INTERNET-DRAFT                         Expiration Date 6 January 1999





                                                            R. Garbrick
                                                         Data I/O Corp.
                                                           30 June 1998



          Content-Specific Hypertext Transfer Protocol


Status of this Memo

   This document is an Internet-Draft.  Internet-Drafts are working
   documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its
   areas, and its working groups.  Note that other groups may also
   distribute working documents as Internet-Drafts.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six
   months and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other
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   Drafts as reference material or to cite them other than as
   "work in progress."

   To view the entire list of current Internet-Drafts, please check
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   (US West Coast).


Abstract

   This document describes HTTPX, a protocol for providing access to 
   materials that may be objectionable or that have age or locale-based 
   restrictions, while providing a simple method to filter such content 
   where required.  

   HTTPX uses the protocol HTTP 1.1 ([RFC 2068]), with the single 
   exception of designating a separate range of TCP and UDP port
   numbers that are allocated to a specific content type.

1. Rationale and Scope

   The problem of unintentional distribution of adult-oriented
   materials to minors via the internet has become an increasing
   problem.  URL filtering schemes have proven either ineffective or
   too restrictive.  Age verification schemes have proven cumbersome



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   and expensive.  In addition, these methods place full responsibility
   for restricting access on the end user and places no responsibility
   on the distributor, where most such restrictions, such as access to
   alcohol, cigarettes and explicit magazines, have historically been
   placed.  
   
   Currently available protocols provide no reasonable means for the 
   distributor to pro-actively apply effective protocol-based controls 
   on content.  HTTPX is intended to provide a simple, effective means 
   to filter content by using a standard protocol, HTTP 1.1 
   ([RFC 2068]), over a specially designated port number.  

   This simple change will allow the creation of a separate, adult 
   network.  Such entities as schools, libraries and businesses that 
   have a requirement for filtering content, will be able to do so with
   minimal expense, using existing routers, proxy servers or firewalls
   by disabling those ports.  Browser software can be modified to 
   require a password lock to receive data on those ports. 
   Distributors of adult content could still provide opening screens
   And advertisements on the existing port 80, and with minimal
   expense, provide the adult content on the newly designated ports.
   Governments and Internet Service Providers might provide some
   incentive for adult content distributors to move their content to
   the designated ports via service agreements or minor legislation. 
   Moving content to the new ports, might even reduce liability for the
   distributors.


2. HTTPX Protocol

   The HTTPX protocol uses the HTTP 1.1 ([RFC 2068]) protocol
   unchanged, with the exception of designating special TCP and UDP
   port numbers.


2.1 Proposed TCP and UDP Port Numbers
    Proposed additions to RFC 1700;

    www-httpx  880/tcp  World Wide Web HTTPX for Graphic Sexual content
    www-httpx  880/udp  World Wide Web HTTPX for Graphic Sexual content
    www-httpx  881/tcp  World Wide Web HTTPX for Full Nudity
    www-httpx  881/udp  World Wide Web HTTPX for Full Nudity


3. References

   [RFC2068] Fielding, R., Gettys, J., Mogul, J., Frystyk, H., and T.
   Berners-Lee, "Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1", RFC 2068,



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January 1997.

   [RFC1700] J. Reynolds and J. Postel, "ASSIGNED NUMBERS", RFC 1700,
   October 1994


4. Author's Address

   Randy Garbrick
   Data I/O Corp.
   10525 Willows Rd. NE
   P.O. Box 97046
   Redmond, WA  98073-9746

   EMail: garbrir@data-io.com
































Expiration Date 11 November 1998

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