.self TLD: Human-Centered Computing Foundation's Vision for Self-Hosting

The Human-Centered Computing Foundation (HCCF) has announced a campaign to secure the .self top-level domain (TLD) through ICANN’s Applicant Support Program (ASP). The initiative aims to create a dedicated web architecture for ethical, human-centered technology, specifically designed to support self-hosting and reclaim digital identity from data-extracting corporate infrastructures.

The .self TLD Vision

The .self TLD is intended to function as a public utility for digital identity. The core objective is to provide a human-centric alternative to the current web where users can maintain control over their own data and presence.

Key goals of the initiative include:

• Support for Self-Hosting: Providing a domain space specifically tailored for individuals who host their own services.
• Ethical Infrastructure: Establishing a TLD governed by a non-profit (HCCF is a 501(c)(3)) to ensure the infrastructure is not used for profit-driven data extraction.
• Human-Centered Design: Shifting the power dynamic of the internet away from attention-exploitation and toward user autonomy.

Technical and Governance Challenges

While the vision is centered on digital autonomy, the proposal has faced significant scrutiny regarding its technical implementation and governance.

Sustainability and Funding

Critics have questioned how a TLD can remain free for users while covering the substantial operational costs associated with running a registry.

How are you going to pay for the (substantial) cost of running a TLD without registration fee revenue? Is this a loss leader for other services? Are you operating on a 100% donation model?

Domain Squatting and Abuse

There is a strong consensus among technical observers that a free, first-come-first-served domain system is highly susceptible to abuse. Historical precedents, such as the .tk TLD, show that free domains often become hubs for phishing and scams, eventually leading to them being blocked by security software and ISPs.

It simply cannot be both free and free choice of domain. If it has both, it will be squatted to uselessness, and blocked everywhere because of phishing scams everywhere.

Identity Verification

Implementing a "one person, one subdomain" policy presents a significant privacy and security challenge. Suggestions from the community include using Zero Knowledge proofs to verify uniqueness without revealing personally identifiable information (PII), potentially creating different tiers for verified and unverified identities.

Community Feedback and Alternatives

Technical discussions have highlighted several alternatives to the pursuit of a new TLD, suggesting that the goals of the .self initiative could be achieved without the complexity of ICANN approval.

• Existing Domain Use: Some argue that the foundation could simply use a standard domain (e.g., onmy.cloud) and offer subdomains to users, migrating them to .self only after the TLD is secured.
• Local DNS Solutions: For internal self-hosting, some users currently utilize .home.arpa, which is a designated domain for home networks that avoids the need for a public TLD.
• Naming Schemes: To avoid the "land grab" of first-come-first-served names, some suggest using UUIDs or a randomized word-list naming scheme to ensure fairness and scalability for billions of users.

Current Status

The .self TLD is currently a proposal and campaign. It is not yet listed in the IANA root database, meaning it is not yet a functional part of the global DNS system. The Human-Centered Computing Foundation continues to seek support and funding through its 501(c)(3) status to realize this vision of a human-centered web.