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Scots to follow dot Cat lead

14/12/2008

A global community of Internet Scots is aiming to follow the Catalonian example by establishing a worldwide online identity, First Minister Alex Salmond said this weekend ahead of a visit to Barcelona as the guest of the Catalan Government.

Overall, the FM's visit to Catalonia will build on the growing links between the two nations, with a particular emphasis on economic benefits, health improvement, cultural enhancement and broadcasting.

For example, Scotland is looking to secure a strong and lasting legacy from the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and the First Minister will see and hear about the huge economic, health and cultural transformation brought about in Barcelona as a result of the 1992 Olympic Games.

Mr Salmond will also hold a series of top-level meetings with the President, Vice-President and other senior Catalan Government figures to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest in the fields of economic and cultural development.

During his Barcelona programme, the First Minister will hear about the success of Catalonia's .cat domain, which has blazed the trail for what are known as generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs).

The .cat domain has been operating successfully for more than two years and has attracted around 30,000 registrations.

In relation to a Scottish internet domain, efforts are now under way to secure a name based on Scotland's culture and identity, with new surveys showing strong support for the idea at home and abroad.

The Scottish Government has set up a Working Group to prepare the ground for a bid for a new domain to be made during 2009, the Year of Homecoming.

Research among a representative sample of Scottish organisations and institutions shows 58 per cent backing for the principle of a Scottish domain and only 18 per cent against. And interim findings from an international survey show even stronger support with 82 per cent in favour.

In both samples the research shows that .scot is preferred ahead of .sco by a large majority.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr Salmond said: "The time is ripe for the worldwide family of Scots to have their own domain reflecting an online community defined by a shared commitment to Scottish identity, culture and economic promotion.

"It is not only for Scots who live in Scotland but for our extensive diaspora and it will be particularly appropriate for a bid to be made during the 2009 Year of Homecoming.

"The .cat domain has proved highly successful for the linguistic and cultural community of Catalonia and is an excellent example of what can be achieved. Indeed it is in part thanks to the success of .cat that bids for other gTLDs are now actively encouraged. In Wales, for example, efforts are underway by the Welsh Assembly Government to secure a domain name.

"I am looking forward to discussing this success during my programme in Barcelona where I will also look to learn about the hugely positive legacy the city achieved from their hosting of the Olympics, to see how we can ensure similar economic, health and cultural outcomes for Scotland from Glasgow's 2014 Commonwealth Games."

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the international body responsible for the domain name system, is to invite applications for new gTLDs during 2009.

The Scottish Working Group was set up after a campaigning group submitted a petition to the Scottish Parliament asking the Scottish Government to support the idea of a new gTLD.

Research carried out by the Office of the Chief Researcher shows :

Scottish organisations and institutions - Agree or disagree with statement 'There should be a Scottish gTLD'

Preference for domain name

International - preference for domain name