[rt-users] Internet Explorer Error

[der Mouse]

> ([...].  Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure the same RFC prohibited
> a leading digit in a token -- i.e. 3com.com -- and I know that's been
> relaxed.)

Well, RFC 952 ("DOD INTERNET HOST TABLE SPECIFICATION") does say

   1. A "name" (Net, Host, Gateway, or Domain name) is a text string up
   to 24 characters drawn from the alphabet (A-Z), digits (0-9), minus
   sign (-), and period (.).  Note that periods are only allowed when
   they serve to delimit components of "domain style names". (See
   RFC-921, "Domain Name System Implementation Schedule", for
   background).  No blank or space characters are permitted as part of a
   name. No distinction is made between upper and lower case.  The first
   character must be an alpha character.  The last character must not be
   a minus sign or period.  A host which serves as a GATEWAY should have
   "-GATEWAY" or "-GW" as part of its name.  Hosts which do not serve as
   Internet gateways should not use "-GATEWAY" and "-GW" as part of
   their names. A host which is a TAC should have "-TAC" as the last
   part of its host name, if it is a DoD host.  Single character names
   or nicknames are not allowed.

These restrictions may be what you're thinking of - but, as you say,
they are long outdated now.  RFC952 also says the hosts file can be
fetched from 10.0.0.51....

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