Shame!

["P. Spanos" <pispanos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To Whom It May Concern:

 

It has come to my attention that interest has been revived in ICANN for
registering xxx domains. I would like to point out that, as you know well,
millions of people are becoming aware of this and many people I know
personally have expressed their intent to take serious legal action against
you should you choose to proceed with this travesty.

 

Apart from the fact that serious complications arise as these will be shown
across the globe (not just within the US), there are many other factors to
consider here.

 

There are at least four problems with the proposed "XXX" domain, as I see
it.

 

First, pornographers will not be required to use the domain. This makes it
of questionable intent since you will not be replacing but adding a
substantial amount of help to the pornographic mafia dealers (who as has
been proven are often involved in other illegal activities, such as warez,
drugs, exploitation of women, even terrorist activities) and we must not
forget that the US government has issued concerns about pornography.

 

Second, tech-savvy kids will be able to circumvent the domain. I am not as
tech-savvy as they are, but I can easily find anything I wish to. Since xxx
will not be compulsory, this will mean that kids will have the ability to
choose from more porn than before, making net nannies more difficult to
work. Of course, should one wish to find porn all they have to "google" is
(e.g.) "lesbian 01.mpg" or something similar. This will bring out website
URLs that can be cut-n-pasted to a new tab that will automatically play the
file, thus circumventing the net nanny. There are also other ways; perhaps
not legal, but kids normally do not care. The first concern, namely that xxx
will NOT replace but ADD to what is already there means that tech-savvy kids
will only be more prone to pornography. 

 

Third, to some extent the "XXX" domain will result in the "de facto"
legalization of obscenity. I am sorry, but you are in a sense telling us
(even though the US government has tried to reduce pornography requiring
Google records for child pornography concerns) that all this is somehow
legally acceptable. However, morality has its place in a society. We might
as well then create the domain .child to depict child pornography. Why not?
Or .racism for racist people or perhaps .vulgar for vulgarity. Is this where
we are headed to? I can find valid reasons to include all these new domain
names. And yet no one dares even think such a thing but you. Have you no
shame? Please also note that child pornography will multiply this way. To
see this, note something simple: a tech-savvy kid circumvents the domain.
There, it finds various contact material or other links. All innocent and
"legal"; until some chat-board in a quasi-warez xxx sub-domain invites him
to get some "candy" (warez in this case) so he can then say "thank you" to
his new daddy. Do you realize the implications of your actions? 

 

And fourth, the "XXX" domain will not protect society from hardcore
pornography (soft porn is of course only the soft drug that leads to the
hard drug). As the Supreme Court observed in a 1973 obscenity case (Paris
Adult Theatre I v. Slaton), there are "legitimate governmental interests at
stake in stemming the tide of obscene materials, even assuming it is
feasible to enforce effective safeguards against exposure to juveniles,"
which include maintaining "a decent society" and protecting "public safety,"
"family life," "the quality of life," "the total community environment," and
"morality." Moreover, the recent concern in the EU against the pedophile
political party raises more concerns. If you legalize xxx domains, why not,
as I said, also add .child as well?

 

You claim that no under-18s will be depicted. No. These sites will be
permitted to depict (among other things) 18-year-old girls and boys being
hogtied, whipped, shocked with electricity, gang raped, and tortured to
death. Depictions of pseudo child porn (girls dressed up as school girls
etc. being raped by their daddies), bestiality, excretory functions and
matter, incest, prostitution, teenage gangbangs and unsafe sex galore will
also be permitted in the new xxx domain. 

 

Let us assure you that we will not allow you to become the new trafficking
overlords. We will fight with all our might, should you choose to proceed
with your action. I repeat, under no way think that we shall stay calm and
watch our youngsters die under the moral depravity of your money-making
schemes. 

 

Furthermore, the very idea that you have brought this up again will need to
be discussed at length. Perhaps you are not the best representatives for an
independent ICANN organization and some may need to be fired.

 

Shame!

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Dr. P. Spanos

Department of Mathematics & Statistics

University of Birmingham

Birmingham B15 2TT

UK