"I don't want the world. I just want your half."I tend to be successful in my predictions of technology trends and futures, yet have been floored by the publicity of a recent feud that has the precursors to make one of my wildest predictions come true.
I said that the next major worldwide war would involve the internet, and that the casualties would not be people, but rather information and access to that information. A sample of what I am thinking of is found in an article showcasing the BBC's rough take on the state of internet management. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4327928.stm (read before continuing)
Much of the world believes that the internet naming system should be managed by the United Nations. The United States manages all but two or three of the root domain naming servers, and much (all?) of the ARIN servers which are a critical component of how you get to read wonderful sites like www.ilovebees.com. I have several opinions on the subject, as well as some thoughts to reflect on:
The U.N. would have to get its own ducks in a row before trying to add ducks to the line. (see: Oil for Food, also see: Iraq)
The United States began the internet. I'm sorry you became dependent on it. The world depends on oil, so let the UN wrest control of oil from the few controlling nations before asking the US for control of the internet.
Right now, the Europeon Union says that they are considering their own internet, segmenting off from the rest of the world and threatening to splinter the information superhighway.
I, for one, can see both sides of the story. The businessman in me says "Let's make money off a hot commodity", the humanitarian in me says "Let's make information free". I have another part of me that says "Be nice to us, because we don't HAVE to make information free". I would sooner hand over the control of the internet to the IEEE or IETF than the UN. The UN is a peacekeeping organization (isn't it?). Technical standards groups already exist. If I want to move troops into a rebellious nation, the UN can help. If I want to quell riots and send relief aid, the UN can probably help. If I want to make technological standards and manage a multinational system of complex computer hardware and proprietary software that governs the world's flow of information? NOT the UN. Politics can flow across the internet, but let's not make the internet political.
posted by Paul @ 1:25 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Yeah, you do have a big nose.
Do we really need more fingers in this stew? What would be the point? What is it that the international community fears we will do with all that unbridled naming power?
You pretty much summed up my feelings on the issue with this line: "The United States began the internet. I'm sorry you became dependent on it. The world depends on oil, so let the UN wrest control of oil from the few controlling nations before asking the US for control of the internet."
In other words, stop whining or we're taking our ball and going home.
And yes, Sorrow, he does. But I like it like that.
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Why is it the more people there are the bigger a mess they try to make of things.
The buracracy alone in a move like this makes the IRS and ATF sound small and insignificant.
Then there is the other monitoring aspect. Will a move like this turn the 'Net into more of the ancient Nippon 'Red Light' district used for monitoring enimies as they relax in the 'Floating World'?
Nigolos...that's a scary thought, but a detailed concern within my own thoughts about the UN wanting a larger role in the net. Security is no small task.
What scares me is the perception that a larger organization can do this monitoring better.
Deep down I just see one more layer of buracracy that can be bribed, looted and corrupted to something even more dangerous than what the 'Net is already.
Sorry, I barely trust 'Big Brother' why would anyone in their right mind hire all his narsistic relatives to 'fix' something that seems to be working just fine.
Now that it's been over a decade or two, saluatory neglect kicks in my opinion and the rules change - ex. American Revolution (13 colonies were left alone for just a little too long, and look what happened :).
If they wanted that sort of control they should have put in at the ground floor and built it into the system.
I remembered this from a while back - -
I guess the world could do something like China did with the new games coming out.
http://www.interfax.cn/showfeature.asp?aid=4211
It makes sense in a way - how many businesses already filter items from their staff and consumer base?
I had not read about the China bit! Part of my predictions, however, also included China as the primary source of the major internet war. Since the internet is a major user-based service, and they have a bazillion people, they are far accelerated in their reaction to the content of the internet. They have even gone so far as to control wireless standards and make rules on internet cafes (one rule mentioned also in the article you mentioned, Nigolos). Scary, to be sure. I will have to ponder the current activities of China to determine what will be the outcome!
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