Comments on: Porn-friendly .xxx domain backer loses suit against federal agencies

ICM Registry, thwarted in its bid for .xxx in part by the Bush administration, gets dealt a setback in suit to unearth State and Commerce Department documents.

[perfectblue97]

But the web is global...

I find it stupefying that the internet is a global network yet a US based group can dictate what does and doesn't happen to such an extent.

Surely this should be an international matter. Why should Europeans, for example, be denied an XXX domain just because a US body doesn't want US citizens to have one.

ICANN needs to be both neutral and international in order to serve the wider world interest.

[MTGrizzly]

Why would anyone want a xxx domain?

The people selling porn on the net are not going to desert
.com, et cetera domains they have spent years building up. If all
"porn" was required to migrate to the XXX top level domain,
who will decide what is "porn"? Who will decide who gets the
appropriate .XXX domain names? Why should we put one type
of content in a ghetto, when it is simply an exercise of
protected speech?

The idea that all porn will migrate to a XXX top level domain is
ludicrous.

This is not about wanting a XXX top level domain. This is about
the guy selling the XXX top level domain wanting to make
money. Money is universal and not limited to the US...

[markbolden]

The IDEAL solution would be to use the .XXX domain!

It seems that this would be the ideal situation for both producers
of pornographic sites and parents/businesses who need to filter
content. This would most likely attract the producers of such sites
to migrate their domains just so they can focus their efforts on
their target markets (consumers who LOOK for that type of
content). It would also allow content filtering at the .XXX domain
level for businesses and parents. Am I the only one looking at it
from this perspective??

[Breetai]

The is the government we're talking about.

They're idiots. It's not a bush thing it's a US government in general
thing. Kinda like how the masses are stupid but with a sense of superiority.

[Dalkorian]

delusional??

Maybe a few questions/points will illustrate the issue here:

- define "porn" (careful here - how much nudity counts? Do lingerie sites like Victoria's Secret count as "porn"? How about
artist and photographer sites? Are portrayed/filmed sexual acts
porn? What about simulated acts, like many R rated films? What
about Wikipedia? Are pages like this "porn" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_intercourse?)

- define who is responsible for "forcing" "porn" from the .com
domain to the .xxx domain

- define who is responsible for "policing" the .com domain to
ensure there is no "porn" there

Keep in mind that the porn sites have had .com names for a
while now (years and years) and some of them might be
reluctant to give that up (remember that they paid cash money
for a .com domain). I would venture a guess that most of them
would rather make an alias to the .xxx domain and KEEP the
.com name, hence the last 2 points made above (who's going to
force them and who's going to ensure they comply?)

Fuhrer bushit actually got this one right (although I *SERIOUSLY*
doubt he had the right reasons). It's simply unenforceable.

[tomj1969]

Require or Allow

Given the many different countries from which porn sites operate, requiring use of the xxx domain is probably not possible. However, I think the domain would be attractive to pornography site operators - xxx is not an actual movie rating, but producers use it because it lets the users know the nature of the product. Otherwise, how would we know that "Rambone" is not just the story of a vigilante military dog!
If the domain is set up and allowed for use by porn sites, I would expect that the vast majority, if not all, of the new sites would use it. Many of the existing sites trying to boost traffic would also be likely to switch to it. The remaining successful sites would be much easier to filter, as it would probably be pretty stagnant.

[The_Darklady]

XXX is a Bad Idea

ICM is in this for its own interests and certainly not those of children, surfers, or the content producers and providers that would be forced into the .xxx ghetto. The adult entertainment industry overwhelmingly condemned the idea and yet we're back to arguing over it again? Why? Because some tech ignorant do-gooders with an agenda think it's easier to marginalize erotic material than provide a .kids area where erotic material wouldn't be allowed? Or is it because parental responsibility has gone the way of the dinosaurs and so outside agencies know what's best? I guess my favorite part of the .xxx insanity is the fact it wants to blackmail domain holders by forcing them to pay ridiculously high registration fees -- with money going to sexual abuse services. Spurious links between consuming sexual content and engaging in sex crimes are insulting to the millions of adults who love porn but have never even dreamed of harming anyone -- but apparently they make some people feel superior... and those people are hoping to cash in on it. That's a unique form of morality, IMO.

[David Mech]

.XXX is Ideal

Just as it makes sense to group non-profit, government, and education sites in .org, .gov, and .edu domains, respectively, it makes sense to classify adult sites in the .xxx domain. This would allow parents to block access to .xxx domains through their browsers where only an unlock code could regain access, and it would also allow ISPs to block .xxx domains upon request. Even if an ISP decided to become the 'moral' ISP and block all .xxx domains to all of their customers, the free market theory would hold that other ISPs would enter the market to meet the demand. .XXX is the ideal solution to make adult content available on the internet, while restricting access to children. Everybody wins.

[tomj1969]

I'm with you...

It would be the online version of having adult clubs and bookstores confined to a "red light" district that could be easily avoided by families. I am at a loss as to why anyone would see identifying these sites with a particular domain would be harmful.

The question of REQUIRING pornography sites to use the xxx domain is a more complicated question, imo. In real life, zoning laws can restrict purveyors of adult entertainment and products to specific areas. Given the global nature of the internet, limiting pornography sites to the xxx domain would not be possible unless enacted as law or regulation by the specific country from which the site operates. Additionally, from the perspective of countries with free speech rights, such a law or regulation may be illegal to enact.
I would expect successful existing pornography sites would want to stick with their current .com or other domain name. However, for a new or struggling site, I would venture that .xxx would help market or popularize the site.
Unfortunately, Bush seems content to have porn sites under the same domain as family sites. Maybe the xxx domain would make it harder for him to hide the sites he visits from Laura...

[dlindbergh]

.sex Considered Dangerous

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3675.txt

[b_baggins]

The problem is

the second half of your equation. Forcing all porn providers to use
that domain. We've already bastardized the first amendment in the
U.S. to the point where it applies to everything except what it was
originally intended, political speech. There was can castrate it like
crazy. (Campaign finance). But if you want to take a picture of a
bullwhip up some pervert's ***, that's first amendment.

[Dæmon]

Agree-- easier to filter

I think it would be best, a restriction should be placed to keep the material off of all domains except for .xxx and then parents/businesses can more easily ban it. On the other hand it proves just how much the porn-industry has grown and how popular it is, having its own domain....