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andre
27th January 2011, 03:24 PM
Google Chrome is yet another browser that by default displays punycode instead of the unicode form of an IDN in the address bar.

Windows: It is necessary to explicitly add all the languages/scripts for which one wants the IDN to be displayed in Unicode form.

Mac OSX: The current Chrome version will only display the unicode form of an IDN if it is in the System Language. Naturally there can only be one system language at a time so only a single language IDN will be correctly displayed in the unicode form.

The main point is that users will have to take action to whitelist IDNs otherwise the punycode form will be displayed. Chrome is, of course, not the only browser where users would have to change settings to whitelist IDNs in order that they are displayed in unicode.

This seems to me another hurdle that needs to be overcome in order for there to be widespread adoption of IDNs. I think that the default IDN display mode for all browsers should be unicode ie no action is required by a user for all IDNs to be displayed correctly in the unicode form.

The current approach by the browsers seems to be that all IDNs are a security risk because they are IDNs. The much quoted risk is the mixing of scripts. But considering that Registries do take measures to prevent this, is it even possible any longer.

If there is a possible and real security risk with a specific IDN then the browser could alert the user in a manner other than displaying the punycode form. eg an Alert Pop Up or change the background colour of the address bar to red

André 小山 Schappo
http://口口.台灣/
domainguru
27th January 2011, 03:28 PM
As a full-time researcher / academic, I suggest you research Chrome fully before reporting on its behaviour.

I downloaded the Thai version and it automatically displayed Thai IDNs. There was no manual intervention necessary.
squirrel
27th January 2011, 03:43 PM
The much quoted risk is the mixing of scripts. But considering that Registries do take measures to prevent this, is it even possible any longer.

There is also a risk where homographic domains (ebay.com vs еьау.com) are registered to different people. That's mozilla take on the subject : http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/tld-idn-policy-list.html

I never understood why it was Mozilla's job to police the interwebs.
+ Ideologically, you also gotta ask yourself, why would homographs have to be registered with the same entity to begin with ? As Drew mentioned earlier this week, will the owner of т.com have some claim for t.com at one point in time ?
andre
27th January 2011, 03:44 PM
I downloaded the Thai version and it automatically displayed Thai IDNs. There was no manual intervention necessary.

Ah :) Good point. I was testing using the English version.

So with your Thai version does it display Chinese, Japanese, Russian ...etc... IDNs in unicode or punycode forms?

André 小山 Schappo
andre
27th January 2011, 04:02 PM
There is also a risk where homographic domains (ebay.com vs еьау.com) are registered to different people. That's mozilla take on the subject : http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/tld-idn-policy-list.html


Thank you for that link. It is very useful. Previously I had been visiting individual Registries to find out their policy.

André 小山 Schappo
domainguru
28th January 2011, 01:02 PM
Ah :) Good point. I was testing using the English version.

So with your Thai version does it display Chinese, Japanese, Russian ...etc... IDNs in unicode or punycode forms?

André 小山 Schappo

Sorry don't know any more. I switched to a MacBook Pro and haven't opened my old Windows machine since. Always wanted a Mac again after getting started on them at Luffy :)

About Chrome on Mac - I agree - I have a Thai MacBook but have reset the system language back to English and it shows Thai URLs in punycode. As it does Chinese, Russian etc.
andre
28th January 2011, 04:03 PM
About Chrome on Mac - I agree - I have a Thai MacBook but have reset the system language back to English and it shows Thai URLs in punycode. As it does Chinese, Russian etc.

There is an excellent app for the Mac called Language Switcher

http://www.tj-hd.co.uk/en-gb/languageswitcher/

With this app you can launch an app in a language different to the OS language. So, for instance, you can have your system language as English and use Google Chrome in Thai. Then Thai IDNs will display in Unicode

Google Chrome for the Mac has a very impressive 52 languages

André 小山 Schappo
blastfromthepast
30th January 2011, 01:44 PM
With this app you can launch an app in a language different to the OS language. So, for instance, you can have your system language as English and use Google Chrome in Thai. Then Thai IDNs will display in Unicode

All you need to do is select the Application in the Finder, choose File > Get Info, and deselect all the languages except the one you want it to run in. No special tools required.
andre
30th January 2011, 03:59 PM
All you need to do is select the Application in the Finder, choose File > Get Info, and deselect all the languages except the one you want it to run in. No special tools required.

I assume that you are using Leopard (10.5)??

With Snow Leopard (10.6) the Application languages do not appear in Get Info

Unless there is a way of getting Snow Leopard to show the languages in Get Info ??

André 小山 Schappo