ICANN rejects .xxx domain

update The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the group that sets domain name regulation, has voted down a proposal to create a domain for adult Web sites.

ICANN's board on Wednesday voted 9 to 5 against the proposal, which would have led to the creation of a .xxx domain suffix for pornography sites.

The plan has drawn considerable controversy over recent months, with conservative groups campaigning against the domain due to concerns that it would legitimize pornography. Advocates of the plan have denied this, claiming that it would make it easier for Web users to avoid porn.

H?kon Haugnes, president of Global Name Registry, a domain name registration organization which oversees the .name domain, said ICANN's decision was not unexpected given the political opposition to the domain name.

"I don't think it's surprising for anyone in the industry. It's been a very, very contentious issue and very politicized," he said. "The discussion moved away from technical considerations to becoming politicized."

Despite ardent political interest in the issue in the issue, Paul Twomey, the chief of ICANN, told the Associated Press that the decision "was not driven by a political consideration."

ICM Registry, which proposed the .xxx domain, was unable to comment in time for this article. Haugnes said he empathizes with ICM Registry, as it has gone through the application process when it submitted the domain name. Even when ICANN agrees to a domain, it can take a considerable time to launch it to the market, he added.

"It took us five hard years to get .name into portals so people can use it within their e-mail address," he said.

ICANN has twice abandoned plans to vote on the creation of a .xxx domain, most recently last December.

Ingrid Marson of ZDNet UK reported from London.

[Kmett]

I think the appropiate word for this is: DOH!

I can't believe people think this will "legitimize porn" - um in case you didn't notice, it's a freakin' billion dollar industry. Since I'm not an advocate of porn I would love to know that I could keep my computer/home clean buy blocking .xxx domains or better yet, ISPs could block it at their level (at my request). Anti-porn people should be ashamed, they are only making porn more accessible rather than confining it to one area and regulating it. Congrats on spreading the filth - aren't you so proud?

[Kmett]

I think the appropiate word for this is: DOH!

I can't believe people think this will "legitimize porn" - um in case you didn't notice, it's a freakin' billion dollar industry. Since I'm not an advocate of porn I would love to know that I could keep my computer/home clean buy blocking .xxx domains or better yet, ISPs could block it at their level (at my request). Anti-porn people should be ashamed, they are only making porn more accessible rather than confining it to one area and regulating it. Congrats on spreading the filth - aren't you so proud?

[jslauson]

Porn is a scourge on society.

One thing is certain. Porn is a scourge on society. It victimizes women and children. It enslaves and desensitizes men. It enriches disreputable businessmen. Nothing "good" could ever result from it.

With that said however, I think segrating porn into an online "red light district" of sorts with a .XXX domain would help protect innocent eyes from getting pulled into it. It would also make laws and the enforcibility of laws easier to manage. I hope they revisit their decision.

[jslauson]

Porn is a scourge on society.

One thing is certain. Porn is a scourge on society. It victimizes women and children. It enslaves and desensitizes men. It enriches disreputable businessmen. Nothing "good" could ever result from it.

With that said however, I think segrating porn into an online "red light district" of sorts with a .XXX domain would help protect innocent eyes from getting pulled into it. It would also make laws and the enforcibility of laws easier to manage. I hope they revisit their decision.

[timothymevans]

Spending time on the wrong thing ...

Whatever the domain extension is, it won't solve the problem. If you think about, the internet like having cable tv, but that cable tv service having unlimited porn channels. It's not right.

[timothymevans]

Spending time on the wrong thing ...

Whatever the domain extension is, it won't solve the problem. If you think about, the internet like having cable tv, but that cable tv service having unlimited porn channels. It's not right.

[timothymevans]

Only if ...

The only way this ruling would be beneficial is is the following:

(a) All pornographic sites were mandated to have an .xxx rating by 2007.

(b) Current non-xxx domain extensions that porn sites can FWD to the xxx extension for a 12 month time frame. After that, the non-xxx domain will go deleted and may not be registered.

(c) No more porn related domains for non-xxx domain extension can be registered after Dec. 31, 2006. Therefore, domains can't be just randomly registered w/o monitoring -- there will need to be an APPROVAL process.

(d) No porn sites can be allowed to advertise on Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. and there also needs to be a law where no porn sites can be spidererd/indexed by search engines.

(e) ALL ISP's would allow the XXX extension, but there would be a $99.95 a month access fee to view .xxx websites, and users would have to register with the "XXX Watch List".

(f) There would be an organization similar to the FCC that would monitor this entire program (the $99.95 monthly access fee above would pay for this organization) and there would be stiff penalties and fines if this was broken.


The internet is still the wild west. I know I'm dreaming with my above stipulations (am I missing anything?), but that would be the most ideal situation.

-Tim

[timothymevans]

Only if ...

The only way this ruling would be beneficial is is the following:

(a) All pornographic sites were mandated to have an .xxx rating by 2007.

(b) Current non-xxx domain extensions that porn sites can FWD to the xxx extension for a 12 month time frame. After that, the non-xxx domain will go deleted and may not be registered.

(c) No more porn related domains for non-xxx domain extension can be registered after Dec. 31, 2006. Therefore, domains can't be just randomly registered w/o monitoring -- there will need to be an APPROVAL process.

(d) No porn sites can be allowed to advertise on Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. and there also needs to be a law where no porn sites can be spidererd/indexed by search engines.

(e) ALL ISP's would allow the XXX extension, but there would be a $99.95 a month access fee to view .xxx websites, and users would have to register with the "XXX Watch List".

(f) There would be an organization similar to the FCC that would monitor this entire program (the $99.95 monthly access fee above would pay for this organization) and there would be stiff penalties and fines if this was broken.


The internet is still the wild west. I know I'm dreaming with my above stipulations (am I missing anything?), but that would be the most ideal situation.

-Tim

[kevinblack01]

Reality

So if this decision was not for political reasons then what were the reasons? Like it or not porn is here, has been here since before the web, and will be here as long as humans exist. Like it or not porn in many forms is not illegal. So how does creating an easy way to categorize and filter (some) porn legitimize something that is already legitimate?

This head-in-the-sand mentality has got to stop. If we wish to make this a better world and a better Internet then we need to see what is really there. Ignoring the parts we do not like is a childish act I would scold my six year old for. Reality exists as it does whether we want it to or not and wishing only works in Hollywood.

[kevinblack01]

Reality

So if this decision was not for political reasons then what were the reasons? Like it or not porn is here, has been here since before the web, and will be here as long as humans exist. Like it or not porn in many forms is not illegal. So how does creating an easy way to categorize and filter (some) porn legitimize something that is already legitimate?

This head-in-the-sand mentality has got to stop. If we wish to make this a better world and a better Internet then we need to see what is really there. Ignoring the parts we do not like is a childish act I would scold my six year old for. Reality exists as it does whether we want it to or not and wishing only works in Hollywood.

[stoprebelling]

Compuer Oligarchy and conflict of interest.

Did it ever occur to you that the computer porn is on computers, and that the people who are running the ISPs and portals that wouldn't comply with the Justice Dept's subpoena such as yahoo or google or earthlink or whoever wouldn't do it because it would expose them and their porno activities?
LOL!!!!!!!
Also, this recent vote by the ICANN board seems to be similar to the Supreme Court's vote in 1973.
"Run some ***** to the board and do sexual favors for them to get this measure defeated."
How much of an idiot does a person need to be not to know what is happening or to actually pull these pranks in the USA?

[stoprebelling]

Compuer Oligarchy and conflict of interest.

Did it ever occur to you that the computer porn is on computers, and that the people who are running the ISPs and portals that wouldn't comply with the Justice Dept's subpoena such as yahoo or google or earthlink or whoever wouldn't do it because it would expose them and their porno activities?
LOL!!!!!!!
Also, this recent vote by the ICANN board seems to be similar to the Supreme Court's vote in 1973.
"Run some ***** to the board and do sexual favors for them to get this measure defeated."
How much of an idiot does a person need to be not to know what is happening or to actually pull these pranks in the USA?

[hadaso]

Conservatives have needs too...

Conservatives have needs too...

And it would be much more convenient for them to go to a .com domain to satisfy those needs than to go to a .xxx domain that they are axpected to block, being what they are...

[hadaso]

Conservatives have needs too...

Conservatives have needs too...

And it would be much more convenient for them to go to a .com domain to satisfy those needs than to go to a .xxx domain that they are axpected to block, being what they are...

[masonx]

Why was it voted down - whats the point of wriing the article?

Ingrid Marson - who tried to teach you to write? Didn't you think your readers might also like to know why ICAN rejected the xxx domain? Did you ever hear about the journalistic basics - Who, What, When, Where, and WHY? Apparently not. Apparently C/Net editors are no better educated than you either.

[masonx]

Why was it voted down - whats the point of wriing the article?

Ingrid Marson - who tried to teach you to write? Didn't you think your readers might also like to know why ICAN rejected the xxx domain? Did you ever hear about the journalistic basics - Who, What, When, Where, and WHY? Apparently not. Apparently C/Net editors are no better educated than you either.

[newcreation]

they claim it would be easier to avoid those sites

did icann ever elaborate how would making .xxx easier for people to aviod porn sites?

[newcreation]

they claim it would be easier to avoid those sites

did icann ever elaborate how would making .xxx easier for people to aviod porn sites?

[newcreation]

advocate of .xxx

did these advocates ever elaborate how would it make it easier for people to avoid those sights

[newcreation]

advocate of .xxx

did these advocates ever elaborate how would it make it easier for people to avoid those sights