casaburri are making fools of
themselves in sponsoring an attempted takeover of the .ZA top level
domain and it's my position that Donald Evans and the US Department of
Commerce are to blame for most of this foolishness.  The US DOC and their
agency ICANN have failed to educate the world on these issues.  It has
served these institutions to maintain your countries ignorance.

It is clear to me that the South African Government has no idea what
domains are, how they are used and how they can be abused.  There is also
alot of misinformation which seems to imply that the US Government in
some way has a monopoly over the domain name system.  The original story
I read claimed that \"ICANN is acknowledged around the world as the global
administrator of domain names\".  This is a false claim - there is no
global monopoly controlled by the USA.

Example - I am the operator of the top level domain .GOD.  This domain
resolves on a number of root systems outside of US government control.
ICANN has no control over what we do.

Also there are a number of aboriginal communities in Australia who have
setup their own domain systems - again outside of US government control.
They have taken steps to protect their identities on the internet.
South Africa can do the same.

I would recommend that if the South African Government is committed to
securing their own infrastructure then it would be prudent that they take
control of it.  The .ZA top level domain operated by Mr. Mike Lawrie is of
no significance in securing this infrastructure.

I would recommend that South Africans setup their own root servers and
that a domain system be launched to serve the South African people.  It's
much easier to create on the internet then to attempt a takeover.  Also
by having your own root system you significantly increase your countries
security.

At this time the root system used by most of Africa is the 13 legacy
roots operated by the Department of Commerce.  It's very easy to use
root servers to redirect traffic into proxy servers and then capture
that traffic to facilitate surveilance.  Any operator of any internet
root system has this power.

So if you trust the US government to control your computer then keep
using them - if not create your own.

We use a commercial root provider for resolution - www.pacificroot.com
and as a result have access to a much larger internet system.

In closing I would like to stay in touch.  I will be making a
presentation to the European Union on the security risks of using the
US root system and would appreciate sending that information to you
in the near future.  Please advise if this is ok with you.


Kindest regards
Joe Baptista, Managing Director
The dot.GOD Registry, Limited

       http://www.dot-god.com/
              .. on the other side of the internet universe"



Cheers
Joe Baptista

--
Planet Communications & Computing Facility
a division of The dot.GOD Registry, Limited


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