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Opposed to .XXX

  • To: xxx-tld-agreement@xxxxxxxxx
  • Subject: Opposed to .XXX
  • From: Roy Huggins ICANN Communications <icann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 08 May 2006 22:00:42 -0700

While the .xxx TLD may appear useful on the surface, the implementation of it will cause widespread damage. It has already been expressed by US government officials that the existence of a .xxx TLD would be utilized in order to force adult websites that operate in the US to do so solely under a .xxx domain.

The least of the damage to be caused is the loss of marks long-held by webmasters previously operating under other TLDs. Thousands of webmasters have worked for years on .com, .net, etc and will lose huge portions of that work if forced into a .xxx ghetto. The suggestion that they can simply redirect their traffic to the new .xxx is naive and foolish and could only come from someone who is unfamiliar with website development and promotion. For instance, search engines do not regard redirects as legitimate for backward linking purposes. Millions of dollars could be lost on damaged search engine placement alone.

In addition, what guarantee will any adult webmaster have that they will be able to get the .xxx equivalent of their current domain? The forced switch to .xxx will promote domain squatting and the crippling extortion that goes with it. We saw this in the mid-90s and we can easily see it again. There are currently many more TLDs than just .com. This means that a forced switch to .xxx will ensure that many webmasters will be edged out of their long-held and hard-fought marks as they scramble to get whatever .xxx domain most resembles their original business name.

Besides the concern that ghetto-izing legislation would follow the .xxx TLD's approval, it should be sufficient to simply note that the institution of .xxx will in no way assist in hiding pornography from the eyes of minors. The majority of pornographic websites are not American and would not have to abide by .xxx even if said legislation did come to pass. The only pornography that would be filtered by .xxx alone would be that created in the US. A simple Google search followed by a lot of GeoIP checking will tell you that most of the Internet's pornographic content is not in the US and its owners would have no incentive to move it to a .xxx domain. Ipso facto, the institution of .xxx will provide no help in preventing minors from viewing pornography on the Internet. This logic is simple and factual, and should be convincing for anyone who is truly interested in helping parents keep their children away from pornography. The majority of the adult industry is interested in keeping children away from their content, and that is why they use tagging systems like ICRA and support such services as NetNanny, etc. This is because webmasters understand that self-labeling, and the active participation of parents in their children's lives, are the only truly effective method of preventing minors from viewing pornography on the Internet.

I urge ICANN to reject the .xxx TLD proposal. It is nothing more than an effort to make an extra buck and push a moral agenda at the expense of a socially marginalized industry. The damage it will cause will be widespread and only the powerful and wealthy will benefit.

-Roy Huggins
Professional Web Developer and Concerned Netizen



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