Re: [ga] Help pass HR 2417 .KIDS

[Bruce James <bmjames@swbell.net>]

From the HR 2417:

  (e) CONTINUATION OF DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OVERSIGHT AND APPROVAL
AUTHORITY- During any period that ICANN has any authority for the
establishment of top-level generic or county code Internet domains and for
selection of registry services for such domains, the Secretary of Commerce--

    (1) shall carry out oversight and approval of such functions for the
Federal Government;

    (2) shall make every reasonable effort to retain the authority reserved
to the Department of Commerce under the Memorandum of Understanding referred
to in section 2(a)(1) of this Act and any amendments to such Memorandum; and

    (3) shall diligently exercise such authority.
/Bruce

----- Original Message -----
From: "Roberto Gaetano" <ga_list@hotmail.com>
To: <bmjames@swbell.net>; <ga@dnso.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2001 12:41
Subject: Re: [ga] Help pass HR 2417 .KIDS


Bruce James wrote:

>To facilitate the creation of a new global top-level Internet domain that
>will be a haven for material that will promote positive experiences of
>children and families using the Internet, to provide a safe online
>environment for children, and to help prevent children from being exposed
>to
>harmful material on the Internet, and for other purposes.
>
>
>I urge all of the GA to write, phone and email your local congressperson to
>*Co-Sponsor HR 2417*. This bill needs co-sponsors to get anywhere. Please
>use the link below to find their address.
>
>                             http://www.house.gov/writerep/
>
>This new gTLD .KIDS is a very good idea for the safety of our children! We
>need your *HELP*!


I strongly disagree for the following reasons:

1. The creation of a specific TLD for kids will not achieve any result,
except to attract side by side sites really meant for kids with other
off-topic or even counterproductive material, like kids pornography, unless
the Registry will not be given the power to police the contents of the Web
sites worldwide, which is illegal in some countries.

2. The creation of a TLD by decision of the US Congress is severely
limitating the power of ICANN and ratifying the subordinate role of ICANN to
USG. The immediate effect of this decision will be a reaction by non-US
actors, and the real risk of a split of the Internet. Which is, BTW, why I
do believe that US Congress will never pass such a bill. Please note that
the creation of a .kids.us SLD will be perfectly acceptable because it will
act under US law and not have any international ripercussion.

Anyway, as a supporter of a really international Internet co-ordination body
(which ICANN is not, BTW), I have to confess that the idea that US Congress
might make such a stupid mistake like passing the bill and forcing the rest
of the world to evaluate different alternatives outside the "longa manus" of
uncle Sam tickles my imagination.

Yeah, who knows, in the future we might remember this early July for another
"Independence Day", the beginning of a movement of independence of the
Netizens from US Government. Might not be so bad, after all, to have a tea
party with 13 brand new root servers! ;>)

Regards
Roberto


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