INTERVIEW CORE’s team: Who is Behind the Chair of ExCom?

From time to time we mention “our team did that and that”…   But who is behind these words “our team”?   Every Monday we will meet you with one of our members. Of course, this week, as the first, is  the Chair of ExCom  Mr.Iliya Bazlyankov. He is passionate, technical geek, young, reliable, Bulgarian, traveller…  But let him speak about himself

.САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН domains: Hi Iliya, you are Chair of the ExCom of CORE, and only 27 years old. How did you achieve this?

Iliya Bazlyankov: The best things in life happen by accident. In late 2010, I noticed an election for a new Executive committee of CORE. And because the company I work with is their member since 2008 I decided to apply. My goal was to bring a little Eastern European spirit in the organization. In August 2012 I was elected for a Chair. Perhaps my age did not matter, the experience was more important as since 2006 I am in the domain industry.

.САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН domains: In fact, when started your career on the Internet and how?

Iliya Bazlyankov: I touched for a first time computer in 5th grade. I “ditched” in some thing and learned a lot. I liked the adventure games. In 8-9th class through a software for creating adventure games I managed to create my first product. Even the game was published in the journal PCMANIA. I remember that I took it on a floppy disk (and almost no one uses floppy disks now), they copied it and released it.
In 2001-2002st I became interested in Linux, started going to shows and in 2003 with the help of a team of people we completed the first Bulgarian Linux distribution. From there gradually began my interest in DNS. I started to read additional materials, more and more.

.САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН domains: We know that you are the main motivator for the creation of the Bulgarian Cyrillic domain ”.бг”, tell us more about the project - when started, how far is it now? Tell us, how you ended up in the world of domains and ICANN?

Iliya Bazlyankov: 2006-2007 there were many discussions about the future of the Latin Bulgarian domain “.bg” and I participated in some of them. As a result: I mobilized myself and created with some Bulgarian companies from the industry the Association UNINET with its main goal: creating and managing the Cyrillic domain ”.бг” showing an alternative model for managing a national domain.

We needed consultants and lobbyists. After a lot of searching I found a firm and the man who helped me then is still to this day my friend and partner. He advised me how to organize and fill the documentation and which people to meet. UNINET presented the project to ICANN. After that I was invited to the meeting of ICANN in Los Angeles in October 2007th. I met key people in its community, understood its procedures and structure.

In 2009 the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport, IT and Communications officially filed the application for the string “.бг”. It was rejected on the ground that resembles an existing national domain. In 2011 the request had been rejected again. Nothing new happened and I was trying to lift constantly the topic: speaking with representatives of Brazil, ICANN, our government, Greece and EU (who are also in our situation). I used every opportunity. In March this year a formal appeal was launched. The last response that was received - “when we are ready, we will let you know”.
Since then - next 50th ICANN meeting in London will be my 11th, which I will attend.

.САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН domains: You are traveling a lot for work, but where is your most favorite place and why?

Iliya Bazlyankov: First place takes Sydney because of the people, buildings, calmness. Immediately after it is Singapore because of the nature and friendly people. And on a third place is, of course, London – really an incredible architecture.

.САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН domains: We, as the team of .САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН who you are directly responsible,  know that you are very balanced and calm. How do you achieve it especially in stressful situations? Give us some tips.

Iliya Bazlyankov: I remember the ancient eastern proverb: “If something can be fixed, there is no point in getting angry about it - anyway it will be fine in the end. And if something can not be fixed – you should also not get angry because it will not be still fine and you can not do anything.” So, this is part of my philosophy.

.САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН domains: How was born the idea for the new Cyrillic domains “.САЙТ” and “.ОНЛАЙН”?

Iliya Bazlyankov: CORE was looking for projects developing local languages and cultures. Once I became a board member, came the idea of ??the Cyrillic alphabet and they found myself most appropriate to be in charge of this project because of my Bulgarian nationality.
The words themselves - were selected from one site because we were looking for words with the same meaning in the 4th languages ??(Bulgarian, Belarusian, Russian, Ukrainian), and on the other side - not to repeat with existing top-level domains.

.САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН domains: We know that every beginning is difficult, but what happened actually?

Iliya Bazlyankov: For new domains has been always spoken. After 2008thit was decided to be prepared a program which was approved in 2011th at the ICANN meeting in Singapore. Since then, after many delays, problems, technical stops, right and wrong decisions, the first four new domains were delegated to the Internet in October 2013.

.САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН domains: .САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН started and from April 2  this year everyone can register his own them on the market. How does it feel when your project come to life? Were justifiable to your expectations?

Iliya Bazlyankov: For a first time we have on the Internet market a general, free and identifiable top level domains in Cyrillic - I am pleased with the achievements. My expectations are justified, even though everyone expected more sales, but let’s wait for the first year to pass, and then we will do the math.

.САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН domains: What you dream for yourself,  for our team,  for the company CORE,  for domains .САЙТ and .ОНЛАЙН?

Iliya Bazlyankov: To develop more and more new projects and new domains, to expand our offices and to continue to maintain our position at the moment.