When you type in a domain name that doesn't exist, your result is typically a blank browser window with an error message. Comcast thinks that's silly, so today, in Seattle, Portland, and other test markets, they're introducing Domain Helper, a little search page that replaces the default "nxdomain" error.

Problem: This is DNS redirection, a practice that not only forces advertisements onto typo-writers but can also wreak havoc with non-browser traffic. I could go into detail about potential issues with things like e-mail and FTP use, but just trust this all-caps nerd:

NOW EVERY DOMAIN NAME IS VALID from a DNS lookup standpoint. THIS SHOULD NOT BE.

Comcast allows its customers to opt out of the "service," which you should. But Comcast will poorly inform its less savvy customers, and they, by default, will be stuck with Comcast-monopolized ads at best and Internet traffic issues at worst. In defense, Comcast's new PR beacon ComcastBonnie states that competitors like Cox and Time Warner Cable employ their own DNS redirection services. Don't let such schoolyard rationalizations fly; let Comcast know you think this move stinks.