THE GOOD PEOPLE down at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), today announced that anyone with the urge to do so could set themselves up a Dutch styled "co.nl" ending website.

The new extension for Internet domain names will be aimed not only at Dutch businesses, but also International firms and individuals, who just like going Dutch.

The service will be operated from a red light window in Amsterdam, with EuroDNS SA, a global Registrar of Internet Domain names, as the technical back-end of the operation.

Sander Scholten, General Manager of the co.nl operator, looking toit like a toiger dressed in a snug fitting gold lycra suit noted "the co.nl extension will be open to anyone, with no requirement of local presence or tie with the Netherlands". He added "I'm from Holland. Isn't that vierd?"

In the spirit of Dutch fairness, however, ICANN noted there would be a " Sunrise Period" sometime in September giving Trademark Holders the chance to Register their brands as co.nl names before the system is opened to the general Dutch and non Dutch public.

A "Grandfather Period" (grandfahzher?) also in September, will let holders of a ".nl" domain name register the same with a ".co.nl" ending. Yesh Yesh Yesh!

Apparently, several International Dutch wannabee Registrars have already asked to be accredited by the co.nl operator. Scholten explained "some of their customers have been looking for a better way to express their Dutch identity on the Internet for some time now, and they see co.nl as a perfect opportunity". He then added "Would you like a shmoke und a pancake? A flapjack und a shigarette? No? Shigar und a waffle? No? Pipe und a crepe? No? Bong und a blintz? No? Well, then there ish no pleashing you".µ