Domain Incite has reported an intriguing development. The nonprofit Human-Centered Computing Foundation (HCCF) has announced plans to apply for the new generic top-level domain .SELF. Founded only last November, the Human-Centered Computing Foundation says it opposes “prevailing economic models of the digital age — surveillance capitalism and entrapping SaaS platforms,” which prioritize shareholder interests over fundamental human values such as privacy, autonomy, and user control.
The English word ‘self’ conveys broad ideas of independence and self-reliance, as reflected in expressions such as ‘self-made’ or ‘she did it herself.’ HCCF appears determined to embody those principles in practice. It has already stated that the .SELF domain will be “designed and implemented from the ground up to support self-hosting.”
The foundation also announced that it has been accepted into ICANN’s Applicant Support Program, meaning its application fee will be substantially lower than the standard $227,000 charged under the current round of the New Generic Top-Level Domains Program. Beyond that, the organization has revealed few details, except for one particularly eye-catching proposal: domain registrations under .SELF would be free of charge. How such an unconventional business model will work in practice – and whether it will prove sustainable – remains to be seen. One thing, however, seems certain: domain investors are unlikely to be either the intended audience or particularly welcome participants in the new .SELF namespace.
