Executive Summary

• Introduction of the .self top-level domain to support self-hosting
• Unique features to prevent domain squatting and ensure legitimate use
• Potential for a single domain per person with identity verification

The Buzz Score

The Internet’s Verdict: 70% Hyped, 30% Skeptical

Forum Insights

Experts and users discuss the potential of the .self domain, with some expressing excitement about its potential to prevent domain squatting and ensure legitimate use.

The ‘one free domain per person’ isn’t the interesting part really – that will be hard to police unless domain name is a function of ID proof (avoids squatting).

Others have raised concerns about the potential for security probing and the need for a clear mechanism to distinguish between parked and legitimate domains.

I’m just being a negative nancy here, but I don’t think I’d want to advertise that any of my sites are specifically self hosted, in that it kinda asks for … security probing, since it’s more likely than not got less than professional security surrounding it.

Technical Considerations

Technical experts have suggested the use of zero-knowledge proofs to confirm domain registration and prevent squatting, while also maintaining user privacy.

For instance, I’d like to see .self offer the following: a single domain to any person in the world with identity blinded. I can imagine two ‘tranches’: say xxx.v.self for ‘verified’ and xxx.u.self for ‘unverified’.

Focus Keyword: self domain