October 23 issue—
With Washington raising heck over sex and violence in entertainment,
perhaps the time has come for kids to have a domain of their own. Page
Howe, a Carlsbad, Calif., Web investor and father of four, recently
applied to create a new Internet address system that would end with
“.kids.”
KIDS DOMAIN, Howe’s
company, would control the .kids domain-name database, monitor the
content and kick off any Web site or advertiser that violates societal
standards for children’s fare. “It fills a real void on the
Internet,” says Howe, who isn’t the only one vying for kids.
Three other
companies—Blueberry Hill Communications, DotKids and ICM
Registry—have also submitted proposals to the Internet Corporation
of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the powerful governing body
that for the first time in 20 years is accepting proposals to expand
the pool of domain names beyond “.com,” “.net” and “.org.”
Toronto-based ICM Registry is also applying for “.xxx,” on the
premise that both red-light and green-light districts are needed on
the Web, but Howe is skeptical. “I’m not convinced that an adult
domain would solve the problem,” says Howe. “Creating a space for
kids, which is the fastest-growing audience on the Internet, is a
needed step in the right direction.”
© 2000 Newsweek, Inc.
