dotSCO Letters to MSPs

So, basically, I thought I should do something contructive for a change. This was mildly pre-empted by having a rather large dig at a certain member of Independence First for spending more time slagging people off than actually doing anything... Anyway, to what I've done.

I read the dotSCO website, and had a browse around the Catalonian success and decided, hmm... Then I read that the Berliners wanted their own Top Level Domain (TLD) as well.

Five letters are currently waiting on being posted tomorrow and are going to Carolyn Leckie (SSP), Michael Matheson (SNP), Cathie Craigie (Labour), Margaret Mitchell (Conservative - yes, I actually wrote to a Tory. Stop throwing things...) and Donald Gorrie (Liberal Democrat).

This is what I wrote:

123 Notmy Address Street Somewhere in... Cumbernauld G67 xXx

19 December 2005

[elected members name], MSP

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

Dear [goes here],

Subject: DotSCO Domain Name

I write with reference to a recent campaign for a Scottish Domain Name on the Internet. Known as “dotSCO - http://www.dotsco.org” I believe it to be a benefit to Scottish Culture and Society.

I’d like to bring it to your attention, because while the voices of the people are important: having Scottish Parliament support for this measure - which I believe it is clear that the Scottish People want - is vital in influencing international agencies like Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

We have the same arguments to make as the People of Catalonia who successfully established a *.cat (dot cat) Top Level Domain (via the punyCAT campaign); we have the same arguments as the people of Berlin (http://www.dotberlin.de/english/). That is, that this is an important opportunity for Scotland Individuals, Businesses and Culture to place itself amongst the heartland of the world rather than shirk away from it.

I hope that you’ll support this project, either by raising questions in Parliament and / or by supporting the campaigns already in place to gain Scotland a TLD (top-level domain).

I have been an internet user for years now, and have never felt that the TLD .co.uk (dot co dot uk) has fully represented Scottish Culture. I hope that you will support this campaign.

Best regards,

Kenneth Sheerin