[net.mail] What's so new 'bout domains?

bmg@mck-csc.UUCP (Bernard M. Gunther) (09/26/85)

I'm really curious about this long arguement about domains.  Haven't we
always had them to some extent?  All the computers at MIT have a name
that starts with MIT- which tells everyone who sees it that the machine
is located at MIT.  Many other universities do this also.  Isn't adding
domains just formalizing this method?  Domains just lengthen the name
of the machine in a manner such that some mailers MAY be able to processes
it more efficiently.  

There's a machine call mit-eddie and uw-eddie and when I type: telnet eddie
I get to either one, depending on which nicname table is installed.  I
know the difference, so when I want mit-eddie, I say so.  Doesn't this
sound alot likethe problem that domains are trying to solve?  It sounds
more like a non-problem that cna be easily fixed by individuals changing
their names.  (ATT sites adding .att to their names etc.)

Is this true, or am I missing something?

Bernie Gunther
mit-eddie!mck-csc!bmg

guy@sun.uucp (Guy Harris) (09/30/85)

> There's a machine call mit-eddie and uw-eddie and when I type: telnet eddie
> I get to either one, depending on which nicname table is installed.  I
> know the difference, so when I want mit-eddie, I say so.  Doesn't this
> sound alot likethe problem that domains are trying to solve?  It sounds
> more like a non-problem that cna be easily fixed by individuals changing
> their names.

The key phrase here is "easily fixed".  If two sites chose the same name,
they may not find out about it until somebody tries to enter them both into
the same database.  At this point, it may be a real pain for either of them
to change their name.

A domain is supposed to have an administrator who keeps sites within their
domain from choosing the same name.  Two sites in different domains can
choose the same name without a conflict, since the fully-qualified names are
distinct.

	Guy Harris