The key idea behind the SocialDNS project is to create an entire new namespace for Web resources around the URL protocol handler go://. We have created browser plugins for Firefox and Internet Explorer that resolve domain names using the go:// protocol handler. It is thus possible to resolve names in our namespace in the browser window and even follow hyperlinks in Web pages that use this handler.

The notation of names is the same than in the existing DNS. The rightmost label conveys the Web Top Level Domain (Web TLD) and each label to the left specifies a subdomain of the domain above it. SocialDNS is a URL-to-URL indirection service that can coexist without problems with the underlying naming infrastructure. In this line, a Top Level Domain like go://socialdns can be mapped to http://www.socialdns.net or instead to http://130.206.36.42/socialdns. As we can see, this opens the way to short memorable names containing semantic information (go://nokia, go://ny, go://bcn, go://pedro). In some way it is similar to the TinyURL project but containing semantic content.

Furthermore, it is possible to Web TLD. Using an open standard based on Web protocols (HTTP, XML), every TLD can resolve its subdomains. In this line, the Nokia Web TLD can then assign for example go://n95.nokia to http://www.nseries.com/products/n95. Like in DNS, the resolution of names is delegated to Authoritative Web Servers and more levels could be created (go://es.n95.nokia).

You can learn more about SocialDNS at: http://www.socialdns.net/

http://ast-deim.urv.cat/social/SocialDNS_Manifesto

The lastest release is downloadable from: http://sourceforge.net/projects/socialdns/