These are the questions in a debate about the internet. But soon there are going to be more of these categories — or generic top-level domains gTLDs as they are technically known.
They say that a private company should not have a name that is also the name of an important geographical area. There have also been other objections over new top-level domains that use geographical or cultural names. Argentina is unhappy that the US outdoor clothing retailer, Patagonia, wants a domain name that has been known far longer as a region of spectacular beauty. It is also a major tourist destination.
The first new domain names will probably be in use before the end of To tourists, Amsterdam still seems very liberal. The plan is hopes to protect victims of abuse and homophobia.
Bartho Boer, a spokesman for the Mayor, says that the plans are not illiberal. We want to defend them. People found guilty of violent harassment will be evicted from their homes and put in temporary homes, including shipping containers in industrial areas of the city. The containers have showers and kitchens and have been used as student accommodation.
They are going to use the containers because they want to show that if people are antisocial they do not get better accommodation. One Dutch newspaper wrote that in the 19th century antisocial people were moved to villages in Drenthe and Overijssel, which soon became slums. But Boer says that the government has learned from past mistakes and is not planning to put antisocial families together. After a maximum of six months in these houses, in different parts of the city, the families will get permanent homes.
