Karl Auerbach of InterWorking Labs spoke with us about how the internet works.
We talked about domain name services (DNS being the primary one), registries and registrars, domain thieves, and the History of the Internet project.
Karl runs his own (non-DNS) domain name service on his site www.cavebear.com. The site also includes notes from his time on the ICANN board (such as this one where they talk about redemption periods).