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Government URLs that don't end in .gov

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Re: Government URLs that don't end in .gov

#11

Post by samwillis »

I think it's particularly interesting that the US use .gov and not .gov.us (as a Brit). I'm sure there are oversights on who can acquire an inherently international .gov domain, but for example here in the UK .gov.uk domains have a strict application process [0] managed by central government.

It just seems to me that it would be more secure, and more reassuring to citizens and visitors that they are on the correct site it's under a cctld that's clearly affiliated to and managed by that government.

0: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-and-manage-a-gov-uk-domain-name

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Edit: turns out .gov is exclusively for the US, not sure I feel good about that, particularly as .com and .net are very much not just for the US.

The possibility of the US government creating a .gov specifically to confuse uses in a foreign country isn't ideal.

I get it, you invented the internet, but the special status you have over it is a little frustrating.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/M-23-1...

Re: Government URLs that don't end in .gov

#12

Post by remram »

I got an official email from New York State's Office Of The Comptroller with a link to osc.state.ny.us. It came from an email address @osc.ny.gov. I don't understand why they couldn't use an official TLD in the URL too.

Re: Government URLs that don't end in .gov

#14

Post by xwdv »

It’d be more interesting to see a list of sites that end in .gov but aren’t government associated. I feel like the creation of such a site would involve some inside connections and shady backroom deals.

Re: Government URLs that don't end in .gov

#16

Post by OJFord »

samwillis wrote: post #11

I think it's particularly interesting that the US use .gov and not .gov.us (as a Brit). I'm sure there are oversights on who can acquire an inherently international .gov domain, but for example here in the UK .gov.uk domains have a strict application process [0] managed by central government. It just seems to me that it would be more secure, and more reassuring to citizens and visitors that they are on the correct si…

Isn't it just that .gov is the US one? Like .com vs. .co.uk (though since it's not actually important that's blurred) or .org vs. .org.uk.

Or .edu vs. .ac.uk; .mil vs. .mod.uk.

They got there first and just spread over TLDs before consigning other nations to fit under one I suppose.

Re: Government URLs that don't end in .gov

#17

Post by pc86 »

samwillis wrote: post #11

I think it's particularly interesting that the US use .gov and not .gov.us (as a Brit). I'm sure there are oversights on who can acquire an inherently international .gov domain, but for example here in the UK .gov.uk domains have a strict application process [0] managed by central government. It just seems to me that it would be more secure, and more reassuring to citizens and visitors that they are on the correct si…

> it's under a cctld that clearly affiliated to and managed by that government.

Maybe this is my latent American nationalism showing, but isn't .gov "clearly affiliated to and managed by" the US government?

I think this bit was added as an edit or maybe I just missed it:

> an inherently international .gov domain

.gov is not inherently international for all the reasons in this subthread (and probably others as well)

Re: Government URLs that don't end in .gov

#18

Post by newshackr »

OJFord wrote: post #16
samwillis wrote: post #11

I think it's particularly interesting that the US use .gov and not .gov.us (as a Brit). I'm sure there are oversights on who can acquire an inherently international .gov domain, but for example here in the UK .gov.uk domains have a strict application process [0] managed by central government. It just seems to me that it would be more secure, and more reassuring to citizens and visitors that they are on the correct si…

Isn't it just that .gov is the US one? Like .com vs. .co.uk (though since it's not actually important that's blurred) or .org vs. .org.uk. Or .edu vs. .ac.uk; .mil vs. .mod.uk. They got there first and just spread over TLDs before consigning other nations to fit under one I suppose.

I was under the impression that the US government controls / owns .gov

Re: Government URLs that don't end in .gov

#19

Post by paxys »

samwillis wrote: post #11

I think it's particularly interesting that the US use .gov and not .gov.us (as a Brit). I'm sure there are oversights on who can acquire an inherently international .gov domain, but for example here in the UK .gov.uk domains have a strict application process [0] managed by central government. It just seems to me that it would be more secure, and more reassuring to citizens and visitors that they are on the correct si…

.gov is managed by the US government in the exact way you describe. There is nothing "inherently international" about it. It isn't meant for anyone outside of US government agencies.

Re: Government URLs that don't end in .gov

#20

Post by [deleted] »

samwillis wrote: post #11

I think it's particularly interesting that the US use .gov and not .gov.us (as a Brit). I'm sure there are oversights on who can acquire an inherently international .gov domain, but for example here in the UK .gov.uk domains have a strict application process [0] managed by central government. It just seems to me that it would be more secure, and more reassuring to citizens and visitors that they are on the correct si…

[deleted]
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