.... except for a special one ("*td") for the top level domains, which would then contain an attribute ("*ws") pointing to the whois server for that top level domain. RIPE's whois server can than act as a "forwarder" for requests for <domain>.<top_level_domain> (much like DNS!), thus keeping the current whois service, but resulting in far more up-to-date and reliable information. Commenting here from a RIPE database implementers' point of view, this can be done. Good. Actually I didn't expect otherwise. Again, as with most changes to the software this will take time. Hours? ;-) And general concensus of course..... It's the folks involved with the DNS objects that need to push this, not the NCC. True. Although I'd say it's in the interest of the NCC too to keep the whois service running, or the current service will simply die as far as information about domains is concerned. Piet