[orofino]

While this is somewhat interesting, it seems like this would be difficult for 'normal' people. For nerds it seems like they would want more control than this appears to offer on the surface. Honestly, I didn't even know .tel existed until I read your comment, so obviously this is based on a somewhat superficial first impression.

It really seems like a page that is a canonical reference for each person is a good idea, I just think this misses the point for most of the population. Solutions like facebook or even about.me are easier for a large number of people to utilize. Obviously there are problems with portability and privacy when relying on a closed 3rd party, but this more open solution is too convoluted for those that aren't technically inclined.

[wibblenut]

It doesn't surprise me that this is the first occasion you've heard about it :)

But all of the complexity is hidden. The API is standardised, so management apps and other services will always work, irrespective of who your domain registrar/TelHosting provider is.

I'm sure the majority of registrants have no idea they're publishing DNS records, or even what DNS is - and they don't need to know. The best technologies are the ones you don't necessarily see.

Non-technical people see a very simple and cost-effective way of establishing a simple online presence. For $10-$20 it's all-in - there's no web hosting or any technical expertise required. Small businesses love this. As such GoDaddy doesn't carry .tel, because it can't up-sell any of its other big-margin crap. But lots of YP publishers around the world are becoming .tel resellers :-)

I see it as a hugely disruptive technology with a good chance of success, but it seems more appealing to non-geeks than it does geeks at the moment. Once it gains popularity then geeks will start to catch on and realise all the cool stuff that's suddenly possible.