I think I've begun a slow metamorphosis from "conservative" to "libertarian."  This change is evident today in my utter disgust at the Bush administration's opposition to a .xxx domain extension on moral grounds.  They're concerned that a .xxx extension would create a "virtual red light district" on the internet.  Apparently they live under rocks with cotton in their ears, because while it may not be limited to a "district," the internet is full of illicit images and content.  As Trekkie Monster notes in Avenue Q, "The Internet Is For Porn!"

The administration's stance makes about as much sense as similar conservative efforts to teach abstinence instead of proper condom use.  Sure, abstinence is ideal, but kids are going to have sex anyway -- so make it safe, damnit!  The same thing goes for porn.  Blocking the creation of .xxx does not stop people from finding pornography.  There's some really sick **** out there and if it would be possible to restrict all pornographic content to a single .xxx domain extension, how could you NOT be for that?  Parents & firewalls would be able to more easily identify porn sites and porn surfers could limit their traffic to those who cater to them -- everyone wins.

Supporters of this fight will argue that while pornography may be out there, ICANN doesn't have to endorse its proliferation with a domain extension.  Sure, that sounds like a nice rosy high ground.  But the reality is that I could go out there and buy http://www.fatdonkeyballs.com today and be selling donkey porn in about an hour.  How is that less offensive than purchasing http://www.donkey.xxx to do the same thing?  Hasn't ICANN endorsed my sleaziness in both cases?

The battle over porn on the internet was lost years ago - heck, the war is over!  It's time to restrict American-hosted porn sites to the .xxx domain, then see what you can do about foreign-based sites.  If we're going to have a moral high ground here, it has to be that we tag this material with the .xxx domain, just like we take movies with the XXX rating.

The existence of such a domain facilitates Internet filtering by moralistic governments with the aim of affecting the ideas and concepts their residents may see and the alternative moral schemes to which they are exposed. The segregation of thought, entertainment, and ideas because of content and appeal is a dangerous first step towards local and parochial control over the global Internet. It paves the way for TLDs aimed at religious and political content.

- xbiz

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