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This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

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Porn Dot-Coms Could Become Dot-XXX After Vote Today

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Using "xxx" as a handy euphemism or stand-in term for "adult-oriented" material is a contemporary common practice, and today could be the day that "xxx" goes to the web. Well, there's plenty of "xxx" on the web already, but this is a specific decision that is being made today in San Francisco to create the ".xxx" domain to readily identify "mature" content on the 'net. A vote is slated for today by The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), explains Fishbowl LA.The move to give porn its own domain has been in the works for over a decade, with the idea dating "all the way back to the year 2000," says Yahoo! News (presumably without irony).

The porn biz, though, doesn't like the idea, and it's all about their bottom line. Industry pros believe the changeover will be technically laborious, and will also make their websites readily identifiable, thus readily blocked or censored. Both consequences could result in millions of dollars in losses in the industry.

Those who oppose porn in general actually agree with porn-makers when it comes to the exclusive ".xxx" domain, though for a very different reason: "They’re convinced it will lead to even more cyber smut," says FishbowlLA.

A poll on the site The Domains shows 57% of their readers believe ICANN will approve the ".xxx" domain extension.

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