Steve SmithI attended the Demco Learning Center unveiling last night. It was held in the Computer Science Building at UBC where the .ca domain story – and Webnames.ca – began. I like going back to the UBC Campus; it always brings back fond memories of my time there in the late 90’s. While the students never age I marvelled at the transformation that has happened to the campus over the last decade.
The event and the unveiling brought closure to another chapter in the .ca story. The dedication plaque and the overall ceremony were understated but poignant; the Demco Learning Center (which John emphasized is a dedication to him and not a center FOR him ) will have a well deserved permanence. I really hope that over time there will be continued acknowledgement of the significance of the .ca story and the role John made in shaping the Canadian Internet.
John gave an low key and humble speech that is in keeping with the way he does things. A number of the original Webnames.ca employees came out which brought back memories of our days in the lab space we originally occupied when Webnames.ca was getting started (referred to as The Bunker by one of our former staff).
About two dozen of us went out for dinner afterwards to the Blue Water Cafe in Yaletown. It was a beautiful night – the food was great and the conversation was lively. There was plenty of discussion about issues on the horizon; IDN’s, the impact of the new ICCAN TLD policy, the potential impact of large American registrars on the .ca space, among other topics. At the end of this great night I realized that we are still at the beginning – we have still barely touched the potential of what the internet and the Canadian Internet will become over time.
On behalf of all Webnames.ca staff, present and past, we’d like to recognize and thank John for his amazing and ongoing contributions.