Switch: The "uf de Colomb" in the internet
Un document
Zurich (ots)
- Indication: A of permitted characters with their Unicode
position can be downloaded for free as pdf:
www.presseportal.ch/de/story.htx?firmaid=100004516 -On 1 December 2005 at 8.00, the character "" will be making its debut in the internet - or, to be more precise, SWITCH will be permitting the use of this character in domain names ending in .ch and .li too. French words such as "cur" or "sur" can then be accurately depicted without need to use the separate characters of "oe". Accents and umlauts have already been permitted in domain names (IDNs) registered with SWITCH since 1 March 2004.
At the request of the internet community in Switzerland, SWITCH is adding the letter to the range of characters permitted in domain names ending in .ch and .li. As of 8.00 on 1 December 2005, it will be possible for domain names containing to be registered, thereby allowing words in all of Switzerland's four national languages to be employed without need for circumscription. The most familiar words with include il (eye), uf (egg), cur (heart), and sur (sister).
Entering ""
It should, however, be noted that cannot be typed in directly, since it is not even available on French keyboards. When registering a domain name and also later on, when calling up a website, the must be entered via the character set or through the key combination Alt+0156.
Switching this character live will require an interruption to service and will be performed in the context of maintenance work immediately prior to 8.00.
SWITCH is not taking reservations for domain names with the new "" character. Domain names will be allocated on the basis of the established "first come - first served" principle. Prior to registering domain names, applicants should make sure that they are not infringing any rights of third parties.
It's the browser that counts
With the exception of Microsoft Internet Explorer which only supports IDNs with a plug-in, all the more familiar internet browsers support the use of domain names with accents and umlauts.
The following browsers support IDNs:
- Firefox - Mozilla - Netscape - Opera - Safari - Camino
Further additions possible
There are no technical limits to the extra characters that can be made available for domain names over and above those that are permitted at present. SWITCH thus keeps a constant eye on its customers' requirements. New characters or character sets are only ever introduced on a step-by-step basis. Customers can notify SWITCH directly of their wishes at idn@switch.ch.
IDNs highly popular
Following the introduction of IDNs on 1 March 2004, more than 25,000 domain names with accents and umlauts had been registered by the end of October 2005.
IDNs ending in .ch: 25,193 or 3.4% of the overall number of domain names
IDNs ending in .li: 1,149 or 4.8% of the overall number of domain names
List of permitted characters with their Unicode position:
www.presseportal.ch/de/story.htx?firmaid=100004516
Detailed information on domain names with accents and umlauts may be found on the SWITCH website at www.switch.ch/id/idn.
SWITCH - The SWITCH Foundation has operated the Swiss Education & Research Network for 18 years, guaranteeing the universities access to the information society. This backbone, based on gigabit technology, is the SWITCH-owned infrastructure that permits the exchange of information between the university networks. It connects users in Switzerland with each other, with Europe and with overseas.
Operating this network provides SWITCH with the necessary know-how and technological foundation for running the registry for domain names ending in .ch and .li.
SWITCH Roland Eugster or Marco D'Alessandro Limmatquai 138 Postfach CH-8021 Zürich Telephone:+41 1 253 98 73 Telefax:+41 1 268 15 68 e-mail:press@switch.ch www.switch.ch
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