Squatting for the Cause - Anti-hate groups reclaim the internet - WebBusiness Magazine Feb. 10, 2000

<body bgcolor="WHITE"> <table width="730"> <tr><td colspan=3> <p align=right> <font size="-1" FACE="Verdana,arial,helvetica,geneva"><a href="0200_toc.html" target="_top">Feb. 2000</a> Issue of <a href="http://webbusiness.cio.com/" target="_top">WebBusiness Magazine</a></font> </P> <FONT color="black" FACE="arial,helvetiva,geneva" size="4"><img src="http://webbusiness.cio.com/archive/images/wb_0200_squat.gif" width="450" height="45" border="0" alt="Squatting for the Cause"> <BR CLEAR="ALL"> <B>Anti-hate groups reclaim the internet</B></FONT> <BR CLEAR="ALL"> <BR> </td></tr> <tr><td valign=top width=150> <BR> <BR> <FONT color="BLACK" FACE="arial,helvetiva,geneva" size="3"> <B>BY KATHLEEN CARR</B></FONT> <BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR> <IMG SRC="http://images.cio.com/images/ads/cio_serv_ctr_1.gif" WIDTH="150" HEIGHT="56" BORDER="0" ALT=""><a href="http://webbusiness.cio.com/archive/021000_squat_content.html?printversion=yes" target=_top> <IMG src="http://a772.g.akamai.net/7/772/1328/be7bc81ddae262/www.cio.com/archive/images/cio_serv_ctr_2.gif" WIDTH="150" HEIGHT="13" BORDER="0" ALT="Printer Friendly Version"></a> <form method="post" action="http://www2.cio.com/archive/wb_email_article_form.cfm" target=_top> <input type=hidden name="filename" value="021000_squat.txt"> <input type=hidden name="date" value="Feb. 10, 2000"> <input type=hidden name="title" value="Squatting for the Cause"> <input type=hidden name="folder" value="archive"> <input type=hidden name="by" value="Kathleen Carr"> <INPUT type="image" value="submit" src="http://a772.g.akamai.net/7/772/1328/57003afca89cac/www.cio.com/archive/images/cio_serv_ctr_3.gif" WIDTH="150" HEIGHT="13" BORDER="0" ALT="Email Article to a Friend"> </form> <A HREF="http://subscribe.cio.com/archive.html" target=_top><IMG src="http://www.cio.com/archive/images/cio_serv_ctr_5.gif" WIDTH="150" HEIGHT="13" BORDER="0" ALT="Subscribe to CIO"></A> <BR CLEAR=all> <P><BR><BR><BR><BR><P><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR> <BR> </TD> <td width=40> <br></td> <TD valign=top width=370> <img src="http://webbusiness.cio.com/archive/images/letter_black_sans_W.gif" align="left" width="30" height="34" alt="W">e've all read about cybersquatting: Internet gold diggers register as domain names recognized trademarks such as nike.com, and hold onto them until they're offered lots of corporate money. But entrepreneurial spirit isn't the only thing motivating cybersquatters these days. Groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) are using cybersquatting tactics to limit the power of hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan. <BR><BR> The ADL is urging its members to register racially offensive domain names, like nigger.com and ihate(insert target group).com, to keep these sites out of the hands of hate groups who use them as racist rallying forums. <BR><BR> "As a vehicle for spreading hate, the Internet is more powerful than anything extremists of past decades could have imagined," reported Howard P. Berkowitz the Anti-Defamation League's national chairman, when speaking before Congress about the need to address hate on the web. If you think he's exaggerating, take a look at the Aryan Nation's site (<a href="http://www.christian-aryannations.com">www.christian-aryannations.com</a>). Under "Jews in High Places" is a list of Jewish CEOs, which is proof, according to the site, that "the Jews really do control the media." <BR><BR> The web has provided a convenient vehicle for the dissemination of anti-Semitic and racist propaganda, and there is no legislation to stop it. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was created with the idea of regulating domain name registration, but the group is expected to take a hands-off approach. <BR><BR> According to Sally Abel, a partner at the technology law firm of Fenwick & West, the United States has passed legislation to try to involve national governments in domain name registration. But the legislation is intended to protect trademark owners against those who would register their trademark and try to profit from selling it back to them or to someone else. It will not prevent the registration of hate sites. However, each domain name registration site is free to enforce policing regulations regarding domain names. Abel recounts that Tonga.com, one such registration site, used to reprimand customers who attempted to register offensive domain names. The site would respond with an e-mail telling those customers to resubmit and this time to try registering "something their mother would be proud of." Abel says it's "conceivable" that we'll eventually have legislation to prevent people from registering offensive sites, but it's unlikely that the legislation will pass on a national level. <BR><BR> Registering offensive domain names one by one might be a little like draining the Hudson with a teaspoon, but, at the moment, that spoon is all we've got. </td> <td width=20> <br></td> <td width=150 valign=top><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR> <table width="150" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 bgcolor="#CDCDCD"> <tr> <td width="150" align="CENTER" valign="TOP" valign="TOP"> <br> <table border=0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 bgcolor=#CDCDCD width=130> <tr> <td align="CENTER" valign="MIDDLE"> <table border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 bgcolor=BLACK width=100%> <tr> <td align=center><font face="Arial,Helvetica" SIZE="-1" color=WHITE><b>Advertisers</b></font></td> </TR></table> </td></tr> <tr> <TD> <NOLAYER> <IFRAME SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/idg.us.cioarchives/;pos=right;sz=150x800;tile=4;ord=?" width="150" height="800" frameborder="no" border="0" MARGINWIDTH="0" MARGINHEIGHT="0" SCROLLING="no"> <A HREF="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.cioarchives/;abr=!ie;pos=right;sz=150x800;tile=4;ord=?"><IMG SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.cioarchives/;abr=!ie;pos=right;sz=150x800;tile=4;ord=?" border=0 height="800" width="150"></A> </IFRAME> </NOLAYER> <ILAYER id="layer2" visibility="hidden" width=150 height=800></ILAYER> </td></tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr></table> <br> <br> <TABLE BORDER=0 cellspacing=0 width=590> <tr><td valign=top width=150> <IMG SRC="http://images.cio.com/images/ads/cio_serv_ctr_1.gif" WIDTH="150" HEIGHT="56" BORDER="0" ALT=""><a href="http://webbusiness.cio.com/archive/021000_squat_content.html?printversion=yes" target=_top> <IMG src="http://a772.g.akamai.net/7/772/1328/be7bc81ddae262/www.cio.com/archive/images/cio_serv_ctr_2.gif" WIDTH="150" HEIGHT="13" BORDER="0" ALT="Printer Friendly Version"></a> <form method="post" action="http://www2.cio.com/archive/wb_email_article_form.cfm" target=_top> <input type=hidden name="filename" value="021000_squat.txt"> <input type=hidden name="date" value="Feb. 10, 2000"> <input type=hidden name="title" value="Squatting for the Cause"> <input type=hidden name="folder" value="archive"> <input type=hidden name="by" value="Kathleen Carr"> <INPUT type="image" value="submit" src="http://a772.g.akamai.net/7/772/1328/57003afca89cac/www.cio.com/archive/images/cio_serv_ctr_3.gif" WIDTH="150" HEIGHT="13" BORDER="0" ALT="Email Article to a Friend"> </form> <A HREF="http://subscribe.cio.com/archive.html" target=_top><IMG src="http://www.cio.com/archive/images/cio_serv_ctr_5.gif" WIDTH="150" HEIGHT="13" BORDER="0" ALT="Subscribe to CIO"></A> <BR CLEAR=all> <BR> </td> <td width=30> <br></td> <TD valign=top width=410> <br><BR><BR><BR> <H4>On WebBusiness:</H4> <script language="JavaScript">  </script> <form name="selecter" target = "_top"> <select name="select1" size=1 onchange="go()"> <option value=none>Select Below <option value=none>------------------- <option value="http://webbusiness.cio.com">WebBusiness <option value="http://webbusiness.cio.com/metrics/">Metrics <option value="http://discuss.cio.com">Discussion Forum <option value="http://webbusiness.cio.com/insider.html">WebBusiness Insights Newsletter <option value=none>---- Research Centers ------- <option value="http://www.cio.com/research/behavior/">Cyberbehavior <option value="http://www.cio.com/research/ec/">E-Business <option value="http://www.cio.com/research/intranet/">Intranet/Extranet <option value="http://www.cio.com/research/career/">Web Professional ---Career--- <option value="http://www2.cio.com/forums/careers/wm_calendar.html">Events <option value="http://www2.cio.com/forums/careers/index.cfm">Jobs <option value="http://www.cio.com/xnet/">xNet </select> </form> <BR> <BR> <font size=-1> http://webbusiness.cio.com/archive/021000_squat.html </font></i> </center> </td></tr> </table>   <LAYER SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adl/idg.us.cioarchives/;pos=right;sz=150x800;tile=4;ord=?" width=150 height=800 visibility="hidden" onLoad="moveToAbsolute(layer2.pageX,layer2.pageY);clip.height=800;clip.width=150; visibility='show';"></LAYER> </body>