Comments on .XXX

[Joe Rothengast <jjroth@xxxxxxxxx>]

As an introduction, my name is Joe Rothengast and I am the Executive
Director of Protect Every Child, www.protecteverychild.org, as well as
a retired IBM Network Developer.  Back in the late ?80s? I pushed for
the .XXX or .SEX domain because I saw the possibilities of this current
problem.  When I wrote the governing authorities they indicated that
porn would be no problem since the industry would use architected
control blocks to allow for the type of the material to be indicated
and thus filtered out from those who did not want to be exposed to
?adult material?.  At that time I indicated that it was letting the
foxes guard the hen house, and thus ignored.  

New York cleaned up porn in Time Square not only by legislation but
also by enforcement and zoning. This concept of .XXX is no more than
"Internet Zoning". Making it a felony and allowing people to turn in
offenders by offering an award could enforce the idea. The cash for
awards would come from penalties for those offenders. The wisdom of the
courts may not know what porn is but they may when they see it.
Everyday people are exposed to raw sexual material on the Internet.  I
understand further that it is the biggest industry and thus has plenty
of clout and lawyers to fight for it to exist.  I believe that the
Internet needs a mandatory enforcement of .XXX because it will not work
by the good nature of the industry, an industry that sends out this
material to kids and spams it to everyone?s mailbox.  I am still in the
Internet field and see major corporations spend millions if not
billions to stop this intrusion into their sites and their workforce. 
Not only is .XXX needed for children but also to save corporations
funds for jobs, investors and new projects as well as more productive
time by employees.   

As a technical aspect it would be easy for filters to exempt .XXX and
for ISPs? to ensure that their accounts truly reflect the material that
they allow.  Along with enforcing the content we should enforce truth
in source addresses which is easy for ISP given that it would take very
little code for them to make sure that all e-mail comes from the range
of addresses that they have control over.  The porn industry is one of
the biggest spammers and spam cost everyone in lost time, equipment
costs and overhead, not only those on the Internet. 

As for the international aspects of the Internet ? well there are
gateways between countries and they can be turned off if a country does
not want to clean up their act.  Don?t tell me about restrictions since
we are a nation of laws and each one is a restriction for the
betterment of society.  No one can win an argument that porn is good
for kids and that people who don?t want to see it must suffer through
it. We cannot yell fire in a theatre nor can we yell ?hi Jack? in an
airport so why allow this junk free reign on a media that can do so
good for everyone?   

It is a sin that our IT corporations, courts and legislators have done
so little to stop it already!


=====
Joseph John Rothengast,

jjroth@xxxxxxxxx 
 
AOL   IM   = joejroth
YAHOO IM = jjroth 

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