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ICANN is ostensibly supposed to run in a democratic fashion based on input from the international community, but I'd be very surprised if the U.S. government wa
by beloch 14y ago
ICANN is ostensibly supposed to run in a democratic fashion based on input from the international community, but I'd be very surprised if the U.S. government wasn't already abusing their influence over ICANN towards at least two purposes:
1. Spying on everyone out of paranoia over terrorism.
2. Doing whatever the RIAA and MPAA's lobbyists want them to do.
That's not so good, but the ITU's express goal seems to be to balkanize the internet into a collection of state-controlled networks. One of the biggest benefits of the internet is that it shrinks the world and grants everyone, regardless of what country they live in, access to the same online community. I probably sound like complete hippie saying this, but I believe the global community created by the internet really is bringing all peoples of the world closer together. Reversing this trend would be far worse than anything ICANN is likely to do in the next decade!
Of course, as bad as the ITU's intentions are, the reality would likely be even worse. The internet is so interconnected that the power one state is granted over the internet in its own jurisdiction would likely translate into power they wield over everyone.
ICANN is, by far, the lesser of two evils at present. I am very concerned about the decline of respect for privacy in the U.S., but things simply haven't gotten bad enough yet to make the ITU look good by comparison.
- wmf 14y agoICANN's regulations and most of its deliberations are public, and they're not doing 1 or 2. They are totally captured by the "domain industry", but I agree that sounds less bad than what ITU is proposing.
- secalex 14y agoYou clearly have never been to an ICANN meeting. The best part of that organization is that it is way too dysfunctional and inefficient to lead any kind of conspiracy.
- netcan 14y ago"I probably sound like complete hippie saying this, but" I hate it that sentiments like this are so prone to be cliche that thoughtful people completely avoid them. It is absolutely reasonable to say something like this. The internet has shrunk the world, strengthened global solidarity, weakened our illusions of nationalism. I'll see your hippiness and raise you a poem. Cheesiness be damned. We loved the easy and the smart, But now, with keener hand and brain, We rise to play a greater part. The lesser loyalties depart, And neither race nor creed remain From bitter searching of the heart. Not steering by the venal chart That tricked the mass for private gain, We rise to play a greater part. Reshaping narrow law and art Whose symbols are the millions slain, From bitter searching of the heart We rise to play a greater part.
- fredericdb 14y agoLove cheese and poetic commentary.
- netcan 14y agoWhile I'd love to claim it, the poetic commentary is by Leonard Cohen. The cheese is me.
- cloudsteam 14y agothat was beautiful thanks
- mhurron 14y ago> 1. Spying on everyone out of paranoia over terrorism. > > 2. Doing whatever the RIAA and MPAA's lobbyists want them to do. With direct access to the various ISP's that actually carry traffic, the US doesn't need ICANN to do either of these. Honestly, how would ICANN do any of that anyway?