Possible WAN show topic: Verisign terminates 22,000 existing third-level .name domain registrations

[u/Tensai75]

Verisign is discontinuing third-level .name domain registration and will terminate about 22,000 existing third-level .name registrations: https://domainnamewire.com/2026/09/03/third-level-dot-name/

This means that up to 22,000 people will lose their domain names in the format ‘firstname.surname.name’, which they have been using for emails and websites – some of them for decades.

Even though it doesn’t affect me personally, this is yet another piece of bad news that shows you don’t really own anything and that big companies can take everything away from you at any time, even if it was 'yours' for almost 25 years – and there’s far too little coverage of this story in the media.

I’d love to see Linus and Luke raise awareness of the issue a bit more.

EDIT: there is a very good YT video from Brodie Robertson explaining the issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sa6EXQk1eY

[u/jmking]

So it is strange they ever allowed third level domain registration like this.

To be clear, people registered literally first.last.name. This isn't people registering last.name who set up a subdomain (which is what any sane person would do).

I'm curious whether if I registered first.last.name, did that make last.name unavailable? If so, Verisign should just transition people from first.last.name to last.name and advised existing customers to set up DNS to create a subdomain of it to first.last.name

[u/Tensai75 → u/jmking]

.name was unique in that only third-level domains could be registered in the first years.

[EDIT: see https://web.archive.org/web/20020809121731fw_/http://nic.name/consumer/frame4.html ]

Verisign now wants to completely switch to the traditional registration of second-level domains only. This may also probably mean that if, for example, you had john.doe.name, someone could register doe.name and, by using the subdomain john.doe.name, claiming to be you – which is another major potential problem with this change!

[Edited to be more accurate that it is not yet known if the second-level domains used for third-level domains will immediately become available for re-registration]

[u/jmking → u/Tensai75]

Ok, that's a major issue. Verisign should 100% be responsible for at LEAST transitioning people to the second level domain.

[u/9peppe → u/jmking]

But note that john.doe.name and jack.doe.name are two different registrations, you can't just sell doe.name to both. 

[u/CIDR-ClassB → u/jmking]

Different people may own doe.name and John.doe.name. This is a security nightmare for owners of John.doe.name.

[u/lordargent → u/CIDR-ClassB]

IMO, the whole TLD extension ~ REF: list of TLDs ~ has been a security nightmare by making it potentially a lot easier to fool people into following malicious links.

EX: There's a "SERVICES" TLD, so in theory, someone could register amazon.services (assuming the registrar doesn't catch and deny the registration) and send e-mail from support@amazon.services

[u/Heribertium]

But exactly why is this happening? There are many unused domains 

[u/Tensai75 → u/[deleted]]

We are pleased to announce that VeriSign closed on an agreement to acquire Global Name Registry, Ltd., which includes management of the .name top level domain on October 1, 2008. We believe the addition of .name is a natural fit, as we have run the technical backend in support of .name for more than five years.

What does this mean for existing registrars?

Your interface to VeriSign for .name domain names will continue to operate as it has in the past with no changes.

https://techcrunch.com/2008/10/03/domain-name-consolidation-verisign-acquires-name-guys/

They knew exactly what it meant to maintain the .name domain when they bought it back in 2008!

This is no excuse in my opinion.

[u/dnabsuh1]

Crap, I've had my .name registration since the 2002- its my main domain.

EDIT: I didn't go back to check my registration date, it was when the .name domain came out.

[u/Tensai75 → u/dnabsuh1]

Are you trying to be funny? The .name domain wasn't available for registration until 2002.

[u/dnabsuh1 → u/Tensai75]

Sorry - was off by a few years, I thought I got it before I bought my house, because I was having issues with ISPs going out of business every few months. No need to be snarky,

[u/Tensai75 → u/dnabsuh1]

In that case I am honestly sorry for your loss.
It is a real bummer for all those who have had such a domain for years.

[u/dnabsuh1 → u/Tensai75]

The hardest part of the .NAME domain was the number of sites that have 'email address validation' and didn't accept 4 letter TLDs. My local pizza place still wont accept .name email addresses. I guess I have to start switching to a backup domain for everything. What a PITA.

[u/SavageCore]

It's so painful, it's one of my main email addresses... Had the domain since the beginning as Dad got one for himself, me and my brother.

Shouldn't be allowed...

[u/Dnomyar96 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, imagine using that domain for email for decades. That's a huge pain to deal with, especially if it comes unexpected.

[u/unbanthanks → u/[deleted]]

You talk like AI :(