Domain Name Wire Podcast Greatest hits: inventing the DNS – DNW Podcast #537
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Jun 2, 2025 
Join Paul Mockapetris, the mastermind behind the Domain Name System (DNS) and Chief Scientist at ThreatStop, as he reflects on the revolutionary inception of DNS. He shares insights into the initial skepticism surrounding the .com domain and the complexities of network management in the early internet days. Paul also discusses the critical evolution of DNS security, emphasizing the balance between recognizing legitimate and malicious content. Plus, he touches on the future of DNS amidst rising cybersecurity challenges and the burgeoning Internet of Things.
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Paul Mockapetris Invents DNS
- Paul Mockapetris invented the DNS after rejecting existing proposals for network naming.
- He wrote the core RFCs that define the DNS, foundational documents still referenced today.
DNS Empowered Local Control
- The DNS succeeded because it allowed organizations to manage their own address spaces locally.
- Country code top-level domains empowered international adoption despite initial resistance.
Dot-com Domain Skepticism
- Some early skeptics opposed the .com domain, believing it would not be widely used.
- Eventually, they conceded because they assumed nobody would use it anyway.