Some of it is up for debate but not the substance of it. If you are a corporation
or one who has investors your good intentions make no difference in the long run.Your
Investors and Stockholders demand profit. You have to deliver profit. Therefore compromises
soon become the necessity.
Look at General Motors and AT&T. They are now the two
largest distributors of Pornography. I doubt the Founders of those Corporations intended
for them to be so.
A separate entity from the registrar that does not need to worry
about it's bottom line and who cannot be influenced by Investors or Stockholders
but instead answers to the parents of children needs to oversee many of the issues
involving a .kids TLD.
It could potentially be the safest place for children online
and could potentially be the most dangerous place for them. If safeguards are not
included right from the beginning then not having the TLD at all is preferrable.
I
believe you have good intentions. I have not stated otherwise. I also asked what
members of your staff have the qualifications to decide issues of child safety. What
experience do they have? I'm still waiting for those answers I am qualified to ask.
The
fact you are willing to meet is great. But AOL said they will be good boys and girls
if they approve their merger but that isn't a commitment and neither is "Let's do
Lunch"
This is a serious issue and My thought is the #1 priority in any such application
should have been how you will address child safety concerns not what your technical
or financial capabilities are.
Are you committed to this as the top priority? If
so how have you prepared for it? What steps have you taken or what policies have
been put into place if you are granted the TLD?
Those are valid questions. They
weren't exactly approached by ICANN with any real regard either, so I am speaking
up about it.
I hope and I believe you have real concern, but I'm one who says the
proof is in the pudding. I'd be happy to meet with you or discuss more by email or
by phone to discuss this issue and would be open to listening to anything that addresses
the problems associated with a .kids TLD.
Chris McElroy
KIDSEARCH