a head of my own

Good article on the issue of who is in charge of the Internet and who should be allowed to make its rules and regulations.

Apparently ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers,) the body in charge of it now, isn't able to do its job independently because US agencies like the Department of Commerce, bowing to pressure from the religious right, can interfere and block its actions.

This is the main point on the .xxx domain issue:

When it comes to .xxx I am not at all convinced that it is needed or that it will be useful. It may help some people find online porn, but this does not really seem to be a problem without it.

More worrying is that it could be used to create an online ghetto, with countries passing laws that require adult content to register under .xxx so they can be filtered, with the danger that this will be extended to cover anything deemed "unsuitable" for children.

And we all know who will be in charge to decide what's suitable and what's not, especially if this administration (or, God forbid, another one like it) is still in charge when the decision is made.