{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.us","code":"thing-q37861","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q37861/","name":".us","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.1.0-research.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Information and virtual systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"INF","domain":["INF.MED"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"The Internet country-code top-level domain delegated in the DNS root for the United States (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 US), operated as a restricted ccTLD whose registrants must satisfy a documented United States nexus, and which still exposes the RFC 1480 locality-and-function hierarchy under two-letter state labels in parallel with second-level names.","purpose":"Enable an AI agent to recognise .us as a governed DNS namespace, assess its operational and administrative state, and determine which registration, delegation or remediation actions are permitted.","scope":{"in":["The .us root delegation and the authorities responsible for its administration","Direct registrations, locality-based branches and specially governed portions of .us","Applicable nexus, naming, reservation and registration-data requirements","Namespace-level DNS operation and delegation integrity","Policy applicability, enforcement routes and conditions for authorised actions"],"out":["The United States as a country, jurisdiction or political institution","Individual .us domain registrations and their complete ownership or renewal histories","Websites, email services and content hosted under .us","Registrar businesses and their commercial account-management systems","DNS protocols and resolver implementations as general technologies","Trademark rights and legal proceedings beyond their recorded effects on .us decisions"],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Confirm that the referent is the root-level DNS label us, classified by IANA as a country-code top-level domain, rather than the country code in another identification system. [IANA delegation record](https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/us.html)","Distinguish the namespace .us from a particular registered name ending in .us; a registrant's control of one name does not confer authority over the namespace.","Determine whether a name falls under direct registration or a locality-based hierarchy; historical .us arrangements explicitly used geographic structure. [RFC 1386](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc1386/)","Check the .us-specific nexus and reserved-name policies before treating a syntactically valid name as registrable. [Registry policies](https://www.about.us/policies)","Do not infer government ownership, official endorsement or hosting location merely from the .us suffix; establish those properties through linked evidence."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"us-identity-and-authority","name":".us identity and authority","description":"Establishes which namespace is being modelled and who holds authority over it.","layers":[{"id":"root-namespace-identity","name":"Root namespace identity","description":"Anchors the registry thing to the DNS root.","findings":[{"id":"canonical-us-referent","name":"Canonical .us referent","description":"Record the canonical label, classification and evidence connecting vr.tr.us to the root delegation.","questions":[{"text":"What registry or delegation evidence establishes that vr.tr.us denotes the .us country-code top-level domain?","id":"canonical-us-referent-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Does the observed identifier denote .us itself, a descendant name or a non-DNS use of US?","id":"canonical-us-referent-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"us-authority-chain","name":".us authority chain","description":"Separates registry operation, oversight and root-delegation authority.","findings":[{"id":"dated-authority-mandates","name":"Dated authority mandates","description":"Record responsible organisations, the evidence for their roles and the dates over which those roles apply.","questions":[{"text":"Which current delegation record and governing instruments establish the operator and oversight roles for .us?","id":"dated-authority-mandates-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Whose authorisation is required for the proposed registry-policy or root-delegation change?","id":"dated-authority-mandates-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"us-namespace-branches","name":".us namespace branches","description":"Distinguishes direct registrations from locality-based and specially governed branches.","layers":[{"id":"registration-boundaries","name":"Registration boundaries","description":"Locates the administrative boundary relevant to a candidate name.","findings":[{"id":"branch-and-manager-resolution","name":"Branch and manager resolution","description":"Record branch classification and the responsible manager without treating every descendant as independently registrable.","questions":[{"text":"Is the candidate in the direct-registration namespace, a state or locality hierarchy, or another specially governed branch?","id":"branch-and-manager-resolution-q01","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"Which current source identifies the registration boundary and manager for that branch?","id":"branch-and-manager-resolution-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"branch-access-and-legacy","name":"Branch access and legacy","description":"Separates historical branch structure from present admission rules.","findings":[{"id":"branch-lifecycle-status","name":"Branch lifecycle status","description":"Record whether a branch accepts new names and what operations remain available for existing names, including the status of kids.us.","questions":[{"text":"What dated evidence establishes the present status of this locality-based or specially governed branch?","id":"branch-lifecycle-status-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which creation, renewal, transfer or delegation operations remain permitted for this branch?","id":"branch-lifecycle-status-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"us-registration-admissibility","name":".us registration admissibility","description":"Captures the conditions under which an applicant and proposed name qualify.","layers":[{"id":"us-nexus-qualification","name":"US nexus qualification","description":"Connects eligibility categories to evidence and verification requirements.","findings":[{"id":"nexus-evidence-and-review","name":"Nexus evidence and review","description":"Record the applicable nexus policy, claimed eligibility category and evidence needed to resolve uncertainty.","questions":[{"text":"Which nexus category under the applicable policy could qualify this applicant?","id":"nexus-evidence-and-review-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"What evidence and verification steps are required before the agent can treat that qualification as established?","id":"nexus-evidence-and-review-q02","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"us-label-and-data-constraints","name":"Label and registration-data constraints","description":"Combines name-level admission checks with applicable registration-data obligations.","findings":[{"id":"registration-preconditions","name":"Registration preconditions","description":"Record syntax, reservation, applicant restrictions and data-policy prerequisites for the selected registration route.","questions":[{"text":"Does the proposed label meet current syntax rules and avoid applicable reserved or restricted categories?","id":"registration-preconditions-q01","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"What registration-data, disclosure and privacy or proxy conditions must the applicant satisfy?","id":"registration-preconditions-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"us-dns-operational-state","name":".us DNS operational state","description":"Assesses the root-to-.us delegation and authoritative service.","layers":[{"id":"root-to-us-integrity","name":"Root-to-.us integrity","description":"Examines delegation consistency and authentication evidence.","findings":[{"id":"delegation-and-validation-observations","name":"Delegation and validation observations","description":"Record observed root delegation, authoritative responses and DNSSEC validation results with timestamps.","questions":[{"text":"Do observed root delegation records and .us authoritative responses agree on the relevant service configuration?","id":"delegation-and-validation-observations-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What result does root-to-.us DNSSEC validation produce, and which observations support it?","id":"delegation-and-validation-observations-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"us-failure-localisation","name":".us failure localisation","description":"Bounds operational incidents using multiple observation points.","findings":[{"id":"namespace-versus-child-fault","name":"Namespace versus child fault","description":"Record whether failures affect .us authoritative service, a delegated branch, an individual domain or only a resolver path.","questions":[{"text":"What query success rates and response times are observed across .us authoritative servers and independent vantage points?","id":"namespace-versus-child-fault-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Does the evidence locate the failure at .us, below a child delegation or within the observing network?","id":"namespace-versus-child-fault-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"us-policy-actions-and-remedies","name":".us policy actions and remedies","description":"Links proposed operations and reported violations to the applicable process.","layers":[{"id":"us-operation-authorisation","name":".us operation authorisation","description":"Determines whether an actor may request a specific change within the applicable branch.","findings":[{"id":"permitted-operation-and-prerequisites","name":"Permitted operation and prerequisites","description":"Record the requested operation, actor mandate, responsible service and blocking conditions.","questions":[{"text":"Is the request a registration-level operation, branch-delegation change or change to .us itself?","id":"permitted-operation-and-prerequisites-q01","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"Which authority, credentials and policy prerequisites must be established before submitting it?","id":"permitted-operation-and-prerequisites-q02","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"us-complaint-routing","name":".us complaint routing","description":"Selects a remedy based on the actual issue and applicable policy version.","findings":[{"id":"issue-specific-remedy","name":"Issue-specific remedy","description":"Record whether a case concerns nexus, registration data, naming rights, abuse or DNS operation, and link it to the appropriate process.","questions":[{"text":"Which .us policy and evidence establish the appropriate process for this reported issue?","id":"issue-specific-remedy-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Who may submit the request, what outcomes can the recipient authorise, and what review route applies?","id":"issue-specific-remedy-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"evidence-and-external-alignment","name":"Evidence and external alignment","description":"What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.","layers":[{"id":"reported-evidence","name":"Reported evidence","description":"Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.","findings":[{"id":"evidence-kinds","name":"Kinds and varieties","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of .us this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-kinds-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-identifiers","name":"Identifiers and schemes","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of .us this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-identifiers-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation","name":"Standards and regulation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of .us this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-real-world-use","name":"Real-world use","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of .us this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-real-world-use-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-measurements","name":"Typical measurements","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of .us this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-measurements-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards","name":"Failure modes and hazards","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of .us this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-regional-variation","name":"Regional variation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of .us this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-regional-variation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-neighbours","name":"Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of .us this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-neighbours-q01","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Look up registration data for a .us domain through the official registry services.","Explain the nexus requirements and structure of the domain from official policy.","Register or renew a .us name for a user who meets the nexus rules and has authorized it."],"mustNot":["Register a .us name with false nexus or registrant information.","Register names that impersonate government bodies, people or brands to deceive.","Harvest registrant contact details for spam or harassment.","Transfer or change the records of a domain without the registrant's authority."],"requiresHuman":["Transferring or letting lapse a domain that a person or organization relies on.","Reporting a .us name for abuse or takedown."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Domain names under a national label can lend false official weight to scams.","Registration data reveals personal details of individuals."],"affectedParties":["Registrants","Internet users who rely on the names","Public bodies whose names can be imitated"]},"owners":{"steward":"The registry operator designated by the United States government; each name belongs to its registrant.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["IANA root zone database","The .us registry's registration database"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q10480000","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.us","Wikidata: Q37861 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37861)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":["Canonical namespace identity: DNS label us; presentation .us; country-code top-level domain","Delegated administrative authority: Dated links to the registry manager, oversight authority and delegation evidence","Namespace branch: Direct-registration branch; locality-based branch; specially governed branch; unresolved","Branch registration availability: Open; restricted; closed to new registrations; suspended; unknown, with effective date","Applicable nexus requirement: Versioned policy and recognised eligibility categories, linked to the applicable branch","Name reservation classification: Unreserved; government-reserved; other reserved; prohibited; unresolved","Authoritative DNS response success: Percentage of successful queries, with query type, vantage points and observation interval","DNSSEC validation condition: Secure; insecure; bogus; indeterminate, with validation evidence and observation time","Applicable remedy: Issue type linked to policy, authorised recipient, evidence requirements and permitted outcome"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Web and email addresses ending in .us.","Locality names in the form name.city.state.us under state labels."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["Recognise .us names and classify their namespace branch before selecting a registration route","Assess a proposed registration against applicable nexus, reservation and branch-access requirements","Identify the authority and evidence needed for a .us delegation or policy change","Compare dated DNS observations with the published .us delegation to investigate namespace-level faults","Prepare an authorised registration, transfer or remediation request with unresolved prerequisites made explicit","Route nexus complaints, rights disputes and abuse reports through the applicable .us process"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Lookalike names can be used for phishing and impersonation.","Exposed registrant data can be harvested for spam or stalking."]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["RFC 1480, The US Domain, Internet Engineering Task Force.","ISO 3166-1, Codes for the representation of names of countries, International Organization for Standardization."]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["The .us domain is encountered in web addresses, email addresses and other DNS names associated with the United States.","It provides a country-code namespace for eligible registrants and for delegated locality and institutional naming structures.","Agents use its registration and delegation context when interpreting names, managing domains or investigating resolution problems."]}},"sources":[{"title":"Root Zone Database: .us","url":"https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/us.html","note":"Confirms .us as the IANA-listed ccTLD for the United States and the current sponsoring/registry record in the root."},{"title":"RFC 1480: The US Domain","url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1480","note":"Specifies the original geographically structured .us namespace, state labels, locality names, and functional branches (k12, ci, co, lib, cc, tec, and related)."},{"title":"RFC 1591: Domain Name System Structure and Delegation","url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1591","note":"Gives the ccTLD delegation model that .us sits in: ISO 3166-derived country codes in the DNS root and the duties of a delegated manager."},{"title":"usTLD Nexus Requirements Policy","url":"","note":"Defines the United States presence test (nexus categories) that restricts who may hold a .us name and is the live eligibility rule for second-level registrations."},{"title":"Wikidata item Q37861: .us","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37861","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: .us","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.us","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Does the originating registry evidence confirm that vr.tr.us denotes the DNS top-level domain, given that no definition was recorded?","Which current instruments establish the complete division of responsibility among .us oversight, registry operation and locality-based branch managers?","Which locality-based and specially governed branches currently accept new registrations or transfers, and what is the current disposition of kids.us?","What exact nexus evidence, registration-data disclosure, privacy or proxy rules and reserved-name exceptions apply to each registration route?","What current delegation, DNSSEC and multi-vantage operational measurements establish a defensible baseline for judging .us health?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q37861/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q37861/spec.json"],"providers":["Codex","Grok"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-07T10:12:45Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T10:10:30+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 5 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane INF: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}