As one of the applicants for a new TLD, we appreciate
all those who have participated in the discussion surrounding the potential granting
of a .kids extension. The upcoming ICANN decision to broaden the availability of
top level domain names will greatly influence the future direction of the Internet.
We believe strongly that the .kids extension will be among those selected and wish
all applicants much success.Since the posting of applications, we have had the
pleasure of speaking with Mr. Moraitis, a young man from Nation1.com.. Mr. Moratis
has great insight and good ideas for providing assistance to the grantee for a .kids
registry.
In Mr. Moraitis' posting, six items are mentioned that he feels need
to be a part of any .kids proposal to make it successful. I would like to take
a moment to address these six items.
Mr. Moraitis first mentions the need to actively
involve a broad range of young people in the development and implementation of the
.kids proposal. Blueberry Hill Communications agrees with this insight and
have provided a position on our Advisory Board for a young adult. Our goal
for the .kids extension is to promote and provide a safe and healthy Internet environment
for kids. To that end, the input of young
adults is imperative. We
ask that all kids and young adults around the world contribute their advice, suggestions
and ideas.
The second notion in the posting is to allow kids themselves to create
content for the .kids web sites. Great Idea! We would love to see companies
allow kids to assist in the creation of their web sites. If Kelloggs, Standford University
and Disney want to get the attention of young adults and plant the seed of education
and employment at their school or business, then the site must have a child's touch.
It would be great to see those organizations provide the opportunity for kids to
learn how to create content, to provide a place to create something that they can
call their own. There are many children who are not as fortunate as others with regard
to access. We will support them by providing a place for kids to learn the tools
needed for their Internet future.
Thirdly, Mr. Moraitis suggests involvement from
groups like "UNICEF" and Save the Children. We would like nothing more than to see
"UNICEF", Operation Kids or Save the Children participate in the .kids registry.
Our proposal allocates a portion of the total revenue generated to fund such organizations.
Mr.
Moraitis also suggests that registrars consider exchanging community service hours
for registration, allowing children to help their community and in return receive
a .kids domain name. This idea would allow the less fortunate to participate
in the Internet's growth. We believe all registrars should examine this idea.
In
item five, Mr. Moraitis states that he would like to see a commitment to multi-lingualism
and cultural nuances. We agree. The CEO of Blueberry Hill Communications not
only holds a Bachelor of Science degree, but also holds a Masters degree in
International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management
(Thunderbird). He has lived and worked in Austria and Hungary and completed his education
at the Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland. We believe this extension
is a global extension and would encourage more discussion on this issue from all
children, parents, companies and schools around the world.
Lastly, Mr. Moraitis
suggest registrars make a commitment to charity. This suggestion has been addressed
thoroughly in our application. We believe and have provided for the involvement
of charitable organizations, Congress, parents, business, schools, kids, teachers
in the growth of the extension.
We welcome feedback regarding our proposal. Please
address comments to the ICAAN website and/or to our email address listed below.
Sincerely,
Meachele
LeFlar
Executive Assistant to the President
Blueberry Hill Communications,
Inc.
Meachele@bluehill.com