.XXX Top Level Domain: Will Porn Revolutionize Domains?
Yesterday I wrote about the new domain .CO and the likelihood of success. The .Co Internet S.A.S. (cointernet.co), through its new Top Level Domain .CO, is attempting to provide a potential answer for the shrinking number of available domain names. With today’s announcement that ICANN has given its initial approval of the .XXX TLD, it is interesting to ponder what effects this might have on the structure of how we view and access the internet.
It is no surprise there is no doubt an unbelievable amount of porn related traffic on the internet. In fact, according to Bevan Sabo‘s post “Top 4 Ways Porn Has Advanced the Internet,” Porn has played a large role in the advancement of internet technology. The consumer desire for porn not only increased the popularity of the internet, but this desire also was the stimulus for many technological advances. So why would Top Level Domains (.com, .org, and now .xxx) be any different? With new domain name availability on .XXX, there is a chance the porn industry might be the first industry to gain some traction in creating a popular and useful new Top Level Domains (TLD). As with the .CO, the marketing and launch plans of this new .XXX world could play a major factor in how the domain is perceived and visited. If the implementation of .XXX is done poorly then the TLD will be a joke, but if it's done with legitimacy then it might start and build some steam for a "divided internet".
If this new .XXX TLD does gain traction, then other TLDs such as .CO could have their place in a newly market segmented internet. However, if history has anything to say about the subject, we know It’s not an easy feat to garner public attention to these TDLs. How many times have you used the .museum for anything? What about .aero for some website in the air-transport industry? What about .mobi or .tel for communications companies or .travel for the travel industry? Porn's .XXX TLD will need to do something none of these industries could do – get anyone to type something other than .COM.
If the .XXX TLD is successful, the .COM might take on a catchall TLD role, while other domains might help organize … well, everything. If these divisions occur, instead of just blindly typing in .COM after everything, we might start to think twice. Additionally, if the new domains gain popularity there might be a need for a domain specific search engine or other domain limiting technology.
In the alternative, will the .XXX be a vehicle for limiting free speech? This is not the first time the issue of the .XXX TLD has been visited by ICANN. In May of 2006, the Guardian reported that the ICANN board voted down the creation of the proposed .XXX TLD. Arguments from both sides have valid points and bring up great issues. Will “porn” be forced to the .XXX? Will it then be restricted to persons over 18? Who will enforce that? Would it be constitutional? Only time will tell, but it might be something to keep your eye on.
