The .xxx proposal

[Donald Eastlake 3rd <dee3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Declan McCullagh and I have published concerns about a mandatory adult
top-level domain name which sexually-oriented web sites or the like
would be required to use. Our document discusses policy and technical
problems with this concept but, as I say, almost entirely from the point
of view of a mandatory zone.

While I cannot speak for Declan, these are my comments on this proposal
for a voluntary "adult" zone as set forth by ICM Registry and IFFOR.

It does a reasonable job of addressing many of my concerns and will
hopefully preserve a voluntary system, in keeping with the purpose and
history of the DNS. The ICM/IFFOR proposal is fashioned as a voluntary
system and it shows a commitment to defend the voluntary nature of the
domain legally. In that regard, the proponents have undertaken a legal
analysis to demonstrate that efforts to mandate use of the domain would
be unconstitutional. Assuming that a zone of this type, whether it be
.xxx, .sex, or whatever, is approved, I think it is unlikely that it
would be under better arrangements than in this proposal.

Donald