RE: [Membership] Structure of 'at large' membership

[a@help.org]

Domain names are substantially different than the scenario you discuss.
License plates are displayed publicly and they are seen by others when
driving a car.  nobody forces you to look at domain names, you would have to
type them in.  In fact, the name will still appear on your computer and an
error message will come up indicating that name doesn't a DNS entry.  The
fact that it may bother you that someone registers a domain does not give
you the right to outlaw the practice.

In addition, your solution of censoring domain names that you find offensive
will not solve the problem.  If you censor www.badword.com hen the user can
have badword.domain.com or domain.com/badword.  The fact is that people are
going to use the Internet for things you don't like or to attack others.
You cannot go around outlawing everything you see (or searching out things)
that you don't like.  If you are being sent e-mail or have to view something
when you walk down the street I agree that there should be restrictions.
This is like magazines in stores.  Laws can restrict how they are displayed
in public view but it is completely different story if you try to ban the
publications so people who are requesting this information cannot obtain it.

If you review the recent court decision overturning the latest failed
Internet censorship bill you will see why such restrictions on domains will
probably not be upheld in US courts under a serious challenge.  Plus, I
don't think this should ICANN's job anyway.  Any locality or country can
pass a law saying you cannot do certain things.  ICANN should not be
circumventing this process simply because some people are offended.

Russ Smith
http://consumer.net




>In many of the States in the US, includiing California- the issuance of
>liscence plates is controlled to remove a mixture of letteres or words that
>have sexual, or ethnic considerations.

>This may be a freedom of speech issue but it is also a freedom of what I
see
>issue.