The Internet body that monitors and controls domain name extensions has finally approved an adult sex site extension .XXX. The move will allow adult entertainment web sites to use the .XXX extension instead of the more popular .com.
The move has been debated for some five years with critics claiming that such a decision was pointless and ineffective. Supports claim that if adult sites all have the same extension they will be easier to filter to prevent child access.
A new generation of industry specific domain extensions are slowly being approved in order to create more domain name availability. .XXX is one of several news extensions recently approved.
I have to say that it is about time! I have no little kids at home, but I have plenty of friends that do. I was shocked at a story where a kid did a search for poke'mon (or however you spell it, making my point) and the web site had a naked chick with those little black and yellow ears on.
Those looking for porn will now know right where to go. "A place for everything and everything in it's place."
One could register their own domain with the .xxx extension and have an email address with that extension as well. (i.e. studmuffin@thereporter.xxx) heh heh
I was reading elsewhere about how this is likely to cause more problems that it solves - there are a vast number of adult sites out there that are not pornography, and some only have mild adult content - it is likely that with the creation of this domain extension that adult sites will be required by law to move from .com to .xxx - and that means deciding just where to draw the line.
In addition, as the article I was reading pointed out - there are much more deserving organisations - charities etc, that have applications in for domain extensions, that havent been approved.
All this is going to do is create a legal quagmire and pander to pornographers.
“I was reading elsewhere about how this is likely to cause more problems that it solves - there are a vast number of adult sites out there that are not pornography, and some only have mild adult content - it is likely that with the creation of this domain extension that adult sites will be required by law to move from .com to .xxx - and that means deciding just where to draw the line.”
- I somehow doubt the law could determine who owns what domain name, or force people that already own .coms to move to a .xxx.
”In addition, as the article I was reading pointed out - there are much more deserving organisations - charities etc, that have applications in for domain extensions, that havent been approved.”
- Well it’s not like ICANN are quick to grant any domain extensions, this one took five years. But I am not sure the decision is based on some arbitrary consideration of which organizations are more worthy. Charities have had their own extensions since day one anyway.
You could also consider that adult websites have helped the internet become as popular as it is today. Let’s face it there are thousands of adult web sites out there and it is a reasonable assumption that they must have subscribers or they would not be able to pay the models to pose for adult pictures and video. One could also argue that this has had an important trickle down effect over the entire internet. It has created a lot of employment, strengthened ISPs, web hosting companies, server manufactures, the internet infrastructure itself. Porn has brought millions of people to the internet all spending their hard earned cash and helping to grow the internet. Who knows, maybe if it wasn’t for internet adult sites the internet would not be the size and complexity that it is today. Think about it, millions of people investing millions of dollars have to be doing some good.
”All this is going to do is create a legal quagmire and pander to pornographers.”
- Not really. Like I said you cannot force companies that own .coms to give them up, and taking five years to determine that there might be a demand for adult domain names on the internet hardly seems like pandering to pornographers. Yet again it seems that you are applying your personal prudish values to the world and judging people, a common theme in your posts.
What are you smoking? They have had all kinds of extensions for all kinds of sites, but nobody has EVER been forced to move... And I don't see that happening!
Another article I read on the subject said that they wouldn't be forced to change to the .xxx domain. It was voluntary, but encouraged to make it easier to filter.
I'm sure many won't bother, especially if it's a costly change.
is going to want to change their name if they get a lot of hits. At the very least they will change their .com to point to the .xxx. But I doubt they would be willing to drop a successful domain name altogether just to make their site easier to filter. Doesn't make very sound business sense.
The article I read said it would be about $60US to register a .xxx domain. Now, who would want to pay 5-20x more to register a site to make it more filterable.....
No, they won't be forced to change...yet - but how long before the religious right starts to push for that - protect the children, pornography should be easily filterable etc. It won't take long, I'm sure.
