As the fable goes, Nero fiddled while Rome burned. The guardians of the internet are making the changes and decisions that will change the internet forever. You may not like what happens next. We’re going to watch this issue a little closer in the future. This issue : * ICANN Killing the Internet as we know it * Domain name changes and the Internet landscape * ANA Fears Brand Squatting in ICANN’s New Domain Plan * ICANN plan ‘potentially disastrous’ * Casting.xxx ushers in a new internet era * Businesses buying .XXX porn domains … stay informed, stay tuned.
The Changing Internet
You’ve read us ranting and raging about the internet for some years. We predicted the onslaught of spam and cyber crime when Bill Clinton’s administration ‘privatized’ ICANN the web’s governing body. You’ve heard us advocate the disbanding of ICANN in favor of a body that can actually administrate the domain naming system. You’ve read our numerous reports of cyber crime cartels running amok across the web because of ICANN’s rogue registrars. You’ve read hundreds of “spam” reports about criminals relentlessly spreading their spam and going scott-free because of ICANN’s “tasting” domain kiting practices.
And while everyone is in a dumb stupor; happily preoccupied with streaming movies, Facebook, apps, music and social media, the internet is changing. Probably for the worse. When they wake up, they’ll wonder what happened. Here’s just the tip of the iceberg …
ICANN Killing the Internet as we know it
In a letter to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (“ICANN”), the Association of National Advertisers (“ANA”) detailed major flaws in the proposed ICANN program that would permit applicants to claim virtually any word, generic or branded, as Internet top-level domains (“TLDs”) – the word to the right of the “dot” in an Internet address, e.g., .com, .net, or .org.
In addition to the letter to ICANN, on July 29, 2011, the ANA filed comments with National Telecommunications & Information Administration (U.S. Department of Commerce) regarding ICANN’s administration of the root server system for the Internet.
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Domain name changes and the Internet landscape
In June, the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved a program that has the potential to send shockwaves throughout the entire Internet.
Starting in January, ICANN is set to accept applications for the new domains, meaning that brand-centric domain names (think ?.apple?) or industry-centric domains (?.pharm?) could spring up online very soon. Full story : Hayley Tsukayama – Washington Post
ANA Fears Brand Squatting in ICANN’s New Domain Plan
The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) hopes to throw the clout of its 10,000 global brands – and their $250 billion annual marketing spend – against a new plan to open registration of top-level domains to all comers.
The move would enable companies and brands to use thei own names, for example, .Godiva or .HomeDepot. The plan has been in the works for four years — but who is going to administrate it? Full story : Susan Kuchinskas – clickz.com
ICANN plan ‘potentially disastrous’
In a letter sent to ICANN President Rod Beckstrom, ANA said the program was insufficiently researched and would cause harm to its more than 400 members.
The ANA contends that the new gTLD program, which would enable so called .brand domain names, will increase cybersquatting and other malicious online conduct. Full story : Bottom Line
Casting.xxx ushers in a new internet era
More than 10 years after the idea of a .xxx domain name for ‘adult’ websites was proposed, the first site carrying the suffix has gone live, ahead of the domain’s official launch in December.
Casting.xxx is the first porn site to use the suffix, created earlier this year by ICANN, the body that oversees the web. Tech website The Register reports that although the domain manager, ICM Registry, has been running a site called about.xxx for several months, casting.xxx is the first one to live up to the ‘xxx’ billing. Full story : Eliot Sefton – www.thefirstpost.co.uk
Businesses buying .XXX porn domains
Why? To protect their trademarks and property.
Four out of five businesses that have pre-registered .XXX domain names have no direct connection to the adult porn industry, one of the UK’s largest registrars has confirmed. Full story : John E Dunn – Techworld.com
Follow the continuing story
Be sure to also see this important issue previously in UGN InfoManager
Keep up with the ongoing efforts to curb spam and cybercrime by reading the news at Knujon and HostExploit.com. And, you should switch to SpamCop and take a stand against spam.
