Re: [soac-mapo] Is selective blocking by local governments really a problem?

[Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond <ocl@xxxxxxx>]

 Hello Anthony,

On 30/08/2010 22:58, Antony Van Couvering wrote :
> From this perspective, what we ought then to consider in our group is
> not what may be sensitive or not, but rather what rises to the level
> where/ the very existence of the top-level domain causes damage to a
> large number of people. / There are obvious examples of such TLDs.
>  For example, the mere fact of a TLD whose name mocks or incites
> violence against some group of people is very likely to be intolerable
> to the targeted group.   This, I think, is a legitimate reason for
> blocking a TLD application. 

Would .NAZI qualify?

> If the TLD name isn't in itself deeply offensive, then we're talking
> about content within the TLD, and at that point it's up to local
> authorities, and individuals who use the Internet, to block content
> that they find offensive.  That blocked content might even include an
> entire TLD -- which is kind of the premise upon which .XXX was built. 
>
> This is definitely not the venue for deciding what value system is
> superior.  Every society blocks some content, so far without great
> harm to the Internet.  So my suggestion is that for the purposes of
> this group, which is dedicated to considering questions of morality,
> is that we forget about what content the TLD is likely to have (a
> guess at best), and concentrate only on the name itself.  I think it
> will make our task much easier. 

Unfortunately, the meaning of a word is most often associated with the
context in which it is used, how, where and when.

Kind regards,

Olivier

-- 
Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond, PhD
http://www.gih.com/ocl.html