Originally Posted by davecummings (Post 17524834)

It took almost an hour last weekend when I submitted my below comment:

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"I am a REAL stakeholder, with over 10 years in the Sponsored Community! IMO, ICANN needs to determine if ICM and all of the people it's motivated to express support for .xxx are, in fact, REAL stakeholders. IMO, ICANN needs to make certain that ICANN decides who meets stakeholder and sponsored community status, and not be swayed by any ICM subjective preferences/definitions/etc of it.

In my REAL stakeholder opinion, ICANN should permanently and totally deny the ICM .xxx proposal. It seems to me that relatively few Adult Internet people are in favor of it, while conversely, relatively MANY of the REAL stakeholders support ICANN denial of the ICM proposed .xxx contract.

I understand that ICANN might possibly be feeling somewhat swayed due to concern of an ICM lawsuit if .xxx isn't approved for ICM. IMO, ICANN might indeed be involved in a multitude of lawsuits if .xxx ISN'T denied, and those legal actions could be near-term, continuing, and long-term (e.g., if/when government "ghetto-ization" requires REAL STAKEHOLDERS to close sites with .com and other presently recognized tlds, and instead use the ICM .xxx tld; or, when continuing registry and other "issues/problems" come up, etc---this could go on for years and years).

I worry that unless ICANN totally and permanently "kills" .xxx THIS time, ICANN will become so overburdened in resolving matters related to .xxx that ICANN might become unable to properly accomplish its other primary priorities and responsibilities.

I understand that the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has brought many IMPORTANT issues to ICANN in the last few weeks. IMO, ICANN needs to listen to FSC and resolve all the matters AND requests that FSC has surfaced to ICANN. Like many other REAL stakeholders in the Sponsored Community, FSC is the overall voice for me. ICM does not speak for me (or MANY others of the REAL stakeholders!).

Dave C."

Originally Posted by minicivan (Post 17523481)

No one has explained yet how federal government in the USA can mandate that all websites of some type can go under the direct control of a private company. With this stupid thinking, why not worry that tomorrow, all private business will need license from Walmart to operate?

Originally Posted by 2intense (Post 18243554)

Originally Posted by Naughty-Pages (Post 18243547)

In the USA, the government can tell adult businesses where they can and cannot be located (Adult stores, strip clubs, Adult Theaters, etc).. I do not think it is a big leap to think that the USA could impose a regulation on US webmasters forcing a move to the .xxx tld in the future (hoping other countries will follow in their footsteps).

Just like imposing those new 2257 regs years ago (backdating them to make loads of content no longer legal). Those regs were imposed under the guise of protecting children (ya, the photos and videos I had of a 60 year old lady with just a driver license and a release form are not valid because I do not have the new required paperwork, and that is to protect children).

This 2257 deal gave foreign webmasters a clear advantage during the first few years of the new 2257 regs, because they did not need to ditch a shitload of content and scramble to replace it. This would have the same effect with .xxx as many foreigners will not need to move and thereby have an upper-hand on US webmasters for some time until other countries follow suit.

Just get a few more Holy Roller Republicans in office and it's pretty much a done deal..

They will use the argument that it is not censorship because they are not banning it, they are just making it less accessible to children. In the process it will wipe out thousands of adult business owners.. I have over 1000 sites, I could not imagine paying those .xxx tld fees on 1000 sites.

Most did not want the xxx tld but they still went through with it.. this is the beginning of the end if you ask me. I am now forced to pick up a few xxx tld's just so I have my foot in the door should the government impose a move.

Originally Posted by cordoba (Post 18243786)

Regarding your fears of American legislation giving foreign webmasters an advantage - European webmasters tend to play by the rules of America. For example, all European pay sites seem to have 2257 declarations. A few years back I was going to add a paying members area to my amateur 'rate my dick' site, but couldn't find a British or European payment processor unless I had 2257 documentation for every 50 year old who uploaded a photo of their penis.