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Username: hedeer
Date/Time: Mon, October 16, 2000 at 1:07 AM GMT
Browser: Netscape Communicator V4.73 using XWindows/Linux 2.2.16 (Pentium Pro)
Score: 5
Subject: .Kids Domains proposal and a general comment on the .Kids TLD's

Message: 		 

 
                The .Kids Domain application has not lived up to the expectations, I believe, of a large majority of interested parties.  Aside from their affiliation with Tucows(which is definetly a technical plus), ther aren't many appealing aspects of the proposal and there seems to be a definte lack of innovation.  Even though the question of censorship vs. freedom of speech has been played too many times I still feel that it's extremly important to think about it just one more time.

Unfortunately, .Kids Domains is approaching the question of a '.kids' TLD in a far too corporate manner.  I think what we're going to find once the other three proposals come up is something very similar to this.  As Nicholas has pointed out, the $50,000 application fee really limits the possibilities.  Anyone looking to setup a '.kids' TLD has to have money and anyone setting it up will be looking to make money.

I was hoping to see something more along the lines of a true visionary proposal that might look for a way to benefit the global community of children in more ways then simply restricting website content and would instead be trying to persuade a majority of children to use the internet to create their own communities.  The internet is quickly becoming another tool of the economy.  To me this is quite unfortuante, the internet as a medium for communication and information seems a lot more reasonable and definetly a lot more beneficial.  Basically speaking, .Kids Domains seems to want to setup a subset of the internet that will cater to children simply in the same way Toys R' Us caters to children.  Even though the proposal they've submitted would succed in doing this, aside from its restrictive nature (which is necessitated by the consumer like environment their developing) I think the entire basis of their proposal is flawed.  We shouldn't be making domain spaces into markets and malls, there's enough of those in life.  We should be making '.kids' a place for children to learn, to enjoy themselves, and ultimately to grow in.
     
     
     
 

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