What Problem Will Namecoin Help Solve Exactly?

[gigabytecoin]

Quite interested/surprised by the number of replies to this post here.

Wish I knew more as to why exactly something like Namecoin is needed? Is this in case the governments start cracking down and "confiscating" our domains?

Is there a chance that we will never need to use it?

[kiba]

Yes, it is designed to evade governmental control over domain names.

[gigabytecoin]

So in a sense... this could be used the entire world over? For all domain names? Not just for bitcoin?

Or is it a bitcoin-centric model?

[kiba]

So in a sense... this could be used the entire world over? For all domain names? Not just for bitcoin?

Or is it a bitcoin-centric model?

Just hook up your resolv.conf and you're ready to access *.bit domains.

[khal]

If you want to support wikileaks and other websites that may be deprived of their domain, you may use namecoin and .bit (only, for now?) domains.

I've put the first public DNS server that manage .bit domains : http://namecoin.bitcoin-contact.org/

[gigabytecoin]

So in a sense... this could be used the entire world over? For all domain names? Not just for bitcoin?

Or is it a bitcoin-centric model?

Just hook up your resolv.conf and you're ready to access *.bit domains.

The namecoin software should do this automatically. It will eventually, I assume?

[kiba]

The namecoin software should do this automatically. It will eventually, I assume?

Namecoin is just the mechanism for registrating domains.

[gigabytecoin]

The namecoin software should do this automatically. It will eventually, I assume?

Namecoin is just the mechanism for registrating domains.

I meant the namecoin client :S

[kiba]

I meant the namecoin client :S

I don't think it will ever handle DNS lookup. These are more appropriately handled by...DNS server.

[khal]

There will be a separated program bundled with namecoin to manage DNS stuffs.

[Timo Y]

Is this in case the governments start cracking down and "confiscating" our domains?

This isn't hypothetical. This has arleady started to happen.

See example:

http://torrentfreak.com/u-s-government-seizes-bittorrent-search-engine-domain-and-more-101126/

Is there a chance that we will never need to use it?

It might be a good deterrent for organisations like ICANN not to risk loosing control of the internet by being too authoritarian.

[radracer]

DHS is trying to get the mafiaafire addon shut down http://lockshot.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/homeland-security-request-to-take-down-mafiaafire-add-on/