HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content

THE INTERNET’S DOMAIN
As its name indicates, the Internet is a network of integrated, interrelated networks, systems and protocols that collectively make up a communication medium accessible by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Its operation depends on all of its components working in harmony.

One of the most important of these components is the Domain Name System, also known as the DNS. This system translates the numerical Internet Protocol (IP) addresses—"164.109.28.124", for instance—that computers and networks use to communicate with each other into the user-friendly domain names—such as "www.ada.org"—that human beings use to navigate the Internet.

Earlier this spring, the National Research Council of the National Academies released a report sponsored with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Science Foundation on how to keep this key component functioning effectively in light of the explosive growth of the Internet.

The concerns the report mentions, though addressed only in relation to the Domain Name System, elucidate some of the pressing issues the Internet will face over the next decades as it continues to grow. Among them:

Protection from political and commercial pressures. In the case of the DNS, the report says that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which will take over complete stewardship of the DNS in 2006, must be free to administer the system without undue pressure from political or economic interests.

Better coordination among the managers of the many networks that compose the Internet. According to the report, ICANN should communicate more effectively with the organizations that operate the Internet’s "root" servers—the systems that administer an authoritative master list of all the top-level domain names such as "dot-com," "dot-net," "dot-org" and individual country codes.

Increased security and continuing research. The report recommends widespread implementation of advanced security features developed to protect the DNS against potential attacks from hackers and continued research on and advanced development of new technologies.

The National Research Council is a private, nonprofit institution that provides science and technology advice under a congressional charter. It is the principal operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.

PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANCE
Are you treating a patient who is giving up smoking cigarettes or perhaps trying to kick the habit yourself? A new tool offered by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality can put help in the palm of your hand.

The Quit Smoking Consumer Interactive Tool, available for download free of charge, is an application for personal digital assistant (PDA) devices that can help smokers set up a program for quitting tailored to their individual needs. With it, they can choose a quit date and then use the program to access a five-day countdown of practical steps, including identifying reasons to quit and learning about nicotine-replacement therapies.

The program is available in formats compatible with both the Windows CE (for Pocket PCs) and Palm platforms. Visit "pda.ahrq.gov" to download the program.

Reported by Joe Hoyle, electronic media editor, "hoylej{at}ada.org".

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content