Return to New TLD Agreements Forum - Message Thread - FAQ

Username: richard04
Date/Time: Mon, March 18, 2002 at 11:37 PM GMT
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer V5.0 using Windows 98
Score: 5
Subject: XXX may be a good idea, but censorship is a bad idea

Message:
 

 
I think it's a good idea to set up designated sites for .kids and for .xxx

The advantage is that kids (and their parents) would find a registry which was a natural source of information and entertainment for youngsters; and that people wanting to post sex of various kinds would have a natural registry where adult material could be easily posted and accessed.

Two other thoughts though. How would you stop kids from accessing .xxx material (because the very existence of such a registry would be like an invitation to kids to try it out).

Secondly, I am almost totally opposed to any kind of censorship on the Internet. The rights of adults to access sites with a wide range of sexuality etc should NOT be constrained by the "moral arbiters" of a so-called moral majority.

One of the very real dangers of Stuart Lynn's lurch towards governmental control of the DNS is that we could end up with censorship of those tastes, those moralities, those free viewpoints that do not fit in with agenda of various governments.

The right to freedom of expression includes the free expression of viewpoints or lifestyles with which we do not agree. OK - it's conceivable you could think up some imaginary very extreme scenarios - but basically I believe that freedom of expression on the Internet is a way in which human rights and the needs of the dispossessed can be defended.

What starts as a censorship of sex sites could become a precedent for the censorship of moralities or political viewpoints. We should all be mature enough to accept the bad with the good on the Internet. I say this even though I've got 3 young kids. I'd prefer them to have free access to the net, and through discussion, learn to develop responsible use of what they may encounter in this amazing global resource.      
     

 


Message Thread:


Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Cookies Policy