Re: [wg-review] The owners of "the Internet" must manage it for their own benefit

["INFOELINK" <kwami@infoelink.com>]

Bret,
I agree with the points you made
 especially about
> > There's a distribution of ownership from "public" (whatever that is) at
one
> > end of the spectrum, to individual governments, to educational
> > institutions, to corporations, down to individuals (I own my
> > router, hubs, computers, wires, and have rights to use my IP
> > numbers [which one can't really operate without] and domains

if this distribution of ownership is "fair"  is the billion dollar question

Kwami Ahiabenu,II
Ghana

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----- Original Message -----
From: Bret Busby <bret@clearsol.iinet.net.au>
To: Miles B. Whitener <mbw@i-theta.com>
Cc: <wg-review@dnso.org>; Dr. Michael S. Gendron <mgendron75@home.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2001 2:04 PM
Subject: Re: [wg-review] The owners of "the Internet" must manage it for
their own benefit


> "Miles B. Whitener" wrote:
> >
> > > The Internet was created by the military and
> > > academia.....we can not let it become a commercial enterprise.
> >
> >   I think it's not only wrong to say the above but it's also too
> > late.
> >   While we like to think of it otherwise, the Internet actually
> > does consist of hardware, software, rights of way, and spectrum
> > allocations.  Somebody owns every scrap of it.  There's a
> > distribution of ownership from "public" (whatever that is) at one
> > end of the spectrum, to individual governments, to educational
> > institutions, to corporations, down to individuals (I own my
> > router, hubs, computers, wires, and have rights to use my IP
> > numbers [which one can't really operate without] and domains
> > [which one definitely can operate without -- DNS only works by
> > voluntary agreement and can be easily replaced] as long as I keep
> > paying).
> >   I pay taxes to the US Government, and can vote on my
> > representation there.
> >   I pay fees to my Internet provider, and can complain, sue, shop
> > or move if I don't like them.
> >   I own some of my own hardware and software, and can protect
> > myself against anybody who tries to take them.
> >   To the extent that rights to determine how "the Internet" is
> > managed are allocated proportionately among the owners of "the
> > Internet",  it will be taken care of and invested in.  This is
> > very much easier said than done, but it's the truth.  This logic
> > applies at all levels and between every kind of owner, including
> > governments.  For example, if the United States
> > disproportionately gives up control, it will surely divest.
> >   Any valid consideration of the concerns of anybody who does not
> > own any of the Internet will flow from the good will of those who
> > do.  If such considerations are forced from the owners, they will
> > divest themselves to the extent that they have any alternatives.
> > And remember that one alternative is to simply cease to be
> > engaged in anything.  You can kill me, but you can't make me work
> > as your slave!
> >   Now, having stated the truth, I wonder if there's anybody on
> > this list who agrees.  For reasons I don't know, most folk I
> > encounter in these groups are one kind of socialist or another.
> >   Flame away!
>
> Ah, yes, but, who do you say owns the Internet? What are the criteria
> for defining ownership of the Internet?
>
> --
>
> Bret Busby
>
> Armadale, West Australia
>
> ......................................
> "So once you do know what the question actually is, you'll know what the
> answer means."
>  - Deep Thought, Chapter 28 of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
>  - Douglas Adams, 1988
> ......................................
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