Wednesday Morning in the Digital Realm
Leading off today's news is the story of the race to sign up and secure internet domains in the new .xxx category. When ICANN, the agency that keeps track and disburses domain titles for the world-wide-web, decided to assign a specialty suffix for porno and other degrading websites, they set up a period of about a month where only certain types of established businesses and governmental agencies could register their names. By doing this, they could block nefarious publishers from using popular and established names to draw curious browsers into their virus-laden websites. Don't bother clicking on britneyspears.xxx, or newyorkyankees.xxx because they're not available now. Among the major purchases of dormant domains are the major universities who would be prime targets for the porn industry.
THIS ARTICLE in the Palm Beach, Florida, Sun Sentinel reports:
The University of Florida took the opportunity several months ago to block a series of names to ensure they are not purchased and not used with inappropriate content with the .xxx suffix," Janine Sikes, a UF spokeswoman, said via email.
At $200 a pop, Sikes said, the Gainesville-based university has commandeered a list of names ending with .xxx, including University of Florida, Florida Gators, Gator Nation, Gator Vision and Gators.
Google is taking no chances and locked in YouTube.xxx and no telling how many dozens of other protective purchases.
Talk about legal extortion…. $200 per domain! And some of these places are having to buy a dozen or more pre-emptive domains. I just checked and I see that firegeezer.xxx is still available, so some enterprising speculator can jump in now before the word gets out.
We'd better save our daydreams until later because it's time to get this equipment checked out now. I'm going to get some work-safe, family friendly coffee started up while you go that. See you back in the day room later.
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