Greetings. As is already widely known, I remain very strongly opposed to the creation of a dot-ex-ex-ex TLD (top-level domain), and would find it necessary to continue such opposition through whatever venues are available if the domain is approved at a likely ICANN vote tomorrow. I feel that dot-ex-ex-ex would create a disastrous slippery slope for censorship and free speech, despite its ostensibly "voluntary" nature. I don't think this is an area where ICANN should wish to tread even peripherally. Like many observers, I fail to see what constituency would be positively served by dot-ex-ex-ex, other than ICM -- the company that would run the TLD and profit from its use.

The relatively heavy speculative "pre-registrations" on the domain are obviously mainly driven by protective actions from existing dot-com domain holders, who cannot afford to have the dot-ex-ex-ex versions of their domain names obtained by someone else. This hardly qualifies as "support" for the dot-ex-ex-ex concept.

I hope that ICANN will choose to kill this idea once and for all. I fear that if it is approved, it will only represent the start of a long legal path as various governmental and private parties attempt to block it, and that would be an unfortunate waste of time and resources for everyone.

--Lauren--

Blog Update (March 30, 2007): Commendation: ICANN Votes to Reject "Dot-Ex-Ex-Ex" Top-Level Domain