Magnus thanks for your thoughts and suggestions. They are worthy of discussion in other lists too, but you're probably right to start with the experts in the DNS WG, of which I am not one. I don't think that at any time the DNS host count has ever pretended to give even an approximate measure of the number of Internet hosts, let alone the number of Internet users. For example, there are some hostmasters who use DNS as a database for all systems in their jurisdiction, whether such systems have Internet access or not; this has been going on for a long time. More recently, there are many Internetters using machines hidden behind application firewalls and filter lists which do not appear in the host count. Perhaps the main use for the host count has been its recording of growth in individual countries (and gTLDs), in regions and in the world. It's really the change and the rate of change that we get from the host count; the absolute numbers are not that meaningful. There are many factors causing the increase in the host count. These include more desk-top computers (and less multi-user systems), more ISPs, more connectivity, etc. These factors and others seem so far to have outweighed the advent of firewalls, as the curve continues inexorably upwards. Of course it would be nice to know the number of 'hidden' hosts, and this could only be done on a trusted basis and with full cooperation from people at all levels - not an easy task. If this could be done, do you think there should be two separate hostcounts - visible and hidden? If we combine both in a single figure, we lose important information and also change the meaning of historic data - there will be a discontinuity in the curve. Anyway, I look forward to hearing views from the experts as to whether this can be done. Regards. Mike