gTLDs are 3 characters or more (.com .net .org ). 2 characters TLDs are reserved for ccTLDs. This allows a CLEAR separation between gTLDs and ccTLDs, so that precisely what’s happening with the .io ccTLD doesn’t happen on accident.
Maybe they could make .io into a 3-character gTLD by adding a character to it. Moving all of the websites (except those actually relevant to the territory) over to a new gTLD in unison seems like it would reduce confusion for the people who use those sites. Knowing that acme.io is now acme.iox (or w/e) would make it easier on everyone.
How would IANA changing one TLD into a different TLD and then everyone using the old TLD migrating everything to the new TLD be any easier than everyone just migrating everything to a new TLD?
In either case there wouldn’t be anything “in unison” about it.
The upside of IANA doing it would be a standardised place for sites to move to. Without coordination, different sites would move to different TLDs, probably mostly based on what isn’t already registered. IANA could create a new TLD for this and give existing whatever.io owners a chance to register whatever.iox before its generally available
I don’t think they really need a standardized place to move to. The natural gTLD for them to move to today would be .tech, but it could be anything. Nothing wrong with good old .com. Every one of these companies undoubtedly already own at least a dozen versions of their domains on all the most popular gTLDs. The time scale of moving would also be 5-10 years. Thats plenty of time to move your domain, have a redirect on the old domain, and people to get used to the new domain.
If you don’t understand the purpose that it would serve and how it would help, I have no idea how could explain it to you. The benefit is self-evident.
I should clarify that what I’m asking is what you think the benefit would be. Since you don’t have an answer to the question I will give it to you: There would be no benefit. There already exists dozens of gTLDs to migrate to, they don’t need another specific one.
Why can’t they just make it a gTLD?
gTLDs are 3 characters or more (.com .net .org ). 2 characters TLDs are reserved for ccTLDs. This allows a CLEAR separation between gTLDs and ccTLDs, so that precisely what’s happening with the .io ccTLD doesn’t happen on accident.
Maybe they could make .io into a 3-character gTLD by adding a character to it. Moving all of the websites (except those actually relevant to the territory) over to a new gTLD in unison seems like it would reduce confusion for the people who use those sites. Knowing that acme.io is now acme.iox (or w/e) would make it easier on everyone.
How would IANA changing one TLD into a different TLD and then everyone using the old TLD migrating everything to the new TLD be any easier than everyone just migrating everything to a new TLD?
In either case there wouldn’t be anything “in unison” about it.
The upside of IANA doing it would be a standardised place for sites to move to. Without coordination, different sites would move to different TLDs, probably mostly based on what isn’t already registered. IANA could create a new TLD for this and give existing whatever.io owners a chance to register whatever.iox before its generally available
I don’t think they really need a standardized place to move to. The natural gTLD for them to move to today would be .tech, but it could be anything. Nothing wrong with good old .com. Every one of these companies undoubtedly already own at least a dozen versions of their domains on all the most popular gTLDs. The time scale of moving would also be 5-10 years. Thats plenty of time to move your domain, have a redirect on the old domain, and people to get used to the new domain.
That’s what I’m suggesting. Make a new gTLD (3 character) for the defunct ccTLD to migrate.
…why? For what purpose and how would that help at all?
If you don’t understand the purpose that it would serve and how it would help, I have no idea how could explain it to you. The benefit is self-evident.
I should clarify that what I’m asking is what you think the benefit would be. Since you don’t have an answer to the question I will give it to you: There would be no benefit. There already exists dozens of gTLDs to migrate to, they don’t need another specific one.