May 7, 2010

Arabic on the Net

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Just so you know: according to ICANN, today was “the most significant day” since the launch of the internet. Why? Because for the first time ever, you can type in a full URL, including the top level domain name, in a non-Latin alphabet. Namely, Arabic:

One of the first websites with a full Arabic address is the Egyptian Ministry of Communications. Egypt’s communication and information technology minister Tarek Kamal told the Associated Press that three Egyptian companies were the first to receive registrar licences for the ‘.masr’ domain, written in Arabic.

Other countries will get top level domains in Arabic shortly, and further non-Latin alphabets are in the works. So now you know.

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With just hours left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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