Power grab could split the Internet!

[RJ]

For the first time in its history, the Internet is running a real risk of fracturing into multiple and perhaps even incompatible networks.

At a meeting in Geneva last week, the Bush administration objected to the idea of the United Nations running the top-level servers that direct traffic to the master databases of all domain names.

That's not new, of course--the administration has been humming this tune since June. What's changed in the last few months is the response from the rest of the world.

Instead of acquiescing to the Bush administration's position, the European Union cried foul last week and embraced greater U.N. control. A spokesman said that the EU is "very firm on this position."

Other nations were equally irked. Russia, Brazil and Iran each chimed in with statements saying that no "single government" should have a "pre-eminent role" in terms of Internet governance.

Do read the full article here:

http://news.com.com/2010-1071-5886556.html?tag=tb

Important issue here for all domain name owners!

I'm not sure how this is going to play out, but things could get ugly if no one is willing to compromise and the domain name system is split into different services.

I know the words "Bush administration" can cause a knee-jerk urge for some people to post something nasty, but stop and consider -- do you really want the United Nations managing the domain name system?

 

[Nerz]

Its highly unlikely that the U.S will maintain its control over the internet infrastructure for even another 20 years....its a global commodity, used by the global community, to have one country with so much control over it makes absolutely no logical sense, and as a result it wont stand the test of time...be lucky if its 10 years...nvm 20. Globalisation just makes this outcome even more likely, revitilization of the U.N even more so.

And for all those that predict the U.S will maintain its state as the sole superpower into the future really needs a reality check. By 2050, China will have an economy 4/5ths the size of the U.S...predict another 20 years out from that and China will have the largest economy in the world..Thats what happens when you have 1.6 billion people in a single country that turns to capitilism...and there own little twist on democracy.

Just like the Roman Empire fell, the British Empire fell, and every other "so called" empire that has ever existed has also fallen, the days of the U.S completely dominating the World Economy are slowly but surely coming to a close...75 years from now, it will have ended. Not a bad run really.

Im not a U.S basher, for me its all about the standard of living, and in that respect the U.S, Europe, and the rest of the OECD will still people be substantially in front. (China is predicted to have a average annual income of around 12, 000 by then, compared with the 1,000 it has atm)

Its just math and logic people, theres no malice involved..

Actualy, Sir Tim Berners-Lee the creater of the web the web is from the UK, and Linus Torvalds the creater of Linux is from Finland.

Is he the first guy to ever send an email? I heard the other day the first guy to send an email was someone in the U.K?

 

[Tech2]

In my honest opinion, and the opinion of more than half of Americans, the United Nations has outlived its cause. If we should be handing anything over to the UN, it should be an eviction notice, along with all the bills and fines they raked up... Not the internet.

 

[Nerz]

Theres no doubt the U.N in its current form is a broken organisation, but theres equally no doubt there will always be a need for an international body with the significance of the U.N.

A world without a body of this type, is a world heading for WW3 IMO.

You have to understand the U.N is only as strong as the member states allow it too be. If its given no respect, it can never do its job properly..

 

[CrazyTech]

You have to understand the U.N is only as strong as the member states allow it too be. If its given no respect, it can never do its job properly..

It was given much respect for many years but it lost respect due to the numerous failures and scandals that continue to brew. What good is a global body if it never does anything for the good of anyone else?

My point is the current setup has worked and handing it over now to this sad, broken, and incapable excuse of a world body would be ludicrous and only inviting trouble.

And for all those that predict the U.S will maintain its state as the sole superpower into the future really needs a reality check. By 2050, China will have an economy 4/5ths the size of the U.S...predict another 20 years out from that and China will have the largest economy in the world..Thats what happens when you have 1.6 billion people in a single country that turns to capitilism...and there own little twist on democracy.

That's if things continue at the current pace and something doesn't happen along the way. Besides, since when did the rise of one superpower destroy another. Although the relationship was far from loving, the US and USSR coexisted for many years.

 

[Nerz]

My point is the current setup has worked and handing it over now to this sad, broken, and incapable excuse of a world body would be ludicrous and only inviting trouble.

True in its current state, the U.N is under huge pressure to totally overhaul itself, what comes out at the other end will hopefully be a lot better. In the end though the U.N as an institution can only do as much as its member states allow it too..particularly powerful member states, like those that make up the G8. The whole process is based on diplomacy, and a willingness to do whats right..(at least thats the broad, somewhat utopian ideal). Its based on forging agreement and comprimise if necessary, if that fails to happen, whos fault is it? The U.N bureacrats?, or the representatives for partipating countries...answer: both.

I dont wanna sound like the ultimate U.N defender, but i cant help but feel its current condition is more the fault of bickering amongst its member states than the apparatus of the U.N itself, the institution as it were. The U.N atm is a bit of a scape goat if you ask me for the failings of various countries over the years.

In terms of this debate, its only a matter of time before authority and responsiblity is drawn and quarted...

Besides, since when did the rise of one superpower destroy another. Although the relationship was far from loving, the US and USSR coexisted for many years.

I think the U.S and China will be the foundation of the worldwide economy in 50 years..and the relationship will be a friendly one for the most part, surely theres too much at stake on all sides.

 

[Masahiro]

Just leave it how it is. The internet has been absoutley fine since, what, late 1980s? Don't let America control it all, they'll mess up. Don't let Europe take control, we'll mess up.

Or...

WHY NOT LET ME TAKE CONTROL? 8-X

*deletes microsoft.com* :notme:

 

[jmweb]

I gotta agree with Crazy, perhaps this is a bit crazy as it wouldn't be fair to nations with no invovlement in the UN.

 

[Element]

The Bush Admin. seems to be causing alot of trouble for domains and the internet alike since he got in power.

 

[Zeeble]

That's if things continue at the current pace and something doesn't happen along the way. Besides, since when did the rise of one superpower destroy another. Although the relationship was far from loving, the US and USSR coexisted for many years.

Exactly.

China's only comparitive advantage is their cheap labour, once the cost of living and wages go up, they will lose their advantage and their will fall again.

 

[Shorty]

I'm sorry, but exactly what damage could any country possibly do to ICANN if given a share in it's power? Just because ICANN is US-based doesn't mean the US gets any advantage over anybody else. I say only out of patriotic greed that my country (England) deserves some sort of say in ICANN's running, but at the same time I am quite sure it will make little difference. I'm satisfied with the job that has been so far and just want things to remain the same.

 

[Nerz]

Exactly.

China's only comparitive advantage is their cheap labour, once the cost of living and wages go up, they will lose their advantage and their will fall again.

Mmm theres the slight matter of a billion plus people and HUGE economies of scale that work in there favour...Its not just the cheap labour, its the massive never ending supply of labour.

Although ya definately when wages and standards go up thats going to be interesting..I think thats starting to happen, very slowly, but China has one big advantage in sheer numbers that no other country can ever compete with, apart from maybe India one day.

 

[Zeeble]

Although ya definately when wages and standards go up thats going to be interesting..I think thats starting to happen, very slowly, but China has one big advantage in sheer numbers that no other country can ever compete with, apart from maybe India one day.

India is already experiencing this problem, but you are right, China has got a MASSIVE labour pool.

 

[GJ]

Intresting thread, the internet was a idea of a person from the UK who recived a knighthood for his services to the global development of the Internet through the invention of the World Wide Web. A simple Google search would find you the answer.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3899723.stm
http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/

Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in 1955 however lives in the USA at the moment. The issue is that the internet is a UK invention and power wouldn't stop laws to effect our internet connections. It isn't very smart to even think that this could happen as in my view this is not a threat to internet and domains as we know it.

 

[Binfus]

I believe the Internet has become far too important for all the major players to do anything to mess it up. My prediction is that after all this hot talk, huffing and puffing, there'd be a compromise where USA would likely agree to share the "control" of Internet at least in some ways with others while retaining a "veto" power so to speak over critical matters. May be ICANN would have some permanent members and some rotating members like the Security Council of the UN. May be ICANN would only deal with gTLDs while completely relinquishing the control of ccTLDs, which it sort of does to some extent even now. For the domainer community, one potential development that I see out of all this is individual countries paying far greater attention and importance to their respective ccTLDs, even to the point of actively engaging in promoting their usage. This will further accelerate the existing trend towards "localization". Knowing our history, we humans should have known that "globalization" is an ideal that has its limits and I think we probably just have started to recognize these limitations, both from economic and socio-political standpoints.

 

[Kate]

Just imagine if the Internet would be run by the UN like the security council... with the Chinese as permanent members. They are censoring hard in their own country, at least they should no be given the opportunity to censor the rest of the world as well.

It's obvious there is a problem right now and even two:
1. ICANN is a failed body that must be reformed to say the least
2. political interference from the US administration

But adding even more political interference will only make things worse.
I am not too optimistic in the long term. I think the we are living the golden age of the Internet, in a few years time I am afraid it will be policed like hell under the guise of national security or the ever-ending 'war on terrorism' etc

I think we should dump our own ruling terrorists to being with :p

 

[Binfus]

I think the we are living the golden age of the Internet, in a few years time I am afraid it will be policed like hell under the guise of national security or the ever-ending 'war on terrorism' etc

I'm not sure if we can call the current state of affairs a "golden age" with all the unregulated spam, porn, and anything else that irks the vast majority of polulace, but I do agree that there'd definitely be more regulations ("policing" if you may) as the Internet continues to mature and establishes itself as the society's backbone for information, education, commerce, socialization, entertainment, communications, and so many other vital aspects that we have not even begin to recognize yet. As I noted above, if the Internet is way too important (for every nation) to be messed up with, its also way too important to be left alone !! And, in this vein, making further distinction between and preferntial usage of ccTLDs versus gTLDs makes even more sense....I'd predict in the long run, porn would be forced to limit itself within the confines of .XXX that any/many families, countries would be able to block altogether.

 

[THESTOKIE]

No question about it,People tend to forget who created the computer operating system and the net,AMERICANS did,China will never do squat,They know better,simple as that,If the net is divided it would be a bad thing,But if it does so be it,I'll be doing the same thing all4 is talking about.

Horray they are at it again. When americans when will stop taking the credit for everything (Dont tell me they invented air as well) The internet was invented by a british man by the name of Sir Timothy John "Tim" Berners-Lee, fair enough he didnt invent everything but he made all of it possiable now before you start to cry about this. Please do some research on this great british man with out him the internet would not be what it is now

PS Donald Watts Davies was a British computer scientist who was a co-inventor of packet switching hmmm you still sure america invented the net?

The first website
The first website Berners-Lee built (and therefore the first web site) was at http://info.cern.ch/ (which has been archived) and was first put online on August 6, 1991. It provided an explanation about what the World Wide Web was, how one could own a browser, how to set up a web server, and so on. It was also the world's first web directory, since Berners-Lee later maintained a list of other web sites apart from his own.

The reason you may not have heard of this man is because

Berners-Lee's insight was to combine them in a way which is still exploring its full potential. Perhaps his greatest single contribution, was to make his idea available freely, with no patent and no royalties due. The World Wide Web Consortium decided that their standards must be based on royalty-free technology, so they can be easily adopted by anyone.

Sorry this is a late reply to this thread but i have only just seen it

 

[CrazyTech]

A british scientist may have created it (which if you'll notice I did not say Americans created it) but we certainly have our own claims which go back almost 30 years earlier.

ARPA - Advanced Research Project Agency - and the computer network called ARPANET.

Look those up when you have the chance.

 

[Binfus]

Communities, whether they be as circumscribed as a domain forum or as vast as the entire humanity, have certain common chracteristics...perhaps one of the most unproductive being the tendency of its members to get into this mode where they'd persistently try proving their viewpoint to be correct and the opposing view(s) incorrect without pondering that even if they succeed in their efforts (which most often is impossible anyway) there's not really any gain to be had. In a way we are seeing this right here in this thread's degeneration into this fruitless debate as to who "invented" the Internet rather than whats its future, in fact the apparent focus and intent of the starting post by RJ..!!

 

[Zeeble]

IMO, a system whereby each ccTLD is under control by the local govt would be great. Not only that, but for the gTLD's have a council which is made up from each country which uses it, but in proportion to the number of domains registered in that country (PR).