If you've been on the Internet for longer than say ten seconds you have encountered something called pornography. It's rampant. It's close to impossible to avoid unless you use some serious filters, and even they aren't 100%. Normally, the best way to go is to keep an eye on your kids and make sure they don't go anywhere they're not supposed to. It's a real pain to watch them like a hawk, but that's the price you pay for having a computer around children.
Understanding a bit about the Internet's pornography problem the Internet's primary oversight body, ICANN, unveiled a plan to create a top level domain specifically for pornography, .XXX. The idea would allow the porn people to move from easily mistaken sites to more appropriate digs where you know what you're getting. It would also allow people and companies to better block web traffic to and from these domains. This should be a good thing for the future.
As the title of this article implies there is a snag in this plan. Even though the pornography industry soaks up $12 billion a year off the Internet the projected cost for an XXX domain name will be upwards of $60. This price is approximately ten times higher than the standard Internet name. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Why should we care if they have to pay a bigger price for porn? They're the ones making $12 billion. They should be able to afford it, right?"
Which domain would you buy? The one that will put you in the mainstream and capable of generating more revenue that costs only six bucks? Or would you do the "kind and gentle" thing and fork over $60 for a label that will get easily filtered out of many of the revenue streams throughout the world? I wouldn't be surprised if whole countries would filter a XXX domain.
Article comments
1 - Bennett
Very good points Jeremy. I too was skeptical about a "voluntary" move to a domain that cost "10 times as much".
Doesn't make much sense as altruism isn't something purveyors of porn have running out of their [ears].
By the way, where the heck do I go to get a $6 domain name???
That's a lot more than Network Solutions has been charging me for my business website (since 2000).
2 - Eric Olsen
Hi Jeremy, I understand your concerns in theory, but I also think $60 a year really is just a fart bubble for these sites. I think the industry peer pressure to make this work will be great because they know the alternative is involuntary
3 - jadester
well, i dunno about US-specific domains, but there are a number of places selling UK domains (.co.uk) at what they claim is cost, or even just under cost, @ about £3 (~$6)
4 - Lightning
You can get domain names at godaddy.com for a little more than $6... Network solutions is around $34 a year unless you purchase more than 1 year at a time...
Freakin' rediculous...
5 - Jeremy
The $6 is for just the domain name, no hosting included. Hosting runs much more than that.
The blog design company I'm with ( http://pumpingpixels.com ) goes through Hurricane Electric ( http://www.he.com ) which charges us something like $5 because we have a business with them.
If it was $60 for a full package I wouldn't complain about it. They're charging $60 for just the name. Should pornographers be FORCED to pay more than a standard site for their domain name? Isn't that sort of predjudicial against those in that lifestyle?
It's discrimination. Charging more because of what the content is constitutes discrimination. At least that's how I see it.
6 - Bennett
I agree Jeremy, it is discrimination, and it won't fly.
Bottom line, I'm getting hosed by Network Solutions. I think I pay $25 per year for the domain name registration. I have my website on jumpline.com and pay $24 a month for 300 megs and decent bandwidth.
Prices keep dropping, and I'll definitely have my domain registered through a different company next time around (2 years from last month).
7 - Lightning
Hey Bennett
Make sure you transfer your already registered domain(s) to the new registrar that you are moving to prior to your renewal. It may cost you a little bit extra, but then you can guarantee you are able to renew your domain names rather than lose them.
Your yearly fees will go down considerably and some registrars can give you a complete hosting package with 2Gb of space and 100Gb of monthly data access for $10/month. ex. Godaddy.com
My office presently deals with Network Solutions for our domain names. When we get closer to renewal, I'm going to talk the CEO into changing to somebody else. We're getting hosed by Network Solutions as well.
Good Luck!
By the way, Jeremy good article. I don't think any domain extension should cost more than another for that matter.
8 - Jeremy
Thanks for the compliment.
Just something from a low level web designer, DO NOT use GoDaddy. They are a web designer's worst nightmare. If this siter were to be upgraded to Movable Type 3.xx it could not be done on GoDaddy. The only thing GoDaddy has going for it are a couple of boobies on a superbowl ad. There are other services out there with a much better quality to service ratio.
(No, I'm not plugging mine. In un-plugging godaddy. Take if from someone who has tried to work with them.)
9 - Lightning
Thanks for the info Jeremy. I've been considering creating my own web server for blogs and the sort. I'm not sure which blogging software I want to go with. Your comment tells me that I like Moveable Type if that's what BlogCritics does use. I'll have to do some more research.
I presently do all my web-hosting myself and have a mirror server in New Orleans. So I'm not too concerned about the hosting. But you did give some good information. Boobies and all...