Re: <nettime> Is CPSR Program Promoting Internet Privatization?

[Paul Garrin <pg@name-space.com>]

In short, no.  CPSR is presenting a forum in which ALL MODELS
can be presented and discussed.  As far as I understand, CPSR
does not advocate any particular view but is interested in the
exploration of all aspects in order to inform the interested public
of the issues.  It would be a good idea if there were more input
and participation, constructively, from the public, including the
members of this list, who up until now have been either complacent,
or simply naysayers of any plan for progress in expanding the
DNS in a way that is in the best interests of neteizens.

That's my opinion.

Best regards,

Paul Garrin
Founder/CEO
Name.Space, Inc.
and the Global Namespace Coalition,
a non-profit group in the interests of
expanding the internet in the public interest
http://namespace.org

Join the GNSC and make a difference!



>James Love <love@cptech.org> wrote:
>
>> CPSR is holding a workshop on the future of global internet
>> administration in Alexandria, Virginia, on September 24-5.
>> They have an impressive and interesting cast of speakers,
>> including, in no particular order, Esther Dyson, Ralph Nader,
>> Tony Rutkowski, Milton Mueller, Michael Froomkin, Coralee Whitcomb,
>> Don Telage, David Post, Jamie Love, David Farber (invited),
>> Paul Scolese (invited), Theresa Amato, Jean Camp, Hans Klein,
>> Mike Vita, Paul Garrin, Chris Ambler, Scott Bradner, Karl Auerbach,
>> Peter Deutsch and some others not yet named.
>
>> Here is the CPSR announcement:
>
>> * * *  Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)  * * *
>
>Has this organization now become Computer Professionals for
>the Privatization of the Internet? CPSR has a proud origin and it
>is a challenge to it to see if it will respect its roots in this
>important battle over the soul of the Internet.
>
>>Ralph Nader will give the keynote speech at CPSR's conference on global
>>Internet administration.  The conference, to be held in Alexandria,
>
>Ralph Nader has been a consumer advocate, but the issues involved
>here are those of net.citizens or Netizens, not of consumers.
>
>The is a new paradigm and not one that it is clear Nader recognizes
>as something new.
>
>See for example: http://www.columbia.edu/~rh120/ch106.xpr
>
>The issue involved is the privatization of the administrative functions
>of the Internet.
>
>The Office of Inspector General of the National Science Foundation (OIG
>of the NSF) in February 1997 issued a report opposing the privatization
>of these functions.
>
>
>          http://www.columbia.edu/~jrh29/geneva/NSF.inspector.general.txt
>
>
>There was a proposal submitted to the NTIA in summer of 1998 opposing
>the privatization of these functions.
>
>See http://www.columbia.edu/~rh120/other/dns_proposal.txt
>
>>Virginia, on September 24 and 25, will examine the issues surrounding the
>>creation of a new Internet corporation, ICANN, to manage core technical
>>functions of cyberspace.  A full conference announcement is below.
>
>This leaves out that the issue is *not* the management, but the
>privatization of public functions, and public property in a new
>way with some of a new cast of advocates.
>
>In the past the CPSR has promoted the privatization, rather than
>the protection of the public property of these functions. Is
>that what this conference is to do as well?
>
>There is no indication that the real question will be explored by
>the CPSR program.
>
>The real question is why these public functions should *not* be
>privatized.
>
>Why the public administration of the Domain Name System, and
>other essential functions of the Internet, such as the root server
>system, the IP system, the protocols, etc. need to be in public
>hands and *under* public protection.
>
>And that users are *not* customers, nor are users consumers.
>
>That the whole structure of the ICANN is to create a privatized,
>and illegitimate entity under the control of private interests
>(ask who is currently funding ICANN), to change the fundamental
>nature of the Internet by grabbing control of its essential
>functions in the greatest givaway ever by the U.S. government.
>
>Instead of the U.S. government protecting the Internet, and its
>naming and addressing functions and its protocols development
>and agreement processes, these processes are being put under
>the control of those who can grab power in a big power play.
>
>The whole concept of ICANN is flawed.
>
>The Internet was created by computer scientists in a computer
>science supported community.
>
>The continued scaling of the Internet requires that such public
>and scientific processes and institutional forms continue to
>be the forms overseeing and protecting the Internet.
>
>See for example: What Institutional Form is Needed to Replace
>ICANN? ICANN was created on the wrong model.
>        URL: http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/5183/1.html
>        URL: http://www.heise.de/tp/deutsch/inhalt/te/5239/1.html
>
>The CPSR conference has invited advocates of ICANN and advocates
>of consumer affairs. But users of the Internet are *not*
>consumers. The Internet is a participatory medium and users have
>been part of those creating the content and form.
>
>The user as Netizen or net.citizen is the social form that has
>emerged with the development of the Internet. The Netizen
>is being disenfranchisized by the creation of ICANN.
>
>And temporary structural forms such as the Domain Name System
>are being made permanent, when they need to be changed as
>the scaling of the Internet continues.
>
>But the creation of ICANN shows that the whole model of privatizing
>the Internet is a serious paradigm change in the nature of
>the Internet. The Internet is the creation of a research
>entity, and continued computer science research is needed to
>continued the growth and spread of the Internet, not privatizing
>of the public processes and property.
>
>The role of government in the development of the Internet needs
>to be examined and the role of government in support of computer
>science needs to be better understood.
>
>See for example:
>
>        URL: http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/co/5106/1.html
>
>or          http://www.ais.org/~ronda/new.papers/arpa_ipto.txt
>
>
>Is the CPSR conference raising such questions? Or is it only
>trying to find a more palatable means to carry out the privatization
>of the public processes and property?
>
>Ronda
>ronda@panix.com
>
>See also http://www.ais.org/~jrh/acn/dns_supplement.txt
>and http://www.ais.org/~jrh/acn/ACN9-1.txt
>
>
>             Netizens: On the History and Impact
>               of Usenet and the Internet
>          http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook/
>            in print edition ISBN 0-8186-7706-6
>
>
>
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