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- All things eventually pass, including hostnames and the web itself and the "
https://"protocol; when that first part of the identifier ceases to have meaning, only ARKs and URNs will include the label indicating the type of identifier that remains. - For DOIs, Handles, and PURLs, you are required to use their respective resolvers. ARKs and URNs, permit you to use your own resolver.
- To create DOIs and Handles, you are required to pay a membership fee and, for DOIs, per-DOI charges. There are no fees for ARKs, PURLs, and URNs.
- To create Handles, you are required to install and maintain a local Handle server.
- Although you can use your own or a vendor resolver for your ARKs and URNs, all ARKs can be resolved via n2t.net, making it the closest thing to a "global ARK resolver".
- The envisioned URN resolution infrastructure was never built, so URNs are currently resolved as URLs, and there is no designated global URN-as-URL resolver. In order to register to create URNs, you must apply for a URN namespace.
- Unlike DOIs and Handles, ARKs don't have metadata requirements, and ARKs that haven't been released into the world can be deleted.
If most ARKs run on their own resolvers, why is there also a global resolver for ARKs?
Most ARKs are created by organizations that advertise ("publish") them based at their own resolvers. This gives assigning organizations autonomy and an opportunity to do some branding. From the first two example, this core ARK
can be resolved from either from the local gallica.bnf.fr resolver or from the n2t.net resolver:
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8449691v/f29
https://n2t.net/ark:/12148/btv1b8449691v/f29
People coming across ARKs in the wild starting with hostnames that no longer exist will be able extract the core identifier (starting with "ark:") and present it to the global n2t.net resolver. Content providers who use their own hostnames in this way have an opportunity to obtain some branding even if it requires a future adjustment from users after the brand ceases to be relevant. Meanwhile, content providers who wish to avoid inconveniencing future users may from the outset prefer to advertise ("publish") their ARKs based at n2t.net.
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