What's really behind Site Finder backlash

In response to the Oct. 6 Perspectives column by Mark McLaughlin, "":

Mark McLaughlin's opinion piece simply proves that VeriSign has completely missed the point. The reason that so many people objected to Site Finder is not the service it provided, nor is it a rejection of innovation.

Rather, it's because it caused a significant number of non-Web applications to fail. VeriSign, a company that should know better, had forgotten that the Internet is more than just the Web.

It's not about being technology "purists," stifling innovation or keeping commercialism off the Internet. It's about recognizing the fact that the Internet is a collaborative effort, not the private domain of any one company.

If VeriSign had submitted its idea for review and given others a chance to point out its flaws and to make adjustments to their own software, this could all have been avoided. As it is, it is clear that VeriSign neither thought through all the consequences nor is willing to recognize that there even are consequences.

And that--not a desire to "hold the Internet back"--is the reason for the backlash.

Kelson Vibber
Irvine, Calif.