Ronda Hauben on Mon, 20 Sep 1999 07:34:17 +0200 (CEST)


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


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

>In short, no.  CPSR is presenting a forum in which ALL MODELS
>can be presented and discussed.  As far as I understand, CPSR

How can all models be presented if CPSR only invites speakers
who favor privatization of the essential functions of the Internet?

>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.

Paul you are pretending that there hasn't been any effort to
make input into this issue about the need for a public entity,
not for a privatizing of the public resources that will give
the privatizers control of the Internet.

Do you know why the CPSR didn't invite input from those
who have advocated such a public perspective?

The Office of Inspector General of the National Science Foundation
issued a Report in 1997 saying that the privatization was
going to create a violation of the U.S. anti trust law
and that a public form needed to be found.

That Report was ignored.

A proposal was submitted to Ira Magaziner and the U.S. government
(the NTIA) before the Sept 30, 1998 deadline (and ICANN's proposal
was submitted later), proposing a public, and online prototype
that would support computer scientists working collaboratively
to solve the problem of creating an international prototype
to begin to explore how to solve the problem of an institutional
form for the Internet names and numbers functions.

That proposal was ignored by the NTIA and by the CPSR.

And you had a meeting in NYC last year where you claimed
to be representing Internet users, and you treated this 
proposal hostilely

>That's my opinion.

What are you doing to welcome all views at the CPSR event?

What did you do to welcome diverse views at the supposed
forum for users in NYC (at the New School) last year?

Isn't the CPSR event inviting only those who are in favor of 
the privatization and of seeing the Internet user as 
"consumers" to speak.

Why haven't they opened up the issue to the question of whether
there is a need for a public entity rather than a privatizing
of the public's property?

There has been a long history of constructive input, but the 
CPSR event isn't interested in considering such input.

Otherwise they would have figured out how to have a broader
list of invited speakers than they have with a broader set of 
topics, which would include those who have challenged
the privatizing of these essential Internet functions.

Even the U.S. House of Representatives, the Committee on Science
through the subcommittee on basic research and subcommittee on technology
was more open than the CPSR in who they allowed to submit
testimony and to put their views into the record of the hearing.

>Paul Garrin

Ronda
ronda@ais.org

See http://www.ais.org/~jrh/acn/dns-supplement.txt
    http://www.ais.org/~jrh/acn/ACN9-1.txt

    http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/2837/1.html

   http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/5183/1.html
   http://www.heise.de/tp/deutsch/inhalt/te/5239/1.html

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