Does anyone know why IANA has assigned NS and A records to the
example.{com,org,net,...} domains? They even put up a website
at the IP explaining RFC 2606.
because they are owned by the IANA.
* Why did they assign NSs and a valid IP to these invalid domains?
they are not invalid.
* Are they breaking the RFC by doing this?
Nope.
* Are they breaking anti-UCE filters by doing this? (yes)
Perhaps.
* Are they harvesting URLs and referrers?
Ask the current IANA.
* Will they next advertise routes for RFC 1918 addresses?
Perhaps. They do authorize authoritative DNS service for these
blocks in the public Internet.
--
Roger Marquis
Roble Systems Consulting
http://www.roble.com/
--bill (one-time IANA jock, who set up the DNS for RFC 1918 space and
the example domains)
Does anyone know why IANA has assigned NS and A records to the
example.{com,org,net,...} domains? They even put up a website
at the IP explaining RFC 2606.
because they are owned by the IANA.
pedantic point:
no, they are not 'owned' by anybody. they are *reserved*, and
should not be used by anybody.
randy
In a message written on Sun, Jan 04, 2004 at 05:51:40PM -0800, Randy Bush wrote:
pedantic point:
no, they are not 'owned' by anybody. they are *reserved*, and
should not be used by anybody.
To be really pedantic, from RFC 2606 - Reserved Top Level DNS Names (RFC2606)
] 2. TLDs for Testing, & Documentation Examples
]
] There is a need for top level domain (TLD) names that can be used for
] creating names which, without fear of conflicts with current or
] future actual TLD names in the global DNS, can be used for private
] testing of existing DNS related code, examples in documentation, DNS
] related experimentation, invalid DNS names, or other similar uses.
I don't think I'm going out on a limb to suggest that names like
example.com should be used by _everybody_ in documentation examples,
least they pick something that might actually be used in the future.
To wit, the point is not that they "should not be used by anyone",
as you suggest, but rather, like RFC 1918 space, should be used by
everyone for documentation, example configurations, and the like to
insure they never conflict with a real service.
The idea that if someone tries to use them they are presented with
an intelligent error message that seeks to educate them is pleasing.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Leo Bicknell wrote:
In a message written on Sun, Jan 04, 2004 at 05:51:40PM
-0800, Randy Bush wrote:
> pedantic point:
>
> no, they are not 'owned' by anybody. they are *reserved*, and
> should not be used by anybody.
To be really pedantic, from RFC 2606 - Reserved Top Level DNS Names (RFC2606)
] 2. TLDs for Testing, & Documentation Examples
]
] There is a need for top level domain (TLD) names that can be used for
] creating names which, without fear of conflicts with current or
] future actual TLD names in the global DNS, can be used for private
] testing of existing DNS related code, examples in documentation, DNS
] related experimentation, invalid DNS names, or other similar uses.
I don't think I'm going out on a limb to suggest that names like
example.com should be used by _everybody_ in documentation examples,
least they pick something that might actually be used in the future.
To wit, the point is not that they "should not be used by anyone",
as you suggest, but rather, like RFC 1918 space, should be used by
everyone for documentation, example configurations, and the like to
insure they never conflict with a real service.
The idea that if someone tries to use them they are presented with
an intelligent error message that seeks to educate them is pleasing.
On topic of the 'example' internet thingies, use: 2001:db8::/32
for IPv6 documentation. If you make an example anywhere or like to
tell how something works, use the above space. There is a draft in
the queue but it is not there yet and the whois entry isn't there
either. "but I need do show peering between TLA's and need 2x /32"
then show it using /35's... does that matter that much in docs? 
FYI: http://www.apnic.net/info/faq/ipv6-documentation-prefix-faq.html
Greets,
Jeroen
If you are going to insist on being really pedantic, get it right 
RFC1918 space is reserved for private use, not for documentation and
example configurations. That's what 192.0.2.0/24 is for, see RFC3330.