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.
