CERC Public Seminar: 'Cultural Diversity in Cyberspace: the Catalan Campaign to win the new .cat top level domain - with implications for other minority languages'

Tuesday 28 March 1:00-2:00pm
at Room 212, Level 2, 234 Queensberry Street, The University of Melbourne

co-sponsored by the School of Languages, University of Melbourne

presented by

Peter Gerrand

(School of Historical and European Studies, La Trobe University)

Abstract

In September 2005 ICANN approved the first top-level Internet domain to be dedicated to a particular human language and culture: ' .cat'. This paper describes the history of the Catalan campaign to win the '.cat' domain against political opposition from the former conservative Spanish government and the reluctance of some decision makers within ICANN circles, reflecting hypersensitivities of the US Government. While '.cat' creates a precedent for greater use on the Internet of 'minority languages', there are significant hurdles for other candidates for language-based top-level domains. The paper discusses the concomitant resources needed to support the greater use of any minority language on the Internet.

Biography

Peter Gerrand is both a PhD student within the Spanish/Catalan/Galician and Media Studies Programs at La Trobe University, and a Professorial Fellow in the Faculty of Engineering at the University at Melbourne