The stated purpose for a .kids
registry is to have a safe environment for children. Commercial Interests will not
and cannot provide this. They must first see to their profit margin! Their #1 interst
will not be for children's safety on the Internet. When making a profit dictates
compromises, compromises will be made. Your $50,000 application fee and financial
requirements exclude the possibility of a Charity running the .kids registry. As
the President and Founder of KIDSEARCH and Watchdog, both nonprofit entities that
search for and have successfully found missing children, I find it appalling you
haven't considered Nonprofits to run such a registry for children. Who better than
a Nonprofit to look out for their interests? Not to mention the fact that ALL of
the funds received would also be used to protect children.
One of the biggest
concerns is child predators using the Internet to lure children. We can address this
issue much better than any For Profit venture. I can also guarantee the cooperation
of a recognized ICANN registry to help with the technical aspects of registration.
Any award to a for profit venture of this TLD will show your total disregard for
the safety of children on the Internet, not that you do care like you would like
it to prove.
No For Profit venture understands the nature of child predators
on the Internet. They have no experience in children's safety. You seem more interested
in their financial standing and their technical ability than you are in their ability
to address children's safety issues. At the very least, we should be allowed to run
the Board that will overseee what is and is not allowed on this directory. If in
considering the applications for .kids, kids are not the priority, then you show
everyone that profit still rules over actual child safety issues!
Chris McElroy
President
and Founder of KIDSEARCH and Watchdog.