Re: XXX TOS madness
[QUOTE=conran;107041]So, as a proponent of .XXX, how does CF justify supporting a business development that will limit the reach of your own product, provide no substantial benefit to those in the industry, promotes the ideology of censorship, tarnishes the adult industry as being “predators” (no doubt you’ve seen people commenting about Universities having to protect themselves against the “big bad pornographer”) and gives the impression to many others in the business - who have otherwise supported you - that you are one of the “bad guys”?
I don’t mean to offend, I would just really like to see your explanations as to why you have chosen to defend something that the vast majority of the adult industry is entirely against.[/QUOTE]
Firstly, I think there’s a flaw in your question(s). The conditions you impose upon the question(s) - such as it limiting the reach of our product, providing no substantial benefit, promoting censorship, et al - are subjective; subjective opinions among some designate .xxx as doing all of those things mentioned. Now, those are reasonable opinions which people are entitled to have, but opinions nonetheless. I don’t think your question is fair, as it treats as given fact things which are not that. There’s no fair way to answer that question.
If you were to have asked me, “Do you feel .xxx limits the reach of your product, provides no substantial benefit, promotes censorship…” etc, etc… then I would say, “No”.
In and of itself, .xxx does none of those things. I’m not going to defend ICM or attempt to say anything on their behalf, but .xxx is no more than your standard (s)TLD. In only does any of the things you suggest are inherent to it (which I would dispute), indirectly, through action undertaken and imposed by others; .xxx would in no way censor unless and until legislative action came about to use it as a tool of such; I don’t see how it limits the reach of business in any way, in and of itself; the only ones to whom it tarnishes the adult industry are already the types all too eager to already view it as tarnished.
Mind you, I don’t think any of what I’ve said above “defends” .xxx. Likewise, I don’t think pointing out people drawing faulty assumptions about ICM’s TOS “defends” .xxx. Someone started a thread that misrepresented facts and misinterpreted their terms, and I think it only reasonable the flawed conclusions being drawn get pointed out as such. That is defending fact, not ICM. Similarly, I don’t think that pointing out some of the conclusions prematurely drawn in your question are subjective is necessarily defending .xxx so much as pointing out the belief they are subjective and are by no means indisputable fact.
All that having been said, our views re: .xxx come from a perspective that has accepted the following circumstances:
- .xxx exists now, whether people like it or not.
- Consumers are a) unaware of the controversy surrounding .xxx b) do not view things from the perspective of industry professionals c) do not perceive themselves to have a vested interest, in terms of constitutional rights or civil liberties, in the issue of .xxx
- it had been apparent for quite some time that .xxx would come to be, and the approach by many in the industry to ignore that fact likely interfered with the ability of many in the industry to contribute, productively, to policies and guidelines that would be a part of .xxx’s implementation
- .xxx domains will be acquired by industry insiders and others, whether we like it or not; every company needs to make its own decisions on whether they’ll be among those acquiring and developing them.
Now, I’ll certainly not criticize why some choose to oppose .xxx or why various industry groups or companies have chosen to oppose it. Many are noble in their intentions. The how is where the approaches of many have become flawed. For quite some time it was apparent ICANN would approve .xxx, and for quite some time thereafter it was apparent .xxx would come to be. Many chose to focus resources on attempting to turn back the clock, rather than contribute substantively and productively to .xxx’s implementation. Anyone that did was demonized, accused of being a collaborateur, and might as well have had their heads shaved and paraded through the city center while the townsfolk pelted them with rotten fruit and vegetables.
But there are some unpleasant realities those opposed to .xxx would best be served to accept: it exists and others are buying and developing the domains. For every large, deep-pocketed, primarily straight company outspoken in their opposition to .xxx, there are others quietly snatching up .xxx URLs with the intent to do stuff with them; for every adult company professing they are acquiring .xxx versions of their domains defensively, there are others quietly acquiring them with every intention of using them as an offensive tool. Through all of this, consumers will be unaware or simply not care, and want porn regardless.
Someone was going to do something with gay.xxx, and customers desiring xxx gay material were going to end up there. We feel we can make their ending up there a worthwhile experience. Simple as that.