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June 04, 2005
Why a .blog top level domain is a good idea
The wires are buzzing with news of the approval of .xxx, a new top level domain (TLD) for adult oriented sites. Pornographic websites are not required to, but have the option to switch to this top level domain. This move will protect children from adult content by creating, in effect, a red light district online, distinct from the .coms, the .nets and the .orgs. I too approve of this move, not because I have any children that would be benefited, but because it gives recognition and legitimacy to a very important segment on the Internet. Adult websites have contributed significantly to the growth of Internet technologies by adopting them early, in an ongoing quest to deliver adult content creatively and realistically. However, the adult entertainment industry, excluding its flirtations with the cultural mainstream, has had little impact on the lives of its patrons beyond their most private moments. In contrast, another segment of the Internet, the so-called blogosphere, is affecting people's opinions and lives very tangibly. In fact, blogs are turning out to be so influential that they deserve to be hosted on their own top level domain, .blog.
The dream of a unified Europe cherished by many suffered a major setback, when the people of France and The Netherlands, both founding members of the European Union, roundly rejected a constitution that would have meant greater integration among the members of the EU. While sifting through the innumerable pieces of news and analysis related to this cataclysmic event, I came across a BBC report that highlighted the role of French bloggers in helping the Non vote. Opponents of the constitution argued that blogs were an important way for democratic discourse to be conducted on the Internet, because the government and the mainstream media were pushing an establishment viewpoint unabashedly in favor of the EU constitution.
Blogs have come of age in the last year or so due to the 2004 presidential election in the U.S. and have had significant influence since. Bloggers were admitted into the Democratic National Convention alongside mainstream media for the first time in 2004. The Internet in general and blogs in particular contributed significantly to the mobilization of the American electorate, which turned out in record numbers to cast its vote. Influential blogs such as Daily Kos and Captain's Quarters provide alternative news and commentary to ordinary Joe, whose only other recourse for such content is cable news. Mainstream media organizations are worried about losing their monopoly on providing news coverage to the masses. Even worse, they are so clueless about how to cope with the rise of blogs as a viable alternative media, that they shamelessly read blogs aloud on TV!. The way blogs have come of age in 2004 is highlighted by Merriam-Webster's selection of blog as the #1 Word of the Year 2004, based on the number of online lookups.
Blogs are becoming important not only in political discourse but also in the workplace. Large corporations such as Microsoft encourage its developers to blog as a way of reaching out to customers. A cursory keyword search of job banks for 'blog' or 'blogger' yields several hits. In early 2005, Apple sued three bloggers for leaking secrets about their upcoming product line and asked them to reveal their sources. The Supreme Court of the United States considered whether the bloggers could refuse to reveal their sources to Apple claiming journalistic privilege. The verdict came out in favor of Apple, which means that bloggers cannot currently claim protections granted to journalists. However, as blogs continue to gain influence, this question is likely to come up again sooner or later in the judiciary. Hopefully, the courts will recognize the role blogs are playing in contemporary society.
Blogs are bound to play a pivotal role in the much-heralded fragmentation of the media. Media experts argue that the rise of Internet advertising and alternative models of targeted content delivery will eventually lead to the decline of the few large media organizations and result in a number of small content-focused organizations with a small but dedicated following. The increasing number of content-based top-level domains (.info, .xxx and others ) already stands testimony to the phenomenon of media fragmentation. Creating a new .blog TLD for blogs would make it easier for search engines like Google to separate search results originating in blogs from those originating in other segments of the Web. Most importantly however, it would recognize the fact that blogs are having an enormous influence on public life and political discourse and deserve to be accorded at least as much respect as Kara's XXX Playground.
Posted by Vishy at June 4, 2005 12:22 PM