Some call it a “virtual red light district.” A new domain designation intended for pornographic websites became available today. The .xxx designation is intended to make it easier for users to avoid–or find–pornography on the Internet.

While websites using the new domain designation will not actually go on-line for another 50 days, today was the first opportunity for pornographers to register their websites with that designation. Other businesses and individuals may also want to reserve the .xxx domain under their name in order to ensure it is not picked up by a porn site.

The “adult entertainment” industry has expressed concern that the new domain designation may make censorship easier, but we believe this is a development to be cheered by parents and Christians in general.

While pornographers are under no obligation to use a .xxx domain, chances are most of them will make the switch eventually. The internet security company McAfee will be scanning all sites with that domain for software viruses, making them safer for porn customers to use than the notoriously insecure .com and .net porn sites. Plus the .xxx sites may be adopted by pornographers who wish to portray themselves as sensitive to parental concerns. When, or if, the .xxx domains become a “adult entertainment” industry standard, it will be much easier to avoid the sites through controls on Internet browsers.

As the BBC article at the link above mentions, it’s a “win-win-win” for those who want to access porn, those who don’t, and the porn industry itself.