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IDN Display Algorithm: Difference between revisions
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This page explains the plan for changing the mechanism by which Firefox decides whether to display a given IDN | This page explains the plan for changing the mechanism by which Firefox decides whether to display a given IDN label (a domain name is made up of one or more labels, separated by dots) in its Unicode or Punycode form. | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
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===The Problem=== | ===The Problem=== | ||
If we just display any possible IDN | If we just display any possible IDN label, we open ourselves up to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IDN_homograph_attack IDN homograph attacks], where one identical-looking domain can spoof another. So we have to have some mechanism to decide which ones to display and which ones to not display, which does not involve comparing the domain in question against every other single domain which exists (which is impossible). | ||
===Current Algorithm=== | ===Current Algorithm=== | ||
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of the policies of Chrome/Chromium and the other browsers. Unfortunately, no consensus has emerged on how to do | of the policies of Chrome/Chromium and the other browsers. Unfortunately, no consensus has emerged on how to do | ||
this. Those other mechanisms were considered, but many of them depend on the configuration of the user's | this. Those other mechanisms were considered, but many of them depend on the configuration of the user's | ||
computer (e.g. installed languages), and this does not give site owners any confidence that their IDN | computer (e.g. installed languages), and this does not give site owners any confidence that their IDN will be correctly displayed for all their visitors (and no way of telling if it's not). | ||
==Proposal== | ==Proposal== | ||
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some domains which worked previously, and b) if a registry submits a | some domains which worked previously, and b) if a registry submits a | ||
good policy, we have the ability to give them more freedom than the default restrictions do. | good policy, we have the ability to give them more freedom than the default restrictions do. | ||
So an IDN | So an IDN would be shown as Unicode if the TLD was on the whitelist or, if not, if it | ||
met the criteria above. | met the criteria above. | ||
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a definition for how we detect whether a string is "single script". Some Common or Inherited characters | a definition for how we detect whether a string is "single script". Some Common or Inherited characters | ||
are only used in a small number (but more than one) script. Mark Davis writes: | are only used in a small number (but more than one) script. Mark Davis writes: | ||
"The Unicode Consortium in U6.1 (due out soon) is adding the property Script_Extensions, | "The Unicode Consortium in U6.1 (due out soon) is adding the property [http://unicode.org/Public/6.1.0/ucd/ScriptExtensions.txt Script_Extensions], | ||
to provide data about characters which are only used in a few (but more than one) script. | to provide data about characters which are only used in a few (but more than one) script. | ||
The sample code in #39 should be updated to include that, so handling such cases." We should | The sample code in #39 should be updated to include that, so handling such cases." We should | ||