Sorry! Gotta keep these threads at the top for others to see.

2 DAYS LEFT!!!!

1 day left....................

Subject: [stld-rfp-xxx] A Responsible First Step for the Adult Industry
From: "Lawrence G. Walters" <larry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 22:12:42 -0500

For the good of the adult Internet industry, this proposal should be approved. Having provided legal representation to the adult webmaster community since 1995, along with other facets of the adult industry for years before, I?ve seen many unsuccessful attempts to organize and speak with a united voice. Organizing in the adult Internet industry is essential; just as it is with any other highly-regulated industry. My law firm has represented the adult industry for over 40 years, and has been involved in many organizing efforts. It may be that the only way for this particular facet of the industry to organize is through a non-profit foundation structured to support both the online adult community and the broader Internet community funded through .xxx registration revenue. A .xxx domain name option will eventually become a reality, and the current proposal will result in significant benefit to the industry as a whole, given the significant funding that IFFOR could potentially secure for the purposes of lobbying, legal defense, and media outreach.

When compared to a generic TLD proposal, the current Sponsored TLD proposal is definitely preferable. In light of the current political climate in the United States and elsewhere, IFFOR could become a critical voice for the continued viability and success of the adult website industry. Regardless of one?s feelings concerning the esoteric advisability of a voluntary .xxx domain name registration option, the practical realities must be addressed. Some entity will ultimately convince ICANN to approve a TLD for the adult industry. The current proposal by ICM Registries, Inc., sponsored by IFFOR, will bestow benefits on the industry which far outweigh any of the potential concerns advanced to date. The webmaster community should get behind this proposal which will give something back, instead of waiting for another group to submit a generic TLD proposal based purely on profit motive.

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I cringe a bit when I see the Larry bashing, because Larry has been a supporter of the adult biz and has done alot of contributions to the industry that were on unbilled time.

But, when you read his post from 2 years ago during the first round of open comment period, you can't help but to do a double-take and check that did an adult biz 1st amendment attorney actually say "For the good of the adult Internet industry, this proposal should be approved." ?????????

the answer is black and white.. he did... and there is always more to the story than the surface, one that would probably make you cringe further, but I would rather see .XXX just fail and all those that supported .XXX will become a lost footnote as business goes on as usual and we go back to the "would you hit this" threads.


Fight the commentary!

bump the .xxx

:thumbsup

Thanks for the post Brandon :thumbsup

This part also got my attention I have no feelings for someone who is willing to sell our industry out; even if he has donated his time to other causes. I know where he stands and he will not stand next to me!!

heres a great opposition letter.......


fight to be educated if you don't know............................




Opposed to .XXX

* To: xxx-tld-agreement@xxxxxxxxx
* Subject: Opposed to .XXX
* From: Roy Huggins ICANN Communications <icann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
* Date: Mon, 08 May 2006 22:00:42 -0700

While the .xxx TLD may appear useful on the surface, the implementation of it will cause widespread damage. It has already been expressed by US government officials that the existence of a .xxx TLD would be utilized in order to force adult websites that operate in the US to do so solely under a .xxx domain.

The least of the damage to be caused is the loss of marks long-held by webmasters previously operating under other TLDs. Thousands of webmasters have worked for years on .com, .net, etc and will lose huge portions of that work if forced into a .xxx ghetto. The suggestion that they can simply redirect their traffic to the new .xxx is naive and foolish and could only come from someone who is unfamiliar with website development and promotion. For instance, search engines do not regard redirects as legitimate for backward linking purposes. Millions of dollars could be lost on damaged search engine placement alone.

In addition, what guarantee will any adult webmaster have that they will be able to get the .xxx equivalent of their current domain? The forced switch to .xxx will promote domain squatting and the crippling extortion that goes with it. We saw this in the mid-90s and we can easily see it again. There are currently many more TLDs than just .com. This means that a forced switch to .xxx will ensure that many webmasters will be edged out of their long-held and hard-fought marks as they scramble to get whatever .xxx domain most resembles their original business name.

Besides the concern that ghetto-izing legislation would follow the .xxx TLD's approval, it should be sufficient to simply note that the institution of .xxx will in no way assist in hiding pornography from the eyes of minors. The majority of pornographic websites are not American and would not have to abide by .xxx even if said legislation did come to pass. The only pornography that would be filtered by .xxx alone would be that created in the US. A simple Google search followed by a lot of GeoIP checking will tell you that most of the Internet's pornographic content is not in the US and its owners would have no incentive to move it to a .xxx domain. Ipso facto, the institution of .xxx will provide no help in preventing minors from viewing pornography on the Internet. This logic is simple and factual, and should be convincing for anyone who is truly interested in helping parents keep their children away from pornography. The majority of the adult industry is interested in keeping children away from their content, and that is why they use tagging systems like ICRA and support such services as NetNanny, etc. This is because webmasters understand that self-labeling, and the active participation of parents in their children's lives, are the only truly effective method of preventing minors from viewing pornography on the Internet.

I urge ICANN to reject the .xxx TLD proposal. It is nothing more than an effort to make an extra buck and push a moral agenda at the expense of a socially marginalized industry. The damage it will cause will be widespread and only the powerful and wealthy will benefit.

-Roy Huggins
Professional Web Developer and Concerned Netizen