TICAM 2016 – Rabat, Morocco

Towards Internet Domain Names in Tifinagh

Abderrahman Ait Ali – KTH, StockholmAnass Sedrati – INPT, Rabat

05/02/2023 2TICAM 2016, IRCAM - RABAT, MOROCCO

Outline

1. Introduction2. ICANN

1. Structure2. Activities

3. Tifinagh Script1. Alphabet2. Unicode

4. Internet Domain Names1. IDNs2. Tifinagh & Current Status

5. Challenges1. Overview2. TLDs & Suggestions

6. Conclusions

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1. Introduction 1/2

- The Internet as an important tool for cultural and information exchange.

- Since its start, the Internet content was mainly in English, i.e. Latin script.

- Increasing number of users from different cultural (i.e. linguistic) backgrounds.

- More content, even domain names in non-Latin based script languages, e.g. Arabic, Chinese, etc.

- Recent evolution, Tifinagh deserves a domain name.

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1. Introduction 2/2

Internet users per 100 inhabitants (ITU, 2015)

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2. ICANN - Structure

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2. ICANN - Activities

• Management of TLDs (Top-Level Domains)• gTLDs such as .com• ccTLDs such as .ma• IDNs such .المغرب

• Through IANA (recently transitioned to ICANN)• Assignment of IP addresses• Ranges and ports

• Transition from IPv4 to IPv6 (IoT).• Management of DNS system

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3. Tifinagh Script - Alphabet

Neo-Tifinagh alphabet used in Morocco

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3. Tifinagh Script - Unicode

Tifinagh Unicode block (Unicode code version 8.0)

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4. Internet Domain Names - Intro

• Top-level domains (TLDs)• Country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs): .ma .cat• Internationalized Domain Names of Country code Top

Level Domains (IDNs ccTLDs): .المغرب .中国• Generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs): .com .org • Internationalized Domain Names of generic Top Level

Domains (IDNs gTLDs): .삼성 (.Samsung) or .संगठन (.Organization)

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4. Internet Domain Names, Tifinagh - Current Status

• Tifinagh is integrated in the International Unicode Standard.• Support on several internet platforms, softwares and services.

Wikipedia page in Tifinagh(Browser supporting the script)

Wikipedia page in Tifinagh(Browser not supporting the script)

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4. Internet Domain Names, Tifinagh - Current Status

• Several language scripts have now an IDN.

Internationalized domain names, adapted from (Blackbird, 2016)

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4. Internet Domain Names, Tifinagh - Current Status

• Moroccan Constitution (2011) • Two official languages: Arabic and Amazigh• URL in Arabic exists already• No URL in Amazigh (not even an initiative/proposal)

• Steps for URL in Tifinagh• Create a Tifinagh Script Generation Panel (T-SGP)

– Develops proposals that determine script-specific Label Generation Rules (LGR)

– Experts in DNS, Unicode, Linguists

• Establish the Tifinagh Code Point Table– Subset of Unicode points designed by SGP

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5. Challenges - Overview

• Linguistic issues• Variations of Dialects in North Africa• International Cooperation

• Technical Challenges• Not supported everywhere• Input issues (i.e. keyboard)

• Registering a whole Domain name in Tifinagh• A domain name is more than a TLD• What about 2nd, 3rd level labels?

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5. Challenges – TLDs & Suggestions

• Choice on Names for TLDs• Suggestions:

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6. Conclusions

• Internet is the future, our languages must follow up the pace of technological development.

• Language as a human right• Internet is not only latin-script based languages• It has to be available in other scripts, e.g. Tifinagh

• Looking forward to build a strong collaboration between ICANN and IRCAM

-> in order to make URL in Tifinagh a reality.-> why not more?

KTH ROYAL INSTITUTEOF TECHNOLOGY

Thank you!Questions?

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References

APNIC. (2014, 09 30). Speak up for your language. Retrieved from APNIC - Asia Pacific Network Information Centre: http://blog.apnic.net/2014/09/30/speak-up-for-your-language Blackbird. (2016, 05 24). Internationalized domain names (IDN) and DNS / Bind9 problem. Retrieved from Brainstorming of a sysadmin: http://blackbird.si/internationalized-domain-names-idn-and-dns-bind-9 IANA. (2007, 05 14). Character Sets. Retrieved from Internet Assigned Numbers Authority - IANA: http://www.iana.org/assignments/character-sets/character-sets.xhtml ICANN. (2015, 09 08). Linguistic Diversity in the Internet Root: The Case of the Arabic Script and Jawi . Retrieved from ICANN - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers : https://www.icann.org/news/blog/linguistic-diversity-in-the-internet-root-the-case-of-the-arabic-script-and-jawi ICANN. (2016, 05 20). Resources - ICANN. Retrieved from The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers - ICANN: https://www.icann.org/resources IRCAM. (2016, 05 25). Présentation. Retrieved from The Royal Institute of the Amazigh Culture - IRCAM: http://www.ircam.ma/?q=fr/node/620 ITU. (2015). World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database 2015. International Telecommunication Union - ITU.Moroccan Government. (2011, 06 29). Constitution. Retrieved from Maroc.ma: www.maroc.ma/ar/system/files/documents_page/BO_5964Bis_Ar.pdf Stewart, W. (2000). Living Internet. Creative Commons.The Unicode Consortium. (2015). The Unicode Standard, Version 8.0. Retrieved from Unicode: http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U2D30.pdf