Oddbean new post about login | logout Namecoin domains are another answer - more setup for normie users. I also use raw IPv6 on Cjdns and Yggdrasil (permanent and authenticated) - only a bit longer than telephone numbers and easily stored in contacts in e.g. SIP client or p2p SMTP. No need for DNS or TLS at all. Opennic.org provides non-gov TLDs, with fallback to ICANN. Easy for end users to switch to an opennic NS.
I downloaded one of the namecoin browser extension resolvers. Where can I find people with actual websites on this? I heard the resolving is slow
While it is inefficient in different ways, I run a full node, and use namecoin-cli name_scan 'd/start' (where start picks up last scan left off) to get the json for all names and convert to a BIND format DNS zone for BIT. Which reminds me, I need to update to handle new fields showing up as well as new garbage entries (yes America, blockchains have spam too).
E.g. if the "value" field has something like: "value": "Bitmessage address: BM-2cVjyhb9jVFHpkkNhcH1Xbmm56Rh9vWS9s", then the name is owned by a squatter, and should be ignored. (Hey, they are paying the miners to maintain their squatted names.)
Have you checked out #Handshake? Handshake is permissionless and decentralized, offering a self-sovereign naming layer for the internet Fingertip: https://impervious.com/fingertip is the best method for resolving #HNS websites, though you can also just change your DNS gateway. More info at https://handshake.org & https://theshake.xyz
"resolving is slow" doesn't really apply to Namecoin - that complaint must refer to some other software interfacing Namecoin to DNS or a browser. Normally, I use DNS for resolving (no browser mods required). Namecoin is a database. Your DNS backend can query your local Namecoin node and cache, or just batch convert all current names to a BIT zone periodically. I do the latter - although it means my snapshot doesn't include the very latest (has never affected me). I have also heard of browser extensions that query a namecoin node directly. I do not like that approach at all. Just use a DNS proxy.