Friday the porn industry received special recognition in the world of the Internet. Porn sites now have their own domain: .xxx.
CNN.com reported it Friday saying the following:
“ICANN, the not-for-profit corporation that coordinates the internet’s naming system, voted to allow the application of the controversial ‘.xxx’ top-level domain name for sites that display adult content.
The domain, which would need further approval before going live on the internet, would be applied to adult entertainment sites just as ‘.com’ is now.
The .xxx internet suffix, which was first proposed six years ago by ICM Registry, a group that sells domain names, ‘will provide a place online for adult entertainment providers and their service providers who want to be part of our voluntary self regulatory community,’ according to that company’s news release.“
The article said registering under the .xxx domain will be voluntary for adult-entertainment sites, but it was reported that some believe it will become mandatory in the future.
Sites wishing to purchase the domain have already made attempts to secure their spots, which is earning mixed reactions. The article reported the following:
“ICM Registry has already taken 110,000 pre-reservations for the domain, which could be available in early 2011, if not sooner, its news release states.
While the company says labeling adult content online ‘will allow for simple and effective filtering for those who wish to do so,’ not everyone is pleased with ICANN’s decision to approve the domain.
Some people involved in the industry are hesitant to accept the domain, ‘fearing it will lead to censorship, as it would be very easy to block the entire domain instead of individual sites,’ Rick Johnson of Portfolio.com wrote Thursday.
On the other hand, ‘some religious groups are against the creation of the domain, as it would lend more legitimacy to the adult entertainment industry,’ he wrote.”
I think this is a good thing. No longer will people — children and adults alike — inadvertently navigate to a porn site. Now, if it has a .xxx domain, a web user will know instead of stumbling upon it by trying to find a site they need that doesn’t involve nudity.
This is a great safe-guard. Though I do see where some may be concerned about censorship, but I believe the overall result would be for the good. I don’t think porn sites should be censored at all; however, I do believe it is reasonable to allow people to know what kind of site they are navigating to before they arrive there.
I don’t think registering with the .xxx domain should be mandatory, but I believe the general use of it is for the best.
“I think this is a good thing. No longer will people — children and adults alike — inadvertently navigate to a porn site. Now, if it has a .xxx domain, a web user will know instead of stumbling upon it by trying to find a site they need that doesn’t involve nudity.”
I agree—it would be a great thing. But I don’t see anything here that gives me any confidence the porn dot-coms will actually be going away. It strikes me the ones already existing would be (at minimum) grandfathered into a new regulatory regime……..and more likely, would just be allowed to operate as they already are. Self-regulation implies a choice in the matter; if it would be mandated, what governing body would be charged with enforcement?
But if such policy somehow is enforced, what becomes of the dot-coms (for example, anything that sounds like anatomy madlibs written by Larry Flynt)?
Do they go dark, or does something else take their place?
Although, I suppose Hustler Turf Equipment might be interested in Flynt’s domain name….
But maybe I’m missing something.
I think it’s a good thing too. Let’s see how well it works.