 | |
| Founded | June 1, 2000; 24 years ago (2000-06-01) |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Provides a non-national alternative to the traditionalTop-Level Domain registries. OpenNIC is a user-owned and -controlledNetwork Information Center. |
| Website | servers |
OpenNIC (also referred to as theOpenNIC Project) is a user-owned and -controlled[1][2] top-levelNetwork Information Center that offers a non-national alternative to traditionaltop-level domain (TLD)registries such asICANN.[2] As of January 2017, OpenNIC recognizes and peers all existingICANNTLDs, for compatibility reasons. However, OpenNIC has not yet evaluated and does not hold a formal position onfuture ICANN TLDs.[3]
In addition to resolvinghostnames in theICANNroot, OpenNIC also resolves hostnames in OpenNIC-operatednamespaces, as well as within namespaces with whichpeering agreements have been established.[3] Some OpenNIC recursive servers (Tier 2 servers) are known for their high speeds and low latency, relative to other more widely used DNS recursors,[4] as well as their anonymizing or no-logging policies.[5][6] Many servers offerDNSCrypt. Community volunteers operate Tier 2 servers across a multitude of geographic locations.
Like allalternative root DNS systems, OpenNIC-hosted domains are unreachable to the vast majority ofInternet users because they require a non-default configuration in one'sDNS resolver.
On June 1, 2000, an article was posted onkuro5hin.org advocating a democratically governeddomain name system.[7] The first OpenNIC servers went into operation July of that year.
These TLDs are currently served by OpenNIC and were constructed with the approval of the OpenNIC community.[8]
| Name | Intended use | Date introduced | Restrictions | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .bbs | Bulletin Board System servers, and related BBS websites and services | 2000-12-29 | Domain must provide BBS type services.[9] | Manual Registration | |
| .chan | A Top Level Domain "for imageboards and communities related to imageboard culture"[10] | 2015-10-21 | Active | ||
| .cyb | Cyberpunk-related content | 2017-08-14 | Active | ||
| .dyn | Dynamic DNS pointers | 2014-05-30 | OnlyA,AAAA,RP andTXT records can be modified. | Unused domains are removed after 28 days. | Active |
| .epic | General purpose domain for anything of an "epic" nature | 2019-09-03 | Active | ||
| .free | Organizations that encourage the non-commercial use of the Free Internet | Non-commercial use only. No new registrations accepted.[11] | Moved to .libre following ICANN addition of .free.[11] Currently still resolving. | Dropped | |
| .geek | Anything of a personal or hobbyist nature that would be considered "geeky" | 2008-02-18 | Active | ||
| .gopher | Content delivery via thegopher protocol | Must serve content via thegopher protocol. | Active | ||
| .indy | Independent media and arts | Active | |||
| .libre | Organizations that encourage the non-commercial use of the Free Internet | 2017-01-03 | Non-commercial use only | Successor to .free after the introduction of .free on the ICANN namespace[11] | Active |
| .neo | General purpose | Usage should lean towards themes present in the 'emo subculture'[12] | Manual Registration | ||
| .null | Miscellaneous | Non-commercial use only. Onlynatural people may hold a .null domain.[13] | Active | ||
| .o | General purpose[14][15] | 2016-11-28[16] | Prohibits domain squatting and spam usage.[15] | Active[17] | |
| .oss | Open Source Software | Active | |||
| .oz | Australian websites (alt-ccTLD) | 2012-06-11 | Active | ||
| .parody | Parody websites | Non-commercial use only | Active | ||
| .pirate[18] | Internet Freedom andsharing | Active |
OpenNIC provides resolution for selecting other alternative DNS roots.[19]
| Name | Intended use | Date Introduced | Notes | Peer Authority | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .bazar | free marketplace | Emercoin | Active | ||
| .bit | Namecoin systems, websites and services | Depeered due to disagreements between the OpenNIC and Namecoin projects.[20] | Namecoin | Dropped | |
| .coin | digital currency and commerce websites | Emercoin | Active | ||
| .emc | websites associated with the Emercoin project | Emercoin | Active | ||
| .fur | Furries, Furry Fandom and otherAnthropormorphic interest websites[21] | 2003-11-?[22] | Originally an OpenNIC TLD,[22] now operated by FurNIC.[23] | FurNIC | Active |
| .ku | Kurdish people | New Nations | Active | ||
| .lib | From Words Library and Liberty - that is, knowledge and freedom | Emercoin | Active | ||
| .te | Tamil Eelam | New Nations | Active | ||
| .ti | Tibet | New Nations | Active | ||
| .uu | Uyghur people | New Nations | Active |
New Nations provides TLDs fornation-states that are not recognized by theISO 3166-1alpha-2 standard, and therefore haven't received their ownccTLD. Currently they provide.ku (Kurdish people),.te (Tamil Eelam),.ti (Tibet), and.uu (Uyghur people).[24]
FurNIC aims to bring a unique identity toFurries, Furry Fandom, and otherAnthropomorphic interest websites across the internet. FurNIC and OpenNIC work closely with.fur (Furry fandom) generally being treated as part of OpenNIC for most purposes rather than as a separate peer entity.[21]
On January 15, 2015, domains registered in Emercoin'sblockchain became accessible to all users of OpenNIC DNS.[25] Emercoin DNS supports the domain zones .bazar, .coin, .emc, .lib, .ness and .sky. However, Emercoin DNS records can be registered/maintained within the Emercoin software and not as part of OpenNIC's management system.[26]
OpenNIC operates some special-use TLDs, which are meant for technical or organizational purposes.
| Name | Intended use | Restrictions | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .opennic.glue[2] | Provides hostnames for Tier 1 DNS servers and organizational websites and services.[citation needed] | Domains cannot be registered. Domains are granted to each Tier 1 server operator or upon approval of the OpenNIC community. | Example: "ns2.opennic.glue" | Active |
| .dns.opennic.glue | Provides hostnames for Tier 2 DNS servers on the OpenNIC network.[27] | Domains cannot be registered. Domains are automatically created upon the approval of a Tier 2 server. | Example: "ns1.any.dns.opennic.glue" | Active |
In July 2019, the OpenNIC community voted 13-2 for dropping support for.bit domains due to them "being used as malware hubs" as a result of their "anonymous nature".[28] A similar proposal was made in December 2018 but it did not reach the voting stage.[29]
Until then, OpenNIC resolved .bit (Namecoin) domains through the use of a centralized server which generated a DNS zone from the Namecoinblockchain.[30] Access was provided through aTier 1 server whichbridges the OpenNIC system and Namecoin.[31] Some OpenNIC DNS servers made use of aSpamhaus-maintained blocklist of malicious .bit domains.[32][33][34]
If a site is no longer providing BBS type services, that should also be grounds for removal of the domain.
