The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has delayed yet another critical vote on the creation of a long-awaited .xxx domain.
The vote – which has been postponed until June 2010 – will reportedly follow the formulation of a document that outlines various options available to the organization.
According to ComputerWorld, the latest dispute over .xxx was prompted after ICANN declined an application made by ICM registry to run the .xxx domain for adult content.
“The registry challenged the decision and filed a dispute with the Independent Review Panel in June 2008,” wrote ComputerWorld’s Rebecca Wanjiku.
“The review panel, which is an independent entity but recognized under ICANN bylaws, heard the dispute and ruled that ICANN was unfair and discriminatory to ICM in the application process.”
Erez Zukerman of the Download Squad responded to ICANN’s latest decision by noting that the proposal for an exclusive top-level adult domain (TLD) has been rejected or “bogged down” at least three times before.
“As of right now, it hasn’t been rejected outright, but it has been delayed for around 70 days. To be honest, I don’t get it. Having a .xxx TLD would make life easier for everyone – not just the guys (and girls) who like porn or make their living off of it,” opined Zukerman.
“Clarity helps everybody. A school or workplace that wanted to block out a major chunk of all online porn would be able to do so with a single configuration change. Of course, many sites would keep running under .com as well, but it still seems like a step in the right direction for everyone. Unfortunately, it’s a step that doesn’t look like it’s going to be taken anytime soon.”
