Re: [mif] [DNSOP] [dnsext] 2nd Last Call for MIF DNS server selection document

[Keith Moore <[e-mail]>]

On Oct 24, 2011, at 2:08 AM, [e-mail] wrote:

>>> I can't agree with this statement.  As others have said, the practice of using a search list to allow 'ssh foo.bar' to reach 'foo.bar.example.com' isn't going anywhere, and there are a lot of people that make extensive use of the convenience.
>> 
>> It needs to die because it's fundamentally broken.   Vanity TLDs will only make it worse.   I understand that there are sites that use it and people who are accustomed to it.   I don't pretend that we can stop them.   We can, however, explain the negative consequences of doing this (some of which might be specific to systems with multiple interfaces), and recommend that they transition away from that practice.   And recommendations for systems with multiple interfaces can be chosen in such a way as to allow search lists to break even more.
> 
> I routinely use short names (and thus search lists) in my work. I am
> aware of vanity domains, and of RFC 1535. Have I stopped using short
> names and search lists? No, the convenience is just too great.
> 
> In trying to stop the use of short names and search lists I believe
> you're trying to fight human nature. It's a waste of time, and unlikely
> to be productive.

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to forbid the use of search lists with "bare" (single-label) names.   I'm just pointing out that for the vast majority of the contexts in which domain names are used, the expectation is that a domain name that contains a "." is fully-qualified.  The need for domain names to behave consistently from one host to another and one application to another is much, much more important, than the need to apply search lists to queries of domain names that contain "."s.