X-ed Out

The "after-dark" side of the Internet has long been a topic of debate, and one aspect that keeps coming up is the potential domain-level designation of sites that feature pornographic content.

A special domain for the dirty stuff is a step closer to reality as Reuters reports. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, will sign off on the ".xxx" domain advocated by ICM Registry Inc. as soon as Friday.

ICANN has long resisted the move in a nod to neutrality, and the report notes that should ICANN approve the implementation of the domain, it will likely be on a voluntary basis.

According to the report, the domain designation has two key enemies that approach the issue from completely different streams of thought:

• Some in the adult entertainment business are against the domain, fearing it will lead to censorship, as it would be very easy to block the entire domain instead of individual sites.
• Some religious groups are against the creation of the domain, as it would lend more legitimacy to the adult entertainment industry.