The practicality of using IDNs

[scotty]

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who contributes to this forum for their great posts which have really helped me begin to get a handle on the whole IDN concept.

I'm a newbie who really sees the value of IDNs. My wife is native mainlaind Chinese although we both live in the UK. We (she! I can't really speak much mandarin) talk a lot with her friends and family at home and I did a little market research to verify that English and pinyin really are not suitable for Chinese web surfers and IDNs make much more sense.

Okay, here's my question:

When you register an idn.cn domain name, you also get the idn.idn equivalent (I believe) from the chinese central nic. ((Please correct me if I'm wrong on that.))

However, that's not true for idn.com domains.

This strikes me as a problem for idn.com's. If you think about how someone types chinese characters into a computer, they're going to be using some piece of software that converts a series of latin key strokes into chinese characters. (The chances of them using a chinese character keyboard are pretty small.) So to type in a www.idn.com domain name they're going to have to type www. in english, then switch to chinese and type the idn part, then switch back to english for the .com part. This strikes me as impractical and makes chinese idn.com's useful only where they appear highly ranked in a search engine and so can be clicked on directly as a link.

Am I missing something or is this a fair assessment?

cheers,
Scott

[zfreud]

For internet users in asia, switching character sets is no more difficult than for a westener switching between CAPITAL LETTERS and small caps.

The real uncertainty is over how .com will be regulated in China. The chinese government is clearly making a big push to promote .cn and it's eventual hanzi equivalent.

In the end, I think both .cn and .com will have high value.

[scotty]

For internet users in asia, switching character sets is no more difficult than for a westener switching between CAPITAL LETTERS and small caps.



Okay that's encouraging. However, witnessing my wife type, (although I acknowledge a single person is hardly representative of the entire nation!!), switching character sets does not seem as seamless a flow as you suggest and that's what made me think that some other factor is going to have to come to bear before idn.com can catch on as a typed address.

[domainguru]

There is only one switch necessary, not two. Domains exist quite happily as http://IDN.com

[scotty]

There is only one switch necessary, not two. Domains exist quite happily as http://IDN.com

You and I know that, but does the average surfer? Acknowledged that a reeducated surfer could get away with one switch though. Maybe that reeducation can come at the same time as they're seeing all the new idn.com ads (ie advertisers/merchants cut out the www at that time, hopefully)

[Fka200]

You and I know that, but does the average surfer? Acknowledged that a reeducated surfer could get away with one switch though. Maybe that reeducation can come at the same time as they're seeing all the new idn.com ads (ie advertisers/merchants cut out the www at that time, hopefully)

not many people know this, but cntrl+shift in the address bar will take u to the .com. At first i thought exactly like you, but then after 2 months, i just go to every webpage using cntrl+shift... now if only everyone knew about this ;) idns are a lot easier just to use them that way... although i dont think the avg. surfer knows this

[rhys]

My wife and I shift from typing Japanese to English fluidly without thinking about it. Very similar to switching to CAPS.

[g]

not many people know this, but cntrl+shift in the address bar will take u to the .com. At first i thought exactly like you, but then after 2 months, i just go to every webpage using cntrl+shift... now if only everyone knew about this ;) idns are a lot easier just to use them that way... although i dont think the avg. surfer knows this

yes I agree with that

but it is control/enter over here not control/shift

[bnb001]

:)

I ALWAYS DOING THAT :
just typing the Chinese "IDN" and using the "DEL keyboard ".

FOR EXAMPLE:using the url

http://www.eachnic.com/ ; http://www.baidu.com/

I just del the part of "eachnic" ."baidu" ,and then typing Chinese "IDN" to visit the "IDN.COM"or "中文.COM".
(80-90% url parking pages are english.com )


有关输入法的问题,个人认为那是一个非常小的问题 !不会影响 中文.com ; 反而会影响中文idn.idn .


英文.com 不可能消失,只要英文网址.com 永远存在,
则 中文.com 域名就会具有相对的优势 !习惯成自然,若要使用中文.com 网址连结,只要在地址栏内之"keyword"部位打上中文关键词即可,而原来的.com可保留 .再把后面不要的删除,即可拜访,根本不用动到输入法切换 !(80-90%暂停的页面大部分是 英文.com 的型态很方便 )
例如 http://www.eachnic.com/ ; http://www.baidu.com/ 的暂停页面 !想要拜访 酒店.com 真正的输入是:我只要打 "酒店"二字即可拜访 !
而另外中文 idn.idn 的型态则要打"酒店.公司"共四个字并没有比较快速及方便 !
所以输入法切换的问题是小事,而且中文 idn.idn 并不见的会比较快 !

[Fka200]

yes I agree with that

but it is control/enter over here not control/shift


woops it is control+enter ;)

[drbiohealth]

I am just curious to know how IDNs are represented with ccTLDs in some countries. For example, is .jp extension in English language or in Japanese?

[rhys]

I am just curious to know how IDNs are represented with ccTLDs in some countries. For example, is .jp extension in English language or in Japanese?

Not sure the question exactly. .jp allows for IDNs. The letters to the right of the period are still in english. IDN.IDN does not exist for Japan yet.

[Giant]

The letters to the right of the period are still in english. IDN.IDN does not exist for Japan yet.

When you're matured enough, you don't need IDN.IDN to make you look old and clumpsy.

[touchring]

My wife and I shift from typing Japanese to English fluidly without thinking about it. Very similar to switching to CAPS.


Btw, change key is not required for Firefox (the latest version).

I just checked IE7, it needs change key. Can someone already in touch with the IE7 team tell them to allow extension without changing key? This will be a very good feature.