Misty Media Sex Blog

March 9th 2007, 18:47 Jeff Sela

(This is my submission to ICANN opposing the creation of a new .XXX domain for websites containing adult-oriented content. As I understand it, I'm getting this in just before the deadline. Here's hoping they continue to refuse to authorise this waste of time and money.)

I think the .xxx TLD is a bad idea, for various reasons. Most importantly though, I can't see any reason for creating it. Nobody will benefit from this except the ICM registry, who will make a lot of money without providing a useful service.

It has been suggested that this new domain will help users by giving them a heads-up about what content to expect at a website with a particular domain, or by making filtering easier. Neither of these will in fact be the case, because most adult-oriented content will still be available on other domains as well as, or instead of, on .xxx domains.

This point has lead to a lot of confusion. Most of the people supporting the creation of the new TLD are under the impression that existing websites on other domains will be moved to the new one, and expect that it will aid in censorship by ghettoising adult content. This is unlikely to happen, since there is no international consensus about what kind of content is considered ‘adult enough’ to warrant such special treatment, and there are legal obstacles in many countries to making that a requirement. Moving content would also impinge on the permanence of URIs based on the existing TLDs, breaking user's bookmarks, existing links, and long-used email addresses. This is clearly not acceptable.

Many conservative and anti-porn campaigners are against the new TLD on the basis that it would promote adult-oriented content. I think they're wrong about that, but I don't think they would find anything positive in the confusion .xxx domains would create. It would give a false sense of security to people hoping for a more ‘family friendly’ web.

Finally, the new TLD will incur an unnecessary cost on pornography businesses by forcing them to register an additional domain, at much greater expense than the older ones, simply to avoid domain squatters diluting their brand.

In short, this new TLD would be of no benefit (and considerable cost) to businesses publishing adult-oriented material. It will be of no benefit to people trying to prevent children seeing such material, or people opposed to its publication in the first place. It will create confusion among the general public, who don't have a good understanding of domain names as it is. The only reason for licensing the creation of a .xxx TLD is to create a profitable business for the ICM registry.

2 Comments

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1. ::: Harry, March 30th 2007, 23:25:

   It would make the cybernanny type family software easier to use, and would block porn if forced into use.

2. ::: uknaked, July 29th 2007, 10:01:

   If all porn was eventually moved to the new TLD it would help to protect those who choose not to use it. There will always be gray areas between what is porn and what is not, but at least most of it would be where I can find what I want easier, rather than porn brokers invading every other area of the net. I don't agree with any form of censorship, but I do believe that individuals have a right to choose what they want to see and hear. I am fed up of porn brokers appearing on every search, when I am not looking for it! Equally, If I want porn, I want to be able to find the type I want easily! The .XXX TLD may not be perfect, but it would help!