Recently and with minimal media attention (yes media i am happy to talk to you) in New Zealand and the Pacific, the ability to write non English characters into Web addresses became a reality for many of the worlds popular extensions such as .com, .org, .net, .tv and so on. Thus giving Māori the ability to correctly spell macron Māori words in web addresses, i.e. our 5 unique characters “ā,ē,ī,ō,ū”. Addresses such as www.māori.org are legitimate web sites that can be accessed and created.
As with many other Indigenous Peoples, prime Māori web addresses were quickly taken by non Māori orientated individuals and are being cyber squatted most likely with the intent of a similar saga as with the release of .maori.nz where names were bulk registered and offered for resale at 100 times the original price by a non Māori company in Auckland.
The ability to create a macron in a web address will also allow Māori to be more creative with their web addresses and not to be constrained by a bias .nz address or to worry about a cyber squatted .com, .org or .tv etc web address. Māori can use a number of other domain names to create memorable and distinctly Māori web addresses by using the following extensions of which are all available to be registered with a New Zealand company:
- .io, am, fm, .in, .tv
Examples could include “www.ReoMāori.FM, www.tereoMāoriIs.In”
As well as the options to register various extensions in New Zealand there are many other domain name extensions that suit Māori language such as .ao in Angolia. But many of these extensions have restrictions and are difficult to register.
The ability to create a macron in a .nz domain name will occur in Māori Language week 2010 after several years from writing to the Domain Name Commission and their consultations with the New Zealand public.
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